Senate Bill 2446
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2446
By Senator Klein
28-910A-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high school graduation
3 requirements; amending s. 232.246, F.S.;
4 establishing criteria for forgiving certain low
5 grades; providing an effective date.
6
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
8
9 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 232.246, Florida
10 Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:
11 232.246 General requirements for high school
12 graduation.--
13 (5) Each district school board shall establish
14 standards for graduation from its schools, and these standards
15 must include:
16 (a) Earning passing scores on the high school
17 competency test defined in s. 229.57(3)(c).
18 (b) Completion of all other applicable requirements
19 prescribed by the district school board pursuant to s.
20 232.245.
21 (c) Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of
22 1.5 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, for students entering
23 9th grade before the 1997-1998 school year; however, these
24 students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on
25 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by
26 subsection (1) that are taken after July 1, 1997, or have an
27 overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above.
28 (d) Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of
29 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required
30 by subsection (1), for students entering 9th grade in the
31 1997-1998 school year and thereafter.
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2446
28-910A-99
1 (e) For purposes of paragraphs (c) and (d):
2 1. Each district shall adopt policies designed to
3 assist students in meeting these requirements. These policies
4 may include, but are not limited to: forgiveness policies,
5 summer school attendance, special counseling, volunteer and/or
6 peer tutors, school-sponsored help sessions, homework
7 hotlines, and study skills classes. Beginning in the 1999-2000
8 school year and each year thereafter, forgiveness policies
9 shall be limited to replacing a grade of "D" or "F," or the
10 equivalent of a grade of "D" or "F," with a grade of "C" or
11 higher, or the equivalent of a grade "C" or higher, earned
12 subsequently in the same or a comparable course. Course grades
13 for courses required by subsection (1) not replaced according
14 to a district forgiveness policy shall be calculated as a part
15 of the cumulative grade point average required for graduation.
16 2. At the end of each semester, the parent or guardian
17 of each student in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 who has a
18 cumulative grade point average of less than 0.5 above the
19 cumulative grade point average required for graduation shall
20 be notified that the student is at risk of not meeting the
21 requirements for graduation. The notice shall contain an
22 explanation of the policies the district has in place to
23 assist the student in meeting the grade point average
24 requirement.
25 3. Special assistance to obtain a high school
26 equivalency diploma pursuant to s. 229.814 may be given only
27 when the student has completed all requirements for graduation
28 except the attainment of the required cumulative grade point
29 average.
30
31
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2446
28-910A-99
1 The standards required in this subsection, and any subsequent
2 modifications, shall be reprinted in the Florida
3 Administrative Code even though not defined as "rules."
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
5
6 *****************************************
7 SENATE SUMMARY
8 Establishes criteria for forgiving grades of D or F in
high school.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
3