This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to mandate that all high school students must pass a civics examination, specifically the civics portion of the United States Naturalization Examination, as a prerequisite for graduation. The testing will be administered at some point between the 9th grade and graduation, and students who do not pass will have the opportunity to retake the test monthly during their junior and senior years until they successfully complete it. Additionally, students will be required to take a civics class that includes instruction on the West Virginia Constitution. The bill also specifies that the test results may be reported in aggregate to the county board for evaluation purposes.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a requirement for students entering the 9th grade in the 2027-2028 school year to earn one unit of credit in a high school computer science course before graduation. This course will cover the principles of computers, programming, and algorithms, and it may substitute for a math credit or a personalized education plan credit. The State Board of Education is tasked with ensuring that the computer science courses meet established curriculum standards and providing a list of approved course options to public schools. The bill aims to enhance civics education and computer science literacy among high school students in West Virginia.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-2-9