House Bill hb1275c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1275
By the Committee on Colleges & Universities and
Representatives Rubio and Arza
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Bright Futures
3 Scholarship Program; amending s. 240.4015,
4 F.S., relating to the Florida Bright Futures
5 Scholarship Testing Program; revising
6 provisions relating to the use of specified
7 examinations for purposes of awarding college
8 credit; expanding the testing program to
9 include Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars;
10 clarifying provisions relating to the award of
11 credit; deleting obsolete provisions; revising
12 provisions relating to payment for
13 examinations; requiring the Department of
14 Education to provide a financial incentive to
15 students for passing examinations; requiring
16 the department to contract for centralized
17 administrative services; amending s. 240.40203,
18 F.S.; revising provisions relating to the
19 maximum number of credit hours for which a
20 student may receive a Florida Bright Futures
21 Scholarship; amending ss. 240.40205, 240.40206,
22 and 240.40207, F.S.; requiring Florida Academic
23 Scholar, Florida Merit Scholar, and Florida
24 Gold Seal Vocational Scholar award recipients
25 to have taken examinations or the equivalent
26 required by the Florida Bright Futures
27 Scholarship Testing Program; conforming
28 provisions; providing an effective date.
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1275
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1 Section 1. Section 240.4015, Florida Statutes, is
2 amended to read:
3 240.4015 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Testing
4 Program.--
5 (1) By January 1, 2002, The Articulation Coordinating
6 Committee shall identify the minimum scores, maximum credit,
7 and course or courses for which credit is to be awarded for
8 each College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general
9 examination, CLEP subject examination, College Board Advanced
10 Placement Program examination, and International Baccalaureate
11 examination, or other examination approved by a state
12 university or community college. In addition, the Articulation
13 Coordinating Committee shall identify such courses in the
14 general education core curriculum of each state university and
15 community college.
16 (2) Each community college and state university must
17 award credit for specific courses for which competency has
18 been demonstrated by successful passage of one of these
19 examinations unless the award of credit duplicates credit
20 already awarded. Community colleges and universities may not
21 exempt students from courses without the award of credit if
22 competencies have been so demonstrated. If a student achieves
23 a passing score as identified by the Articulation Coordinating
24 Committee on an examination required by this section, the
25 student shall receive credit equivalent to successfully
26 completing the equivalent course as identified by the
27 Articulation Coordinating Committee in a state university or
28 community college, provided that such credit is not
29 duplicative of credit already earned by the student.
30 (3) Beginning with initial award recipients for the
31 2002-2003 academic year and continuing thereafter, in order to
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1275
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1 receive a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, a student
2 students eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars award or a
3 Florida Merit Scholars award who are admitted to and enroll in
4 a community college or state university shall, prior to
5 registering for courses that may be earned through an approved
6 a CLEP examination and no later than registration for the
7 their second term, complete at least five examinations from
8 those specified in subsection (1) in any of the following
9 areas: English; humanities; mathematics; natural sciences; and
10 social sciences. Successful completion of dual enrollment
11 courses, Advanced Placement examinations, and International
12 Baccalaureate examinations in these areas may be used to taken
13 prior to high school graduation satisfy this requirement. The
14 Articulation Coordinating Committee shall identify the
15 examinations that satisfy each component of this requirement.
16 (4) Initial award recipients for the 2001-2002
17 academic year who are eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
18 award or a Florida Merit Scholars award and who are admitted
19 to and enroll in a community college or state university may
20 choose, prior to registering for courses that may be earned
21 through CLEP examination, to complete up to five CLEP
22 examinations, one in each of the following areas: English;
23 humanities; mathematics; natural sciences; and social
24 sciences.
25 (5) Each community college and state university shall
26 pay for the CLEP examinations required pursuant to this
27 section from the funds appropriated from the Educational
28 Enhancement Trust Fund. Institutions shall pay no more than
29 $46 per examination for the program, which shall include
30 access to a student guide to prepare for the test. The
31 Department of Education shall negotiate with the College Board
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1 for a reduced rate for the examinations. The institution shall
2 not charge the student for preparation and administration of
3 the test, access to a student guide to prepare for the test,
4 or recordkeeping and reporting of each student's test results
5 to the department.
6 (4)(6) The credit awarded pursuant to this section to
7 students who are enrolled in associate or baccalaureate degree
8 level programs shall apply toward the 120 hours of college
9 credit required pursuant to s. 240.115(6).
10 (5) The Department of Education shall negotiate with
11 examination providers to provide for examinations and test
12 administration services on a cost effective, lowest cost per
13 test available basis.
14 (6) The Department of Education shall provide a $50
15 incentive to each student for each approved examination passed
16 that is required in this section.
17 (7) The maximum number of credit hours for which a
18 student is eligible to receive a Florida Bright Futures
19 Scholarship Program award shall be reduced by the number of
20 hours for which credit is awarded pursuant to this section.
21 (7)(8) Beginning with the 2002-2003 award recipients,
22 The Department of Education shall administer this testing
23 program for all students in the state in order to track and
24 annually report on the effectiveness of the program, and in
25 order to determine eligibility for scholarship programs. These
26 reports shall include information on the number of students
27 participating in the program; the number of approved CLEP
28 examinations taken and the passage rate of Florida Academic
29 Scholars, and Florida Merit Scholars, and Florida Gold Seal
30 Vocational Scholars award recipients; the use of Advanced
31 Placement and International Baccalaureate examinations and
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1 dual enrollment courses to satisfy the requirements of the
2 program; and the course credit provided.
