Senate Bill sb2326

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2326

    By Senator Baker





    20-1316-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to career education; creating

  3         the "SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Initiative"; amending s.

  4         1007.23, F.S.; replacing the phrase "workforce

  5         development" with the phrase "workforce

  6         education"; requiring the Department of

  7         Education annually to identify workforce

  8         education courses and programs for statewide

  9         articulation and to propose an articulation

10         agreement; amending s. 1009.50, F.S.; providing

11         for students who are enrolled in certain

12         postsecondary career certificate programs to

13         qualify for the Florida Public Student

14         Assistance Grant Program; creating s. 1009.521,

15         F.S.; creating the GED Success Scholarship

16         Program; prescribing the amount of a

17         scholarship; providing procedures; providing

18         requirements for eligibility; requiring reports

19         to the department; requiring a financial audit

20         of each institution's administration of the

21         program; authorizing the State Board of

22         Education to adopt rules; creating s. 1011.802,

23         F.S.; creating the School District Career

24         Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant

25         Program; providing legislative intent and

26         findings; providing purposes of the program;

27         providing for direct-support organizations to

28         solicit private funds; providing for state

29         matching funds; requiring the establishment of

30         a separate career center capital facilities

31         matching account; prohibiting the use of

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2326
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 1         certain funding sources to provide state

 2         matching funds; providing criteria for a school

 3         district's eligibility to participate in the

 4         program; providing for the disposition of

 5         private donations if a project is terminated;

 6         requiring the State Board of Education annually

 7         to submit to the Legislature a list of eligible

 8         projects and a budget request that includes the

 9         recommended completion schedule for each

10         project; providing prerequisites for

11         eligibility; providing for the disposition of

12         unexpended project funds; providing that

13         certain elements of the project are the

14         property of the school district; allowing a

15         facility to be named for a donor; creating pt.

16         VI of ch. 1011, F.S., consisting of ss.

17         1011.96, 1011.97, and 1011.98, F.S.; creating

18         the SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Crucial Professionals

19         Program; providing purposes; requiring the

20         department to issue requests for proposals and

21         to establish application procedures,

22         guidelines, accountability measures, and

23         timelines; providing requirements for the

24         contents of a grant proposal; providing

25         requirements for participants; requiring grant

26         recipients to report to the department;

27         requiring the State Board of Education to

28         monitor compliance with the accountability

29         requirements; creating the SUCCEED, FLORIDA!

30         Career Paths Program; providing purposes;

31         providing application procedures; requiring

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2326
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 1         that curriculum and content developed in a

 2         career and professional academy be made

 3         available to all school districts; creating the

 4         SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Critical Jobs Program;

 5         providing purposes; providing criteria for

 6         distributing funds; requiring the department to

 7         issue requests for proposals and to establish

 8         application procedures, guidelines,

 9         accountability measures, and timelines;

10         providing requirements for the contents of a

11         grant proposal; requiring the department to

12         review the proposals and determine the funding

13         to be provided and to prioritize recipients as

14         specified; providing an effective date.

15  

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

17  

18         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "SUCCEED,

19  FLORIDA! Initiative."

20         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 1007.23, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.--

23         (3)  The articulation agreement must guarantee the

24  statewide articulation of appropriate workforce education

25  development programs and courses between school districts and

26  community colleges and specifically provide that every applied

27  technology diploma graduate must be granted the same amount of

28  credit upon admission to an associate in science degree or

29  associate in applied science degree program unless it is a

30  limited access program. Preference for admission must be given

31  to graduates who are residents of Florida. By July 1, 2006,

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2326
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 1  and annually as necessary thereafter, the department shall

 2  identify appropriate school district and community college

 3  workforce education courses and programs for statewide

 4  articulation and shall propose an agreement for those

 5  programs.

 6         Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section

 7  1009.50, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 8         1009.50  Florida Public Student Assistance Grant

 9  Program; eligibility for grants.--

10         (2)(a)  State student assistance grants through the

11  program may be made only to degree-seeking students who enroll

12  in at least 6 semester hours, or the equivalent per term, or

13  to students who are enrolled in a postsecondary career

14  certificate program of at least 450 hours, and who meet the

15  general requirements for student eligibility as provided in s.

