Minimum High School Graduation Requirements

20-0527-RS3

May 27, 2020

RESOLUTION REGARDING MINIMUM HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL PROMOTION IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

WHEREAS, there is an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and infections are being reported internationally, including the United States and the City of Chicago;

WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex M. Azar II, declared a public health emergency ("PHE") for the United States;

WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a nationwide emergency under the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C 5121-5207) in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;

WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020, on April 1, 2020, and again on April 30, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation (state of emergency) for the State of Illinois in response to the COVID-19 outbreak;

WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-05 ordering the closure of public and private pre-K-12 schools for educational purposes from March 17, 2020, through March 30, 2020;

WHEREAS, on April 1, 2020, Executive Order 2020-18 extended Executive Order 2020-05 in its entirety for the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations. Further, on April 30, 2020, Executive Order 2020-33 reissued Executive Order 2020-05 with an extension through May 29, 2020;

WHEREAS, this is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation of public health concern and the top priority of the Board of Education of the City of Chicago ("Board") is the health and safety of CPS students and staff and their families and community;

WHEREAS, the Board is following and will continue to follow the guidance of local, state, and federal health officials, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), the Illinois Department of Public Health ("IDPH") and the Chicago Department of Public Health ("CDPH") to protect the health of the community, respond to the outbreak and minimize transmission;

WHEREAS, in-person instruction has been suspended since March 17, 2020;

WHEREAS, on April 24, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-31 suspending the following requirements for twelfth grade students: taking state assessments, successfully passing the Constitution exam, and participating in consumer education. Executive Order 2020-31 also suspends the requirement to successfully complete certain coursework as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, when twelfth graders are unable to complete such coursework as a result of the suspension of in-person instruction due to COVID-19.

WHEREAS, the Board’s implementation of the Executive Order 2020-31 necessitates amendments to the Board’s current high school promotion and graduation policies;

WHEREAS, the Board believes the disruption to learning for the 2019-2020 school year has been so substantial as to render the process of documenting student completion of service learning projects and financial literacy requirements untenable; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Board hereby directs as follows:

1. During the 2019-2020 school year to be promoted from tenth to eleventh grade students do not have to satisfy the requirement of successful completion of a service project either independently or in conjunction with a course offering during 9th or 10th grade, as stipulated in the High School Promotion Policy, Board Report 18-0627-PO1. These students will have to satisfy the requirement of completing (2) Service Learning projects prior to graduation at a later date in order to satisfy minimum graduation requirements stated in the Policy on Minimum High School Graduation Requirements, Board Report 17-0524-PO1.
2. During the 2019-2020 school year to be promoted from eleventh to twelfth grade students do not have to satisfy the requirement of taking the state-mandated college and career ready determination exam as stipulated in the High School Promotion Policy, Board Report 18-0627-PO1. These students will have to satisfy the requirement of taking the state-mandated college and career ready determination exam at a later date in order to satisfy minimum graduation requirements stated in the Policy on Minimum High School Graduation Requirements, Board Report 17-0524-PO1.
3. Waive the following requirements stipulated in the Policy on Minimum High School Graduation Requirements, Board Report 17-0524-PO1, for all students who seek to graduate in the 2019-2020 school year:
   • For students who entered high school as a freshman in 2016 or later, the requirement that Service Learning projects be completed.
   • For students who entered high school as a freshman in 2013, 2014, and 2015, the requirement to complete the Service Learning project prior to graduation and a total of forty hours prior to graduation, with a minimum of twenty hours completed by the end of the sophomore year.
   • For students who entered high school as a freshman in 2013, 2014, 2015, or 2016, the requirement to complete Consumer Education.

4. Waive the following requirements stipulated in the Policy on Minimum High School Graduation Requirements, Board Report 17-0524-PO1, for students who had not already satisfied the requirement and seek to graduate in the 2019-2020 school year:

   • For students who entered high school as a freshman in 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016: demonstrated knowledge of U.S. and Illinois constitutions as part of subject area curricula.
   • The requirement to take the state-mandated college and career ready determination exam.
   • The Computer Science requirement (1.0 credits) - this requirement applies to students who entered high school as a freshman in 2016 or later if the student was not scheduled to take the course by the second semester of school year 2019-2020.

   Credit requirements for twelfth grade students participating in apprenticeships or vocational technical education courses that require in-person instruction.

5. This Resolution is effective immediately upon adoption.

18-0627-RS1

June 27, 2018

RESOLUTION APPROVING A COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM IN ELEVEN HIGH SCHOOLS AND RELATED BOARD POLICY MODIFICATIONS

WHEREAS, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has established a Competency-Based Education (CBE) pilot initiative for up to twelve selected Illinois school districts to create CBE programs in accordance with the Illinois Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, P.A. 99-0674;

WHEREAS under the CBE pilot program, ISBE authorizes removal of the seat-time requirement to earn high school course credit and instead a student earns course credit based on an assessment of their mastery of the requisite academic competencies and adaptive competencies (e.g. problem-solving, persistence, social-emotional awareness) acquired both inside and outside of the classroom;

WHEREAS, under the CBE pilot program, each CPS participating high school will implement a course credit system that awards participating students a Course Competency Score (1=Emerging, 2=Developing, 3=Proficient; 4=Excelling) rather than a traditional letter grade (A,B,C,D, or F);

