Title 34

SECTION 691.16

691.16 Rigorous secondary school program of study.

§ 691.16 Rigorous secondary school program of study.

(a)(1) For each award year commencing with the 2009-2010 award year, the Secretary establishes a deadline for submission of information about secondary school programs of study that are recognized by a designated official, consistent with State law, to prepare students for college and that the designated official deems rigorous.

(2) The designated official may submit information pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section -

(i) For students graduating during the current award year; and

(ii) For students graduating during one or more specified upcoming award years.

(b) In addition to those programs reported to the Secretary as rigorous by the designated official under paragraph (a) of this section, the following secondary school programs of study are rigorous:

(1) Advanced or honors secondary school programs established by States and in existence for the 2004-2005 school year or later school years.

(2) Any secondary school program in which a student successfully completes at a minimum the following courses:

(i) Four years of English.

(ii) Three years of mathematics, including algebra I and a higher-level class such as algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics.

(iii) Three years of science, including one year each of at least two of the following courses: biology, chemistry, and physics.

(iv) Three years of social studies.

(v) One year of a language other than English.

(3) A secondary school program identified by a State - level partnership that is recognized by the State Scholars Initiative of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), Boulder, Colorado.

(4) Any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two courses from an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program sponsored by the International Baccalaureate Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and receives a score of “4” or higher on the examinations for at least two of those courses.

(5) Any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two Advanced Placement courses and receives a score of “3” or higher on the College Board's Advanced Placement Program Exams for at least two of those courses.

(6) Rigorous secondary school programs of study established by an SEA or, if legally authorized by the State to establish a separate secondary school program of study, an LEA, where such programs were recognized by the Secretary as rigorous after January 1, 2005, but before July 1, 2009.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1845-0078) (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-1) [74 FR 20223, May 1, 2009]

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