Pupil instruction: high school coursework and graduation requirements: exemptions and alternatives.

(1) Existing law requires a local educational agency, as defined, to exempt a pupil in foster care, a pupil who is a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a pupil who is a child of a military family, or a pupil who is a migratory child who transfers between schools any time after the completion of the pupil's 2nd year of high school, or a pupil participating in an English language proficiency program for newly arrived immigrant pupils and who is in their 3rd or 4th year of high school, from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing body of the local educational agency that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements necessary to receive a diploma of graduation from high school, unless the local educational agency makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the local educational agency's graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the pupil's 4th year of high school. This bill, among other things, would require the local educational agency to instead consult with a pupil described-above and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the pupil, of the option to remain in school for a 5th year if the local educational agency determines the pupil is reasonably able to complete the local educational agency's graduation requirements within the pupil's 5th year of high school and would, until January 1, 2028, require that consultation and option to be provided if the local educational agency determines the pupil is not reasonably able to complete the local graduation requirements within a 5th year but is reasonably able to complete the statewide graduation requirements within the pupil's 5th year of high school, as provided. If the pupil does not qualify for an exemption in the year in which the pupil transfers between schools, the bill would require the local educational agency to reevaluate the pupil's eligibility for the exemption, as specified. The bill would apply these provisions to, among others, pupils described above who are enrolled in an adult education program, regardless of the pupil's age, as specified, and certain additional pupils in foster care. (2) Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or a school within those entities, or a charter school, to accept full credit or partial credits for coursework satisfactorily completed by certain pupils at a prior school and prohibits a requirement for the pupil to retake that coursework at the new school, except as specified. Existing law requires any partial credits to be applied to an equivalent course at the new school, as specified. This bill would require the transferring school or entity to issue and the new school or entity to accept and issue those credits on their respective official transcript for the pupil, as specified. The bill would require a new school or entity that enrolls a pupil with a transcript that it knows does not include any of those credits to contact the transferring school or entity within 2 business days and the transferring school or entity to issue the appropriate credits and provide all academic and other records to the new school or entity within 2 business days of the request. (3) Existing law establishes procedures for the transfer of pupils in foster care between schools and requires the transferring local educational agency to compile the complete educational record of the pupil, including a determination of seat time, full or partial credits earned, and current classes and grades. This bill would require the educational record to also include a determination of days of enrollment or seat time, or both if applicable, and an official transcript with full and partial credits earned, or any measure of full or partial coursework being satisfactorily completed, as provided. (4) By requiring local educational agencies to perform additional duties in complying with the above requirements, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.