Published: 2015-07-08
Key Benefits:
The Superintendent shall issue a California high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to any person who has not completed high school and who meets all of the following requirements:
(a) Is a resident of this state or is a member of the armed services assigned to duty in this state.
(b) Has taken all or a portion of a general educational development test that has been approved by the state board and that is administered by a testing center approved by the department, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from high school graduates.
(c) Meets one of the following:
(1) Is at least 18 years of age.
(2) Would have graduated from high school had he or she remained in school and followed the usual course of study toward graduation.
(3) Is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school credit, and is confined to a state or county hospital or to an institution maintained by a state or county correctional agency.
(4) (A) Is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school credit prior to enrollment in the academic program described in this paragraph, and has successfully completed the academic program offered by a dropout recovery high school that provides the pupil with all of the following:
(i) Instruction aligned to state academic content standards.
(ii) The opportunity to complete the requirements for a high school diploma.
(iii) At least one year of instruction or instruction followed by services related to the academic program.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “dropout recovery high school” has the same meaning as set forth in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 52052.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 628, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2012.)
(a) The superintendent may charge a one-time only fee, established by the State Board of Education, to be submitted by an examinee when registering for the test sufficient in an amount not greater than the amount required to pay the cost of administering this article and for the cost of providing all followup services related to the completion of the general educational development test. The amount of each fee may not exceed twenty dollars ($20) per person.
(b) The examinee shall be responsible for submitting to the Superintendent of Public Instruction all subsequent requests for duplicate copies of the California high school equivalency certificate and all requests to forward reports of the results of the applicant’s general educational development test to postsecondary educational institutions.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 163, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)
Each scoring contractor shall provide the Superintendent of Public Instruction with a set of results for each examinee who has taken all or a portion of the general educational development test. Each scoring contractor shall forward to the superintendent the fee established pursuant to Section 51421 for each examinee who has taken the general educational development test.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 163, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2003.)
(a) (1) The Superintendent may provide for the administration of the general educational development test to persons confined to state or county hospitals or to institutions maintained by state or county correctional agencies.
(2) Those agencies, upon request, shall reimburse the Superintendent in an amount sufficient to pay the cost of administering the test.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Superintendent may grant a waiver to a county office of education to provide a general educational development test preparation program, not to exceed one hour per schoolday, as part of any other instructional program during the regular schoolday to a person who is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated insufficient units of high school credit to graduate from high school by 18 years of age, and is confined to a state or county hospital or to an institution maintained by a state or county correctional agency.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 269, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall keep a permanent record of California high school equivalency certificates issued pursuant to this article.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 163, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.)
A California high school equivalency certificate shall be deemed to be a high school diploma for the purpose of meeting the requirements of employment by all state and local public agencies in this state.
(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this article.
(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)
Pursuant to Section 16370 of the Government Code, there is hereby authorized in the State Treasury a Special Deposit Fund Account, which shall consist of fees that may be prescribed by Sections 51421 and 51423. All of the fees collected are hereby appropriated without regard to fiscal year for the support of the Department of Education to be used pursuant to this article.
(Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1546, Sec. 9.)