WHEREAS under the CBE pilot program, a student advances and receives course credit once s/he demonstrates sufficient mastery of all identified course competencies (a score of 3 or 4) or instead receives more time and personalized instruction (a score 1 or 2) until mastery is demonstrated;

WHEREAS, ISBE has selected the following eleven CPS high schools to participate in the 5-year CBE pilot program, which list may expand in the event ISBE authorizes additional CPS participating schools:

WHEREAS, the CPS Participating Schools will work with the initial target students, grade levels and courses and in subsequent years will scaffold CBE to gradually expand the integration by grade, subject or theme or otherwise expand beyond the cohort;

WHEREAS, the CPS CBE pilot program shall: (A) ensure participating students: (1) demonstrate mastery of all required competencies to earn credit, (2) demonstrate mastery of both adaptive and academic competencies, (3) advance once they have demonstrated mastery, and until such time shall receive more time and personalized instruction, (4) have the ability to attain advanced postsecondary education and career-related competencies, (5) are assessed using multiple measures, (6) are able to earn credit toward graduation requirements in ways other than traditional coursework, and (B) establish how core academic competencies can be mastered through integrated courses or CTE courses, (C) implement a system for collecting and assessing student progress on competency completion and attainment, including outside of the classroom settings, and (D) plan for educator and administrator professional development (collectively the Pilot Requirements”); and

WHEREAS, it is necessary for the Board to authorize modifications to a number of Board Policies and also to request School Code waivers/modifications in order for Participating Schools to effectively implement CBE programs in accordance with the requirements, standards and obligations established by ISBE for the CBE pilot program.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION:

1. The Chief Education Officer or designee is authorized to establish the operating standards, guidelines and requirements that will govern the implementation of the CBE pilot program at each Participating School (the “CBE Pilot Manual”). The CBE Pilot Manual shall identify course competency standards, skills and requirements that integrate academic, career and adaptive competencies; evaluation and observational tools and related student scoring that implement the CBL model; student extended learning opportunities, conditions and requirements; data collection and evaluation requirements for the pilot, parent information, school profile page to incorporate CBE course of student, International Baccalaureate standards alignment, CBE equivalency to no-pass, no play standards to determine sports eligibility, and such other information as necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the CBE pilot program at CPS.
2. The Board authorizes modifications to the following Board Policies at Participating Schools for the duration of the CPS CBE Pilot Program in order for students to participate in CBE programming which modifications shall be further detailed in the CBE Pilot Manual:

   Policy No.	Policy Name	Policy Modifications
   605.3	Minimum High School Graduation Requirements	waive the requirement for course credit to be awarded in Carnegie Units based on seat time and letter grades and instead award course credit upon demonstrating mastery of course competencies based on learning both inside and outside the classroom; authorize a student to be assessed for mastery of competencies and earn credit without having taken a course or, if enrolled in a course, to be assessed at any time during the course; and authorize students to participate in independent study or extended learning which will be considered when a student’s course competencies are assessed.
   605.13	Grade Point Average Policy	establish CBE equivalencies to letter grades in order to calculate a student’s GPA using competency scores.
   605.1	High School Promotion Policy	waive the Carnegie Unit of credit 120 hours = 1 credit and 60 hours = ½ credit and instead award credit based on a determination of student proficiency and mastery of competencies regardless of the number of classroom hours completed; modify provision regarding Assessment of Student work to include out-of-school learning such as university lab work, workshops or courses, hands-on practicums, etc.; modify provision regarding parental notification of failing grade to occur based on determination that a student is not progressing at an appropriate pace and when a personal learning plan is warranted. authorize determination of course proficiency and mastery of competencies in the manner set out in the CBE Pilot Manual; eliminate cap on the number of credits that can be earned by a student during summer school; and authorize a student to be assessed for mastery of competencies and earn credit without having taken a course or, if enrolled in a course, to be assessed at any time during the course.
   605.9	Physical Education Policy	authorize a student to be assessed for mastery of competencies and earn credit without having taken a course or, if enrolled in a course, to be assessed at any time during the course.
   605.6	No Pass No Play Policy	establish CBE equivalencies to passing letter grades in order to determine whether student athlete is eligible for sports team participation.

3. The Chief Education Officer or designee is further authorized to: (A) establish a modified transcript for students participating in the CBE Pilot Program that captures both student learning and adaptive competencies, competency scores and tabulates student GPA to ensure students can apply for scholarships and provide other information normally expected by postsecondary institutions for admission and financial aid; (B) establish grading/marking periods and report card system for Participating Schools that aligns with the CBE model, (C) establish guidelines and protocols for high school course programming that aligns with the CBE model, (D) establish partnerships with Universities for CBE dual credit offerings, and (E) issue reports regarding the CPS CBE pilot program to ISBE as required.
4. Nothing herein shall authorize modifications to any of the following District requirements whether found Board policy, rules or guidelines: (a) the number and type of courses and credits required for graduation, (b) school-year calendar, (c) student compulsory attendance requirements, (d) state or District-mandated student testing, (e) CPS course catalog, (f) academic and other supports provided to students with disabilities and English learners.
5. Staff at Participating Schools shall comply with the terms of this Resolution and the CBE Pilot Manual when implementing the CBE Pilot program at their school.
6. ISBE has established a process for school districts participating in the CBE pilot to request waivers or modifications of Illinois School Code requirements to implement their CBE pilot program and the Board President and Chief Executive Officer are hereby authorized to sign and submit such requests to ISBE for the CBE pilot program at CPS.