H 4072 Session 111 (1995-1996)
H 4072 General Bill, By M.F. Jaskwhich
A Bill to amend Section 59-39-100, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
relating to the issuance of uniform high school diplomas and the units
required for a diploma, so as to provide that a student completing the
required units must be issued a standard high school diploma and to delete a
provision which specifies that all diplomas must be uniform in respect to
color, size, lettering, and marking; to amend the 1976 Code by adding Section
59-39-101 so as to provide that public and nonpublic high school graduates who
meet certain specified criteria are designated as South Carolina Academic
Scholars and shall receive a diploma designating them as such, to provide for
the automatic admission to any state-supported college, university, or
technical school of South Carolina Academic Scholars who meet certain
criteria, and to provide that academic scholars attending a state-supported
college, university, or technical school are entitled to certain tuition
reductions; to amend the 1976 Code by adding Section 59-39-102 so as to
provide that the State Board of Education shall establish criteria for the
issuance of an applied Academic Honors Diploma which is a diploma signifying
certain accomplishment beyond that required for a standard diploma as
contained in Section 59-39-100.
04/12/95 House Introduced and read first time HJ-39
04/12/95 House Referred to Committee on Education and Public
Works HJ-40
A BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-100, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF
UNIFORM HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND THE UNITS
REQUIRED FOR A DIPLOMA, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A
STUDENT COMPLETING THE REQUIRED UNITS MUST BE
ISSUED A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND TO
DELETE A PROVISION WHICH SPECIFIES THAT ALL
DIPLOMAS MUST BE UNIFORM IN RESPECT TO COLOR,
SIZE, LETTERING, AND MARKING; TO AMEND THE 1976
CODE BY ADDING SECTION 59-39-101 SO AS TO PROVIDE
THAT PUBLIC AND NONPUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES WHO MEET CERTAIN SPECIFIED CRITERIA
ARE DESIGNATED AS SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC
SCHOLARS AND SHALL RECEIVE A DIPLOMA
DESIGNATING THEM AS SUCH, TO PROVIDE FOR THE
AUTOMATIC ADMISSION TO ANY STATE-SUPPORTED
COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, OR TECHNICAL SCHOOL OF
SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS WHO MEET
CERTAIN CRITERIA, AND TO PROVIDE THAT ACADEMIC
SCHOLARS ATTENDING A STATE-SUPPORTED COLLEGE,
UNIVERSITY, OR TECHNICAL SCHOOL ARE ENTITLED TO
CERTAIN TUITION REDUCTIONS; TO AMEND THE 1976
CODE BY ADDING SECTION 59-39-102 SO AS TO PROVIDE
THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL
ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR THE ISSUANCE OF AN APPLIED
ACADEMIC HONORS DIPLOMA WHICH IS A DIPLOMA
SIGNIFYING CERTAIN ACCOMPLISHMENT BEYOND THAT
REQUIRED FOR A STANDARD DIPLOMA AS CONTAINED
IN SECTION 59-39-100.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) The mission of the high schools of this State
is to challenge and prepare students to enter post high school
education, employment, or both. Through intellectual, personal,
physical, and social growth, graduates should be able and willing to
take the appropriate first steps into their chosen field of work or
study, to act responsibly as citizens, and to enjoy a productive life.
(B) To guide the high schools of this State in fulfilling this
mission and their students in meeting these goals, the General
Assembly has determined to enact the provisions of this act.
SECTION 2. Section 59-39-100 of the 1976 Code is amended
to read:
"Section 59-39-100. Diplomas must be issued
to graduates of accredited high schools within this State must be
uniform in every respect and particularly as to color, size, lettering,
and marking. The number of units required for a
standard state high school diploma is twenty units as
prescribed by the State Board of Education. Beginning in the
1986-87 academic year, a minimum of 3 three units
must be earned in mathematics and a minimum of 2
two units must be earned in science.
