Section 16-1605 - Courses of study(a) In all public, private or parochial schools, there shall be integrated in the social studies curriculum courses of study as provided in this act. It shall be the duty of the superintendent having supervision over any high school to prepare, and recommend to the board of school directors maintaining the same, suitable courses of study, which shall be adopted by said board of school directors, with such changes as they may deem wise, subject to the provisions of this act. During grades seven through twelve inclusive, there shall be included at least four semesters or equivalent study in the history and government of that portion of America which has become the United States of America, and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, of such nature, kind or quality, as to have for its purpose the developing, teaching and presentation of the principles and ideals of the American republican representative form of government, as portrayed and experienced by the acts and policies of the framers of the Declaration of Independence and framers of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. The study of the history of the United States, including the study of the Constitution of the United States and the study of the history and Constitution of this Commonwealth, shall also be such as will emphasize the good, worthwhile and best features and points of the social, economic and cultural development, the growth of the American family life, high standard of living of the United States citizen, the privileges enjoyed by such citizens, their heritage and its derivations of and in our principles of government. Such instruction shall have for its purpose also the instilling into every boy and girl who comes out of our public, private and parochial schools their solemn duty and obligation to exercise intelligently their voting privilege and to understand the advantages of the American republican form of government as compared with various other forms of government. Such instruction shall continue in courses in the State Colleges to an extent to be determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(b) During one or more of the last four years of any complete high school program, there may be included a course of study in first aid or home nursing, or both, for the purpose of training and increasing the available supply of trained personnel for use in any program or activity undertaken pursuant to the act of March nineteen, one thousand nine hundred fifty-one (Pamphlet Laws 28), known as the "State Council of Civil Defense Act of 1951," as amended. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall direct a course of study to be prepared to assist school districts in complying with the provisions of this section. (c)(1) Beginning with those students graduating from a public high school at the end of the 2016-2017 school year, and continuing in each school year thereafter, a student who successfully completes a course in computer science or information technology during grades nine through twelve shall be permitted to apply up to one credit earned for successful completion of such course to satisfy the student's mathematics or science credit requirement for graduation, provided, that the governing body of the student's public high school shall have discretion to determine the graduation credit requirement to which the credit earned by the student shall be applied.(2) As used in this subsection, "Public high school" shall mean a public school, including a school within a school district, a charter school, a cyber charter school, a regional charter school or an area career and technical school, that offers twelfth grade. (d)(1) Beginning with students graduating from a public high school at the end of the 2020-2021 school year, and continuing in each school year thereafter, a student who successfully completes a course in personal finance during grades nine through twelve shall be permitted to apply up to one credit earned for successful completion of the course to satisfy the student's social studies , family and consumer science, mathematics or business education credit requirement for graduation , provided that the governing body of the student's public high school shall have discretion to determine the graduation credit requirement to which the credit earned by the student shall be applied.(2) A student shall not be permitted to apply more than one credit earned under subsections (c) and (d) to satisfy the student's mathematics credit requirement for graduation.(3) As used in this subsection, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this paragraph unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Personal finance " shall mean the integration of various factors relating to personal financial management, including understanding financial institutions, using money, learning to manage personal assets and liabilities, creating budgets and any other factors that may assist an individual in this Commonwealth to be financially responsible.
"Public high school" shall mean a public school, including a school within a school district, a charter school, a cyber charter school, a regional charter school or a career and technical school, that offers twelfth grade.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2019 No. 91, § 3, eff. 1/26/2020.Amended by P.L. TBD 2019 No. 76, § 33, eff. 12/30/2019.Amended by P.L. 716 2016 No. 86, § 8, eff. 9/12/2016.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, art. XVI, § 1605. Amended 1956, April 12, P.L. (1955) 1459, § 1; 1961, Sept. 20, P.L. 1530, § 2.