HB266 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Matt WoodsSenator

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act, providing for a nontraditional high school diploma option for students 17 years of age and older who withdraw from school through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community College System; to provide for the sharing of data on students who drop out of high school; and to provide that participating students are eligible for driver's licenses

Summary

The REACH Act creates a nontraditional high school diploma option for students who withdraw, uses data sharing to measure the program, and links diploma completion to driver’s license eligibility for under-19s.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a nontraditional high school diploma option through the Alabama Community College System’s Adult Education Division for students 18 and older who withdraw before graduating. It requires exit interviews with information on withdrawal impacts, GED options, and adult education programs, and provides related materials and referrals. It requires data sharing between the Department of Education and ACCS, tracking of participation and diplomas, and annual reporting to the Legislature starting in 2026. It lets diploma recipients apply to Alabama colleges (though institutions set their own admissions rules) and extends driver’s license eligibility to eligible participants under 19, with rules for enforcement and compliance.

Who It Affects

• Group 1: Students who withdraw from high school (18 or older, and younger students who enroll in the nontraditional diploma option) who would have a path to earn a high school diploma and potentially qualify for a driver's license.
• Group 2: Public schools, local education agencies, the Alabama Community College System, the State Department of Education, and adult education providers who will implement the program, promote it, share data, and report on its effectiveness.

Key Provisions

• Creates a nontraditional high school diploma option through the ACCS Adult Education Division for students 18+ who withdraw before graduation, aligned with traditional diploma requirements and implemented at the local level.
• Local education agencies must promote the nontraditional option to at-risk juniors and seniors; ACCS and the Department shall run a statewide awareness campaign about the program.
• Adult education providers and public high schools may enter agreements on delivery methods, accommodations, and supports for participants, including in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats.
• Requires exit interviews to include information on withdrawal impacts, GED/preparation options, nontraditional diploma option, and other career/education opportunities; local schools must provide transcripts and referrals.
• ACCS and DOE must share data on withdrawals and track participation, retention, and diplomas; the Chancellor must annually summarize this data for House and Senate Education Policy Committees beginning January 1, 2026.
• Diploma graduates are eligible for admission to Alabama two-year or four-year colleges, with each institution retaining the right to set its own admission requirements.
• Boards may adopt rules to implement the Section, including career readiness credits, alignment with workforce programs, and strategies to reduce dropout rates using ACCS providers as the primary option.
• The Department must develop dropout-prevention strategies and data-driven methods, including targeted interventions and expanded supports for at-risk groups, and report outcomes and planned changes to the Legislature.
• The act amends exit interview content and enhances data-sharing between DOE and ACCS; requires annual reporting on program effectiveness and quarterly dropout data from local education agencies.
• Driver’s license eligibility under 19 is expanded to include participation in the nontraditional diploma option or meeting other specified criteria, with suspension/denial rules, hearings, and enforcement procedures outlined.

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