Amends GS 115C-174.11 to require the State Board of Education to (1) continue participation in development of the Common Core State Standards; (2) review all national assessments developed by both multistate consortia; (3) implement assessments the Board deems most appropriate to assess student achievement on the Common Core State Standards; and (4) to the extent funds are made available, plan for and require administration of the ACT test for all students in the 11th grade unless the student has taken a comparable test and scored at or above a level set by the board. Adds new GS 115C-174.20 and GS 115C-174.25 requiring the Board, to the extent funds are made available, to plan for and require (1) administration in the 8th and 10th grades of diagnostic tests that align to the ACT test and (2) local school administrative units to make available the appropriate WorkKeys tests for students who complete the second level of vocational/career courses.
Effective July 1, 2011, and applies beginning with the 2011-12 school year.