HB 0579

CS

CHAMBER ACTION

1	The Education Appropriations Committee recommends the following:
2
3	Council/Committee Substitute
4	Remove the entire bill and insert:
5	A bill to be entitled
6	An act relating to acceleration mechanisms; amending s.
7	1002.20, F.S.; adding programs to list of public school
8	choice options; amending s. 1002.23, F.S.; adding programs
9	to list of rigorous academic programs included in parent
10	guide; amending s. 1007.22, F.S.; adding Advanced
11	International Certificate of Education programs to
12	acceleration mechanisms requiring postsecondary
13	institution collaboration; amending s. 1007.261, F.S.;
14	revising list of courses designated as advanced level fine
15	arts courses; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; providing an
16	exemption from examination fees for students enrolled in
17	the International General Certificate of Secondary
18	Education Program; amending s. 1007.271, F.S.; specifying
19	that dual enrollment courses are creditable toward high
20	school completion; revising instructional time
21	requirements and providing for FTE calculation; conforming
22	to law minimum academic credits required for graduation;
23	clarifying requirements for participation of independent
24	postsecondary institutions in a dual enrollment program;
25	providing for fee exemption; amending s. 1009.531, F.S.;
26	providing additional course weights for Florida Bright
27	Futures Scholarship Program eligibility determination;
28	amending s. 1009.534, F.S.; revising Florida Academic
29	Scholars award eligibility requirements to include
30	students completing or receiving an Advanced International
31	Certificate of Education curriculum or diploma; amending
32	s. 1009.535, F.S.; revising Florida Medallion Scholars
33	award eligibility requirements to include students
34	completing an Advanced International Certificate of
35	Education curriculum; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; providing
36	for FTE calculation for dual enrollment instruction;
37	revising Advanced International Certificate of Education
38	test score requirements necessary to generate funding to
39	match current test scoring scale; providing an effective
40	date.
41
42	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
43
44	Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
45	1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
46	1002.20  K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of public
47	school students must receive accurate and timely information
48	regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed
49	of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
50	students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
51	rights including, but not limited to, the following:
52	(6)  EDUCATIONAL CHOICE.--
53	(a)  Public school choices.--Parents of public school
54	students may seek whatever public school choice options that are
55	applicable to their students and are available to students in
56	their school districts. These options may include controlled
57	open enrollment, lab schools, charter schools, charter technical
58	career centers, magnet schools, alternative schools, special
59	programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment, International
60	Baccalaureate, International General Certificate of Secondary
61	Education (pre-AICE), Advanced International Certificate of
62	Education, early admissions, credit by examination or
63	demonstration of competency, the New World School of the Arts,
64	the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Florida
65	Virtual School. These options may also include the public school
66	choice options of the Opportunity Scholarship Program and the
67	McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.
68	Section 2.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
69	1002.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
70	1002.23  Family and School Partnership for Student
71	Achievement Act.--
72	(2)  To facilitate meaningful parent and family
73	involvement, the Department of Education shall develop
74	guidelines for a parent guide to successful student achievement
75	which describes what parents need to know about their child's
76	educational progress and how they can help their child to
77	succeed in school. The guidelines shall include, but need not be
78	limited to:
79	(d)  Opportunities for parents to learn about rigorous
80	academic programs that may be available for their child, such as
81	honors programs, dual enrollment, advanced placement,
82	International Baccalaureate, International General Certificate
83	of Secondary Education (pre-AICE), Advanced International
84	Certificate of Education, Florida Virtual High School courses,
85	and accelerated access to postsecondary education;
86	Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 1007.22, Florida
87	Statutes, is amended to read:
88	1007.22  Articulation; postsecondary institution
89	coordination and collaboration.--
90	(2)  The levels of postsecondary education shall
91	collaborate in further developing and providing articulated
92	programs in which students can proceed toward their educational
93	objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. Time-
94	shortened educational programs, as well as the use of
95	acceleration mechanisms, shall include, but not be limited to,
96	the International Baccalaureate, Advanced International
97	Certificate of Education, credit by examination or demonstration
98	of competency, advanced placement, early admissions, and dual
99	enrollment.
100	Section 4.  Subsection (10) of section 1007.261, Florida
101	Statutes, is amended to read:
102	1007.261  State universities; admissions of students.--Each
103	university board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules
104	governing the admission of students, subject to this section and
105	rules of the State Board of Education.
