H.B. 486
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Apr 1, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH40289-NG-11
Short Title: Replace EOC with National Assessment. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Elmore.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO USE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ASSESSMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL
3 ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLEGE READINESS TO REPLACE THE END-OF-COURSE
4 TESTS FOR GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6
7 PART I. ELIMINATE EOC FOR GRADES 9-12
8 SECTION 1.(a) The State Board of Education shall eliminate use of end-of-course
9 (EOC) tests for grades nine through 12. The nationally recognized assessment of high school
10 achievement and college readiness, or the alternate assessment, administered to all students in
11 eleventh grade pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11(c)(4), as amended by Section 5 of this act, shall
12 constitute the State-mandated testing in grades nine through 12 required by
13 G.S. 115C-174.11(c)(1). Policies regarding participation in the NCEXTEND1 alternative
14 assessment may be applied in the same manner as prior to the enactment of this act, and the State
15 Board of Education may continue the use of the NCEXTEND1 for students with disabilities, as
16 appropriate.
17 SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-174.11(c)(4) reads as rewritten:
18 "(4) To the extent funds are made available, the The State Board of Education shall
19 use a competitive bid process to adopt one nationally norm-referenced college
20 admissions test nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement
21 and college readiness to make available to local school administrative units,
22 regional schools, and charter schools to administer to all students in the
23 eleventh grade unless the student has already taken a comparable test and
24 scored at or above a level set by the State Board. The State Board of Education
25 shall require the administration of an alternate to the nationally
26 norm-referenced college admissions test or an alternate precursor test to the
27 nationally norm-referenced college admissions test to a student who (i)
28 exhibits severe and pervasive delays in all areas of conceptual, linguistic, and
29 academic development and in adaptive behaviors, including communication,
30 daily living skills, and self-care, (ii) is following the extended content
31 standards of the Standard Course of Study as provided in G.S. 115C-81.5, or
32 is following a course of study that, upon completing high school, may not lead
33 to admission into a college-level course of study resulting in a college degree,
34 and (iii) has a written parental request for an alternate assessment.students in
35 the eleventh grade in accordance with federal law.
*DRH40289-NG-11*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 The State Board of Education shall ensure that parents of students enrolled
2 in all public schools, including charter and regional schools, have the
3 necessary information to make informed decisions regarding participation in
4 the nationally norm-referenced college admissions test and precursor test.
5 Alternate assessment and nationally norm-referenced college admissions
6 test assessment Nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement
7 and college readiness results of students with disabilities shall be included in
8 school accountability reports, including charter and regional schools, provided
9 by the State Board of Education."
10 SECTION 1.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2022, and applies beginning
11 with tests administered to students entering their junior year during the 2022-2023 school year.
12
13 PART II. ELIMINATE REQUIREMENT FOR ACT WORKKEYS
14 SECTION 2.(a) The State Board of Education shall eliminate required
15 administration of ACT WorkKeys for career and technical education students. For school
16 performance grades issued based on data from the 2021-2022 school year, the career readiness
17 indicator described in G.S. 115C-83.15(b)(2)e. and G.S. 115C-83.16(a)(2)b.3. shall not be
18 considered in the calculation of school performance grades.
19 SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-174.25 is repealed.
20 SECTION 2.(c) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning
21 with the 2021-2022 school year.
22
23 PART III. CONFORMING CHANGES
24 SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 115C-83.15(b)(2) reads as rewritten:
25 "(2) For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State
26 Board shall assign points on the following measures available for that school:
27 a. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient
28 on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math I end-of-course test or, for
29 students who completed Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth
30 grade, another mathematics course with an end-of-course test.the math
31 subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high school
32 achievement and college readiness.
33 b. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient
34 on the English II end-of-course test.the reading subtest of a nationally
35 recognized assessment of high school achievement and college
36 readiness.
37 c. One point for each percent of students who score at or above proficient
38 on the Biology end-of-course test.science subtest or the science subject
39 test of a nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement
40 and college readiness.
41 d. One point for each percent of students who complete Algebra II or
42 Integrated Math III with a passing grade.
43 e. One point for each percent of students who either (i) achieve the
44 minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of
45 The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of
46 college or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses
47 and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed
48 test of workplace readiness.readiness.
49 …
50 g. One point for each percent of students who graduate within four years
51 of entering high school.
