Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

 

Amended

March 28, 2023

H. 4060

Introduced by Reps. G. M. Smith, West, Ballentine, M. M. Smith, B. Newton, Davis, Hewitt, Sandifer, Kirby, Ott, Hager, Stavrinakis, Tedder, Murphy, Brewer, Mitchell, Erickson, Bradley, Bauer and Forrest

 

S. Printed 03/28/23--H.                                                                         [SEC 3/29/2023 3:36 PM]

Read the first time March 01, 2023

 

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A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-1-485 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE WORKFORCE READINESS GOAL; BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-245 SO AS TO PROVIDE REMEDIATION IN COURSES IN LITERACY AND MATHEMATICS TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SEEKING POST-SECONDARY STUDIES BUT LACKING REQUISITE ACADEMIC PREPARATION, TO PROVIDE THIS COURSEWORK MAY BE USED TO MEET HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION,  AND THE STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM; BY ADDING SECTION 59-39-105 SO AS TO PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SHALL COMPLETE AND SUBMIT A FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID BEFORE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, TO PROVIDE EXEMPTIONS, TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE PROVISIONS, AND TO MAKE THESE PROVISIONS APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-26-35, RELATING TO EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM EVALUATIONS AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATOR PREPARATION REPORT CARD, SO AS TO TRANSFER PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONDUCTING THESE EVALUATIONS AND PRODUCING THIS REPORT CARD TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-59-210, RELATING TO DUAL ENROLLMENT ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF DUAL ENROLLMENT COLLEGE COURSES OFFERED TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS STATE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES FOR THE GUARANTEED TRANSFER OF COURSEWORK EARNED AT TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN THIS STATE TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS STATE; BY ADDING SECTION 41-1-140 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE SHALL MAINTAIN AND PROVIDE FREE ONLINE ACCESS TO INFORMATION REGARDING THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF COLLEGE MAJORS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; AND by INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKING-AGED ADULTS WITH POSTSECONDARY DEGREES OR INDUSTRY CREDENTIALS BY FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF CERTAIN ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO THE STATE BOARD FOR TECHNICAL AND COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION AND MAXIMIZING USE OF CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERS TO IMPROVE AND UPDATE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

    Amend Title To Conform

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 59-1-485.  Recognizing that a vibrant workforce is critical to sustaining and growing the economy of this State by servicing existing industry and attracting new industry, the State of South Carolina must endeavor to increase the number of South Carolinians who are ready and able to fill jobs demanded by a dynamic and evolving economy to promote a statewide culture of excellence in education. To achieve this purpose, the State of South Carolina establishes a minimum overall statewide workforce readiness goal of at least sixty percent of all working-aged South Carolinians having a postsecondary degree or recognized industry credentials before the year 2030 unless a higher goal is established in the comprehensive statewide education and workforce development plan. This goal is consistent with all students graduating and having the knowledge, skills, and characteristics contained in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. The General Assembly is encouraged to reexamine and revise this goal on an ongoing basis as needed.  The Commission on Higher Education must establish strategic timelines and milestones in the Commission's Public Agenda to:

       (1) increase the number of students who obtain degrees and credentials in the STEM disciplines;      (2) advance training and careers in STEM fields; and

       (3) expand the STEM-capable workforce.

 

SECTION 2.A.  Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 59-29-245. (A) The State Department of Education is directed to ensure that all public high schools, including charter high schools, provide academic remediation courses in high school literacy and mathematics for students in the senior year of high school who desire to pursue a postsecondary education but are not academically prepared for college-level course work. Credits earned in these courses may be used to satisfy high school diploma elective credit requirements.  The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations directing when the courses may be offered and when they may be used to satisfy high school diploma elective credit requirements.

    (B)(1) The department shall collaborate with the South Carolina Technical College System to:

               (a) develop or adopt courses and curriculum that provide the necessary academic remediation needed. The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education shall approve remedial courses developed or adopted by the department;

               (b) develop policies and guidelines that identify multiple measures or evidence that a student would benefit from the academic remediation courses, including:

                  (i) assessment data from college readiness assessments;

                  (ii) other standardized exams or locally developed exams used by technical colleges; and

                  (iii) high school academic performance including grade point average and coursework.

       (2) Based upon the policies and guidelines developed pursuant to subitem (b), the department shall produce online documents to help guidance counselors and administrators explain the benefits of the courses to students, parents, and guardians. The documents shall also be made available to the public.

