SB176 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Donnie ChesteenSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Public K-12 education and two-year institutions of higher education, Alabama Career RoadMap Act, Alabama Community College System required to develop career readiness module to be added to high school graduation requirements, each public high school student required to complete Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity as defined by Alabama Community College System, Alabama Community College System and State Board of Education required to adopt rules

Summary

SB176 would create the Alabama Career RoadMap Act, requiring a 10-hour workforce exploration module and a Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity for high school students, with credentials and diploma prerequisites tied to community colleges and ACCS.

What This Bill Does

It requires ACCS to develop a 10-hour workforce exploration module and a list of Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunities, and to award a credential at a local community college to students who complete the module. Beginning with the 2028-2029 graduating class, students must complete at least one Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity to receive a high school diploma, with the State Board of Education adopting rules to implement these changes. Local boards must collaborate with community colleges to run the program, allow eligible college staff in classrooms, and ensure policies are in place to govern opportunities, while ACCS adopts its own policies and procedures and shares student data as allowed by law.

Who It Affects

• Public high school students: must complete the 10-hour workforce module and at least one Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity to graduate, and receive related credentials at no cost.
• Local boards of education: must collaborate with local community colleges, implement policies for Career RoadMap opportunities, and allow qualified college personnel into classrooms (with safety checks).
• Alabama Community College System (ACCS) and local community colleges: develop and administer the module and opportunities, award credentials, and share data with school boards as allowed by law.
• Students with individualized education programs (IEPs): may be exempt from certain Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity requirements if completion would be overly burdensome.
• Families and schools: students gain access to career exploration and postsecondary opportunities through new partnerships and requirements.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Alabama Career RoadMap Act and establishes legislative findings to support career exploration and postsecondary pathways.
• ACCS must develop a workforce exploration module (minimum 10 hours) and administer it through approved personnel including career coaches or career preparedness teachers; completion yields a credential from the local community college at no cost to the student.
• ACCS must develop a list of Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunities (e.g., dual enrollment, career readiness courses, other accelerated options).
• Starting with the 2028-2029 graduating class, every student must complete at least one Career RoadMap Postsecondary Opportunity to receive a high school diploma; State Board of Education will adopt rules to implement this and may provide exemptions for certain students (e.g., IEP-based) if burdensome.
• Local boards must adopt policies about available opportunities and qualification processes, and may not unreasonably deny participation.
• Local boards must collaborate with local community colleges to facilitate opportunities and allow college personnel into classrooms for implementation, subject to background checks and sex offender restrictions.
• ACCS and the State Board of Education must adopt policies, procedures, and rules to implement the act, including a mentorship program option for students.
• Local boards must share relevant student data with ACCS in compliance with FERPA and state law.
• The act takes effect on June 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education