On Jan. 27, a group including the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, civil rights groups, business organizations and teachers will commend Austin ISD and other Central Texas school districts that selected the state's new Distinguished Level of Achievement as their default graduation plan.

House Bill 5, which was signed into law in 2013, replaces the state's minimum, recommended and distinguished graduation plans with new Foundation High School Program plan options. In December, the AISD board of trustees established the Distinguished Level of Achievement as the district's prescribed graduation plan beginning with the class of 2018.

The new plan preserves all options for students as they enter high school, including industry certifications and applying to Texas universities, said David Reiter, Chamber 2014 education chair and senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Austin-based biotechnology company Luminex.

"This is local control at its finest, when school districts choose to go the extra mile to set high academic expectations for our young people to help ensure their future success," Reiter said in a news release.

Chamber representatives will commend AISD for its decision at a news conference at the chamber offices, 535 E. Fifth St., at 10:30 a.m.