District clears way for required civics test

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

The Burlington Area School District Policy Committee approved a number of changes to the district’s graduation requirements last week, sending the policy to the full board for its first reading Monday.

The most important of the changes involves a new civics test that high school students must take – and in most cases, pass – to graduate.

The civics exam was passed as part of the state budget bill, and is identical to the Immigration and Naturalization Service citizenship test.

Students must correctly answer 60 of the 100 questions to pass, unless a student has an individualized education program as a special education student. Then they must simply complete the test.

Students identified as limited English proficiency can take the test in the language of their choice. Districts will determine how and when the test is taken, but there are no state funds given to administer the test.

Other changes to the graduation requirements were minimal, cleaning up outdated policies referring to the Class of 2015 and also shifting ACT testing and service learning hours requirements to a different part of the policy.

The committee also approved a change to the open enrollment policy to match state law.

Under state law, special education students may now open enroll to any district they. Previously, the home district could reject the transfer due to cost. Now, the state will pick up the difference.

That policy will now go to the full board for a first and second reading.