MO HB1577

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must ensure all school districts implement criteria to remove educational barriers for foster care children, including timely enrollment, flexible placement policies, and support for on-time graduation.

Receiving schools must initially honor course placement (honors, AP, vocational, technical, career pathways) and educational programs (gifted, ESL) based on the student's previous school enrollment or assessments conducted at the sending school.

Receiving schools must waive specific graduation requirements if similar coursework was satisfactorily completed at another school, or provide alternative means for acquiring required work to ensure on-time graduation.

Receiving schools must accept exit exams, national norm-referenced achievement tests, or alternative testing from the sending school in lieu of graduation testing requirements.

If a foster care student transferring during senior year cannot meet receiving school graduation requirements despite alternatives, the sending school must issue a diploma if the student meets the sending school's graduation requirements.