Pupils: diploma alternatives: certificate of proficiency: high school equivalency certificate.

(1) Existing law authorizes certain persons, including, among others, any person 16 years of age or older, to have his or her proficiency in basic skills taught in public high schools verified according to criteria established by the State Department of Education. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to award a certificate of proficiency to persons who demonstrate that proficiency. Existing law requires the department to develop standards of competency in basic skills taught in public high schools and to provide for the administration of examinations prepared by, or with the approval of, the department to verify competency. Existing law authorizes the department to conduct additional examinations to accommodate eligible persons whose religious convictions or physical handicaps prevent them from attending one of the regular examinations. This bill instead would require the state board to award a certificate of proficiency in the 4 content areas of English language arts, history-social science, mathematics, and science. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to review existing tests that assess the 4 content areas to determine if any meet the criteria established by the department. The bill would authorize the department to conduct examinations at any other time the Superintendent deems necessary and not only to accommodate eligible persons whose religious convictions or physical handicaps prevent them from attending one of the regular examinations. (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to a person who has not completed high school and who meets specified requirements, including, among others, having taken all or a portion of a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board and administered by a testing center approved by the department, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from high school graduates. Existing law authorizes the Superintendent to charge an examinee a one-time only fee to pay costs related to administering these provisions and issuing a certificate, as specified. Existing law limits the amount of the fee to $20 per person. This bill would delete the provision requiring that fee to be charged one-time only, and would limit the amount of the fee to $40 per person.