House Bill 432

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-16-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE ON THE MAP ASSESSMENT AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENROLL IN AN ALTERNATIVE EXIT COURSE AND TAKE AN ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT FOR PURPOSE OF RECEIVING A STANDARD DIPLOMA FOR SATISFACTORILY PASSING THE ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT; TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALTERNATIVE EXIT COURSES AND ASSESSMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO RECEIVE A STANDARD DIPLOMA UPON GRADUATION PROVIDED CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS ARE FULFILLED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37-16-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-16-15. (1) Any person who has withdrawn from high school before graduation may be granted a diploma from the Mississippi public high school that the person last attended if the person has:

(a) Completed all requisite graduation course work requirements and has achieved a passing score on an assessment reasonably comparable to the respective assessments that would qualify the person for high school graduation as such assessments existed at the time that the student would have graduated; and

(b) Made a request to the public high school district that the person last attended in Mississippi that includes relevant transcripts of course work completed.

(2) The State Department of Education is authorized to determine and/or develop any reasonably comparable assessment to be administered to persons seeking to obtain a diploma from the last Mississippi public high school of attendance under the authority granted under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Any student identified as having, by the end of Grade 12, completed an appropriate alternative exit course and is identified as having met a satisfactory pass level on a reasonably comparable alternate assessment directly related to the alternative exit course after failing to pass the MAP assessment after three (3) attempts, shall be awarded a passing score for the MAP assessment, provided that:

(a) The alternate assessment is administered by the enrollment and instruction in the alternative exit course for which the passing score in needed;

(b) The alternative exit course may be offered through distance learning and may be offered outside of the normal school day; and

(c) Any passing score received from an alternative exit course will replace the MAP assessment score for purposes of allowing students to graduate with a standard diploma.

(3) (a) Any student identified as a student with a disability who, because of the nature of the disability, cannot meet the necessary requirements for passing the MAP assessment should be enrolled in an alternative exit course. Once the alternative exit course is satisfactorily completed and the goals of the student's Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) are met, along with the associated course assessments, the student shall be awarded a passing score for the MAP assessment that will count toward a standard diploma for purposes of graduation.

(b) Any student identified as having a severe cognitive disability shall be excluded from this component of the MAP assessment. These students shall be required to take the Mississippi Alternative Assessment.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.