Senate Bill 1906c1
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1906
By the Committee on Fiscal Policy and Senator Lee
309-1987-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 232.24521, F.S.; requiring school districts to
4 disclose on high school students' report cards
5 or permanent records that contain a weighted
6 grade point average that the grade point
7 average differs from that used for the Bright
8 Futures Scholarship Program; requiring school
9 districts to inform students annually of their
10 progress toward Bright Futures Scholarship
11 requirements; providing an appropriation;
12 amending s. 240.40202, F.S., relating to the
13 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
14 revising criteria for calculating and weighting
15 students' grade point averages; providing an
16 effective date.
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18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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20 Section 1. Section 232.24521, Florida Statutes, is
21 amended to read:
22 232.24521 Report cards; end-of-the-year status.--
23 (1) Each school district shall establish and publish
24 policies requiring the content and regular issuance of student
25 report cards for all elementary school, middle school, and
26 high school students. These report cards must clearly depict
27 and grade:
28 (a) The student's academic performance in each class
29 or course, which in grades 1 through 12 must be based upon
30 examinations as well as written papers, class participation,
31 and other academic performance criteria.
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1906
309-1987-00
1 (b) The student's conduct and behavior.
2 (c) The student's attendance, including absences and
3 tardiness.
4 (2) A student's final report card for a school year
5 shall contain a statement indicating end-of-the-year status
6 regarding performance or nonperformance at grade level,
7 acceptable or unacceptable behavior and attendance, and
8 promotion or nonpromotion. Grades reported on the final report
9 card must be expressed as letter grades or grade points.
10 Report cards or permanent records that contain a weighted
11 grade point average must include a statement indicating that
12 the grade point average is not the same as the weighted grade
13 point average used for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
14 Program.
15 (3) Effective with the 2001-2002 school year, school
16 districts in cooperation with the Department of Education,
17 must inform all students, on an annual basis, of their
18 progress toward earning the requirements for a Florida Bright
19 Futures Scholarship. For purposes of implementing this
20 subsection, $75,000 is provided to the Department of Education
21 from recurring General Revenue for fiscal year 2000-2001.
22 (4) School districts shall not allow schools to exempt
23 students from academic performance requirements based on
24 practices or policies designed to encourage student
25 attendance.
26 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 240.40202,
27 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
28 240.40202 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
29 student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--
30 (3) For purposes of calculating the grade point
31 average to be used in determining initial eligibility for a
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1906
309-1987-00
1 Florida Bright Futures scholarship, the department shall
2 assign additional weights to grades earned in the following
3 courses:
4 (a) Courses identified in the course code directory as
5 Advanced Placement, pre-International Baccalaureate, or
6 International Baccalaureate.
7 (b) Courses designated as academic dual enrollment
8 courses in the statewide course numbering system.
9 (c) Courses designated as honors classes by the
10 Florida Course Code Directory.
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12 The department may assign additional weights to courses, other
13 than those described in paragraphs (a) and (b), that are
14 identified by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
15 containing rigorous academic curriculum and performance
16 standards. Effective for high school graduates in the
17 2000-2001 school year, the additional weight assigned to a
18 course pursuant to this subsection may shall not exceed 1.0
19 0.5 per course. The weighted system shall be developed and
20 distributed to all high schools in the state prior to October
21 January 1, 2000 1998. The department may determine a student's
22 eligibility status during the senior year before graduation
23 and may inform the student of the award at that time.
24 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1906
309-1987-00
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 1906
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4 Requires school districts that use a weighted grade point
average to include a statement on report cards or permanent
5 records indicating that the grade point average is not the
same as the weighted grade point average used for the Florida
6 Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
7 Effective with the 2001-02 school year, requires school
districts, in cooperation with the Department of Education, to
8 inform all students, on an annual basis, of their progress
toward meeting the requirements for a Florida Bright Futures
9 Scholarship. Appropriates $75,000 to the Department of
Education to implement this provision.
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Specifies that honors courses weighted for Florida Bright
11 Futures Scholarships are those courses designated as honor
courses by the Florida Course Code Directory.
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Raises the authorized grade weights used for calculating the
13 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship from half a point per
course to one point per course.
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