ATLANTA – State Representative Randy Nix (R-LaGrange) today announced the introduction of House Bill 186. This legislation would establish broader education options for high school students to ensure their career and college readiness by requiring a stronger coordination between high schools, colleges, and technical schools. This coordination will ensure the readiness of students wanting to continue their education and lessen the need for remedial classes in Georgia colleges and technical schools.
“Our schools must do a better job of offering options to our students, so that they can earn their high school diploma and succeed in their future career and education endeavors,” said Representative Nix. “We must begin to focus on the needs of each individual student. HB 186 does just that and will allow us to better prepare each student for post-secondary options, as well as ensure the development of skills necessary for the workforce.”
HB 186 would require the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Board of Technical and Adult Education to develop course standards that ensure the core curriculum of all Georgia public high schools will be accepted at any institution of higher education in the state beginning with students entering high school in the fall of 2011.
Additionally, the legislation would require students on the Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education (CTAE) pathway to take academic core subject courses and pass end-of-course assessments. These assessments would allow CTAE students to receive credit upon demonstration of proficiency, rather than attendance of a mandatory number of classes. Each student’s proficiency would be graded based on a state wide plan to be developed by the State Board of Education, which will provide standard methods for recording demonstrated proficiency on high school transcripts.
Further, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development would be required to establish a certification in soft skills for students. Some of the areas included in the certification are punctuality, ability to learn, working as a team, reading for information, and applied mathematics. This soft skills certification will help students strengthen the life skills required for success in the workforce, while continuing to receive the standard education.
For more information on HB 186, please click here.
Representative Randy Nix represents the citizens of District 69, which includes portions of Carroll, Heard, and Troup counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006, and is currently Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee and Secretary of the Banks & Banking Committee. He also serves on the Education, Economic Development & Tourism, and Judiciary committees.
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