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2011 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII K-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1003 PUBLIC K-12 EDUCATION Entire Chapter
SECTION 4935
Middle school career and professional academy courses.
F.S. 1003.4935
1003.4935 Middle school career and professional academy courses.—
(1) Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, each district school board, in collaboration with regional workforce boards, economic development agencies, and state-approved postsecondary institutions, shall include plans to implement a career and professional academy in at least one middle school in the district as part of the strategic 5-year plan pursuant to s. 1003.491(2). The middle school career and professional academy component of the strategic plan must ensure the transition of middle school career and professional academy students to a high school career and professional academy currently operating within the school district. Students who complete a middle school career and professional academy must have the opportunity to earn an industry certificate and high school credit and participate in career planning, job shadowing, and business leadership development activities.
(2) Each middle school career and professional academy must be aligned with at least one high school career and professional academy offered in the district and maintain partnerships with local business and industry and economic development boards. Middle school career and professional academies must:
(a) Provide instruction in courses leading to careers in occupations designated as high growth, high demand, and high pay in the Industry Certification Funding List approved under rules adopted by the State Board of Education;
(b) Offer career and professional academy courses that integrate content from core subject areas;
(c) Offer courses that integrate career and professional academy content with intensive reading and mathematics pursuant to s. 1003.428;
(d) Coordinate with high schools to maximize opportunities for middle school career and professional academy students to earn high school credit;
1(e) Provide access to virtual instruction courses provided by virtual education providers legislatively authorized to provide part-time instruction to middle school students. The virtual instruction courses must be aligned to state curriculum standards for middle school career and professional academy students, with priority given to students who have required course deficits;
(f) Provide instruction from highly skilled professionals who hold industry certificates in the career area in which they teach;
(g) Offer externships; and
(h) Provide personalized student advisement that includes a parent-participation component.
(3) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, if a school district implements a middle school career and professional academy, the Department of Education shall collect and report student achievement data pursuant to performance factors identified under s. 1003.492(3) for academy students.
History.—s. 16, ch. 2011-55; s. 22, ch. 2011-175.
1Note.—As created by s. 16, ch. 2011-55. For a description of multiple acts in the same session affecting a statutory provision, see preface to the Florida Statutes, “Statutory Construction.” Paragraph (2)(e) was also created by s. 22, ch. 2011-175, and that version reads:

(e) Provide access to virtual instruction courses provided by virtual education providers legislatively authorized to provide part-time instruction to middle school students which are aligned to state curriculum standards for middle school career and professional academy students, with priority given to students who have required course deficits;