AB 104 Information

New law to expand grading and recovery options for students

The state of California recently enacted a new law – Assembly Bill (AB) 104 – that will expand learning and credit recovery options for students who may have struggled academically during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year.

These include:

• A process for students who were enrolled in grades K-11 for the 2020-2021 year to request to repeat the last grade

• A process for high school students to change eligible grades to Pass/No Pass

• Exemption from district graduation requirements for students in grades 11 or 12 who were not on track to graduate

Process for K-11 Students to Request to Repeat the 2020-2021 Grade

This law provides a process for parents and guardians to request that their student repeat the grade they were enrolled in during the 2020-2021 school year. Parents and guardians of students who were in grades Kindergarten – 11 in the last school year would be eligible to make this request if their student received a D, F, or No Pass grade for at least one-half of their coursework in the 2020-2021 school year. This request would trigger a personalized consultation with a representative of the district to review and discuss all learning recovery options and supports that the student could access.

How to apply: Parents/Guardians may submit a written request through the your child's school site by completing the application and sending it to your student's school site. The site will schedule a consultation within 30 days of submitting the form. Here is a school list.

Process for High School Students to Change Grades to Pass/No Pass [UPDATED per AB 167]

Assembly Bill 167 has extended the AB 104 process for high school students to request that a letter grade they received in the 2020-2021 school year be changed to a Pass/No Pass grade.

How to apply: Parents or students who are 18 or older can apply using this application [LINK HERE] or pick up an application in the counseling office at their high school. Applications will need to be filled out and returned to their school site counselor. Families will have from October 1, 2021to October 22, 2021 to make the request. After this time, requests will no longer be considered.

The grade change cannot negatively impact a student’s GPA.

Below are a list of postsecondary institutions which will comply and accept the pass/no pass grade. Those institutions which are not on this list may not accept the pass/no pass grade.

For the 2020–21 through 2023–24 school year, the following postsecondary institutions that will accept, for admission purposes, a transcript with a Pass or No Pass grade instead of a letter grade for an applicant pursuant to Education Code Section 49066.5(b).

Official Postsecondary Institution Name

California State University Schools:

• California State University, Bakersfield

• California State University Channel Islands

• California State University, Chico

• California State University, Dominguez Hills

• California State University, East Bay

• California State University, Fresno

• California State University, Fullerton

• Humboldt State University

• California State University, Long Beach

• California State University, Los Angeles

• California State University Maritime Academy

• California State University, Monterey Bay

• California State University, Northridge

• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

• California State University, Sacramento

• California State University, San Bernardino

• San Diego State University

• San Francisco State University

• San José State University

• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

• California State University San Marcos

• Sonoma State University

• California State University, Stanislaus

University of California (UC) Schools:

• UC Berkeley

• UC Davis

• UC Irvine

• UC Los Angeles

• UC Merced

• UC Riverside

• UC San Diego

• UC San Francisco

• UC Santa Barbara

• UC Santa Cruz

Private Universities:

• Saint Mary's College of California

• Holy Names University

• Pitzer College

• University of La Verne

• Westmont College

• Santa Clara University

• University of Saint Katherine

• University of Southern California

• ArtCenter College of Design

• California Baptist University

• University of San Francisco

• La Sierra University

• Mount Saint Mary's University

Exemption for 2020-2021 Juniors and Seniors of District Graduation Requirements

Finally, the law requires that high school students who were in their third or fourth year of high school during the 2020-2021 school year, and who were not on track to graduate in four years, may be exempt from our district’s graduation requirements that exceed statewide requirements. It also requires high schools to provide credit recovery support for these students, including the option to retake courses, or to enroll in a fifth year of high school, to complete state graduation requirements.

How to apply: Visalia Unified will contact students eligible for this exemption. You do not need to contact the district or the school sites.