Senate Bill sb1480
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
By Senator Wise
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to career and professional
3 academies; creating s. 1003.493, F.S.; defining
4 the term "career and professional academy";
5 providing academy goals and duties; providing
6 types of career and professional academies;
7 providing for the approval of career education
8 courses as core curricula courses under certain
9 circumstances; creating s. 1003.494, F.S.;
10 requiring the Department of Education to
11 establish a Career High-Skill Occupational
12 Initiative for Career Education (CHOICE)
13 project as a competitive process for the
14 designation of school district participants and
15 CHOICE academies; providing eligibility
16 criteria for such designation; providing duties
17 of school districts and the department;
18 providing for the award to certain school
19 districts of startup funds for the development
20 of CHOICE academies; creating s. 1003.495,
21 F.S.; requiring the department to establish a
22 comprehensive career academy project to provide
23 for the designation of comprehensive career
24 academies; providing duties of the department;
25 providing for assessment of academies; amending
26 s. 1003.43, F.S.; requiring district school
27 board student progression plans to provide for
28 the substitution of certain courses for credit
29 requirements for high school graduation;
30 amending ss. 288.9015 and 445.004, F.S.;
31 providing duties of Enterprise Florida, Inc.,
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 and Workforce Florida, Inc., to conform;
2 providing an effective date.
3
4 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
5
6 Section 1. Section 1003.493, Florida Statutes, is
7 created to read:
8 1003.493 Career and professional academies.--
9 (1) A "career and professional academy" is a
10 research-based program as described in subsection (3) which
11 offers a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum with an
12 industry and business relevant career theme offered by a
13 public school or school district.
14 (2) The goals of career and professional academies are
15 to:
16 (a) Increase student achievement.
17 (b) Focus on careers and postsecondary education.
18 (c) Raise student aspiration and commitment to
19 academic achievement.
20 (3) A career and professional academy may be offered
21 as one of the following small learning communities:
22 (a) A Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for
23 Career Education (CHOICE) academy, pursuant to s. 1003.494,
24 with one career theme and created as part of an existing high
25 school or as a school-within-a-school program. Students in the
26 school are not required to be students in the academy.
27 (b) A comprehensive career academy, pursuant to s.
28 1003.495, which is structured around one or more career themes
29 and consists of one or more career academy programs.
30 (4) Each career and professional academy must:
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 (a) Provide a rigorous and relevant standards-based
2 academic curriculum through a career-based theme with
3 instruction relevant to the career. The curriculum must take
4 into consideration multiple styles of student learning;
5 promote learning by doing through application and adaptation;
6 maximize relevance of the subject matter; enhance each
7 student's capacity to excel; and include an emphasis on work
8 habits and work ethics.
9 (b) Include one or more partnerships with businesses,
10 industry, employers, economic development organizations, or
11 other appropriate partners from the local community. Such
12 partnerships must include opportunities for:
13 1. Highly skilled professionals to provide instruction
14 in their areas of expertise.
15 2. Use of state-of-the-art equipment in the
16 instructional program of the academy.
17 3. Internships, externships, and on-the-job training.
18 (c) Include one or more partnerships with public or
19 private postsecondary institutions accredited by a regional or
20 national accrediting agency recognized by the United States
21 Department of Education. The educational partner must:
22 1. Agree to articulate coursework to maximize
23 transferability of credit.
24 2. Offer a postsecondary degree, diploma, or
25 certificate in the career theme of the academy.
26 (d) Provide creative and tailored student advisement,
27 including opportunities and encouragement for parent
28 participation in career education planning, and coordination
29 with middle schools in the school district to provide career
30 counseling. The coordination with middle schools must include
31 promotion in middle school of secondary and postsecondary
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 career education programs and opportunities to participate in
2 an academy. Such promotion may take place through middle
3 school exploratory courses.
4 (e) Provide a career education certification on the
5 high school diploma pursuant to s. 1003.431.
6 (f) Provide instruction, certification, or credentials
7 in work-readiness skills, including, but not limited to,
8 communication skills, interpersonal skills, decisionmaking
9 skills, the importance of attendance and timeliness in the
10 work environment, and work ethics.
11 (g) Establish student eligibility criteria. While
12 recognizing that rigorous academic performance will be
13 expected of all students participating in an academy, initial
14 eligibility criteria must permit opportunities for students
15 who may not yet meet the academic requirements but demonstrate
16 characteristics that may lead to success in an academy. The
17 aim of an academy should be to serve not only students who are
18 already succeeding but also students who would succeed if the
19 proper instructional and motivational opportunities were
20 provided.
