A. A committed youth who is confined in a secure care facility and who has not received a high school diploma, a high school certificate of equivalency or an exception from the director shall attend school full time and make satisfactory progress in educational classes. A committed youth who is confined in a secure care facility and who has achieved a high school diploma or a high school certificate of equivalency may attend or participate in regular classes or the educational programming established or provided by the department as the department deems appropriate.

Have a question?
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

B. If a committed youth regularly attends and is making satisfactory progress in educational classes as prescribed in this section, the committed youth shall be required to work at least twenty hours a week with up to ten hours of homework a week counting toward this requirement.

C. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a committed youth who is at least sixteen years of age, has not received a high school diploma, a high school certificate of equivalency or an exception from the director and who is functionally literate may take the general equivalency diploma test or an equivalency test approved by the state board of education prior to release from a secure care facility. The committed youth may be required to demonstrate readiness for the general equivalency diploma test through an assessment or by completion of a practice test in order to request administration of the general equivalency diploma test or an equivalency test approved by the state board of education.