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1 h. One point for each percent of students who progress in achieving
2 English language proficiency."
3 SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 115C-83.16(a)(2) reads as rewritten:
4 "(2) For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the State
5 Board shall define the indicators as follows:
6 a. Academic indicators. –
7 1. The academic achievement indicator shall include the
8 following measures:
9 I. Proficiency on either the Algebra I or Integrated Math
10 I end-of-course test or, for students who completed
11 Algebra I or Integrated Math I before ninth grade,
12 another mathematics course with an end-of-course
13 test.the math subtest of a nationally recognized
14 assessment of high school achievement and college
15 readiness.
16 II. Proficiency on the English II end-of-course test.reading
17 subtest of a nationally recognized assessment of high
18 school achievement and college readiness.
19 III. The growth score earned by schools.
20 2. Repealed by Session Laws 2017-206, s. 1(b), effective August
21 30, 2017, and applicable beginning with the 2017-2018 school
22 year.
23 3. The graduation rate indicator shall be the percentage of
24 students who graduate within four years of entering high
25 school.
26 4. The English language proficiency indicator shall be the
27 percentage of students who progress in achieving English
28 language proficiency.
29 b. School quality and student success indicator. – The school quality and
30 student success indicator shall be made up of the following measures:
31 1. Proficiency on the Biology end-of-course test.science subtest
32 of a nationally recognized assessment of high school
33 achievement and college readiness.
34 2. The percentage of students who complete Algebra II or
35 Integrated Math III with a passing grade.
36 3. The percentage of students who either (i) achieve the minimum
37 score required for admission into a constituent institution of
38 The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test
39 of college or (ii) are enrolled in Career and Technical
40 Education courses and score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels
41 on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness.readiness."
42 SECTION 3.(c) G.S. 116-11(10a) reads as rewritten:
43 "(10a) The Board of Governors, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the
44 State Board of Education, in consultation with nonprofit postsecondary
45 educational institutions shall plan a system to provide an exchange of
46 information among the public schools and institutions of higher education to
47 be implemented no later than June 30, 1995. As used in this section,
48 "institutions of higher education" shall mean (i) public higher education
49 institutions defined in G.S. 116-143.1(a)(3), and (ii) those nonprofit
50 postsecondary educational institutions as described in G.S. 116-280 that
DRH40289-NG-11 Page 3
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 choose to participate in the information exchange. The information shall
2 include:
3 a. The number of high school graduates who apply to, are admitted to,
4 and enroll in institutions of higher education;
5 b. College performance of high school graduates for the year
6 immediately following high school graduation including each
7 student's: need for remedial coursework at the institution of higher
8 education that the student attends; performance in standard freshmen
9 courses; and continued enrollment in a subsequent year in the same or
10 another institution of higher education in the State;
11 c. The progress of students from one institution of higher education to
12 another; and
13 d. Consistent and uniform public school course information including
14 course code, name, and description.
15 The Department of Public Instruction shall generate and the local school
16 administrative units shall use standardized transcripts in an automated format
17 for applicants to higher education institutions. The standardized transcript
18 shall include grade point average, class rank, end-of-course test scores, scores
19 from the nationally recognized assessment of high school achievement and
20 college readiness administered pursuant to G.S. 115C-174.11(c), and uniform
21 course information including course code, name, units earned toward
22 graduation, and credits earned for admission from an institution of higher
23 education. The grade point average and class rank shall be calculated by a
24 standard method to be devised by the institutions of higher education."
25 SECTION 3.(d) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section become effective January 1,
26 2023, and apply beginning with school performance grades issued based on data from the
27 2022-2023 school year. Subsection (c) of this section becomes effective July 1, 2022, and applies
28 beginning with students entering the eleventh grade during the 2022-2023 school year.
29 SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
30 law.
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Statutes affected:
Filed: 115C-174.11, 115C-174.25, 115C-83.15, 115C-83.16, 116-11
Edition 1: 115C-174.11, 115C-174.25, 115C-83.15, 115C-83.16, 116-11
Edition 2: 115C-174.11, 115C-83.15, 115C-174.25, 115C-81.36, 115C-83.16, 115C-105.41, 115C-174.12, 115C-276, 116-11
Edition 3: 115C-174.11, 115C-83.15, 115C-174.25, 115C-81.36, 115C-83.16, 115C-105.41, 115C-174.12, 115C-276, 116-11