Senate Bill sb0364
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 364
By Senator Constantine
22-179-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to accelerated high school
3 graduation options; amending s. 1003.429, F.S.;
4 amending requirements applicable to the
5 selection of such an accelerated option;
6 amending requirements for the grade point
7 average that must be earned; requiring district
8 school boards to adopt rules allowing students
9 to switch from one accelerated option to
10 another; providing for default to standard
11 graduation requirements in certain
12 circumstances; providing an effective date.
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14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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16 Section 1. Section 1003.429, Florida Statutes, is
17 amended to read:
18 1003.429 Accelerated high school graduation options.--
19 (1) Students who enter the 9th grade in the 2004-2005
20 school year Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, all
21 students scheduled to graduate in 2004 and thereafter may
22 select one of the following three high school graduation
23 options:
24 (a) Completion of the general requirements for high
25 school graduation pursuant to s. 1003.43;
26 (b) Completion of a 3-year standard college
27 preparatory program requiring successful completion of a
28 minimum of 18 academic credits in grades 9 through 12. The 18
29 credits shall be primary requirements and shall be distributed
30 as follows:
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 364
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1 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration
2 in composition and literature;
3 2. Three credits in mathematics at the Algebra I level
4 or higher from the list of courses that qualify for state
5 university admission;
6 3. Three credits in natural science, two of which must
7 have a laboratory component;
8 4. Three credits in social sciences;
9 5. Two credits in the same second language unless the
10 student is a native speaker of or can otherwise demonstrate
11 competency in a language other than English. If the student
12 demonstrates competency in another language, the student may
13 replace the language requirement with two credits in other
14 academic courses; and
15 6. Three credits in electives; or
16 (c) Completion of a 3-year career preparatory program
17 requiring successful completion of a minimum of 18 academic
18 credits in grades 9 through 12. The 18 credits shall be
19 primary requirements and shall be distributed as follows:
20 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration
21 in composition and literature;
22 2. Three credits in mathematics, one of which must be
23 Algebra I;
24 3. Three credits in natural science, two of which must
25 have a laboratory component;
26 4. Three credits in social sciences;
27 5. Two credits in the same second language unless the
28 student is a native speaker of or can otherwise demonstrate
29 competency in a language other than English. If the student
30 demonstrates competency in another language, the student may
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 364
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1 replace the language requirement with two credits in other
2 academic courses; and
3 6. Three credits in electives.
4 (2) Beginning with the 2004-2005 2003-2004 school
5 year, each district school board shall provide each student in
6 grades 6 through 9 12 and their parents with information
7 concerning the 3-year and 4-year high school graduation
8 options listed in subsection (1), including the respective
9 curriculum requirements for those options, so that with
10 curriculum for the students and their parents may to select
11 the postsecondary education or career plan that best fits
12 their needs. The information must options shall include a
13 timeframe for achieving each graduation option. Before a
14 student may select an option other than meeting the
15 requirements set forth in s. 1003.43, the student and his or
16 her parent must meet with a school counselor for an
17 explanation of the requirements and the pros and cons of each
18 option.
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20 A student who selected an accelerated graduation program under
21 s. 1003.429, Florida Statutes 2003, may continue that program,
22 even though he or she was beyond the 9th grade at the time of
23 choosing that option. The required grade point average that
24 was applicable when the student made that choice remains
25 applicable to him or her.
26 (3) Selection of one of the graduation options listed
27 in subsection (1) is exclusively up to the student and parent.
28 If the student and parent fail to select a graduation option,
29 the student shall be considered to have selected the general
30 requirements for high school graduation pursuant to paragraph
31 (1)(a).
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 364
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1 (4) District school boards may shall not establish
2 requirements for accelerated 3-year high school graduation
3 options in excess of the requirements in paragraphs (1)(b) and
4 (c).
5 (5) Students pursuing accelerated 3-year high school
6 graduation options pursuant to paragraph (1)(b) or paragraph
7 (1)(c) are required to:
8 (a) Earn passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.
9 1008.22(3)(c).
10 (b)1. Achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
11 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required
12 for the by the chosen accelerated 3-year standard college
13 preparatory program under high school graduation option
14 pursuant to paragraph (1)(b); or
15 2. Achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on
16 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required for
17 the 3-year career preparatory program under paragraph (1)(c).
18 (6) Each district school board shall adopt rules
19 allowing 10th-grade students to switch from one accelerated
20 program to the other accelerated program. A student who
21 selects an accelerated graduation program may switch at any
22 time to the 4-year program.
23 (7) If, at the end of the 10th grade, a student is not
24 on track to meet the course or grade-point-average
25 requirements of an accelerated graduation option, the student
26 shall default to the standard 4-year graduation option.
27 (8)(6) A student who meets all requirements prescribed
28 in subsections (1) and (5) shall be awarded a standard diploma
29 in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Amends requirements applicable to the selection of an
accelerated high school graduation option. Amends
4 requirements for the grade point average that must be
earned. Requires district school boards to adopt rules
5 allowing students to switch from one accelerated option
to another. Provides for default to standard graduation
6 requirements in certain circumstances.
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