Existing law allows a local educational agency (LEA) to exempt certain pupils from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing body of the LEA that is in addition to the statewide coursework requirements necessary to receive a diploma of graduation from high school unless the LEA makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the LEA’s graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the pupil’s fourth year of high school.
The bill amends existing law to instead require an LEA consult with a pupil who is in foster care, a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a child of a military family, or a migratory child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the pupil of the option to remain in school for a fifth year if the LEA determines the pupils are reasonably able to complete the graduation requirements within the fifth year of high school. The bill requires that until January 1, 2028, an LEA consults with a pupil and provides the pupil with the available options.
If a pupil does not qualify for an exception the year in which they transfer, the bill requires the LEA to reevaluate the eligibility for exemption.
Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to accept full credit or partial credits for coursework satisfactorily completed by certain pupils at a prior school and prohibits requiring the pupil to retake that coursework at the new school. SB 532 instead requires that a transferring school issue and the new school accept and issue those credits on their respective official transcript for the pupil. Furthermore, the bill requires a new school that enrolls a pupil with a transcript that it knows does not include any of those credits to contact the transferring school within two business days and the transferring school shall issue the appropriate credits and provide all academic records to the new school within two business days of the request.
Existing law establishes procedures for the transfer of pupils in foster care between schools and requires the transferring LEA 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 requires 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.
(SB 532 amends Section 49069.5, 51225.1, and 51225.2 of the Education Code.)