106	(10)  A Florida resident who is denied admission as an
107	undergraduate to a state university for failure to meet the high
108	school grade point average requirement may appeal the decision
109	to the university and request a recalculation of the grade point
110	average including in the revised calculation the grades earned
111	in up to three credits of advanced fine arts courses. The
112	university shall provide the student with a description of the
113	appeals process at the same time as notification of the
114	admissions decision. The university shall recalculate the
115	student's grade point average using the additional courses and
116	advise the student of any changes in the student's admission
117	status. For purposes of this section, fine arts courses include
118	courses in music, drama, painting, sculpture, speech, debate, or
119	a course in any art form that requires manual dexterity.
120	Advanced level fine arts courses include fine arts courses
121	identified in the course code directory as Advanced Placement,
122	pre-International Baccalaureate, or International Baccalaureate,
123	International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-
124	AICE), or Advanced International Certificate of Education, or
125	fine arts courses taken in the third or fourth year of a fine
126	arts curriculum.
127	Section 5.  Subsection (9) of section 1007.27, Florida
128	Statutes, is amended to read:
129	1007.27  Articulated acceleration mechanisms.--
130	(9)  The Advanced International Certificate of Education
131	Program and the International General Certificate of Secondary
132	Education (pre-AICE) Program shall be the curricula curriculum
133	in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in programs of
134	study a program of studies offered through the Advanced
135	International Certificate of Education Program or the
136	International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-
137	AICE) Program administered by the University of Cambridge Local
138	Examinations Syndicate. The State Board of Education shall
139	establish rules which specify the cutoff scores and Advanced
140	International Certificate of Education examinations which will
141	be used to grant postsecondary credit at community colleges and
142	universities. Any such rules, which have the effect of raising
143	the required cutoff score or of changing the Advanced
144	International Certification of Education examinations which will
145	be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall apply to students
146	taking Advanced International Certificate of Education
147	examinations after such rules are adopted by the State Board of
148	Education. Students shall be awarded a maximum of 30 semester
149	credit hours pursuant to this subsection. The specific course
150	for which a student receives such credit shall be determined by
151	the community college or university that accepts the student for
152	admission. Students enrolled in either program of study pursuant
153	to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees
154	for administration of the examinations regardless of whether or
155	not the student achieves a passing score on the examination.
156	Section 6.  Subsections (1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (11), and
157	(13) of section 1007.271, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
158	1007.271  Dual enrollment programs.--
159	(1)  The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an
160	eligible secondary student or home education student in a
161	postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion
162	and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate
163	degree.
164	(2)  For the purpose of this section, an eligible secondary
165	student is a student who is enrolled in a Florida public
166	secondary school or in a Florida private secondary school which
167	is in compliance with s. 1002.42(2) and conducts a secondary
168	curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.43. Students enrolled in
169	postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward the high
170	school diploma shall not be classified as dual enrollments.
171	Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this
172	section shall be permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses
173	conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during
174	the summer term. Instructional time for such enrollment may vary
175	from exceed 900 hours; however, the school district may only
176	report the student for a maximum of 1.0 FTE, as provided in s.
177	1011.61(4). Each semester of instruction that is eligible for
178	high school and postsecondary credit shall be reported by school
179	districts as 75 membership hours for purposes of FTE
180	calculation. Any student so enrolled is exempt from the payment
181	of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. Vocational-
182	preparatory instruction, college-preparatory instruction and
183	other forms of precollegiate instruction, as well as physical
184	education courses that focus on the physical execution of a
185	skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity,
186	are ineligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment program.
187	Recreation and leisure studies courses shall be evaluated
188	individually in the same manner as physical education courses
189	for potential inclusion in the program.
190	(4)  Career dual enrollment shall be provided as a
191	curricular option for secondary students to pursue in order to
192	earn a series of elective credits toward the high school
193	diploma. However, career dual enrollment shall not supplant
194	student acquisition of the diploma. Career dual enrollment shall
195	be available for secondary students seeking a degree or
196	certificate from a complete career-preparatory program, and but
197	shall not be used to enroll students sustain student enrollment
198	in isolated career courses. It is the intent of the Legislature
199	that career dual enrollment provide reflect the interests and
200	aptitudes of the student. The provision of a comprehensive
201	academic and career dual enrollment program within the career
202	center or community college is supportive of legislative intent;
203	however, such provision is not mandatory.
