The bill amends the Arkansas Educational Support and Accountability Act to create exceptions to school attendance requirements for students who take and pass the GED test. Specifically, it states that a student who passes the GED will not be counted as a dropout when calculating a public school district's five-year graduation rate. Additionally, the bill clarifies that a child who has received a GED or high school diploma is not subject to the attendance requirement, and it modifies the criteria for students aged sixteen or older enrolled in adult education programs.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the requirements for students aged sixteen or seventeen enrolled in private, parochial, or home schools who wish to enroll in adult education programs or take the GED test. It specifies that these students must provide verification of enrollment and achieve certain scores on the Test for Adult Basic Education or GED practice tests. The amendments also remove the requirement for public school students to obtain permission from school officials before taking the GED test, thereby streamlining the process for students seeking to complete their education through alternative means.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1812 Original - 3-17-2025 01:41 PM: 6-15-2913(a), 6-18-201(a), 6-18-201(c), 6-18-201(d)
Old version HB1812 V2 - 4-9-2025 02:12 PM: 6-15-2913(a), 6-18-201(a), 6-18-201(c), 6-18-201(d)
HB 1812: 6-15-2913(a), 6-18-201(a), 6-18-201(c), 6-18-201(d)
Act 918: 6-15-2913(a), 6-18-201(a), 6-18-201(c), 6-18-201(d)