21 (5) If a career and professional academy is designated
22 as a CHOICE academy under s. 1003.494 or a comprehensive
23 career academy under s. 1003.495, the career education courses
24 offered in the academy which emphasize reading, writing,
25 mathematics, and science may be considered core curricula
26 courses upon approval of the Commissioner of Education.
27 Section 2. Section 1003.494, Florida Statutes, is
28 created to read:
29 1003.494 Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for
30 Career Education (CHOICE) academies.--
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 (1) The Department of Education shall establish a
2 Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for Career Education
3 (CHOICE) project. The project shall consist of a competitive
4 process for selecting and designating school districts as
5 participants in the project and designating CHOICE academies
6 in schools within participating school districts.
7 (2) A CHOICE academy is a career and professional
8 academy that meets the goals and requirements specified in s.
9 1003.493 and offers a rigorous and relevant academic
10 curriculum leading to industry-recognized certification,
11 college credit, and credit toward a high school diploma.
12 Existing career education courses may serve as a foundation
13 for the creation of a CHOICE academy.
14 (3) The purpose of a CHOICE academy shall be to:
15 (a) Draw upon ongoing partnerships between education
16 and workforce development or economic development
17 organizations to enhance the quality and opportunities for
18 career education for high school students by exposure to
19 in-demand career education as identified by such organizations
20 in the local community.
21 (b) Build upon the state system of school improvement
22 and education accountability by providing students with a
23 solid academic foundation, opportunities to obtain
24 industry-recognized certification or credentials, and
25 preparation for postsecondary educational experiences in
26 related fields.
27 (c) Focus students on completing high school
28 graduation requirements, including, but not limited to,
29 receiving passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT.
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
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1 (d) Prepare graduating high school students to make
2 appropriate choices relative to employment and future
3 educational experiences.
4 (4) The Department of Education shall establish
5 application guidelines for an annual competitive process and
6 eligibility criteria for school district participation. A
7 school district may apply to the department for designation as
8 a CHOICE project participating district, and the department,
9 in consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc., and Enterprise
10 Florida, Inc., may designate as many school districts as it
11 deems advisable each year. Eligibility criteria for
12 designation of a school district as a CHOICE project
13 participant shall include, but need not be limited to:
14 (a) The willingness and ability of associated
15 businesses or industries to form partnerships with and support
16 CHOICE academies.
17 (b) The dedication of school district resources to
18 CHOICE academies.
19 (5) The Department of Education, in consultation with
20 Workforce Florida, Inc., shall establish standards for
21 designating specific CHOICE academies in each participating
22 school district. The Okaloosa County School District may serve
23 in an advisory role in the establishment of such standards. A
24 participating school district may apply to the department for
25 designation of a CHOICE academy within a school in the
26 district. Eligibility criteria for such designation must
27 include, but need not be limited to, the following:
28 (a) The existence of partnerships with an associated
29 business or industry and a regional workforce board or the
30 primary local economic development organization in the county
31 as recognized by Enterprise Florida, Inc. The partnership of
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 the business or industry with the CHOICE academy must be based
2 on the connection of the business or industry with the
3 academy's career theme and must involve future plans for
4 improving the local economy. The business or industry partner
5 must be consulted during the planning stages of a CHOICE
6 academy and provide business or industry support and resources
7 devoted to the CHOICE academy.
8 (b) The existence of at least one established
9 partnership and an articulation agreement for credit with a
10 postsecondary institution.
11 (c) The existence of participation opportunities for
12 students, including students in home education programs,
13 students with disabilities, and nontraditional students.
14 (d) The existence of a plan for sustaining the CHOICE
15 academy.
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17 The Okaloosa County School District and other school districts
18 that have received funding from Workforce Florida, Inc., for
19 the establishment of CHOICE academies prior to July 1, 2006,
20 shall receive an expedited review for CHOICE academy
21 designation by the department.
22 (6) A participating school district shall:
23 (a) Identify an appropriate location for classes.
24 (b) Ensure that a CHOICE academy is flexible enough to
25 respond both to the needs and abilities of students and to the
26 needs of associated businesses or industries.
27 (c) Redirect appropriated funding from ongoing
28 activities to a CHOICE academy.
29 (d) Plan for sustaining a CHOICE academy as an ongoing
30 program without additional funding.
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 (e) Assist in program technical support for students
2 in private schools, charter schools, or home education
3 programs.
4 (f) Allow students in private schools, charter
5 schools, or home education programs to participate in a CHOICE
6 academy through dual enrollment.
