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Committee approves high-school grading changes allowing citizenship components, forwards to board
Summary
R277-717, implementing HB502, clarifies how citizenship-based grading (up to 10% in classroom policy, LEAs may allow up to 20%) will operate, explains parent opt-out and scholarship implications, and passed committee first reading unanimously.
The committee unanimously approved R277-717 on first reading, a rule implementing provisions of House Bill 502 that permit citizenship criteria to factor into high-school course grades.
Jennifer Wadsworth presented changes that define allowable citizenship criteria (attendance, meeting deadlines, participation, effective communication) and describe parent opt-out mechanics: parents may opt out of an LEA policy allowing citizenship to affect academic grades (which also affects eligibility for a voluntary scholarship tied to the policy); parents may not opt out of an individual teacher’s in-class 10% citizenship practice.
Board members pressed staff to clarify measurable criteria and to confirm how the rule interacts with scholarship funding. Staff said the scholarship will be funded by voluntary tax contributions and that eligibility depends on LEA adoption of a citizenship-grading policy; staff also said scholarship funds will fluctuate based on donations. Committee members discussed rubrics and documentation that teachers can use to measure participation and the need to respect teacher autonomy.
The motion to approve R277-717 draft 1 on first reading and forward it to the full board for second and final reading passed unanimously.
What’s next: Staff will continue to refine language and guidance to LEAs on parent opt-out procedures and be prepared to answer questions about scholarship administration when the rule returns to the full board.
