Senate Bill 1994
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
By Senator Cowin
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Workforce Development
3 Education; amending s. 239.105, F.S.; defining
4 the term "literacy completion point"; amending
5 s. 239.115, F.S.; providing for adult general
6 education programs to include courses that lead
7 to a literacy completion point; revising
8 performance output measures for adult general
9 education courses of study; authorizing
10 formulas for the distribution of workforce
11 development education performance funds to
12 provide performance exemptions for new
13 programs; amending s. 239.117, F.S.; revising
14 requirements regarding fee schedules for
15 workforce development education; requiring that
16 fees for continuing workforce education be
17 locally determined; providing an effective
18 date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Subsections (21) through (29) of section
23 239.105, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are renumbered as
24 subsections (22) through (30), respectively, and a new
25 subsection (21) is added to said section to read:
26 239.105 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, the
27 term:
28 (21) "Literacy completion point" means the academic or
29 workforce readiness competencies that qualify a person for
30 further basic education, vocational education, or for
31 employment.
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1), paragraph
2 (b) of subsection (4), and subsection (9) of section 239.115,
3 Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are amended to read:
4 239.115 Funds for operation of adult general education
5 and vocational education programs.--
6 (1) As used in this section, the terms "workforce
7 development education" and "workforce development program"
8 include:
9 (a) Adult general education programs, including
10 courses that lead to a literacy completion point within a
11 program, designed to improve the employability skills of the
12 state's workforce through adult basic education, adult
13 secondary education, GED preparation, and
14 vocational-preparatory education.
15 (4) The Florida Workforce Development Education Fund
16 is created to provide performance-based funding for all
17 workforce development programs, whether the programs are
18 offered by a school district or a community college. Funding
19 for all workforce development education programs must be from
20 the Workforce Development Education Fund and must be based on
21 cost categories, performance output measures, and performance
22 outcome measures. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1999.
23 (b)1. The performance output measure for vocational
24 education programs of study is student completion of a
25 vocational program of study that leads to an occupational
26 completion point associated with a certificate; an
27 apprenticeship program; or a program that leads to an applied
28 technology diploma or an associate in science degree.
29 Performance output measures for registered apprenticeship
30 programs shall be based on program lengths that coincide with
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2
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 lengths established pursuant to the requirements of chapter
2 446.
3 2. The performance output measure for an adult general
4 education course of study is measurable improvement in student
5 skills. This measure shall include student completion of an
6 adult general education program of study that leads to a
7 literacy completion point improvement in literacy skills,
8 grade level improvement as measured by an approved test, or
9 attainment of a general education development diploma or an
10 adult high school diploma.
11 (9) The Department of Education, the State Board of
12 Community Colleges, and the Jobs and Education Partnership
13 shall provide the Legislature with recommended formulas,
14 criteria, timeframes, and mechanisms for distributing
15 performance funds. Such formulas may provide performance
16 exemptions for new workforce development education programs,
17 as defined in s. 239.105, for a period of time not to exceed 2
18 years from the addition of the new program. The commissioner
19 shall consolidate the recommendations and develop a consensus
20 proposal for funding. The Legislature shall adopt a formula
21 and distribute the performance funds to the Division of
22 Community Colleges and the Division of Workforce Development
23 through the General Appropriations Act. These recommendations
24 shall be based on formulas that would discourage
25 low-performing or low-demand programs and encourage through
26 performance-funding awards:
27 (a) Programs that prepare people to enter high-wage
28 occupations identified by the Occupational Forecasting
29 Conference created by s. 216.136 and other programs as
30 approved by the Jobs and Education Partnership. At a minimum,
31 performance incentives shall be calculated for adults who
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 reach completion points or complete programs that lead to
2 specified high-wage employment and to their placement in that
3 employment.
4 (b) Programs that successfully prepare adults who are
5 eligible for public assistance, economically disadvantaged,
6 disabled, not proficient in English, or dislocated workers for
7 high-wage occupations. At a minimum, performance incentives
8 shall be calculated at an enhanced value for the completion of
9 adults identified in this paragraph and job placement of such
10 adults upon completion. In addition, adjustments may be made
11 in payments for job placements for areas of high unemployment.
12 (c) Programs identified by the Jobs and Education
13 Partnership as increasing the effectiveness and cost
14 efficiency of education.
15 Section 3. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 239.117,
16 Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are amended to read:
17 239.117 Postsecondary student fees.--
18 (6)(a) The Commissioner of Education shall provide to
19 the State Board of Education no later than December 31 of each
20 year a schedule of fees for workforce development education,
21 excluding continuing workforce education, for school districts
22 and community colleges. The fee schedule shall be based on the
23 amount of student fees necessary to produce 25 percent of the
24 prior year's average cost of a course of study leading to a
25 certificate or diploma and 50 percent of the prior year's cost
26 of a continuing workforce education course. At the discretion
27 of a school board or a community college, this fee schedule
28 may be implemented over a 3-year period, with full
29 implementation in the 1999-2000 school year. In years
30 preceding that year, if fee increases are necessary for some
31 programs or courses, the fees shall be raised in increments
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 designed to lessen their impact upon students already
2 enrolled. Fees for students who are not residents for tuition
3 purposes must offset the full cost of instruction.
4 Fee-nonexempt students enrolled in vocational-preparatory
5 instruction shall be charged fees equal to the fees charged
6 for certificate career education instruction. Each community
7 college that conducts college-preparatory and
8 vocational-preparatory instruction in the same class section
9 may charge a single fee for both types of instruction.
10 (b) Fees for continuing workforce education shall be
11 locally determined by the school board or community college.
12 (c)(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt a fee
13 schedule for school districts that produces the fee revenues
14 calculated pursuant to paragraph (a). The schedule so
15 calculated shall take effect, unless otherwise specified in
16 the General Appropriations Act.
17 (d)(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt, by
18 rule, the definitions and procedures that school boards shall
19 use in the calculation of cost borne by students.
20 (7) Each year the State Board of Community Colleges
21 shall review and evaluate the percentage of the cost of adult
22 programs and certificate career education programs supported
23 through student fees. For students who are residents for
24 tuition purposes, the schedule so adopted must produce
25 revenues equal to 25 percent of the prior year's average
26 program cost for college-preparatory and certificate-level
27 workforce development programs and 50 percent of the prior
28 year's program cost for student enrollment in continuing
29 workforce education. Fees for continuing workforce education
30 shall be locally determined by the school board or community
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1994
11-1051A-99 See HB 393
1 college. Fees for students who are not residents for tuition
2 purposes must offset the full cost of instruction.
3 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
4
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6 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
7
Defines the term "literacy completion point." Provides
8 for adult general education programs to include courses
that lead to a literacy completion point. Revises
9 performance output measures for adult general education
courses of study. Authorizes formulas for the
10 distribution of workforce development education
performance funds to provide exemptions for new programs.
11 Requires fees for continuing workforce education to be
locally determined, rather than included in state adopted
12 fee schedules.
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