204	(5)  Each district school board shall inform all secondary
205	students of dual enrollment as an educational option and
206	mechanism for acceleration. Students shall be informed of
207	eligibility criteria, the option for taking dual enrollment
208	courses beyond the regular school year, and the 24 minimum
209	academic credits required for graduation. District school boards
210	shall annually assess the demand for dual enrollment and other
211	advanced courses, and the district school board shall consider
212	strategies and programs to meet that demand.
213	(6)  The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty
214	committees representing public school, community college, and
215	university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet
216	the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.43, and to
217	establish the number of postsecondary semester credit hours of
218	instruction and equivalent high school credits earned through
219	dual enrollment pursuant to this section that are necessary to
220	meet high school graduation requirements. Such equivalencies
221	shall be determined solely on comparable course content and not
222	on seat time traditionally allocated to such courses in high
223	school. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the
224	State Board of Education those postsecondary courses identified
225	to meet high school graduation requirements, based on mastery of
226	course outcomes, by their statewide course numbers number, and
227	all high schools shall accept these postsecondary education
228	courses toward meeting the requirements of s. 1003.43.
229	(11)  The Department of Education shall approve any course
230	for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is contained
231	within the statewide course numbering system. However, college-
232	preparatory and other forms of precollegiate instruction, and
233	physical education and other courses that focus on the physical
234	execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of
235	the activity, may not be so approved, but must be evaluated
236	individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment
237	program. This subsection shall not be construed to mean that an
238	independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in
239	a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s.
240	1011.62 must participate in the statewide course numbering
241	system developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual
242	enrollment program.
243	(13)  It is the intent of the Legislature that Students who
244	meet the eligibility requirements of this section subsection and
245	who choose to participate in dual enrollment programs are be
246	exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory
247	fees.
248	Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
249	1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
250	1009.531  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
251	student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--
252	(3)  For purposes of calculating the grade point average to
253	be used in determining initial eligibility for a Florida Bright
254	Futures Scholarship, the department shall assign additional
255	weights to grades earned in the following courses:
256	(a)  Courses identified in the course code directory as
257	Advanced Placement, pre-International Baccalaureate, or
258	International Baccalaureate, International General Certificate
259	of Secondary Education (pre-AICE), or Advanced International
260	Certificate of Education.
261
262	The department may assign additional weights to courses, other
263	than those described in paragraphs (a) and (b), that are
264	identified by the Department of Education as containing rigorous
265	academic curriculum and performance standards. The additional
266	weight assigned to a course pursuant to this subsection shall
267	not exceed 0.5 per course. The weighted system shall be
268	developed and distributed to all high schools in the state prior
269	to January 1, 1998. The department may determine a student's
270	eligibility status during the senior year before graduation and
271	may inform the student of the award at that time.
272	Section 8.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
273	Statutes, is amended to read:
274	1009.534  Florida Academic Scholars award.--
275	(1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
276	award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
277	for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
278	student:
279	(a)  Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
280	calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
281	school courses that are designated by the State Board of
282	Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
283	attained at least the score identified by rules of the State
284	Board of Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts
285	of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test,
286	or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
287	Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
288	Assessment Program; or
289	(b)  Has attended a home education program according to s.
290	1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
291	International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
292	International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
293	Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
294	failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
295	Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score
296	identified by rules of the State Board of Education on the
297	combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
298	Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
299	Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
300	or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; or
301	(c)  Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
302	Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office or an
303	Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
304	University of Cambridge International Examinations Office; or
305	(d)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
306	programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
307	scholar or finalist; or
308	(e)  Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
309	Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
310
311	A student must complete a program of community service work, as
312	approved by the district school board or the administrators of a
313	nonpublic school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of
314	service work and require the student to identify a social
315	problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
316	personal involvement in addressing the problem, and, through
317	papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or
318	her experience.
319	Section 9.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
320	Statutes, is amended to read:
321	1009.535  Florida Medallion Scholars award.--
322	(1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
323	award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
324	for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
325	student:
326	(a)  Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
327	calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
328	school courses that are designated by the State Board of
329	Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
330	attained at least the score identified by rules of the State
331	Board of Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts
332	of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test,
333	or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
334	Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
335	Assessment Program; or
336	(b)  Has attended a home education program according to s.
337	1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
338	International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
339	International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
340	Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
341	failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
342	Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score
343	identified by rules of the State Board of Education on the
344	combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
345	Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
346	Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
347	or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; or
348	(c)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
349	program of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
350	scholar or finalist but has not completed a program of community
351	service as provided in s. 1009.534; or
352	(d)  Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
353	Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed a
354	program of community service as provided in s. 1009.534.
