§2925. Individual graduation plans

            A.(1) By the end of the eighth grade, every student, with the assistance of his parent or legal guardian and school counselor, and for a student with an exceptionality as defined in R.S. 17:1942, except a student identified as gifted or talented and who has no other exceptionality, the student's Individualized Education Program team, if applicable, shall begin to develop an Individual Graduation Plan to guide the next academic year's course work and to assist the student in exploring educational and career possibilities and in making appropriate secondary and postsecondary education decisions as part of an overall postsecondary plan.

            (2) By the end of the eighth grade, each student's Individual Graduation Plan or the student's Individualized Education Program, if applicable, shall list the required core courses to be taken through the tenth grade and shall identify the courses to be taken in the first year of high school. Students who fail to meet the standard for promotion to the ninth grade, pursuant to policies adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall have any necessary remedial courses included in their Individual Graduation Plan.

            (3) By the end of the tenth grade, each student's Individual Graduation Plan, based on the student's academic record, talents, and interests, shall outline high school graduation requirements relevant to the student's chosen postsecondary goals. Each student, with the assistance of his parent or legal guardian and school counselor, shall choose the high school curriculum framework and related graduation requirements that best meet his postsecondary goals. Each student's Individual Graduation Plan or the student's Individualized Education Program, if applicable, shall include the recommended sequence of courses for successful completion of a standard diploma.

            (4) The Individual Graduation Plan shall be sufficiently flexible to allow the student to, with the written approval of a parent or legal guardian, change his program of study, yet be sufficiently structured to ensure that the student will meet the high school graduation requirements for his chosen major or the requirements of the student's Individualized Education Program, if applicable, and be qualified for admission to a postsecondary education institution or to enter the workforce.

            (5) Each student's Individual Graduation Plan shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to identify the courses to be taken each year until all required core courses are completed.

            (6) Upon completion of the review, the plan shall be signed by the student, his parent or legal guardian, and the school counselor.

            (7) Prior to revising a student's Individual Graduation Plan, the school counselor shall meet with the student's parent or legal guardian either in person or virtually to explain the possible impacts the revisions to the plan might have on the student's graduation requirements and postsecondary education goals. Any revisions to a student's plan shall be approved in writing by the student's parent or legal guardian.

            B. To provide a foundation for the development of the Individual Graduation Plan, schools shall:

            (1) Provide career awareness and exploration activities to all students in grades six through eight that create linkages between what a student does in school and what he wants to achieve in life. Such activities shall include career interest inventories and information to assist them in the career decisionmaking process and may include job shadowing, job mentoring, and job internships.

            (2) Hold an informational meeting for the parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in eighth through twelfth grade to provide information regarding graduation requirements and curriculum choices. The meeting shall be held in conjunction with the scheduling of courses for the next academic year. Notice of the meeting shall be made through available means of communication, including the school's automatic call system.

            C.(1) When developing and reviewing his Individual Graduation Plan, the student shall be provided information developed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission regarding the top twenty high-demand jobs, in the state and in the student's region, with the highest typical annual salary.

            (2) The student shall be shown how to access information on the Louisiana Workforce Commission's website for the listed jobs and other high-demand, high-wage jobs and shown how to find educational programs offered in Louisiana that qualify the student for such jobs.

            Acts 2009, No. 257, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2014, No. 643, §1; Acts 2014, No. 833, §1; Acts 2017, No. 97, §1; Acts 2020, No. 238, §1, eff. June 11, 2020; Acts 2021, No. 458, §1, eff. June 23, 2021; Acts 2022, No. 374, §1.