Sec. 6. (a) Subject to subsection (b), the state board, in consultation with the commission for higher education, shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to allow an organization to provide credit under a Core 40 curriculum model adopted by the state board for alternative programs in which students obtain credit counting toward their graduation requirements from nonschool educational experience that applies or incorporates content area knowledge in lieu of a required or elective course in the Core 40 curriculum model.

     (b) The state board’s rules adopted under subsection (a) must include the following requirements:

(1) Applicants wishing to offer Core 40 credit counting toward a student’s graduation requirements must submit an application, in a manner prescribed by the state board, that contains at a minimum the following:

(A) A description of the qualifications necessary to participate in the applicant’s proposed program.

(B) An outline of the applicant’s proposed program, including the Core 40 course to which the proposed program’s credit would apply.

(C) A description of competencies and student outcomes that a student is expected to obtain in the applicant’s proposed program.

(D) A description of assessments used to measure a student’s success at meeting the competency and student outcome requirements described in clause (C).

(E) A description of the proposed program’s admission requirements.

(2) Applications described in subdivision (1) must receive an initial review and may receive an initial approval by a team that includes at least the following:

(A) A representative from the department with relevant content and competency expertise necessary to evaluate the application effectively.

(B) At least one (1) educator licensed in the content area necessary to evaluate the application effectively.

(C) A representative of postsecondary education.

(3) An application initially approved under subdivision (2) must be reviewed by the state board, which may approve, deny, or conditionally approve an application.

(4) An approval or conditional approval by the state board under subdivision (3) may not exceed one (1) year. However, the state board may subsequently renew applications for periods not to exceed five (5) years.

(5) Provisions stating that the state board may withdraw approval of an application previously approved by the state board if the applicant does not comply with the rules established by the state board or program requirements specified by the state board.

As added by P.L.73-2021, SEC.1.