AN ACT to use a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to replace the end‑of‑course tests for grades nine through twelve.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. ELIMINATE EOC FOR GRADES 9‑12

SECTION 1.(a)  The State Board of Education shall eliminate the use of end‑of‑course (EOC) tests for grades nine through 12. The nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness, or the alternate assessment, administered to all students in eleventh grade pursuant to G.S. 115C‑174.11(c)(4), as amended by Section 1(b) of this act, shall constitute the State‑mandated testing in grades nine through 12 required by G.S. 115C‑174.11(c)(1). Policies regarding participation in the NCEXTEND1 alternative assessment may be applied in the same manner as prior to the enactment of this act, and the State Board of Education may continue the use of the NCEXTEND1 for students with disabilities, as appropriate.

SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 115C‑174.11(c)(4) reads as rewritten:

(4)      To the extent funds are made available, the The State Board of Education shall use a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally norm‑referenced college admissions test nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness to make available to local school administrative units, regional schools, and charter schools to administer to all students in the eleventh grade unless the student has already taken a comparable test and scored at or above a level set by the State Board. The State Board of Education shall require the administration of an alternate to the nationally norm‑referenced college admissions test or an alternate precursor test to the nationally norm‑referenced college admissions test to a student who (i) exhibits severe and pervasive delays in all areas of conceptual, linguistic, and academic development and in adaptive behaviors, including communication, daily living skills, and self‑care, (ii) is following the extended content standards of the Standard Course of Study as provided in G.S. 115C‑81.5, or is following a course of study that, upon completing high school, may not lead to admission into a college‑level course of study resulting in a college degree, and (iii) has a written parental request for an alternate assessment.students in the eleventh grade in accordance with federal law.

The State Board of Education shall ensure that parents of students enrolled in all public schools, including charter and regional schools, have the necessary information to make informed decisions regarding participation in the nationally norm‑referenced college admissions test and precursor test.

Alternate assessment and nationally norm‑referenced college admissions test assessment Nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness results of students with disabilities shall be included in school accountability reports, including charter and regional schools, provided by the State Board of Education.

SECTION 1.(c)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2024, and applies beginning with tests administered to students entering their junior year during the 2024‑2025 school year.

PART II. ELIMINATE REQUIREMENT FOR ACT WORKKEYS

SECTION 2.(a)  The State Board of Education shall eliminate required administration of ACT WorkKeys for career and technical education students. For school performance grades issued based on data from the 2021‑2022 school year, the career readiness indicator described in G.S. 115C‑83.15(b)(2)e. and G.S. 115C‑83.16(a)(2)b.3. shall not be considered in the calculation of school performance grades.

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 115C‑174.25 is repealed.

SECTION 2.(c)  This section is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2023‑2024 school year.

PART III. CONFORMING CHANGES

SECTION 3.(a)  G.S. 115C‑83.15(b)(2) reads as rewritten:

(2)      For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State Board shall assign points on the following measures available for that school:

a.         One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math I end‑of‑course test or, for students who completed Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth grade, another mathematics course with an end‑of‑course test.the math subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

b.         One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the English II end‑of‑course test.the reading subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

c.         One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient on the Biology end‑of‑course test.science subtest or the science subject test of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

d.         One point for each percent of students who complete Algebra II or Integrated Math III with a passing grade.

e.         One point for each percent of students who either (i) achieve the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness.readiness.

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g.         One point for each percent of students who graduate within four years of entering high school.

h.         One point for each percent of students who progress in achieving English language proficiency.

SECTION 3.(b)  G.S. 115C‑83.16(a)(2) reads as rewritten:

(2)      For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State Board shall define the indicators as follows:

a.         Academic indicators. –

1.         The academic achievement indicator shall include the following measures:

I.          Proficiency on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math I end‑of‑course test or, for students who completed Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth grade, another mathematics course with an end‑of‑course test.the math subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

II.        Proficiency on the English II end‑of‑course test.reading subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

III.       The growth score earned by schools.

2.         Repealed by Session Laws 2017‑206, s. 1(b), effective August 30, 2017, and applicable beginning with the 2017‑2018 school year.

3.         The graduation rate indicator shall be the percentage of students who graduate within four years of entering high school.

4.         The English language proficiency indicator shall be the percentage of students who progress in achieving English language proficiency.

b.         School quality and student success indicator. – The school quality and student success indicator shall be made up of the following measures:

1.         Proficiency on the Biology end‑of‑course test.science subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness.

2.         The percentage of students who complete Algebra II or Integrated Math III with a passing grade.

3.         The percentage of students who either (i) achieve the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness.readiness.

SECTION 3.(c)  G.S. 116‑11(10a) reads as rewritten:

(10a)  The Board of Governors, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the State Board of Education, in consultation with nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions shall plan a system to provide an exchange of information among the public schools and institutions of higher education to be implemented no later than June 30, 1995. As used in this section, institutions of higher education shall mean (i) public higher education institutions defined in G.S. 116‑143.1(a)(3), and (ii) those nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions as described in G.S. 116‑280 that choose to participate in the information exchange. The information shall include:

a.         The number of high school graduates who apply to, are admitted to, and enroll in institutions of higher education;

b.         College performance of high school graduates for the year immediately following high school graduation including each student's: need for remedial coursework at the institution of higher education that the student attends; performance in standard freshmen courses; and continued enrollment in a subsequent year in the same or another institution of higher education in the State;

c.         The progress of students from one institution of higher education to another; and

d.         Consistent and uniform public school course information including course code, name, and description.

The Department of Public Instruction shall generate and the local school administrative units shall use standardized transcripts in an automated format for applicants to higher education institutions. The standardized transcript shall include grade point average, class rank, end‑of‑course test scores, scores from the nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and college readiness administered pursuant to G.S. 115C‑174.11(c), and uniform course information including course code, name, units earned toward graduation, and credits earned for admission from an institution of higher education. The grade point average and class rank shall be calculated by a standard method to be devised by the institutions of higher education.

SECTION 3.(d)  Subsections (a) and (b) of this section become effective January 1, 2025, and apply beginning with school performance grades issued based on data from the 2024‑2025 school year. Subsection (c) of this section becomes effective July 1, 2024, and applies beginning with students entering the eleventh grade during the 2024‑2025 school year.

PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 4.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.