Senate Bill 2563

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-16-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PASS THE U.S. CITIZENSHIP TEST ON CIVICS BEFORE GRADUATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a minimum:

(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by assessments developed and administered by the State Board of Education.

(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district school board.

(c) By school, information on high school graduation rates. High schools with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit a detailed plan to the Mississippi Department of Education to restructure the high school experience to improve graduation rates.

(d) Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, the State Board of Education shall provide that the academic standards for social studies shall include a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a general equivalency diploma, a student shall correctly answer at least sixty (60) of the one hundred (100) questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the Naturalization Test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. A student who does not obtain a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the Naturalization Test may retake the test until the pupil obtains a passing score.

(2) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.

(3) The State Board of Education may establish student proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to graduation.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.