A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to permit certain freshman and sophomore high school students to be eligible to enroll in college courses as part of an academic transition pathway or College transfer certificate.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115D‑20(4)a. reads as rewritten:
"a.	Subject to the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, local community colleges may collaborate with local school administrative units to offer courses through the following programs:
1.	Cooperative innovative high school programs as provided by Part 9 of Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.
2.	Academic transition pathways for qualified junior and senior high school students that lead to a career technical education certificate, diploma, or State or industry‑recognized credential and academic transition pathways for qualified freshmen and sophomore high school students that lead to a career technical education certificate or diploma in (i) industrial and engineering technologies, (ii) agriculture and natural resources, (iii) transportation technology, or (iv) construction.
3.	College transfer certificates requiring the successful completion of thirty semester credit hours of transfer courses, including English and mathematics, for qualified junior and senior high school students.
4.	College transfer certificates requiring the successful completion of 30 semester credit hours of transfer courses, including English and mathematics, for qualified freshman and sophomore high school students. In order for a freshman or sophomore high school student to qualify under this sub‑sub‑subdivision, the student shall be determined to be academically gifted, have a demonstrated readiness for the course material, and have the maturity to justify admission to the community college. The determination as to whether a student qualifies under this sub‑sub‑subdivision shall be made by the community college president and the student's high school principal or equivalent or that person's designee."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2019‑2020 school year.