7 (7) The Department of Education shall:
8 (a) With assistance from Workforce Florida, Inc.,
9 provide technical assistance to participating school districts
10 in submitting applications for designation of specific CHOICE
11 academies located in specific schools in the school district,
12 reorganizing career education opportunities, developing CHOICE
13 academies with career themes in areas deemed appropriate by
14 Workforce Florida, Inc., or local economic development
15 organizations, and developing funding plans.
16 (b) Approve or disapprove within 30 days a request by
17 a participating school district on behalf of a designated
18 CHOICE academy for the substitution of appropriate rigorous
19 and relevant coursework deemed critical for student success by
20 an industry for coursework required for high school
21 graduation. If the school district does not receive a response
22 to the request within 30 days, the district school board shall
23 allow the substitution according to its student progression
24 plan pursuant to s. 1003.43(1).
25 (c) Make appropriate policy decisions relative to
26 CHOICE academies when such decisions are not specifically
27 directed by law.
28 (d) Jointly with Workforce Florida, Inc., and in
29 consultation with the school districts, develop evaluation
30 criteria for CHOICE academies. Such criteria shall include
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 increased academic performance of students and schools using
2 school-level accountability data.
3 (e) Report to the State Board of Education, the
4 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
5 House of Representatives by July 1 of each year on school
6 district participation in the CHOICE project, designated
7 CHOICE academies with enrollment and completion data for such
8 academies, and appropriate outcomes for students who have
9 completed a CHOICE academy program. Such outcomes may include
10 continuing educational experiences of CHOICE academy
11 graduates, business or industry satisfaction with the CHOICE
12 academies, placement of CHOICE academy graduates in
13 employment, and earnings of such graduates.
14 (f) Have the authority to promote CHOICE academies and
15 to provide planning and startup resources.
16 (8) Pursuant to appropriation in the General
17 Appropriations Act, the Department of Education shall award
18 one-time startup funds to five of the school districts
19 designated as participants in the CHOICE project for the
20 development of CHOICE academies. All school districts
21 designated by the department are authorized to establish one
22 or more CHOICE academies without incentive funds.
23 Section 3. Section 1003.495, Florida Statutes, is
24 created to read:
25 1003.495 Comprehensive career academies.--
26 (1) The Department of Education shall establish a
27 comprehensive career academy project to provide for the
28 designation of comprehensive career academies in the school
29 districts.
30 (2) A comprehensive career academy is a career and
31 professional academy that meets the goals and requirements
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 specified in s. 1003.493 and offers a rigorous and relevant
2 academic curriculum that prepares students for college,
3 careers, and productive citizenship.
4 (3) The Department of Education, in consultation with
5 the school districts, shall adopt criteria for evaluation of
6 comprehensive career academies and an assessment tool based on
7 national standards of practice. The assessment tool must be
8 designed so that a comprehensive career academy may use it as
9 a self-assessment tool.
10 (4) Each comprehensive career academy shall perform a
11 self-assessment using the adopted assessment tool at the end
12 of the first year of operation and periodically thereafter as
13 determined by the Department of Education.
14 (5) A school district may request the Department of
15 Education to conduct an assessment of a comprehensive career
16 academy for purposes of designation by the department as a
17 comprehensive career academy. If the department determines
18 that an academy meets national standards of practice, the
19 department shall designate the academy as a comprehensive
20 career academy.
21 (6) The Department of Education shall approve or
22 disapprove within 30 days a request by a school district on
23 behalf of a designated comprehensive career academy for the
24 substitution of appropriate rigorous and relevant coursework
25 deemed critical for student success by an industry for
26 coursework required for high school graduation. If the school
27 district does not receive a response to the request within 30
28 days, the district school board shall allow the substitution
29 according to its student progression plan pursuant to s.
30 1003.43(1).
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1003.43, Florida
2 Statutes, is amended to read:
3 1003.43 General requirements for high school
4 graduation.--
5 (1) Graduation requires successful completion of
6 either a minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12
7 or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits
8 shall be distributed as follows:
9 (a) Four credits in English, with major concentration
10 in composition and literature.
11 (b) Three credits in mathematics. Effective for
12 students entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year
13 and thereafter, one of these credits must be Algebra I, a
14 series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a higher-level
15 mathematics course.
16 (c) Three credits in science, two of which must have a
17 laboratory component. Agriscience Foundations I, the core
18 course in secondary Agriscience and Natural Resources
19 programs, counts as one of the science credits.
20 (d) One credit in American history.
21 (e) One credit in world history, including a
22 comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of
23 all major political systems.
24 (f) One-half credit in economics, including a
25 comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of
26 all major economic systems. The Florida Council on Economic
27 Education shall provide technical assistance to the department
28 and district school boards in developing curriculum materials
29 for the study of economics.
