§183.3. Career major; description; curriculum and graduation requirements

            A.(1)(a) A career major shall provide a student with greater technical skill and a strong academic core and shall be offered to each high school student enrolled in a city, parish, or other local public school system that offers a career major program. Such a major shall be linked to postsecondary options and shall prepare students to pursue either a degree or certification from a postsecondary institution, an industry-based training or certification, an apprenticeship, the military, or immediate entrance into a career field. Such a major shall be primarily designed for those students who are not initially college bound and shall provide them with alternatives to immediate entrance into a four-year university or college after high school graduation.

            (b) Students pursuing a career major shall be afforded the opportunity to dually enroll in a Louisiana public postsecondary education institution or participate in a business internship or work-study program when such opportunities are available and appropriate.

            (2)(a) Each city, parish, and other local public school system shall develop and offer one or more career major programs aligned to state and regional workforce demands, pursuant to policies adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

            (b) Schools, in partnership with local business and industry leaders, local economic development agencies, and postsecondary education leaders, shall review majors offered each year and expand offerings as appropriate, including courses offered through articulation, dual enrollment, industry training programs, and digital learning opportunities.

            B.(1) Students in a career major program shall complete an academic core of courses and a career and technical sequence of courses or approved training programs that lead to an approved industry-based credential.

            (2) The course requirements for the career major shall consist of the following:

            (a) At least four English credits, including English I, English II, and two additional courses from among the following: English III, English IV, AP or IB English courses, Business English, Technical Writing, or comparable Louisiana Technical College courses offered by Jump Start regional teams as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

            (b) At least four mathematics credits, including Algebra I, Algebra I Part One and Algebra I Part Two, or an applied or hybrid Algebra course; Geometry or an applied Geometry course; Financial Literacy as provided for in R.S. 17:270; and one additional mathematics course from among the following: Math Essentials, Business Math, Algebra II, Algebra III, Advanced Math - Functions and Statistics, Advanced Math - Pre-Calculus, Pre-Calculus, or comparable Louisiana Technical College courses offered by Jump Start regional teams as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Integrated Mathematics I, II, and III may be substituted for Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II and shall equal three mathematics credits.

            (c) At least two science credits, including one credit of Biology and one additional course from among the following: Chemistry I, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Agriscience I and Agriscience II (one credit combined), Physics, or AP or IB Science courses.

            (d) At least two social studies credits, including one credit from among the following: U.S. History, AP U.S. History, or IB U.S. History; one credit from among the following: Civics, Government, AP U.S. Government and Politics: Comparative, or AP U.S. Government and Politics: United States.

            (e) At least two credits in Health and Physical Education, including one credit of Physical Education I, one-half credit from among the following: Physical Education II, Marching Band, Extracurricular Sports, Cheering, or Dance Teams; and one-half credit of Health Education.

            (f) At least nine credits in Jump Start course sequences, workplace experiences, and credentials. A student shall complete a regionally designed series of Career and Technical Education Jump Start coursework and workplace-based learning experiences leading to a statewide or regional Jump Start credential. This shall include courses and workplace experiences specific to the credential, courses related to foundational career skills requirements in Jump Start, and other courses, including career electives, that the Jump Start regional team determines are appropriate for the career major.

            (g) Additional electives or career and technical education courses required by the city, parish, or other local public school board as approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

            (3) A student pursuing a career diploma shall take the American College Test and may choose to take the WorkKeys test. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop a system of equivalent scores for the American College Test and the WorkKeys test and shall use a student's highest score achieved on such test or tests for purposes of the school and district accountability system required by R.S. 17:10.1.

            C.(1) Each city, parish, and other local public school board shall submit a proposed curriculum to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval. Such curriculum shall comply with the provisions of Subsection B of this Section and the provisions of R.S. 17:261 through 280.

            (2) Each school with an approved career major program shall annually conduct an informational meeting for the parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in the eighth grade regarding the approved curriculum.

            D. A student who seeks to pursue a career major curriculum shall meet one of the following conditions:

            (1) Has fulfilled all of the requirements established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the city, parish, or other local public school board where the student is enrolled or the Individualized Education Program team, if applicable, for promotion to high school.

            (2) Has fulfilled or is determined to be on track to fulfill the course requirements set forth in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section.

            (3) Meets the entry or admissions requirements set forth in the chosen career major program.

            E.(1) A student with an exceptionality, as defined in R.S. 17:1942(B), except a gifted or talented student, who meets the eligibility criteria as provided in R.S. 17:183.2(B)(1) and who successfully completes the requirements of his Individualized Education Program, including performance on any assessment required for graduation determined appropriate by his Individualized Education Program team, shall be issued a high school diploma. The student's Individualized Education Program team shall determine if the student is required to meet state or local established performance standards on any assessment for purposes of graduation.

            (2) If a student's Individualized Education Program team determines that the student is not required to meet state or local performance standards on any assessment for purposes of graduation, the student shall be required to successfully complete Individualized Education Program goals and requirements and shall meet at least one of the following conditions, consistent with the Individualized Education Program:

            (a) Employment in integrated, inclusive work environments, based on the student's abilities and local employment opportunities, in addition to sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain employment without direct and continuous educational support from the school district.

            (b) Demonstrate mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that indicate that he does not require direct and continuous educational support from the school district.

            (c) Access to services that are not within the legal responsibility of public education or employment or education options for which the student has been prepared by the academic program.

            (3) A diploma issued to a student with an exceptionality based on achieving his Individualized Education Program goals and objectives shall count equally and be assigned the same number of points in the school performance score calculation for high schools as are assigned for a diploma issued to any other student.

            F. High school promotion determinations for a student with an exceptionality as defined in R.S. 17:1942(B), except a student identified as gifted or talented and who has no other exceptionality, who meets the eligibility criteria as provided in R.S. 17:183.2(B)(1) shall be made by the student's Individualized Education Program team.

            Acts 1997, No. 1124, §1; Acts 2001, No. 191, §§1 and 2, eff. May 31, 2001; Acts 2009, No. 246, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 298, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 327, §1; Acts 2010, No. 445, §1, eff. June 22, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 861, §8; Acts 2014, No. 643, §1; Acts 2014, No. 833, §1; Acts 2015, No. 403, §1; Acts 2018, No. 671, §1, eff. June 1, 2018; Acts 2019, No. 128, §1, eff. June 6, 2019; Acts 2021, No. 458, §1, eff. June 23, 2021; Acts 2022, No. 447, §1; Acts 2023, No. 267, §1.