Article 2. Pupils Exempt of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 27. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 2.

There are exempted from compulsory attendance in continuing education classes as otherwise required by Sections 48400 and 48402, persons who:
  (a) Have been graduated from a high school maintaining a four-year course above the eighth grade of the elementary schools, or who have had an equal amount of education in a private school or from a private tutor.
  (b) Are in attendance upon a public or private full-time day school, or satisfactory part-time classes maintained by other agencies.
  (c) Are disqualified for attendance in these classes because of their physical or mental condition, or because of personal services that must be rendered to their dependents.
  (d) Are satisfactorily attending a regional occupational program or center as provided in Section 48432.
  (e) Have successfully demonstrated proficiency equal to or greater than standards established by the State Department of Education pursuant to Section 48412, and have verified approval submitted by their parent or guardian.
  (f) Are subject to Section 48400 but not Section 48402 and are in attendance upon classes for adults for not less than four clock hours per calendar week.
  (g) Are exempt from compulsory school attendance under Section 48231.

(a) (1) A person 16 years of age or older, or who has been enrolled in the 10th grade for one academic year or longer, or who will complete one academic year of enrollment in the 10th grade at the end of the semester during which the next regular examination will be conducted, may have his or her proficiency in basic skills taught in public high schools verified according to criteria established by the State Department of Education.
  (2) The state board shall award a "certificate of proficiency" to persons who demonstrate that proficiency. The certificate of proficiency shall be equivalent to a high school diploma, and the department shall keep a permanent record of the issuance of all certificates.
  (b) (1) The department shall develop standards of competency in basic skills taught in public high schools and shall provide for the administration of examinations prepared by or with the approval of the department to verify competency. Regular examinations shall be held once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester of every academic year on a date, as determined by the department, that will enable notification of examinees and the schools they attend, if any, of the results thereof not later than two weeks prior to the date on which that semester ends in a majority of school districts that maintain high schools.
  (2) In addition to regular examinations, the department may, at the discretion of the Superintendent, conduct examinations for all eligible persons once during each summer recess and may conduct examinations at any other time that the Superintendent deems necessary to accommodate eligible persons whose religious convictions or physical handicaps prevent their attending one of the regular examinations.
  (c) (1) The department may charge a fee for each examination application in an amount sufficient to recover the costs of administering the requirements of this section. However, the fee shall not exceed an amount equal to the cost of test renewal and administration per examination application. All fees levied and collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the State Treasury for remittance to the current support appropriation of the department as reimbursement for costs of administering this section. Any reimbursements collected in excess of actual costs of administration of this section shall be transferred to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund by order of the Director of Finance.
  (2) The department shall not charge the fee to an examinee who meets all of the following criteria:
  (A) The examinee qualifies as a homeless child or youth, as defined in paragraph (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)).
  (B) The examinee has not attained 25 years of age as of the date of the scheduled examination.
  (C) The examinee can verify his or her status as a homeless child or youth. A homeless services provider that has knowledge of the examinee's housing status may verify the examinee's status for purposes of this subparagraph.
  (3) For purposes of this subdivision, a "homeless services provider" includes either of the following:
  (A) A homeless services provider listed in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (B) Any other person or entity that is qualified to verify an individual's housing status, as determined by the department.
  (4) The loss of fees pursuant to paragraph (2), if any, shall be deemed to be a cost of administering this section for purposes of paragraph (1).
  (d) (1) The state board shall adopt rules and regulations as are necessary for implementation of this section.
  (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the state board shall adopt emergency regulations, as necessary, to implement the provisions of subdivision (c), as amended by the act that added this paragraph. The adoption of these regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or general welfare.
  (e) The department shall periodically review the effectiveness of the examinations administered pursuant to this section. The costs of this review may be recovered through the fees levied pursuant to subdivision (c).
  (f) (1) On or before December 1, 2018, the Superintendent shall submit a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
  (A) The number of homeless youth that took a high school proficiency test in each of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 calendar years.
  (B) The impact of the opportunity to take a high school proficiency test at no cost on the number and percentage of homeless youth taking a high school proficiency test.
  (C) The estimated number of homeless youth who may take a high school proficiency test in future years.
  (D) Recommendations for a permanent funding source to cover the cost of the waived fees.
  (E) The annual and projected administrative cost to the department.
  (F) The annual and projected reimbursement to contractors pursuant to this section.
  (2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under paragraph (1) is inoperative on January 1, 2020, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
  (g) Additional state funds shall not be appropriated for purposes of implementing paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).

Persons 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age who have not been graduated from high school shall be permitted by the governing board to enroll in continuation classes conducted by the school district pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 48430) of this chapter if such enrollment does not preclude attainment of the goals of continuation education schools and classes prescribed in Article 3 (commencing with Section 48430) of this chapter, as determined by the governing board. The provisions of Article 5 (commencing with Section 48260) of Chapter 2 of this part shall be applicable to such persons.

Any person 16 or 17 years of age exempt from compulsory continuation attendance laws by subdivision (e) of Section 48410 who has terminated his enrollment on the basis of such exemption shall be permitted by the governing board of the school district in which he resides to reenroll in the district, without prejudice, as if he had never taken advantage of subdivision (e) of Section 48410. If such person subsequently again terminates enrollment on the basis of such exemption, the district may deny him reenrollment until the beginning of the next semester in the district's academic year.

In the case of attendance upon private school, exemption from the requirements of attendance upon compulsory continuation education shall be valid only after verification by the attendance supervisor of the district, or other person designated by the board of education, that the private school has complied with the provisions of Section 33190 requiring the annual filing by the owner or other head of a private school of an affidavit or statement of prescribed information with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The verification required by this section shall not be construed as an evaluation, recognition, approval, or endorsement of any private school or course.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a child who, at the time a leave of absence is to begin, will be between the ages of 16 and 18, inclusive, may take a leave of absence from compulsory continuation education classes or, if exempted pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 48410, from the school that the child attends, for a period of up to two semesters, if all the following conditions are satisfied:
  (a) The school district governing board adopts a written policy to allow student leaves of absence consistent with this section.
  (b) The purpose of the leave is supervised travel, study, training, or work not available to the student under another education option.
  (c) A written agreement is entered into that is signed by the child, the child's parent or guardian, the principal or administrative officer of the school that the child would otherwise attend, a classroom teacher familiar with the child's academic progress selected by the child, and the district supervisor of child welfare and attendance, and that provides for all of the following:
  (1) The purpose of the leave.
  (2) The length of time the child will be on leave.
  (3) A meeting between or contact with the child and a school official designated in the agreement at least once a month while the child is on leave.
  (4) A statement incorporating the provisions contained in subdivision (b).
  (d) The child shall be entitled to return to school at any time. No child who takes a leave of absence shall be penalized from completing his or her academic requirements within a time period equal to that of classmates who did not take a leave of absence, plus a period of time equal to the leave of absence. However, when a child reenrolls at any time other than the beginning of a semester, the school shall not be required to give makeup sessions during that semester for the classes that the child has missed.
  (e) A leave of absence may be extended for an additional semester upon approval by all parties to the written agreement and the local school attendance review board.
  (f) No leave of absence may be taken that would continue past the end of the school year in which the leave is taken.
  (g) If the student does not contact the designated school official as stipulated in the written agreement, the leave of absence shall be nullified. Any party to the written agreement may nullify the written agreement for cause at any time.
  (h) No more than 1 percent of the students enrolled and in attendance at each school shall be permitted to take a leave of absence during each academic year.