30 (g) One-half credit in American government, including
31 study of the Constitution of the United States. For students
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
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1 entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
2 thereafter, the study of Florida government, including study
3 of the State Constitution, the three branches of state
4 government, and municipal and county government, shall be
5 included as part of the required study of American government.
6 (h)1. One credit in practical arts career education or
7 exploratory career education. Any career education course as
8 defined in s. 1003.01 may be taken to satisfy the high school
9 graduation requirement for one credit in practical arts or
10 exploratory career education provided in this subparagraph;
11 2. One credit in performing fine arts to be selected
12 from music, dance, drama, painting, or sculpture. A course in
13 any art form, in addition to painting or sculpture, that
14 requires manual dexterity, or a course in speech and debate,
15 may be taken to satisfy the high school graduation requirement
16 for one credit in performing arts pursuant to this
17 subparagraph; or
18 3. One-half credit each in practical arts career
19 education or exploratory career education and performing fine
20 arts, as defined in this paragraph.
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22 Such credit for practical arts career education or exploratory
23 career education or for performing fine arts shall be made
24 available in the 9th grade, and students shall be scheduled
25 into a 9th grade course as a priority.
26 (i) One-half credit in life management skills to
27 include consumer education, positive emotional development,
28 marriage and relationship skill-based education, nutrition,
29 parenting skills, prevention of human immunodeficiency virus
30 infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other
31 sexually transmissible diseases, benefits of sexual abstinence
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
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1 and consequences of teenage pregnancy, information and
2 instruction on breast cancer detection and breast
3 self-examination, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, drug
4 education, and the hazards of smoking.
5 (j) One credit in physical education to include
6 assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal fitness.
7 Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior
8 varsity or varsity level, for two full seasons, shall satisfy
9 the one-credit requirement in physical education if the
10 student passes a competency test on personal fitness with a
11 score of "C" or better. The competency test on personal
12 fitness must be developed by the Department of Education. A
13 district school board may not require that the one credit in
14 physical education be taken during the 9th grade year.
15 Completion of one semester with a grade of "C" or better in a
16 marching band class, in a physical activity class that
17 requires participation in marching band activities as an
18 extracurricular activity, or in a Reserve Officer Training
19 Corps (R.O.T.C.) class a significant component of which is
20 drills shall satisfy a one-half credit requirement in physical
21 education. This one-half credit may not be used to satisfy the
22 personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive
23 physical education under an individual educational plan (IEP)
24 or 504 plan.
25 (k) Eight and one-half elective credits.
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27 District school boards may award a maximum of one-half credit
28 in social studies and one-half elective credit for student
29 completion of nonpaid voluntary community or school service
30 work. Students choosing this option must complete a minimum of
31 75 hours of service in order to earn the one-half credit in
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 either category of instruction. Credit may not be earned for
2 service provided as a result of court action. District school
3 boards that approve the award of credit for student volunteer
4 service shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the
5 credit, and school principals are responsible for approving
6 specific volunteer activities. A course designated in the
7 Course Code Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 that is
8 taken below the 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school
9 graduation requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award
10 requirements as specified in a district school board's student
11 progression plan. A student shall be granted credit toward
12 meeting the requirements of this subsection for equivalent
13 courses, as identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(6), taken
14 through dual enrollment. Each district school board's student
15 progression plan must provide for the substitution of a course
16 identified in the Course Code Directory and offered in a
17 designated CHOICE academy under s. 1003.494 or in a designated
18 comprehensive career academy under s. 1003.495 for a credit
19 requirement for graduation under this subsection. A student
20 may make such substitution for a maximum of two of the
21 academic credit requirements.
22 Section 5. Subsection (7) is added to section
23 288.9015, Florida Statutes, to read:
24 288.9015 Enterprise Florida, Inc.; purpose; duties.--
25 (7) Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall work with the
26 Department of Education and Workforce Florida, Inc., in the
27 designation of school districts as participants in the CHOICE
28 project pursuant to s. 1003.494.
29 Section 6. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (5) of
30 section 445.004, Florida Statutes, to read:
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1480
5-1098-06 See HB 513
1 445.004 Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose;
2 membership; duties and powers.--
3 (5) Workforce Florida, Inc., shall have all the powers
4 and authority, not explicitly prohibited by statute, necessary
5 or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes as
6 determined by statute, Pub. L. No. 105-220, and the Governor,
7 as well as its functions, duties, and responsibilities,
8 including, but not limited to, the following:
9 (i) Working with the Department of Education and
10 Enterprise Florida, Inc., in the implementation of the CHOICE
11 project pursuant to s. 1003.494.
12 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.
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