 

SECTION 3.A. A. Article 1, Chapter 39, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 59-39-105. (A) In addition to completing the units or credits of instruction required for graduation, each high school senior shall complete and submit a free application for federal student aid ("FAFSA" or "application") before graduating from high school, except as provided in subsection (B).

    (B) A student is exempt from the requirements of subsection (A) if:

       (1) the parent or legal guardian of the student signs and submits the form provided in subsection (C) to authorize the student to decline to complete and submit the application;

       (2) the student signs and submits the form provided in subsection (C) on his own behalf, if the student is at least eighteen years of age and declines to complete and submit the application; or

       (3) a school counselor signs and submits the form provided in subsection (C) to authorize the student to decline to complete and submit the application for good cause, as determined by the school counselor. The school counselor is not required to state the basis for determining the existence of such good cause.

    (C) The State Board of Education shall develop and adopt a form for the purpose of declining to complete the application as described in subsection (B).

    (D) A school counselor who notifies a school district of a student's compliance or noncompliance with this section for purposes of determining whether the student meets high school graduation requirements only may indicate whether the student has complied with this section and may not indicate the manner of compliance.

    (E) The State Board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section, including:

       (1) a timeline for the distribution to students of the application and the form adopted in subsections (B) and (C);

       (2) standards regarding the information that a school district or charter school must provide to students regarding:

           (a) instructions for filling out the application;

           (b) the options available to a student under subsection (B) if the student wishes to decline to complete and submit the application; and

           (c) the method by which a student must provide a school district or open enrollment charter school with proof that the student has completed and submitted the application as required by this section;

       (3) a requirement that each school district report to the State Department of Education:

           (a) the number of students who completed and submitted the application pursuant to subsection (A); and

           (b) the number of students who received an exception pursuant to subsection (B); and

       (4) means for ensuring compliance with federal law regarding confidentiality of student educational information, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, and any law of this State relating to the privacy of student information.

    (F) The superintendent shall establish an advisory committee to assist the State Board in adopting rules under subsection (E) to implement this section and to develop recommendations for that purpose. The advisory committee must be composed of:

       (1) school counselors;

       (2) school administrators; and

       (3) stakeholders to represent the needs of interested students

 

B.     This SECTION is applicable beginning with the 2023-2024 School Year.

 

SECTION 4.  Section 59-26-35 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 59-26-35.  (A) The South Carolina Commission on HigherState Department of Education, with the assistance of the Department ofCommission on Higher Education, State Board of Education, the Center for Research on Teacher Education (SC-TEACHER), and the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, shall form a commission to conduct a detailed assessment of the current data infrastructure, develop metrics, determine weightings, construct a unified data upload system, and construct public and private facing data reports including, but not limited to, annually publishing before November first an online report card known as the "South Carolina Educator Preparation Report Card".  The report card must be made available on the State Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education's websites.  The commission department shall develop a format that each educator preparation program must use on its website that shows all required information regarding its respective program.  The report card shall evaluate the ability of educator preparation programs, including alternative programs, to prepare new teachers for success in South Carolina's classrooms, as well as describe the school and district contexts in which completers work.  The report card must include data on a variety of measures to provide an overall picture of how well each educator preparation program prepares effective educators and meets state goals including, but not limited to, the following:

       (1) number of undergraduate and graduate completers;

       (2) placement and one-, three-, and five-year retention rates by districts and regions of the State;

       (3) performance-based assessments of candidates;

       (4) ability of program to recruit a strong, diverse cohort of candidates and prepare them to teach in the content areas of greatest need;

       (5) quality of clinical experiences, including access to qualified and trained mentors, time in the field, and opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in the clinical setting;

       (6) effectiveness of individuals who completed a provider's program and are employed in a public school classroom. The information must be differentiated by provider and, where applicable, across content areas;  and

       (7) graduate and employer satisfaction.

    (B) Under consultation with the commissiondepartment, SC-TEACHER shall develop metrics and instrumentation to evaluate the working conditions of educators, extent and quality of mentoring available to new educators, and universal graduate and employer satisfaction surveys.

    (C) The State Department of Education, each educator preparation program, and each school district shall report all data to SC-TEACHER as requested by the State Board of Education to complete the evaluation.

 

SECTION 5.  Section 59-59-210 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 59-59-210. (A) By September 2005, the Commission on Higher Education shall convene the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs to address articulation agreements between school districts and public institutions of higher education in South Carolina to provide seamless pathways for adequately prepared students to move from high school directly into institutions of higher education.  The committee shall review, revise, and recommend secondary to postsecondary articulation agreements and promote the development of measures to certify equivalency in content and rigor for all courses included in articulation agreements.  The advisory committee shall include representatives from the research institutions, four-year comprehensive teaching institutions, two-year regional campuses, and technical colleges.  The committee, for purposes pursuant to this chapter, shall include representation from the State Department of Education, and school district administrators, to include curriculum coordinators and guidance personnel.

    (B) By July 2006, the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs shall make recommendations to the Commission on Higher Education regarding coursework that is acceptable statewide for dual enrollment to be accepted in transfer within a related course of study.  Dual enrollment college courses offered to high school students by two-year and four-year colleges and universities must be equivalent in content and rigor to the equivalent college courses offered to college students and taught by appropriately credentialed faculty.  Related policies and procedures established by the Commission on Higher Education for dual enrollment and guidelines for offering dual enrollment coursework and articulation to two-year and four-year colleges and universities for awarding of credit must be followed.

    (C) The advisory committee, in collaboration with the Department of Education, shall coordinate work to study the content and rigor of high school courses in order to provide a seamless pathway to postsecondary education.

    (D) The Commission on Higher Education shall report annually to the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development regarding the committee's progress. (1) The purpose of this section is to provide seamless pathways to prepare students for the move from high school directly into public institutions of higher learning and independent institutions of higher learning by creating a uniform system of dual enrollment college courses offered to high school students by public two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning and participating independent institutions of higher learning beginning in the 2024-2025 School Year. Implementing agencies shall collect and share postsecondary and high school data to facilitate the purposes of this section.  In terms of content and rigor, these dual enrollment college courses must be the equivalent of courses offered at public institutions of higher learning and independent institutions of higher learning to their students and must be taught by appropriately credentialed faculty.

       (2)(a) Articulation agreements between school districts and public institutions of higher learning and independent institutions of higher learning to provide dual enrollment college courses offered to high school students must make such dual enrollment opportunities available to all students in grades ten, eleven, and twelve beginning with the 2024-2025 School Year; provided:

               (i) for course sections in four-year institutions and two-year regional campuses of the University of South Carolina, a student must have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 grading scale and the recommendation of the principal of his high school or the designee of his principal; and

               (ii) for course selections in technical colleges, a student must meet the same requirements for particular courses as other students who attend the colleges and must have the recommendation of the principal of his high school, the designee of his principal, or the designee of the governing school association.

           (b) The Lottery Tuition Assistance Program must be available to dual enrollment students in grades ten, eleven, and twelve who are enrolled in public two-year regional campuses and technical colleges.

           (c) To effectuate the purposes established in this subsection, the Commission on Higher Education shall convene the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs before September 1, 2023, to develop a statewide secondary to postsecondary articulation agreement among all school districts and all public institutions of higher learning and participating independent institutions of higher learning. The advisory committee must consist of representatives from:

               (i) the research institutions, four-year comprehensive teaching institutions, independent

institutions of higher learning, two-year regional campuses, and technical colleges;

               (ii) the State Department of Education; and

               (iii) district curriculum coordinators, guidance personnel, and career and technical education directors.

           (d) The articulation agreement adopted by the advisory committee must include measures to certify that dual enrollment courses included in the articulation agreement are the equivalent of courses offered at public institutions of higher learning and independent institutions of higher learning to their students and are taught by appropriately credentialed faculty and must be the sole authority for dual enrollment articulation.

       (3) Before July 1, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs shall make recommendations to the Commission on Higher Education regarding coursework that is acceptable statewide for dual enrollment to be accepted in transfer within a related course of study. The commission shall establish related requirements that two-year and four-year public institutions of higher learning and participating independent institutions of higher learning as defined by Section 59-113-50 must satisfy to offer dual enrollment coursework and award credit toward appropriate degrees and/or credentials for this coursework.

       (4) The advisory committee, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, shall coordinate work to study the content and rigor of high school courses in order to provide a seamless pathway to postsecondary education.

       (5) The Commission on Higher Education annually before July first shall report the progress of the committee to the Coordinating Council on Workforce Development.

