HB 0037E 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to public K-12 educational instruction;
3	repealing s. 1003.429, F.S., relating to accelerated high
4	school graduation options; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.;
5	revising credit requirements for high school graduation;
6	amending s. 1003.436, F.S.; revising the definition of one
7	full credit as it relates to hours of instruction;
8	amending ss. 1007.261 and 1009.531, F.S.; conforming
9	provisions; providing an effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1. Section 1003.429, Florida Statutes, is
14	repealed.
15	Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 1003.43, Florida
16	Statutes, is amended to read:
17	1003.43 General requirements for high school graduation.--
18	(1) Graduation requires successful completion of either a
19	minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12 or an
20	International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits shall be
21	distributed as follows:
22	(a) Four credits in English, with major concentration in
23	composition and literature.
24	(b) Three credits in mathematics. Effective for students
25	entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
26	thereafter,One of these credits must be Algebra I, a series of
27	courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a higher-level mathematics
28	course.
29	(c) Three credits in science, two of which must have a
30	laboratory component. The State Board of Education may grant an
31	annual waiver of the laboratory requirement to a district school
32	board that certifies that its laboratory facilities are
33	inadequate, provided the district school board submits a capital
34	outlay plan to provide adequate facilities and makes the funding
35	of this plan a priority of the district school board.
36	Agriscience Foundations I, the core course in secondary
37	Agriscience and Natural Resources programs, counts as one of the
38	science credits.
39	(d) One credit in American history.
40	(e) One credit in world history, including a comparative
41	study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of all major
42	political systems.
43	(f) One-half credit in economics, including a comparative
44	study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of all major
45	economic systems. The Florida Council on Economic Education
46	shall provide technical assistance to the department and
47	district school boards in developing curriculum materials for
48	the study of economics.
49	(g) One-half credit in American government, including
50	study of the Constitution of the United States. For students
51	entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
52	thereafter,The study of Florida government, including study of
53	the State Constitution, the three branches of state government,
54	and municipal and county government, shall be included as part
55	of the required study of American government. Effective for
56	students entering the 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year and
57	thereafter, one credit in American government as described in
58	this paragraph shall be required.
59	(h) Effective for students entering the 9th grade in the
60	2004-2005 school year and thereafter, one credit in social
61	sciences in addition to the credits in American history, world
62	history, economics, and American government.
63	(i)(h)1. One credit in practical arts career and technical
64	education or exploratory career and technical education. Any
65	career and technical education course as defined in s. 1003.01
66	may be taken to satisfy the high school graduation requirement
67	for one credit in practical arts or exploratory career and
68	technical education provided in this subparagraph;
69	2. One credit in performing fine arts to be selected from
70	music, dance, drama, painting, or sculpture. A course in any art
71	form, in addition to painting or sculpture, that requires manual
72	dexterity, or a course in speech and debate, may be taken to
73	satisfy the high school graduation requirement for one credit in
74	performing arts pursuant to this subparagraph; or
75	3. One-half credit each in practical arts career and
76	technical education or exploratory career and technical
77	education and performing fine arts, as defined in this
78	paragraph.
79
80	Such credit for practical arts career and technical education or
81	exploratory career and technical education or for performing
82	fine arts shall be made available in the 9th grade, and students
83	shall be scheduled into a 9th grade course as a priority.
84	(j)(i)One-half credit in life management skills to
85	include consumer education, positive emotional development,
86	marriage and relationship skill-based education, nutrition,
87	parenting skills, prevention of human immunodeficiency virus
88	infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other
89	sexually transmissible diseases, benefits of sexual abstinence
90	and consequences of teenage pregnancy, information and
91	instruction on breast cancer detection and breast self-
92	examination, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, drug education, and
93	the hazards of smoking.
94	(k)(j)One credit in physical education to include
95	assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal fitness.
96	Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior varsity
97	or varsity level, for two full seasons, shall satisfy the one-
98	credit requirement in physical education if the student passes a
99	competency test on personal fitness with a score of "C" or
100	better. The competency test on personal fitness must be
101	developed by the Department of Education. A district school
102	board may not require that the one credit in physical education
103	be taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one semester
104	with a grade of "C" or better in a marching band class, in a
105	physical activity class that requires participation in marching
106	band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a Reserve
107	Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class a significant component
108	of which is drills shall satisfy a one-half credit requirement
109	in physical education. This one-half credit may not be used to
110	satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for
111	adaptive physical education under an individual educational plan
112	(IEP) or 504 plan.
113	(l)(k) Eight and one-half elective credits. Effective for
114	students entering the 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year and
115	thereafter, seven elective credits shall be required.
116
117	District school boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in
118	social studies and one-half elective credit for student
119	completion of nonpaid voluntary community or school service
120	work. Students choosing this option must complete a minimum of
121	75 hours of service in order to earn the one-half credit in
122	either category of instruction. Credit may not be earned for
123	service provided as a result of court action. District school
124	boards that approve the award of credit for student volunteer
125	service shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the
126	credit, and school principals are responsible for approving
127	specific volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course
128	Code Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 that is taken below
129	the 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation
130	requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements as
131	specified in a district school board's student progression plan.
132	A student shall be granted credit toward meeting the
133	requirements of this subsection for equivalent courses, as
134	identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(6), taken through dual
135	enrollment.
136	Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
137	1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
138	1003.436 Definition of "credit".--
139	(1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school
140	graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona
141	fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains
142	student performance standards. One full credit means a minimum
143	of 120 hours of bona fide instruction in a designated course of
144	study that contains student performance standards for purposes
145	of meeting high school graduation requirements in a district
146	school that has been authorized to implement block scheduling by
147	the district school board.The State Board of Education shall
148	determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned
149	through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007.271 that satisfy the
150	requirements of a district's interinstitutional articulation
151	agreement according to s. 1007.235 and that equal one full
152	credit of the equivalent high school course identified pursuant
153	to s. 1007.271(6).
154	Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
155	1007.261, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
156	1007.261 State universities; admissions of students.--Each
157	university board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules
158	governing the admission of students, subject to this section and
159	rules of the State Board of Education.
160	(1) Minimum academic standards for undergraduate admission
161	to a university include:
162	(a) Each student must have received a high school diploma
163	pursuant to s. 1003.429 ors. 1003.43, or its equivalent, except
164	as provided in s. 1007.271(2)-(5) or completed a home education
165	program according to s. 1002.41.
166	Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
167	1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
168	1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
169	student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--
170	(1) To be eligible for an initial award from any of the
171	three types of scholarships under the Florida Bright Futures
172	Scholarship Program, a student must:
173	(b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its
174	equivalent as described in s. 1003.429, s. 1003.43,or s.
175	1003.435 unless:
176	1. The student is enrolled full time in the early
177	admission program of an eligible postsecondary education
178	institution or completes a home education program according to
179	s. 1002.41; or
180	2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non-
181	Florida school while living with a parent or guardian who is on
182	military or public service assignment away from Florida.
183	Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.