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An Act To Reduce Remedial Course Requirements at Maine Community Colleges
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §6202, sub-§3  is enacted to read:
 
3.  Preparatory education testing.     The department in consultation with the state board shall establish a statewide assessment program to measure and evaluate the academic achievements of students in grade 10 for purposes of determining preparedness for postsecondary education. This assessment applies to all students attending public secondary schools, public charter schools, as defined in section 2401, subsection 9, and private schools approved for tuition that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students, as determined by the previous school year's October and April average enrollment. Costs relating to the assessment program established under this subsection must be paid by the department; however, the department shall ensure that the assessment is available to a student to retake, at the student's own expense, prior to June 1st of every year.
 
A.  The assessment program must be designed to provide data in the areas of reading comprehension, writing and mathematics, at a minimum, and must be sufficient to allow the Maine Community College System to determine whether a student would be required to enroll in remedial coursework in those areas in the Maine Community College System.
 
B.  If a student does not achieve at least the score in a specific subject area tested, as determined under section 12709, subsection 10-A, and is accepted at and enrolls in a college within the Maine Community College System, the college shall pay the costs of all remedial coursework the student may be required to complete in that specific subject area in pursuit of the student's course of study declared at matriculation.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12709, sub-§10-A  is enacted to read:
 
10-A.  Admissions.     To determine admissions criteria for each of the colleges within the system, including annually determining the scores a student who has completed the assessment program established under section 6202, subsection 3 must achieve in each of the specific subject areas tested under section 6202, subsection 3, to conclusively indicate that the student is qualified for college-level work in the system and will not need to enroll in remedial coursework while attending a college within the system;
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires that all students in grade 10 in a public school, public charter school or private school approved for tuition that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students complete an academic achievement assessment established by the Department of Education and the State Board of Education. The President of the Maine Community College System must determine the scores on the assessment that conclusively indicate that a student will not need to enroll in remedial coursework while attending a college within the system. If a student whose score indicates that remedial coursework is required is accepted at and enrolls in a college within the system, the college must pay the costs of any remedial coursework the student may need to complete in the course of study declared at matriculation.