Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill requires the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, to develop and adopt an alternative graduation pathway for high school students who are interested in pursuing postsecondary technical training or a technical career after graduating high school. The alternative graduation pathway must be available to all public high school students beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.<br /> <br /> This bill authorizes the commissioner to waive the assessment under present law for students in grade 11 or one or more of the graduation requirements established by the state board for high school students, or both, upon request of the school principal on behalf of a student pursuing the alternative graduation pathway adopted by the state board, if:<br /> <br /> (1) The student is interested in pursuing postsecondary technical training or a technical career after graduating high school; and<br /> <br /> (2) The assessment or graduation requirement, or both, for which the student requests a waiver is primarily designed to further the educational goals of college-bound students and is inapplicable or irrelevant to the student's postsecondary technical training or technical career goals, or would otherwise delay or impair the student's ability to pursue coursework designed to further the student's postsecondary technical training or technical career goals.<br />