Georgia § 20-2-149 - 2. Awarding of high school diploma for completion of postsecondary programs; identification of critical needs fields of study.

§ 20-2-149. 2. Awarding of high school diploma for completion of postsecondary programs; identification of critical needs fields of study.

A local board of education may award a high school diploma to a student enrolled in coursework pursuant to Code Section 20-2-161.3 who: Completes rigorous coursework at a postsecondary institution which meets the requirements in paragraph (7) of Code Section 20-3-519; Has completed at least the following state required ninth and tenth grade level high school courses: two English courses, two mathematics courses, two science courses, two social studies courses, and one health and physical education course; and any state required tests associated with any such courses; Receives a score of admission acceptable on the readiness assessment required by the postsecondary institution; and Completes: (i) an associate degree program; (ii) a technical college diploma program and all postsecondary academic education and technical education and training prerequisites for any state, national, or industry occupational certifications or licenses required to work in the field; or (iii) at least two technical college certificate of credit programs in one specific career pathway and all postsecondary academic education and technical education and training prerequisites for any state, national, or industry occupational certifications or licenses required to work in the field as determined by the Technical College System of Georgia. The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia shall annually identify fields of study in which a critical need or shortage of trained personnel exists in the labor markets in this state and provide such information to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall annually provide such information to local school systems for the purpose of emphasizing areas of critical workforce needs and shortages in the labor markets in our state to high school students to support their career pathway decisions. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, shall establish rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Code section. A student who meets the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be deemed to have met all graduation requirements of the State Board of Education and shall not be subject to any assessments otherwise required for purposes of graduation. (Code 1981, § 20-2-149.2 , enacted by Ga. L. 2015, p. 118, § 1/SB 2; Ga. L. 2016, p. 846, § 20/HB 737.) Effective date. - This Code section became effective July 1, 2015. The 2016 amendment, effective May 3, 2016, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted "Code Section 20-2-161.3" for "Code Section 20-2-159.5" at the end of the introductory paragraph of subsection (a).