Section 071-225-1 - DefinitionsA. Adult High School Diploma Programs are secondary educational offerings leading to a high school diploma under the auspices of the local school department, approved by the State Department of Education according to procedures outlined in Section 2 of this Chapter, and operated in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2 and 3 of this Chapter. One component of the High School Diploma Program is the External Credit Option (ECO) defined as being individually planned and supervised by an instructor with mandatory student completion of related assignments; student completion of initial, periodic, and final testing; and a minimum of five student-teacher contacts.B. A General Educational Development (GED) Program is authorized to test for and issue high school equivalency certificates to residents of Maine who meet the requirements set forth below. GED tests will be administered in accordance with Examiner's Manual, Tests of General Educational Development, GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education. The standards for issuance of high school equivalency certificates are set forth in section 4.1. Issue. The Commissioner shall issue high school equivalency certificates to residents of the State who:a. Are at least 18 years of age;b. Are 17 years of age and have:(1) a documented, immediate need; and(2) written approval from the local superintendent or his designee;2. Have not been in attendance for one year or more at a public school or a private school approved by a state department or accredited by a regional association of colleges and secondary schools; or3. Have completed a formal training program as set forth in section 4(A)(2) which has been approved by the commissioner; and4. Demonstrate through procedures prescribed by the Commissioner that they have attained a general educational development comparable to that of secondary school graduates. The Commissioner shall issue the certificates required by this subsection upon completion of the requirements of this subsection or as soon thereafter as accessible.
1. Certificate status. Certificates shall have the legal status of high school diplomas.2. Fees. The Commissioner may charge a fee sufficient to defray operating costs for a certificate. An honorably discharged or released veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or a person judged by the Commissioner to be economically disadvantaged shall be exempt from payment of a fee. That fee shall be paid from the income of the Permanent School Fund.05-071 C.M.R. ch. 225, § 1