       (6) Effective July 1, 2024, public institutions of higher learning, participating independent institutions of higher learning, and public school districts may not enter individual articulation agreements. Such articulation agreements entered before July 1, 2024, are void, but coursework completed by students pursuant to those agreements must be considered acceptable for college credit.

    (B)(1)  The Commission on Higher Education shall work in consultation with the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and the public institutions of higher learning to implement policies to guarantee students who have earned an associate of arts (AA) degree or an associate of science (AS) degree from a public two-year institution of higher learning shall receive a minimum of sixty transfer credit hours at a public four-year institution of higher learning and must be given junior academic standing at the institution.

       (2) Graduates covered under this subsection are defined as students who have:

           (a) earned an AA degree or an AS degree from one of the public two-year institutions of higher learning;

           (b) earned a grade of "C" or better in each course applicable to the AA degree or AS degree; and

           (c) expressed the intent to transfer to a public four-year institution of higher learning.

       (3) A graduate of a public two-year institution of higher learning must be granted admission to the public four-year institution provided the graduate meets the admissions requirements of the four-year institution and, if applicable, specific programs, and may expect the following:

           (a) students who have completed an AA degree or an AS degree will enter the public four-year institution with junior academic standing and will have satisfied the public four-year institution's general education requirements;

           (b) all transfer courses that are accepted by the public four-year institution will be applied to the attainment of the baccalaureate degree as appropriate to the student's major;

           (c) all transfer students shall meet specific admission requirements for their desired major and shall take seminar courses at the junior level or higher; and

           (d) institutions may have institution-specific degree requirements that all students, including transfer, must complete.

       (4) Each public four-year institution of higher learning shall facilitate a reverse transfer option for public two-year institution of higher learning students who enroll in their institution without completing an AA degree or an AS degree. Upon successful completion of coursework and hours at the public four-year institution, credits earned at the institution may be transferred back to the originating public two-year institution of higher learning and applied toward an associate degree. Course prerequisites and minimum credit requirements for awarding degrees must still apply.

       (5) The provisions of this subsection must be implemented before April 30, 2024.

    (C) For purposes of this section:

           (a) "independent institution of higher learning" has the same meaning as found in Section 59-113-50 and applies only to such institutions in this State; and

           (b) "public institution of higher learning" has the same meaning as found in Section 59-103-5(2) and applies only to such institutions in this State.

 

SECTION 6.  Chapter 1, Title 41 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 41-1-140.  Beginning July 1, 2025, the Department of Employment and Workforce shall maintain and provide online access to information regarding the economic value of college majors. In addition to showing the economic value of each college major offered in this State, the department also shall compare bachelor's degree earned to job availability. The information must be available at no cost to the public. The availability of the information must be communicated to the State Department of Education and each public school district in the State. The department may expand its report to include associate degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees.

 

SECTION 7.  Because South Carolina must increase the percentage of working-aged adults with a postsecondary degree or industry credential, the General Assembly directs the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and the State Board of Education to provide a report to the General Assembly before July 1, 2024, specifically delineating the following:

       (1)   how to best transfer adult basic education and adult secondary education from the State Board of Education to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.  The report must include, but is not limited to, the following:

           (a)   all sources of funding that are currently appropriated to adult education programs;

           (b)   the administrative structure of adult education including how the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education will facilitate the collaboration of core partners and service providers under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Public Law 113-128 at the state level and within regional service areas;

           (c)   results of student assessments, including passage rates for high school equivalency examinations;

           (d)   a listing of personnel involved both directly and indirectly in adult education; and

           (e)   a timeline for the complete transfer of the programs to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education; and

       (2)   how to best use Career and Technology Centers owned and operated by local school districts and technical college facilities in order to provide improved and updated career and technical education.  The report must include, but is not limited to, the following:

           (a)   how to offer increased access to career and technology education to all high school students with emphasis on students in rural areas who live more than ten miles from a facility that they may currently attend;

           (b)   steps necessary to create memoranda of understanding between technical colleges and local school districts to allow high school students greater access to technical colleges;

           (c)   transportation and liability issues regarding high school students attending technical colleges for career and technology education;

           (d)   the feasibility of creating regional career and technology centers;

           (e)   all sources of funding currently appropriated for high school career and technical education; and

           (f)   listing of personnel involved both directly and indirectly in high school career and technical education.

 

SECTION 8.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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