Florida Senate - 2016              PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
       Bill No. SB 1638
       
       
       
       
       
                               Ì698686iÎ698686                          
       
       576-03416-16                                                    
       Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
       (Appropriations Subcommittee on Education)
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to postsecondary education for
    3         veterans; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.; specifying
    4         individuals who are eligible for college credit for
    5         college-level military training and education;
    6         amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; expanding the list of
    7         examinations for which the department is required to
    8         establish college credit equivalencies; amending s.
    9         1009.26, F.S.; revising the residency requirement for
   10         certain tuition waivers for recipients of specified
   11         military decorations; conforming provisions; amending
   12         s. 1012.56, F.S.; providing that specified programs
   13         and test scores meet certain educator certification
   14         requirements; providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
   19  to read:
   20         1004.096 College credit for military training and education
   21  courses.—The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
   22  State Board of Education shall adopt rules that enable eligible
   23  servicemembers or honorably discharged veterans members of the
   24  United States Armed Forces to earn academic college credit at
   25  public postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
   26  training and education acquired in the military. The regulations
   27  and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and
   28  the award of academic college credit, including, but not limited
   29  to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework with
   30  appropriate college courses, course descriptions, type and
   31  amount of college credit that may be awarded, and transfer of
   32  credit.
   33         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 1007.27, Florida
   34  Statutes, is amended to read:
   35         1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms.—
   36         (2) The Department of Education shall annually identify and
   37  publish the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or
   38  courses for which credit is to be awarded for each College Level
   39  Examination Program (CLEP) subject examination, College Board
   40  Advanced Placement Program examination, Advanced International
   41  Certificate of Education examination, and International
   42  Baccalaureate examination, Excelsior College subject
   43  examination, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
   44  Support (DANTES) subject standardized test, and Defense Language
   45  Proficiency Test (DLPT). The department shall use student
   46  performance data in subsequent postsecondary courses to
   47  determine the appropriate examination scores and courses for
   48  which credit is to be granted. Minimum scores may vary by
   49  subject area based on available performance data. In addition,
   50  the department shall identify such courses in the general
   51  education core curriculum of each state university and Florida
   52  College System institution.
   53         Section 3. Subsection (8) of section 1009.26, Florida
   54  Statutes, is amended to read:
   55         1009.26 Fee waivers.—
   56         (8) A state university, a Florida College System
   57  institution, a career center operated by a school district under
   58  s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive
   59  tuition for undergraduate college credit programs and career
   60  certificate programs for each recipient of a Purple Heart or
   61  another combat decoration superior in precedence who:
   62         (a) Is enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or summer-school
   63  student in a program that terminates in an associate or a
   64  baccalaureate degree, a college credit certificate, or a career
   65  certificate;
   66         (b) Is currently, or and was at the time of the military
   67  action that resulted in the awarding of the Purple Heart or
   68  other combat decoration superior in precedence, a resident of
   69  this state; and
   70         (c) Submits to the state university, the Florida College
   71  System institution, or the career center operated by a school
   72  district under s. 1001.44, or the charter technical career
   73  center the DD-214 form issued at the time of separation from
   74  service as documentation that the student has received a Purple
   75  Heart or another combat decoration superior in precedence. If
   76  the DD-214 is not available, other documentation may be
   77  acceptable if recognized by the United States Department of
   78  Defense or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as
   79  documenting the award.
   80  
   81  Such a waiver for a Purple Heart recipient or recipient of
   82  another combat decoration superior in precedence shall be
   83  applicable for 110 percent of the number of required credit
   84  hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student
   85  is enrolled.
   86         Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 1012.56, Florida
   87  Statutes, is amended to read:
   88         1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
   89         (5) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
   90  demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are:
   91         (a) For a subject requiring only a baccalaureate degree for
   92  which a Florida subject area examination has been developed,
   93  achievement of a passing score on the Florida-developed subject
   94  area examination specified in state board rule;
   95         (b) For a subject for which a Florida subject area
   96  examination has not been developed, achievement of a passing
   97  score on a standardized examination specified in state board
   98  rule, including, but not limited to, passing scores on both the
   99  oral proficiency and written proficiency examinations
  100  administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
  101  Languages;
  102         (c) For a subject for which a Florida subject area
  103  examination has not been developed or a standardized examination
  104  has not been specified in state board rule, completion of the
  105  subject area specialization requirements specified in state
  106  board rule and verification of the attainment of the essential
  107  subject matter competencies by the district school
  108  superintendent of the employing school district or chief
  109  administrative officer of the employing state-supported or
  110  private school;
  111         (d) For a subject requiring a master’s or higher degree,
  112  completion of the subject area specialization requirements
  113  specified in state board rule and achievement of a passing score
  114  on the Florida-developed subject area examination or a
  115  standardized examination specified in state board rule;
  116         (e) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching
  117  certificate issued by another state; or
  118         (f) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the
  119  National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national
  120  educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of
  121  Education;
  122         (g)Documentation of successful completion of a United
  123  States Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
  124  program; or
  125         (h)Documentation of a passing score on the Defense
  126  Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).
  127  
  128  School districts are encouraged to provide mechanisms for middle
  129  grades teachers holding only a K-6 teaching certificate to
  130  obtain a subject area coverage for middle grades through
  131  postsecondary coursework or district add-on certification.
  132         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.