355	Section 10.  Paragraphs (i) and (m) of subsection (1) of
356	section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
357	1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual
358	allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
359	district for operation of schools is not determined in the
360	annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
361	the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
362	follows:
363	(1)  COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
364	OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in
365	determining the annual allocation to each district for
366	operation:
367	(i)  Calculation of full-time equivalent membership with
368	respect to dual enrollment instruction from community colleges
369	or state universities.--Students enrolled in community college
370	or university dual enrollment instruction pursuant to s.
371	1007.271 may be included in calculations of full-time equivalent
372	student memberships for basic programs for grades 9 through 12
373	by a district school board. Each semester of instruction that is
374	eligible for high school and postsecondary credit shall be
375	reported by school districts as 75 membership hours for purposes
376	of FTE calculation. Such students may also be calculated as the
377	proportional shares of full-time equivalent enrollments they
378	generate for a the community college or university conducting
379	the dual enrollment instruction. Early admission students shall
380	be considered dual enrollments for funding purposes. Students
381	may be enrolled in dual enrollment instruction provided by an
382	eligible independent college or university and may be included
383	in calculations of full-time equivalent student memberships for
384	basic programs for grades 9 through 12 by a district school
385	board. However, those provisions of law which exempt dual
386	enrolled and early admission students from payment of
387	instructional materials and tuition and fees, including
388	laboratory fees, shall not apply to students who select the
389	option of enrolling in an eligible independent institution. An
390	independent college or university which is located and chartered
391	in Florida, is not for profit, is accredited by the Commission
392	on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
393	or the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools,
394	and which confers degrees as defined in s. 1005.02 shall be
395	eligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment or early admission
396	program. Students enrolled in dual enrollment instruction shall
397	be exempt from the payment of tuition and fees, including
398	laboratory fees. No student enrolled in college credit
399	mathematics or English dual enrollment instruction shall be
400	funded as a dual enrollment unless the student has successfully
401	completed the relevant section of the entry-level examination
402	required pursuant to s. 1008.30.
403	(m)  Calculation of additional full-time equivalent
404	membership based on Advanced International Certificate of
405	Education examination scores of students.--A value of 0.24 full-
406	full-time equivalent student membership shall be calculated for
407	each student enrolled in a full-credit Advanced International
408	Certificate of Education course who receives a score of E 2 or
409	higher on a subject examination. A value of 0.12 full-time
410	equivalent student membership shall be calculated for each
411	student enrolled in a half-credit Advanced International
412	Certificate of Education course who receives a score of E 1 or
413	higher on a subject examination. A value of 0.3 full-time
414	equivalent student membership shall be calculated for each
415	student who receives received an Advanced International
416	Certificate of Education diploma. Such value shall be added to
417	the total full-time equivalent student membership in basic
418	programs for grades 9 through 12 in the subsequent fiscal year.
419	The school district shall distribute to each classroom teacher
420	who provided Advanced International Certificate of Education
421	instruction:
422	1.  A bonus in the amount of $50 for each student taught by
423	the Advanced International Certificate of Education teacher in
424	each full-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education
425	course who receives a score of E 2 or higher on the Advanced
426	International Certificate of Education examination. A bonus in
427	the amount of $25 for each student taught by the Advanced
428	International Certificate of Education teacher in each half-
429	credit Advanced International Certificate of Education course
430	who receives a score of E 1 or higher on the Advanced
431	International Certificate of Education examination.
432	2.  An additional bonus of $500 to each Advanced
433	International Certificate of Education teacher in a school
434	designated performance grade category "D" or "F" who has at
435	least one student scoring E 2 or higher on the full-credit
436	Advanced International Certificate of Education examination,
437	regardless of the number of classes taught or of the number of
438	students scoring an E a 2 or higher on the full-credit Advanced
439	International Certificate of Education examination.
440	3.  Additional bonuses of $250 each to teachers of half-
441	credit Advanced International Certificate of Education classes
442	in a school designated performance grade category "D" or "F"
443	which has at least one student scoring an E a 1 or higher on the
444	half-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education
445	examination in that class. The maximum additional bonus for a
446	teacher awarded in accordance with this subparagraph shall not
447	exceed $500 in any given school year. Teachers receiving an
448	award under subparagraph 2. are not eligible for a bonus under
449	this subparagraph.
450
451	Bonuses awarded to a teacher according to this paragraph shall
452	not exceed $2,000 in any given school year and shall be in
453	addition to any regular wage or other bonus the teacher received
454	or is scheduled to receive.
455	Section 11.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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