Session of 1999
HOUSE BILL No. 2465
By Representative O'Connor
2-10
9 AN ACT enacting the Kansas high school graduate warranty act.
10
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
12 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Kansas
13 high school graduate warranty act.
14 Sec. 2. The state of Kansas, for and on behalf of its public school
15 system, does hereby guarantee that satisfactory completion of the pre-
16 college curriculum prescribed by the state board of regents and gradua-
17 tion of a person from a public high school in this state is a reliable indi-
18 cator that the person possesses the core academic skills necessary to
19 perform competently, without remediation, at the state educational
20 institutions.
21 Sec. 3. As used in this act:
22 (a) "School district" means any public school district organized and
23 operating under the laws of this state.
24 (b) "Board" means the board of education of a school district.
25 (c) "State board" means the state board of education.
26 (d) "Skills deficient graduate" means any person who (1) is certified
27 on or after May 1, 2002, by a school district as having satisfactorily com-
28 pleted the precollege curriculum prescribed by the state board of regents
29 and the course requirements of the state board of education for gradua-
30 tion from high school, (2) is certified to the state board by a state edu-
31 cational institution as being deficient in core academic skills to the extent
32 that the person is unable to perform competently, without remediation,
33 at the institution, and (3) applies to the state board for placement in a
34 remedial study program.
35 (e) "State educational institution" has the meaning ascribed thereto
36 by K.S.A. 76-711, and amendments thereto.
37 (f) "Remedial study program" means a program designed specifically
38 to develop the core academic skills of a skills deficient graduate and to
39 reduce or eliminate the skills deficiencies of the graduate in order to
40 enable the graduate to perform competently at a state educational
41 institution.
42 Sec. 4. The state board shall administer the provisions of this act and
43 shall:
44 (a) Publicize procedures for application by skills deficient graduates
45 for placement in a remedial study program;
46 (b) provide application forms;
47 (c) identify and specify levels of competency in core academic skills,
48 the attainment of which is a reliable indicator of the ability to perform
49 competently at a state educational institution;
50 (d) prescribe and adopt criteria for assessment and identification of
51 skills deficient graduates including identification of the specific skills de-
52 ficiencies of such graduates;
53 (e) establish procedures, activities and services to be provided in re-
54 medial study programs, including exit procedures based on attainment of
55 skills proficiency; and
56 (f) provide a remedial study program for each skills deficient graduate
57 who applies for placement.
58 Sec. 5. (a) Remedial study programs shall include, but not by way of
59 limitation, provisions for:
60 (1) A review of the school records of a skills deficient graduate, in-
61 cluding records relating to performance in the statewide assessment
62 program;
63 (2) development of curriculum appropriate to the educational objec-
64 tives and goals of the skills deficient graduate;
65 (3) a meeting with the skills deficient graduate in order to describe
66 and discuss the scope, objectives and activities of the program, the serv-
67 ices to be provided and the procedures to be followed;
68 (4) academic, remedial and compensatory instruction;
69 (5) counseling;
70 (6) the acquisition of instructional materials and equipment necessary
71 to adequately operate the program; and
72 (7) periodic evaluations of the skills deficient graduate's progress to-
73 ward skills proficiency and competency.
74 (b) In order to provide for a remedial study program, the state board
75 may enter into contracts with the state educational institutions, commu-
76 nity colleges and persons qualified to provide required services.
77 (c) A remedial study program shall be provided, to the greatest extent
78 possible, in a manner and at a time most convenient to the skills deficient
79 graduate participating therein.
80 (d) A remedial study program shall be concluded upon:
81 (1) Attainment by the skills deficient graduate of a level of compe-
82 tency which indicates proficiency in the skills necessary for the graduate
83 to perform competently at the state educational institutions; or
84 (2) determination by the state board that the skills deficient graduate
85 has not demonstrated evidence of the ability to attain proficiency in the
86 necessary skills; or
87 (3) voluntary withdrawal of the skills deficient graduate from partic-
88 ipation in the program.
89 Sec. 6. A skills deficient graduate shall:
90 (a) Complete and file an application for placement in a remedial
91 study program;
92 (b) be responsible for filing a waiver authorizing an examination of
93 school records of the graduate;
94 (c) faithfully participate in the remedial study program; and
95 (d) report promptly any information requested relating to the admin-
96 istration of this act.
97 Sec. 7. (a) The state board shall determine the amount of actual ex-
98 penses incurred by it for the provision of a remedial study program for a
99 skills deficient graduate and shall submit a claim for such amount to the
100 board of the school district which certified the graduate. The board, at
101 its regular meeting next scheduled after receipt of the claim, shall allow
102 and authorize payment thereof to the state board. The state board shall
103 remit all moneys received by or for it from claims paid under this sub-
104 section to the state treasurer. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the
105 state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount thereof in the state treasury
106 and the same shall be credited to the Kansas high school graduate war-
107 ranty act claims fund, and shall be used only for the payment of expenses
108 connected with the administration of such act. All expenditures from the
109 Kansas high school graduate warranty act claims fund shall be made in
110 accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of ac-
111 counts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the state
112 board or by a person or persons designated by it.
113 (b) No charges shall be assessed against any skills deficient graduate
114 for the provision of services under this act.
115 Sec. 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
116 publication in the statute book.