Rhode Island § 16-92-8 - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

§ 16-92-8. Graduation.

In order to facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families states and local education agencies shall incorporate the following procedures:

(1) Waiver requirements. Local education agency administrative officials shall waive specific courses required for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another local education agency or shall provide reasonable justification for denial. Should a waiver not be granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from the sending school, the local education agency shall provide an alternative means of acquiring required coursework so that graduation may occur on time.

(2) Exit exams. States shall accept: (i) exit or end-of-course exams required for graduation from the sending state; or (ii) national norm-referenced achievement tests; or (iii) alternative testing, in lieu of testing requirements for graduation in the receiving state. In the event the above alternatives cannot be accommodated by the receiving state for a student transferring in his or her senior year, then the provisions of subdivision (3) of this section shall apply.

(3) Transfers during senior year. Should a military student transferring at the beginning or during his or her senior year be ineligible to graduate from the receiving local education agency after all alternatives have been considered, the sending and receiving local education agencies shall ensure the receipt of a diploma from the sending local education agency, if the student meets the graduation requirements of the sending local education agency. In the event that one of the states in question is not a member of this compact, the member state shall use best efforts to facilitate the on-time graduation of the student in accordance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section.