One unit in computer science, if approved by the State
Department of Education for this purpose, may be counted toward
the mathematics requirement.
Students who earn one unit in science and six or more units in a
specific occupational service area will meet the science
requirements for a standard state high school diploma.
Vocational programs operating on a 3-2-1 structure may count
prevocational education as one of the six required units."
SECTION 3. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-39-101. (A) For the purpose of recognizing
and rewarding outstanding performance and academic achievement
on the part of public and nonpublic school students, each high
school graduate who meets the requirements of this section
beginning with the 1995-96 school year must be awarded a diploma
recognizing and designating the graduate as a South Carolina
Academic Scholar.
(B) In order to qualify as a South Carolina Academic Scholar, a
student must:
(1) complete a program of at least two more credits than the
minimum number of credits required for high school graduation in
advanced level studies as prescribed by the State Board of
Education including as a minimum:
(a) four years of progressively advanced instruction in
language arts, including courses in English composition and
literature;
(b) four years of progressively advanced instruction in
science, including laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, and
physics where laboratory facilities are available;
(c) four years of progressively advanced instruction in
mathematics, including courses in algebra and geometry and
calculus or trigonometry;
(d) two years of sequential foreign language;
(e) one year of instruction in art and music or in either art
or music;
(f) three years of instruction in social studies, including
courses in American history and government, world history, and
comparative political and economic systems; and
(g) one year of instruction in health and physical education
to include assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal
fitness.
(2) demonstrate mastery of the performance standards and
basic skills required by law or, if the student is a nonpublic school
student, have achieved a score of eleven hundred on the combined
verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test of the
College Entrance Examination or an equivalent score on the
American College Testing Program;
(3) in lieu of the requirements specified in subitems (1) and
(2) of this subsection, successfully complete the International
Baccalaureate Program sponsored and administered by the
International Baccalaureate Office.
(C) A student who does not meet the requirements of subsection
(B)(1) as a result of reliance on inaccurate or incomplete
information provided by a high school guidance counselor is
eligible for a South Carolina Academic Scholars' diploma if these
deficiencies are verified and the reasons for them confirmed in
writing by the principal of the student's high school or the
superintendent of the district on forms provided by the department,
and the student satisfies these requirements by the end of his first
semester of enrollment in a postsecondary institution. The
requirements may also be satisfied by successful completion of the
required coursework provided by a school district or technical
college adult general education program. A student who does not
satisfy all requirements of subsection (B)(1) by the end of his first
semester of postsecondary enrollment is ineligible for designation as
a South Carolina Academic Scholar.
(D) Each South Carolina Academic Scholar who demonstrates
advanced proficiency, as defined by the State Board of Education,
through performance on the combined verbal and quantitative
portions of an approved standardized test is entitled to automatic
admission to any state-supported college or university or technical
college within the State, if his application for admission is filed
within three years following graduation from high school and he
meets the nonacademic standards established by the institution.
Also, in addition to any other scholarships or financial aid the
student may receive, he is entitled to a five percent reduction in
each tuition payment, not including room and board if any, required
to be made to the college, university, or school.
(E) Each district school board and the administrators of each
nonpublic school are encouraged to make provisions, through
appropriate and adequate course offerings at an advanced level in
each high school or through cooperative arrangements with other
schools, for students desiring to participate in the South Carolina
Academic Scholars' Diploma Program.
(F) The State Board of Education is authorized to promulgate
regulations necessary for the implementation and administration of
this section. These regulations shall include specific course
requirements and may also establish alternatives to any area of
study or course of study specified herein, provided that adopted
curriculum frameworks demonstrate that the alternative authorized
is equivalent or more advanced."
SECTION 4. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-39-102. The State Board of Education by
regulation shall establish criteria for the issuance of an applied
academic honors diploma. The applied academic honors diploma
must be issued beginning with the 1995-96 school year based on the
criteria established by the State Board of Education in the manner
provided by this section."
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the
Governor.
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