Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School Principals:

Deadline Extended to October 1, 2021 for High School Students to Submit Grade Change Application to Pass/No Pass

Assembly Bill (AB) 167 (2021–22) provides a submission date extension for AB 104 Section 2 Grade Change to Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grade during COVID-19. Families of students enrolled in high school in the 2020–21 school year may apply to have a letter grade changed to a P/NP grade. Language in AB 167 has amended Education Code Section 49066.5 stating that if a grade change application has been submitted to the pupil’s local educational agency (LEA) after the deadline that was established from AB 104, it shall be accepted by the LEA if the application is received on or before October 1, 2021.

Original AB 104 language stated that within 15 days of CDE posting the Grade Change application template, LEAs serving high school students must post on their website and provide written notice to students and families of the grade change option. The notice must include the link to the grade change request application; a list of postsecondary educational institutions that accept P/NP grades; and a statement informing families of some postsecondary educational institutions, including those from other states, that may not accept a P/NP grade. Families had 15 calendar days from when the LEA provided written notice and posted on its website the option to submit a grade change application. The LEA had 15 days from receipt of the grade change application to update the transcript and notify the student and family of the grade changes. Grade changes must not negatively affect a student’s grade point average.

With this new bill, the language in AB 167 mandates LEAs to accept Grade Change Application submissions if the application is received by the pupil’s LEA on or before October 1, 2021, although school districts may extend the deadline longer based on local needs.

A more detailed description of the amended language in Education Code Section 49066.5 can be found in Section 15 on the California Legislative Information web page at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB167.

We encourage high school students to act quickly to meet the deadline. Families should contact their high school directly if they have difficulty locating the grade change request form.

If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Pete Callas, Director, Career and College Transition Division, by email at gradechange2021@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction