Senate Bill sb0370c1

    Florida Senate - 2001                            CS for SB 370

    By the Committee on Education and Senator Miller





    304-1536A-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public school instruction;

  3         amending s. 232.246, F.S., relating to high

  4         school graduation; providing requirements for

  5         African-American history; providing an

  6         effective date.

  7

  8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  9

10         Section 1.  Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section

11  232.246, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (l) is

12  added to that subsection, to read:

13         232.246  General requirements for high school

14  graduation.--

15         (1)  Graduation requires successful completion of

16  either a minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12

17  or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits

18  shall be distributed as follows:

19         (k)  Eight and one-half elective credits, effective for

20  students entering the 9th grade in the 2001-2002 school year

21  and thereafter.

22         (l)  One-half credit in the history of African

23  Americans, as provided in s. 233.061, effective for students

24  entering the 9th grade in the 2001-2002 school year and

25  thereafter.

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27  School boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in social

28  studies and one-half elective credit for student completion of

29  nonpaid voluntary community or school service work.  Students

30  choosing this option must complete a minimum of 75 hours of

31  service in order to earn the one-half credit in either

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                            CS for SB 370
    304-1536A-01




  1  category of instruction.  Credit may not be earned for service

  2  provided as a result of court action.  School boards that

  3  approve the award of credit for student volunteer service

  4  shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the credit,

  5  and school principals are responsible for approving specific

  6  volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course Code

  7  Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 which is taken below the

  8  9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation

  9  requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements

10  as specified in a district's pupil progression plan. A student

11  shall be granted credit toward meeting the requirements of

12  this subsection for equivalent courses, as identified pursuant

13  to s. 229.551(1)(f)6., taken through dual enrollment.

14         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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16          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
17                              SB 370

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19  The committee substitute amends s. 232.246, F.S., to revise
    the high school graduation requirements and require the
20  completion of an African American history course for one-half
    credit, effective for students entering the 9th grade in the
21  2001-2002 school year and thereafter. The committee substitute
    reduces the number of electives from 8 and one-half credits to
22  8 credits to implement the new requirements.

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