A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT removing the high school graduation project as a REQUIREMENT for graduation.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑81(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The Basic Education Program shall include course requirements and descriptions similar in format to materials previously contained in the standard course of study and it shall provide:
(1)	A core curriculum for all students that takes into account the special needs of children;
(2)	A set of competencies, by grade level, for each curriculum area;
(3)	A list of textbooks for use in providing the curriculum;
(4)	Standards for student performance and promotion based on the mastery of competencies, including standards for graduation, that take into account children with disabilities and, in particular, include appropriate modifications;
(5)	A program of remedial education;
(6)	Required support programs;
(7)	A definition of the instructional day;
(8)	Class size recommendations and requirements;
(9)	Prescribed staffing allotment ratios;
(10)	Material and equipment allotment ratios;
(11)	Facilities guidelines that reflect educational program appropriateness, long‑term cost efficiency, and safety considerations; and
(12)	Any other information the Board considers appropriate and necessary.
The State Board shall not adopt or enforce any rule that requires Algebra I as a graduation standard or as a requirement for a high school diploma for any student whose individualized education program (i) identifies the student as learning disabled in the area of mathematics and (ii) states that this learning disability will prevent the student from mastering Algebra I.
The State Board shall not require a high school graduation project as a requirement for a high school diploma for any student."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.