3 (8) The Department of Education shall contract for
4 centralized administrative services for this program, to
5 include: a website with appropriate links for student
6 registration; delivery of on-line test preparation, study
7 guides, and practice tests; recordkeeping; and technical
8 support.
9 (9) Funding for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
10 Testing Program as set forth in this section must be allocated
11 from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund and must be
12 provided for after allocations to the Classrooms First Program
13 and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program but prior
14 to the calculation of allocations for disbursement to other
15 educational entities. Such funding shall include, but is not
16 limited to, payment for the required examinations, payment of
17 the incentives, and payment for the contracted administrative
18 services.
19 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 240.40203,
20 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
21 240.40203 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
22 student eligibility requirements for renewal awards.--
23 (2) A student who is enrolled in an associate or
24 baccalaureate degree level a program that terminates in an
25 associate degree or a baccalaureate degree may receive an
26 award for not more than 120 credit hours. If the a maximum of
27 110 percent of the number of credit hours required to complete
28 the program exceeds 120 credit hours, the student may receive
29 an award up to the maximum number of credit hours required to
30 complete the program. A student who is enrolled in a program
31 that terminates in a technical certificate may receive an
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1 award for a maximum of 110 percent of the credit hours or
2 clock hours required to complete the program up to 90 credit
3 hours. A student who transfers from one of these program
4 levels to another becomes eligible for the higher of the two
5 credit hour limits.
6 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 240.40205,
7 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
8 240.40205 Florida Academic Scholars award.--
9 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic
10 Scholars award if the student meets the general eligibility
11 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
12 Program and the student:
13 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
14 calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or its equivalent, in
15 high school courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents
16 and recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as
17 college-preparatory academic courses; and
18 (b) Has attained at least the score identified by
19 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal
20 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
21 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
22 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
23 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program; or
24 (c) Has attended a home education program according to
25 s. 232.0201 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
26 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
27 International Baccalaureate Diploma, and has attained at least
28 the score identified by rules of the Department of Education
29 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
30 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
31 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
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1 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
2 College Testing Program; or
3 (d) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
4 Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office; or
5 (e) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
6 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
7 scholar or finalist; or
8 (f) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
9 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
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11 Effective with the 1998-1999 school year, A student must
12 complete a program of community service work, as approved by
13 the district school board or the administrators of a nonpublic
14 school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of service
15 work and require the student to identify a social problem that
16 interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her personal
17 involvement in addressing the problem, and, through papers or
18 other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
19 experience. Beginning with initial award recipients for the
20 2002-2003 academic year and continuing thereafter, in order to
21 receive a Florida Academic Scholars award, a student must have
22 taken five approved examinations or the equivalent as required
23 in s. 240.4015.
24 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 240.40206,
25 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
26 240.40206 Florida Merit Scholars award.--
27 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Merit Scholars
28 award if the student meets the general eligibility
29 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
30 Program and the student:
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1 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0
2 as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, or the equivalent, in
3 high school courses that are adopted by the Board of Regents
4 and recommended by the State Board of Community Colleges as
5 college-preparatory academic courses; and
6 (b) Has attained at least the score identified by
7 rules of the Department of Education on the combined verbal
8 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
9 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
10 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
11 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program; or
12 (c) Has attended a home education program according to
13 s. 232.0201 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
14 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
15 International Baccalaureate Diploma, and has attained at least
16 the score identified by rules of the Department of Education
17 on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the
18 Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
19 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
20 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the American
21 College Testing Program.
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23 Beginning with the initial award recipients for the 2002-2003
24 academic year and continuing thereafter, in order to receive a
25 Florida Merit Scholars award, a student must have taken five
26 approved examinations or the equivalent as required in s.
27 240.4015.
28 Section 5. Subsections (1) and (4) of section
29 240.40207, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
30 240.40207 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
31 award.--The Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is
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1 created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
2 to recognize and reward academic achievement and vocational
3 preparation by high school students who wish to continue their
4 education.
5 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
6 Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general
7 eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
8 Scholarship Program and the student:
9 (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a
10 sequential program of studies that requires at least three
11 secondary school vocational credits taken over at least 2
12 academic years, and is continued in a planned, related
13 postsecondary education program. If the student's school does
14 not offer such a two-plus-two or tech-prep program, the
15 student must complete a job-preparatory career education
16 program selected by the Workforce Estimating Conference or
17 Workforce Florida, Inc., for its ability to provide high-wage
18 employment in an occupation with high potential for employment
19 opportunities. On-the-job training may not be substituted for
20 any of the three required vocational credits.
21 (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education
22 by earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level
23 Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the
24 Department of Education.
25 (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point
26 average of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 240.40202, on all
27 subjects required for a standard high school diploma,
28 excluding elective courses.
29 (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of
30 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for secondary vocational courses comprising
31 the vocational program.
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1 (e) Completes the requirements of a vocational-ready
2 diploma program, as defined by rules of the State Board of
3 Education.
4 (f) Beginning with initial award recipients for the
5 2002-2003 academic year and continuing thereafter, has taken
6 five approved examinations or the equivalent as required in s.
7 240.4015.
8 (4) A student may earn a Florida Gold Seal Vocational
9 Scholarship for 110 percent of the number of credit hours
10 required to complete the program, up to 90 credit hours or the
11 equivalent. A Florida Gold Seal Scholar who has a cumulative
12 grade point average of 2.75 in all postsecondary education
13 work attempted may apply for a Florida Merit Scholars award at
14 any renewal period. All other provisions of that program
15 apply, and the credit-hour limitation must be calculated by
16 subtracting from the student's total eligibility the number of
17 credit hours the student attempted while earning the Gold Seal
18 Vocational Scholarship.
19 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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