high schools; trade diploma program

HB2216 - 572R - I Ver

PREFILED��� JAN 12 2026

REFERENCE TITLE:
high schools; trade diploma program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2216

Introduced by

Representative
Taylor

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 2, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-217.03; amending section
15-701.01, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school curricula.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 2, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-217.03, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-217.03.

Trade pathways diploma program; requirements; annual report

A. Not later than July 1, 2027, the
state board of education shall establish a trade pathways diploma program for
high school students who seek to enter a construction, electrical, plumbing,
mechanical or utility
-infrastructure trade.� The
state board shall consult with the DEPARTMENT of education, trade schools,
registered apprenticeship programs, community colleges as defined in section 15-1401,
the Department of Economic Security, employers in this state and career and
technical education providers to determine the minimum credits, courses,
competencies and experiences required for a high school student to earn a
diploma through the trade pathways diploma program. The minimum
competencies for the trade pathways diploma program must align with industry
demand and in-demand career fields.� The minimum course of study for the trade
pathways diploma program must:

1. Require not more than two credits
in mathematics and two credits in science during grades nine through twelve.

2. Allow students to earn credits
that apply toward high school graduation through:

(
a
) Career and
technical education courses that meet any of the following:

(
i
) Lead to
certification or industry-recognized credentials.

(
ii
) Lead to
employment.

(
iii
) Are
related to a high demand career field.

(
b
) A paid
internship, training or other work-based learning program, subject to industry
standard wages.

(
c
) An
apprenticeship program that is registered and certified with the United States
secretary of labor under section 1 of the national apprenticeship act (50 Stat.
664; 29 United States Code section 50), subject to industry standard wages.

(
d
) Community
college courses.

(
e
) Notwithstanding
section 15-901.08, remote instruction.

B. The state board of education,
trade schools, community colleges, the Department of Economic Security and
career and technical education providers shall cooperate to operate a statewide
trade pathways system to facilitate the transfer of high school students to
community colleges, apprenticeship programs and vocational programs without
loss of credit.

C. The Office of Economic Opportunity
may allocate a portion of federal workforce development dollars to incentivize
employers to provide registered apprenticeship programs and other work-based
programs to high school students through the trade pathways diploma program.

D. On or before December 1, 2029 and
December 1 of each year thereafter, the department of education shall submit a
report to the speaker of the house of representatives, president of the senate,
the governor and the secretary of state that includes the following information
for the immediately preceding fiscal year:

1. the number of students who
participated in the trade pathways diploma program.

2. the number of credentials that
students earned through the trade pathways diploma program.�

3. the employer retention rates of
students who earned a trade pathways diploma one year after graduation and two
years after graduation.

4. the average wages of students who
participate in the trade pathways diploma program.

E. Each school district, charter
school, community college and apprenticeship program that offers instruction
through the trade pathways diploma program shall provide to the department of
education any data and information necessary for the report required by
subsection D of this section.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 15-701.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
15-701.01.

High schools; graduation; requirements; community college or
university courses; transfer from other schools; academic credit; report

A. The state board of education shall:

1. Prescribe a minimum course of study that
incorporates the academic standards adopted by the state board for the
graduation of pupils from high school.

2. Prescribe competency requirements for the
graduation of pupils from high school incorporating the academic standards in
at least the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social
studies. The academic standards prescribed by the state board in social studies
shall include personal finance, American civics education and a comparative
discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that
conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the
founding principles of the United States.� The state board may consider
establishing a required separate personal finance course for the purpose of the
graduation of pupils from high school. The state board shall require
at least one-half of a course credit in economics, which shall include
financial literacy and personal financial management.

