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SB209 • 2026

GRAD REQUIREMENTS & PROFICIENCY TOOLS

An Act relating to high school graduation requirements and proficiency confirmation tools.

Education Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
SENATOR BJORKMAN
Last action
2026-03-04
Official status
(S) EDC
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify an effective date beyond the applicability clause for graduates starting January 1, 2030.

Alaska High School Graduation Rules and Proficiency Tools

This law sets specific class credit requirements for Alaska high schools and creates tools to check student skills in key subjects before graduation.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state department to create performance standards for students in grades eight, ten, and twelve in economics, science, and social studies.
  • Mandates that school districts give proficiency confirmation tools to test skills in economics, language arts, math, science, and social studies for students in grades eight, ten, and twelve.
  • Sets a minimum of 21 credit units needed to graduate from high school if the program offers six credits a year, or 24 credits if it offers seven credits a year.
  • Defines specific subject requirements including four credits each for language arts, social studies, and mathematics; three credits in science; and one credit in health and physical education.
  • Allows districts to place a seal of certified proficiency on diplomas for students who meet all graduation rules and earn a proficient score on the grade twelve assessment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Alaska high school students graduating on or after January 1, 2030
  • School district superintendents responsible for developing local graduation plans
  • The state department tasked with creating performance standards and testing tools

Terms To Know

Unit of credit
A grade awarded to a student who passes a course by meeting the content standards set by the local school board.
Proficiency confirmation tools
Tests developed by the state department that measure how well students know specific subjects like math, science, and social studies in grades eight, ten, and twelve.
Seal of certified proficiency
A mark placed on a high school diploma showing the student met all graduation rules and earned a proficient score on the grade 12 assessment for every subject area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The new requirements only apply to students graduating from high school on or after January 1, 2030.
  • School districts may choose whether to excuse transfer students with at least 13 credits from specific subject area rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-04 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  2. 2026-03-04 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  3. 2026-01-21 1481

    (S) REFERRED TO EDUCATION

  4. 2026-01-21 1481

    (S) EDC, FIN

  5. 2026-01-21 1481

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  6. 2026-01-21 1481

    (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/16/26

Official Summary Text

GRAD REQUIREMENTS & PROFICIENCY TOOLS
An Act relating to high school graduation requirements and proficiency confirmation tools.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0209A -1- SB 209
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0931\G

SENATE BILL NO. 209

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY SENATOR BJORKMAN

Introduced: 1/21/26
Referred: Education, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to high school graduation requirements and proficiency confirmation 1
tools." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 4
to read: 5
LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature to ensure all students who 6
graduate from high schools in the state have achieved proficiency in the classes and subject 7
areas required for graduation. 8
* Sec. 2. AS 14.03.075(e) is amended to read: 9
(e) In this section, 10
(1) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350; 11
(2) "social studies" includes civics, the history of the United States 12
of America, and state history. 13
* Sec. 3. AS 14.03.075 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 14
34-LS0931\G
SB 209 -2- SB0209A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(f) The department shall adopt performance standards for students in grades 1
eight, 10, and 12 in economics, science, and social studies. The performance standards 2
adopted for grades 10 and 12 must correspond with state high school graduation 3
requirements. 4
(g) The department shall develop proficiency confirmation tools for students 5
in grades eight, 10, and 12 that evaluate a student's level of proficiency in economics, 6
language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies according to the performance 7
standards adopted for grades eight, 10, and 12, respectively. 8
(h) A school district shall administer the proficiency confirmation tools to 9
students in grades eight, 10, and 12. 10
(i) A school district shall affix a seal of certified proficiency to the high school 11
diploma of a student who meets all state and governing body graduation requirements 12
and earns a proficient score on the proficiency confirmation tool used to assess the 13
student during grade 12, demonstrating proficiency in all subject areas. The district 14
shall reassess a student who does not demonstrate proficiency at the student's request. 15
* Sec. 4. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 16
Sec. 14.03.076. High school graduation requirements. (a) Each 17
superintendent shall develop and submit to the governing body for approval a plan 18
consisting of district high school graduation requirements. The plan must set out the 19
units of credit required for specific subject areas and must require a student to 20
complete 21
(1) at least 21 units of credit in a program that offers six credits a year 22
or 24 credits in a program that offers seven credits a year; 23
(2) four units of credit in language arts; 24
(3) four units of credit in social studies, which must include one unit of 25
credit in the history of the United States, one-half unit of credit in state history, one-26
half unit of credit in civics, and one-half unit of credit in economics; 27
(4) four units of credit in mathematics; 28
(5) three units of credit in science; and 29
(6) one unit of credit in health and physical education. 30
(b) A student who transfers into a district after earning at least 13 units of 31
34-LS0931\G
SB0209A -3- SB 209
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

credit from a school outside of the district may be excused from the district's subject 1
area requirements, at the discretion of the district. 2
(c) In this section, "unit of credit" means a credit awarded to a student for 3
achieving a passing grade in a course of study by meeting the content standards for the 4
course of study as prescribed by a local school board. 5
* Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 6
read: 7
APPLICABILITY. The provisions of AS 14.03.075(i), enacted by sec. 3 of this Act, 8
and the graduation requirements set out in AS 14.03.076(a), enacted by sec. 4 of this Act, 9
apply to students graduating from high school on or after January 1, 2030. 10