House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Makes technical, clarifying, organizational, and conforming changes, including to act’s long title.

Section 1.

Removes provision from GS 115D-5(x1) specifying that completion of courses developed under the statute does not constitute a completion of any end-of-course tests required to graduate.  

Section 2.

Extends the State Board of Community College’s (SBCC) and the State Board of Education’s (Board) reporting deadline on the results of the act’s course development from January 15, 2026, to January 15, 2028. Directs that the courses developed pursuant to GS 115D-5(x1), as amended by the act, be offered beginning with the next academic year after SBCC and the Board submit the report (previously, conditioned offering of classes by submission of the report by January 15, along with developing the courses listed in GS 115D-5(x1), as amended by the act).

Section 3.

Removes the described biology courses from the listing of courses that would complete the biology requirement. Specifies that any of the listed mathematics courses only satisfy the fourth mathematics requirement (was, third or fourth math requirement). Removes provision specifying that completion of the specified courses does not constitute a completion of any end-of-course tests required to graduate.  

Section 4.

Directs the Board to end its requirement that students complete NC Math III as one of the four required math courses for graduation beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Now requires public school units to encourage students to complete additional math courses beyond the state requirements. Requires Math III and all other math courses existing on the effective date of the act to continue to be made available to high school students (was, required the Board to adopt a rule to modify the high school graduation requirements to require completion of NC Math 1 and 2 and two additional math courses that align with the student's postsecondary plans and to require that NC Math 3 and all other existing math courses continue to be offered by all high schools to the extent that there is sufficient student interest).