Governor Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 104 into law, providing students and their families with academic support options in response to the serious academic challenges posed by COVID-19 and remote learning. New support options include:
- An option to change letter grades earned in high school during the 2020–21 school year to a Pass/No Pass grade. All California State Universities, University of California campuses, and many private California colleges will accept Pass/No Pass grades for admission purposes without negative impact.
- Some postsecondary educational institutions (including those in other states) may not accept a Pass/No Pass grade instead of a letter grade for admission purposes. A list of California colleges accepting a Pass/No Pass grade is available from the California Department of Education (CDE).
- To request a grade change for the 2020–21 school year to Pass/No Pass, parents, guardians, or the education rights holder of a student (or a student age 18 or older) should complete the CDE Grade Change Application by December 15, 2021.
- A waiver of local graduation requirements for students who were in their third or fourth years of high school in the 2020–21 school year. This allows qualified students to graduate upon completing just the statewide graduation requirements. Additionally, high schoolers may get extra support to complete the statewide coursework needed for graduation.
- An opportunity for parents of any TK through grade 11 student to consult with school administrators to determine if it might be in their child’s best interest to repeat the 2020–21 academic year. Additional academic support may also be considered.
Details
A Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) notification letter sent to families provides more information. Teachers and school principals can also answer questions about these options.