INTRODUCED
BY K. Walsh, D. Bedey, T. Welch, J. Welborn
By Request of the ****
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT PROVIDING STUDENTS ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF EARNING A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; REQUIRING THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO CREATE A PROCESS FOR STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY OF HIGH SCHOOL CONTENT STANDARDS THROUGH ALTERNATIVE MEANS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. State high school diploma -- duties of superintendent of public instruction -- rulemaking. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop a process through which a resident of the state who has exhausted, in the determination of the superintendent, the possibility of earning a diploma from a high school accredited by the board of public education can pursue a Montana proficiency-based diploma by demonstrating:
(a) proficiency of the content standards adopted by the board of public education through alternative means; and
(b) perseverance and dedication in accomplishing a rigorous, long-term goal requiring maturity and the application of knowledge to real-world situations.
(2) When an individual demonstrates proficiency, perseverance, and dedication as determined by the superintendent of public instruction under subsection (1), the superintendent may issue to the individual a Montana proficiency-based diploma.
(3) An individual enrolled in a home school or nonpublic school is not eligible for a Montana proficiency-based diploma under this section.
(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall by rule prescribe the eligibility and qualifications for pursuing a Montana proficiency-based diploma under this section.
Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 20, chapter 3, part 1, and the provisions of Title 20, chapter 3, part 1, apply to [section 1].
Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.