Senate Bill sb1798

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1798

    By Senator Diaz de la Portilla





    34-1623-02                                              See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to basic skills mastery for

  3         certificate career education programs; amending

  4         s. 239.213, F.S.; providing students, including

  5         limited English proficient students, with

  6         alternative methods for demonstrating mastery

  7         of basic skills; providing an effective date.

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

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 239.213, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         239.213  Vocational-preparatory instruction.--

14         (2)(a)  Students who enroll in a certificate career

15  education program shall complete an entry-level examination

16  within the first 6 weeks of admission into the program.  The

17  state board shall designate examinations that are currently in

18  existence, the results of which are comparable across

19  institutions, to assess student mastery of basic skills. Any

20  student deemed to lack a minimal level of basic skills for

21  such program shall be referred to vocational-preparatory

22  instruction or adult basic education for a structured program

23  of basic skills instruction. Such instruction may include

24  English for speakers of other languages.  A student may not

25  receive a certificate of vocational program completion prior

26  to demonstrating the basic skills required in the state

27  curriculum frameworks for the vocational program.

28         (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), a

29  student who successfully completes a required state, federal,

30  or industry licensure examination as part of the certificate

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






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1798
    34-1623-02                                              See HB




  1  career education program shall be considered to have

  2  demonstrated mastery of basic skills.

  3         (c)  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), a

  4  limited English proficient student may demonstrate mastery of

  5  basic skills by successful completion of:

  6         1.  A required state, federal, or industry licensure

  7  examination as part of the certificate career education

  8  program; or

  9         2.  An examination in the student's home language where

10  such examination is available and is approved by the State

11  Board of Education.

12         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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15                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Provides alternative methods for students, including
17    limited English proficient students, to demonstrate
      mastery of basic skills, which is required for
18    certificate career education programs.

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