House Bill 4811
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4811
By Representative Stabins
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 232.246, F.S., relating to general requirements
4 for high school graduation; authorizing a
5 district school board to apply for a reduction
6 or waiver of elective credit requirements;
7 providing for approval by the State Board of
8 Education; providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section
13 232.246, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 232.246 General requirements for high school
15 graduation.--
16 (1) Graduation requires successful completion of
17 either a minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12
18 or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits
19 shall be distributed as follows:
20 (a) Four credits in English, with major concentration
21 in composition and literature.
22 (b) Three credits in mathematics. Effective for
23 students entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year
24 and thereafter, one of these credits must be Algebra I, a
25 series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a higher-level
26 mathematics course.
27 (c) Three credits in science, two of which must have a
28 laboratory component. The State Board of Education may grant
29 an annual waiver of the laboratory requirement to a school
30 district that certifies that its laboratory facilities are
31 inadequate, provided the district submits a capital outlay
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4811
535-185-98
1 plan to provide adequate facilities and makes the funding of
2 this plan a priority of the school board.
3 (d) One credit in American history.
4 (e) One credit in world history, including a
5 comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of
6 all major political systems.
7 (f) One-half credit in economics, including a
8 comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of
9 all major economic systems. The Florida Council on Economic
10 Education shall provide technical assistance to the department
11 and local school boards in developing curriculum materials for
12 the study of economics.
13 (g) One-half credit in American government, including
14 study of the Constitution of the United States. For students
15 entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
16 thereafter, the study of Florida government, including study
17 of the State Constitution, the three branches of state
18 government, and municipal and county government, shall be
19 included as part of the required study of American government.
20 (h)1. One credit in practical arts career education or
21 exploratory career education. Any vocational course as
22 defined in s. 228.041(22) may be taken to satisfy the high
23 school graduation requirement for one credit in practical arts
24 or exploratory career education provided in this subparagraph;
25 2. One credit in performing fine arts to be selected
26 from music, dance, drama, painting, or sculpture. A course in
27 any art form, in addition to painting or sculpture, that
28 requires manual dexterity, or a course in speech and debate,
29 may be taken to satisfy the high school graduation requirement
30 for one credit in performing arts pursuant to this
31 subparagraph; or
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4811
535-185-98
1 3. One-half credit each in practical arts career
2 education or exploratory career education and performing fine
3 arts, as defined in this paragraph.
4
5 Such credit for practical arts career education or exploratory
6 career education or for performing fine arts shall be made
7 available in the 9th grade, and students shall be scheduled
8 into a 9th grade course as a priority.
9 (i) One-half credit in life management skills to
10 include consumer education, positive emotional development,
11 nutrition, prevention of human immunodeficiency virus
12 infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other
13 sexually transmissible diseases, benefits of sexual abstinence
14 and consequences of teenage pregnancy, information and
15 instruction on breast cancer detection and breast
16 self-examination, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, drug
17 education, and the hazards of smoking. Such credit shall be
18 given for a course to be taken by all students in either the
19 9th or 10th grade.
20 (j) One-half credit in physical education to include
21 assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal fitness.
22 Participation in an interscholastic sport, whether at the
23 freshman, junior varsity, or varsity level, for a full season,
24 shall satisfy the one-half credit requirement in physical
25 education.
26 (k) Nine elective credits.
27
28 School boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in social
29 studies and one-half elective credit for student completion of
30 nonpaid voluntary community or school service work. Students
31 choosing this option must complete a minimum of 75 hours of
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4811
535-185-98
1 service in order to earn the one-half credit in either
2 category of instruction. Credit may not be earned for service
3 provided as a result of court action. School boards that
4 approve the award of credit for student volunteer service
5 shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the credit,
6 and school principals are responsible for approving specific
7 volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course Code
8 Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 which is taken below the
9 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation
10 requirements or Florida Academic Scholar's Certificate Program
11 requirements as specified in a district's pupil progression
12 plan.
13 (4)
14 (c)1. District school boards are authorized and
15 encouraged to establish requirements for high school
16 graduation in excess of the minimum requirements; however, an
17 increase in academic credit or minimum grade point average
18 requirements shall not apply to those students enrolled in
19 grades 9 through 12 at the time the district school board
20 increases the requirements.
21 2. For the purpose of reducing school overcrowding,
22 resolving a financial crisis, or adopting a change in academic
23 focus, a district school board may apply to the State Board of
24 Education for a reduction or waiver of the elective credit
25 requirements for high school graduation specified in paragraph
26 (1)(k). State board approval shall be based on school district
27 need and soundness of the school district plan for
28 modification of requirements for high school graduation.
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1 of the
30 year in which enacted.
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 4811
535-185-98
1 *****************************************
2 HOUSE SUMMARY
3
Authorizes a district school board to apply to the State
4 Board of Education for a reduction or waiver of elective
credit requirements for high school graduation. Provides
5 for approval based on school district need and soundness
of the school district plan for modification of high
6 school graduation credit requirements.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
5