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An Act To Count Study Abroad toward Secondary School Credit
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §4730  is enacted to read:
§ 4730. Study abroad
A school administrative unit shall award course credits to a student who has studied abroad and who seeks to be awarded course credits by the student's local school administrative unit in accordance with one of the following standards. The school administrative unit may:
 
1.  Elective credit.     Award the student elective credits in the amount equal to 1/3 of the direct instruction hours received abroad;
 
2.  Third-party certification.     Award the student course credits in the relevant content area if the student attains certification in that content area by a 3rd party approved by the school administrative unit. The amount of course credits must be determined by comparing the results of the certification and the requirements of an equivalent course offered by the school administrative unit; or
 
3.  Summative assessment.     Award the student course credits in the relevant content area if the student receives a passing grade on:
 
A.  The summative assessment in an equivalent course offered by the school administrative unit; or
 
B.  The first summative assessment in a course that is one level higher than the equivalent course offered by the school administrative unit.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires school administrative units to award course credit to students who have studied abroad by awarding the student elective credit based on hours of instruction received abroad or by awarding credit hours in the relevant content area if the student receives 3rd-party certification or if the student passes a summative assessment.