3. Through the graduating class of 2025, include in
the competency requirements for social studies prescribed in paragraph 2 of
this subsection a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or
obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at
least sixty of the one hundred questions listed on a test that is identical to
the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States
citizenship and immigration services. Beginning with the graduating
class of 2026, the state board shall include in the competency requirements for
social studies prescribed in paragraph 2 of this subsection a requirement that,
in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency
diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least seventy of the one hundred
questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the
naturalization test used by the United States citizenship and immigration
services.� A district school or charter school shall document on the pupil's
transcript only a pass or fail designation that the pupil has passed or failed
the test required by this paragraph. A pupil in grade seven or eight
may take the test described in this paragraph, and if the pupil correctly
answers at least seventy of the one hundred questions on the test:

(a) The district school or charter school shall
document on the pupil's transcript only a pass or fail designation that the
pupil has passed or failed the test required by this paragraph.

(b) The pupil is not required to take the test
required by this paragraph again in high school.

4. Develop and adopt competency tests pursuant to
section 15-741.� English language learners who are subject to article 3.1
of this chapter are subject to the assessments prescribed in section 15-741.

B. The governing board of a school district shall:

1. Prescribe curricula that include the academic
standards in the required subject areas pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1
of this section.

2. Prescribe criteria for the graduation of pupils
from the high schools in the school district. These criteria shall
include accomplishment of the academic standards in at least reading, writing,
mathematics, science and social studies, as determined by district
assessment. Other criteria may include additional measures of
academic achievement and attendance. Pursuant to the prescribed graduation
requirements adopted by the state board of education, the governing board may
approve a rigorous computer science course that would fulfill a mathematics
course required for graduation from high school. The governing board
may approve a rigorous computer science course only if the rigorous computer
science course includes significant mathematics content and the governing board
determines the high school where the rigorous computer science course is
offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including
competent teachers of computer science.� The school district governing board or
charter school governing body may determine the method and manner in which to
administer a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization
test used by the United States citizenship and immigration services.� A pupil
who does not obtain a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics
portion of the naturalization test may retake the test until the pupil obtains
a passing score.

C. The governing board
of a school
district
may prescribe the course of study and competency requirements
for the graduation of pupils from high school that are in addition to or higher
than the course of study and competency requirements that the state board
prescribes.

D. The governing board
of a school
district
may prescribe competency requirements for the passage of pupils
in courses that are required for graduation from high school.

E. A teacher shall determine whether to pass or fail
a pupil in a course in high school on the basis of the competency requirements,
if any have been prescribed. The governing board
of a
school district
, if it reviews the decision of a teacher to pass or fail
a pupil in a course in high school as provided in section 15-342,
paragraph 11, shall base its decision on the competency requirements, if any
have been prescribed.

F. Graduation requirements established by the
governing board
of a school district
may be met by a
pupil who passes courses in the required or elective subjects at a community
college or university, if the course is at a higher level than the course
taught in the high school attended by the pupil or, if the course is not taught
in the high school, the level of the course is equal to or higher than the
level of a high school course. The governing board shall determine
whether the subject matter of the community college or university course is
appropriate to the specific requirement the pupil intends it to fulfill and
whether the level of the community college or university course is less than,
equal to or higher than a high school course, and the governing board shall
award at least one-half of a Carnegie unit and up to and including one
Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit that the pupil earns in
an appropriate community college or university course. If a pupil is
not satisfied with the decision of the governing board regarding the amount of
credit granted or the subjects for which credit is granted, the pupil may
request that the state board of education review the decision of the governing
board, and the state board shall make the final determination of the amount of
credit to be given the pupil and for which subjects. The governing
board shall not limit the number of credits that is required for high school
graduation and that may be met by taking community college or university
courses.� For the purposes of this subsection:

1. "Community college" means an
educational institution that is operated by a community college district as
defined in section 15-1401 or a postsecondary educational institution
under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe recognized by the United States
department of the interior.

2. "University" means a university under
the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.

