State Board of Education Agrees to Scale Back New Graduation Requirements

The feedback is in and the Kentucky Board of Education has issued its new plan for high school students both preparing to enter school and to get ready for new graduation requirements.

The new requirements are divided into two graduation categories: 'qualifiers' which will affect freshman beginning next fall, and 'prerequisites' which will affect incoming freshman in the fall of 2020.

'Qualifiers'

1. Precollege curriculum as established by the Council on Postsecondary
Education in 13 KAR 2:020; or

2. Benchmark score in one section of a college admissions or placement
examination as established by the Council on Postsecondary Education in 13
KAR 2:020; or

3. Three postsecondary credit hours or more of a Kentucky Department of
Education approved dual credit course with a grade of C or higher; or

4. One course and corresponding assessment meeting the following criteria:
    a. Advanced placement (AP) with a score of three or higher; or
    b. Cambridge Advanced International (CAI) with a score at or above benchmark; or
    c. International baccalaureate (IB) with a score of five or higher; or

5. Industry certification as approved by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board
on an annual basis; or

6. Four credits from valid courses within a single Kentucky Department of
Education approved career pathway; or

7. A Kentucky Department of Education approved process to verify 500 hours of
exceptional work experience, or alternative requirements as prescribed in a
student’s IEP.

Districts shall report individual student data regarding the completion of each
graduation qualifier to the Kentucky Department of Education, which may be
included in public reporting.

'Prerequisites'

1. The student’s tenth grade state-required assessments meeting the minimum criteria in reading and mathematics;

2. The minimum criteria shall include earning a KDE-approved scale score in the apprentice student performance level of the state-required assessments approved by the Kentucky Board of Education as passing.

3. Students who do not meet the minimum criteria on one or both assessments may retake the reading and/or mathematics assessments twice annually in the eleventh and twelfth grades of high school enrollment.

4. The student’s first completion of the assessments in grade ten shall contribute to the school’s accountability rating; or

5. The student’s eighth grade state-required assessment rating of proficient or higher for reading or mathematics or both reading and mathematics, if applicable; or

6. A student collection of evidence to include the following:
    a. The student’s ILP that includes student transcript;
    b. If applicable, the student’s IEP, that includes evidence that the student has received specially designed instruction and related services in reading and mathematics;
    c. Performance on the required state assessments;
    d. Appropriate interventions, targeted to the student’s needs, provided to the student to ensure support was provided toward meeting the requirements outlined in this administrative regulation;
    e. Student work demonstrating the students’ competency in reading and/or mathematics, as applicable; and
    f. The student’s postsecondary plans.

One change that was also scaled back for the new plan was the student's 'transition readiness' which would have offered a student options to show he or she is ready for a career post-graduation. The main concern was schools in rural areas that wouldn't be able to offer the best options.