Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1450
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       39-01366A-21                                          20211450__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to civic education curriculum;
    3         amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the social
    4         studies high school graduation credit requirement;
    5         amending s. 1003.44, F.S.; requiring the Department of
    6         Education to develop or approve an integrated civic
    7         education curriculum that meets certain requirements;
    8         requiring the department to curate oral history
    9         resources to be used along with such curriculum;
   10         providing a short title; requiring the department to
   11         approve the civic education curricula submitted by
   12         school districts and charter schools; providing an
   13         effective date.
   14  
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
   18  1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   19         1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
   20         (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
   21  REQUIREMENTS.—
   22         (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn
   23  one credit in United States History; one credit in World
   24  History; one-half credit in economics; and one-half credit in
   25  United States Government, which must include a comparative
   26  discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and
   27  totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom
   28  and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United
   29  States. The United States History EOC assessment constitutes 30
   30  percent of the student’s final course grade.
   31         Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 1003.44,
   32  Florida Statutes, to read:
   33         1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules.—
   34         (6)To help families, civic institutions, local
   35  communities, district school boards, and charter schools prepare
   36  students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults,
   37  the Department of Education shall:
   38         (a)Develop or approve an integrated civic education
   39  curriculum that school districts and charter schools must
   40  incorporate as part of regular school work in kindergarten
   41  through grade 12. The civic education curriculum must assist
   42  students in developing:
   43         1.An understanding of their shared rights and
   44  responsibilities as residents of the state and of the founding
   45  principles of the United States as described in s.
   46  1003.42(2)(a)-(c).
   47         2.A sense of civic pride and desire to participate
   48  regularly with government at the local, state, and federal
   49  levels.
   50         3.An understanding of the process for effectively
   51  advocating before government bodies and officials.
   52         4.An understanding of the civic-minded expectations,
   53  developed by the State Board of Education, of an upright and
   54  desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility
   55  for preserving and defending the blessings of liberty inherited
   56  from prior generations and secured by the United States
   57  Constitution.
   58         (b)Curate oral history resources to be used along with the
   59  civic education curriculum which provide portraits in patriotism
   60  based on the personal stories of diverse individuals who
   61  demonstrate civic-minded qualities, including first-person
   62  accounts of victims of other nations’ governing philosophies who
   63  can compare those philosophies with those of the United States.
   64  This paragraph may be cited as the “Portraits in Patriotism
   65  Act.”
   66         (c)Approve integrated civic education curricula submitted
   67  by school districts and charter schools that meet the
   68  requirements of this subsection.
   69         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.