AB 104 / AB 167 Updates

Last month, we informed you of the three main provisions of Assembly Bill 104 (AB 104) that families could consider for their student to address learning gaps related to the pandemic.

One of those provisions allowed parents or guardians of high school students to request that a letter grade received last school year be changed to a Pass or No Pass grade.

The deadline to make that request was August 13; however, the State Legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 167 that allows school districts to extend the application period to request a pass/no pass grade change.

With this new provision in the law, Modesto City Schools has extended the application deadline to request a pass/no pass grade change to Friday, October 8, 2021. 

Click here to access the grade change request form. Any requests received after Friday, October 8, 2021, will not be honored.

Here is a summary of the various provisions under Assembly Bill 104:

Request for Changes to Pass / No Pass Grades for 2020-21:

  • AB 104 also provides a process for parents/guardians of high school students to request that a letter grade received in the 2020-2021 school year be changed to a Pass (P) or No Pass (NP) grade. Such changes will not negatively impact a student’s grade point average.

  • The law requires the California State University, as well as encourages private colleges/universities and the University of California, to accept changed transcripts for admission purposes. However, not all colleges, including some universities in other states, will accept a “P” or “NP” grade for admission purposes. Additionally, “P” or “NP” grades may not be accepted for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility purposes.

  • The state compiled a list of colleges that will accept, for admission purposes, a transcript with a “P” or “NP” grade instead of a letter grade.

  • To request a grade change for the 2020-2021 school year, complete the grade change request form and submit it to your child’s school. 

  • IMPORTANTThe deadline to submit the form to your child’s school has been extended to Friday, October 8, 2021. Any requests received after this time will not be honored.

Request to Repeat a Grade Level:

  • AB 104 provides a process for parents/guardians to request that their student repeat the grade they were enrolled in last school year. At the junior high and high school level, parents/guardians can 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. At the elementary school level, parents/guardians may make this request if their student did not meet grade-level standards for at least one-half the standards identified on the end of year report card.

  • Once a parent/guardian’s request is received, the school will schedule a meeting within 30 days to determine if repeating a grade is in the student’s best interest. A final decision will be provided to the parent/guardian within 10 days of this meeting. Regardless of the decision to repeat a grade, specific interventions and supports (academic and/or social-emotional) will be discussed and offered. If a student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), parents should request an IEP meeting to discuss retention options and available supports.

  • To request a meeting to discuss having your child repeat a grade, please complete the online request form. Parents may also contact their child’s school to request a meeting. 

Consideration for State Minimum Graduation Requirements (This applies to 2020-21 Junior and Seniors Only):

  • Finally, AB 104 indicates that high school students who were in the 11th or 12th grade during the 2020-2021 school year, and who were not on track to graduate in four years, may be exempt from the district’s graduation requirements that exceed statewide requirements. The law 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.

  • For more information, please contact your student’s school counselor.