G. A pupil who transfers from a private school shall
be provided with a list that indicates those credits that have been accepted
and denied by the school district. A pupil may request to take an
examination in each particular course in which credit has been
denied. The school district shall accept the credit for each
particular course in which the pupil takes an examination and receives a
passing score on a test designed and evaluated by a teacher in the school
district who teaches the subject matter on which the examination is
based. In addition to the above requirements, the governing board of
a school district may prescribe requirements for the acceptance of the credits
of pupils who transfer from a private school.

H. If a pupil who was previously enrolled in a
charter school or school district enrolls in a school district in this state,
the school district shall accept credits earned by the pupil in courses or
instructional programs at the charter school or school district. The
governing board of a school district may adopt a policy concerning the
application of transfer credits for the purpose of determining whether a credit
earned by a pupil who was previously enrolled in a school district or charter
school will be assigned as an elective or core credit. A school
district or charter school may note the learning outcomes that a student
mastered as prescribed in the rules adopted pursuant to section 15-203,
subsection A, paragraph 38 to provide a record of the demonstrated competencies
and award partial credit.

I. A pupil who transfers credit from a charter
school, a school district or Arizona online instruction shall be provided with
a list that indicates which credits have been accepted as elective credits and
which credits have been accepted as core credits by the school district or
charter school. Within ten school days after receiving the list, the
pupil may request to take an examination in each particular course in which
core credit has been denied. The school district or charter school
shall accept the credit as a core credit for each particular course in which
the pupil takes an examination and receives a passing score on a test that is
aligned to the competency requirements adopted pursuant to this section and
that is designed and evaluated by a teacher in the school district or charter
school who teaches the subject matter on which the examination is
based. If a pupil is enrolled in a school district or charter school
and that pupil also participates in Arizona online instruction between May 1
and July 31, the school district or charter school shall not require proof of
payment as a condition of the school district or charter school accepting
credits earned from the online course provider.

J. The state board of education shall adopt rules to
allow high school pupils who can demonstrate competency in a particular
academic course or subject to obtain academic credit for the course or subject
without enrolling in the course or subject.

K. Pupils who earn a Grand Canyon diploma pursuant
to article 6 of this chapter are exempt from the graduation requirements
prescribed in this section. Pupils who earn a Grand Canyon diploma
are entitled to all the rights and privileges of persons who graduate with a
high school diploma issued pursuant to this section, including access to
postsecondary scholarships and other forms of student financial aid and access
to all forms of postsecondary education.� Notwithstanding any other law, a
pupil who is eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma may elect to remain in high
school through grade twelve and shall not be prevented from enrolling at a high
school after the pupil becomes eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma.� A pupil
who is eligible for a Grand Canyon diploma and who elects not to pursue one of
the options prescribed in section 15-792.03 may only be readmitted to
that high school or another high school in this state pursuant to policies
adopted by the school district of readmission.

L. Pupils who earn a trade pathways
diploma pursuant to section 15-217.03 are exempt from the graduation
requirements prescribed in this section.� Pupils who earn a trade pathways
diploma are entitled to all the rights and privileges of persons who graduate
with a high school diploma issued pursuant to this section, including access to
postsecondary scholarships and other forms of student financial aid and access
to all forms of postsecondary education.

L.

M.
Each
school district and charter school shall report to the department of education
all of the following aggregate data, organized by grade level, relating to the
test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by
the United States citizenship and immigration services required by subsection
A, paragraph 3 of this section:

1. The median score.

2. The percentage of pupils who passed by correctly
answering the minimum number of questions required to pass the test pursuant to
subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section.

3. The percentage of pupils who failed by correctly
answering fewer than the minimum number of questions required to pass the test
pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of this section.

4. Any other data required by the department
relating to the test.

M.

N.
A
school district or charter school may not include the personally identifiable
information of any pupil in the data reported to the department of education
under subsection
L

M
of this
section. The department of education shall make the data publicly
available, organized at a minimum by school district or charter school and
grade level, on the website that includes the school report cards required by
section 15-746.
END_STATUTE