16  1009.40, except as otherwise provided in this section. The

17  grants shall be awarded annually for the amount of

18  demonstrated unmet need for the cost of education and may not

19  exceed an amount equal to the average prior academic year cost

20  of tuition fees and other registration fees for 30 credit

21  hours at state universities or such other amount as specified

22  in the General Appropriations Act, to any recipient. A

23  demonstrated unmet need of less than $200 shall render the

24  applicant ineligible for a state student assistance grant.

25  Recipients of the grants must have been accepted at a state

26  university, school district technical center, or community

27  college authorized by Florida law. A student is eligible for

28  the award for 110 percent of the number of credit hours

29  required to complete the program in which enrolled, except as

30  otherwise provided in s. 1009.40(3).

31  

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 1         Section 4.  Section 1009.521, Florida Statutes, is

 2  created to read:

 3         1009.521  GED Success Scholarship.--

 4         (1)  The Legislature finds that students who

 5  successfully complete a GED program, receive a high school

 6  diploma, and enroll in postsecondary workforce education have

 7  a greater earning potential than students who do not enroll in

 8  postsecondary education. In order to encourage these students

 9  to attend a regionally or nationally accredited public or

10  private technical center or community college program that

11  trains for high-demand, high-skill, or high-wage careers,

12  there is established a GED Success Scholarship to be

13  administered by the department pursuant to the requirements of

14  this section and rules of the State Board of Education.

15         (2)  The Legislature may appropriate funds annually to

16  the GED Success Scholarship Program. The department shall

17  allocate any funds appropriated each year to eligible students

18  in increments of one $500 scholarship per eligible student.

19  Receipt of a GED Success Scholarship is not an entitlement and

20  is contingent on the appropriation of funds each year to

21  provide such scholarships. The department must award the

22  scholarships to eligible recipients on a first-come,

23  first-served basis until all funds that the Legislature has

24  specifically designated for the GED Success Scholarship for

25  that fiscal year have been allocated.

26         (3)  In order to be eligible to receive a scholarship

27  under this section, an applicant must:

28         (a)  Be a Florida resident for tuition purposes

29  pursuant to s. 1009.21.

30  

31  

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 1         (b)  Have successfully completed all sections of the

 2  GED tests which result in the award of a State of Florida high

 3  school diploma.

 4         (c)  Be enrolled in an accredited public or private

 5  technical center or community college in a program that

 6  provides a career path to, or trains for, high-demand,

 7  high-wage, or high-skill occupations or other occupations

 8  identified each year by Enterprise Florida or Workforce

 9  Florida, Inc., as critical or targeted occupations in the

10  state.

11         (d)  Submit a scholarship application using the Florida

12  Financial Aid Application. The application period begins

13  December 1 for the following school year and closes October 1

14  of the year in which funding is requested.

15         (4)(a)  Payment of a GED Success Scholarship shall be

16  transmitted to the director or president of the eligible

17  institution, or his or her representative, in advance of the

18  registration period. The institution shall notify students of

19  the amount of their respective awards.

20         (b)  Each participating institution shall report to the

21  department by the established date the number of eligible

22  students to whom scholarship moneys were disbursed each

23  academic term and any necessary demographic and eligibility

24  data for such students.

25         (c)  Each nationally or regionally accredited private

26  institution that receives moneys through the GED Success

27  Scholarship Program shall prepare an annual report that

28  includes a financial audit, conducted by an independent

29  certified public accountant, of the institution's

30  administration of the program and a complete accounting of the

31  moneys allocated to the institution for the program. The

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2326
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 1  report must be submitted to the department no later than March

 2  1 of each year.

 3         (5)  The State Board of Education may adopt rules

 4  relating to the administration of this scholarship program,

 5  pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54.

 6         Section 5.  Section 1011.802, Florida Statutes, is

 7  created to read:

 8         1011.802  School District Career Center Facility

 9  Enhancement Challenge Grant Program.--

10         (1)  The Legislature recognizes that state-of-the-art,

11  well-equipped school district career centers enable students

12  to complete their education better prepared to meet the

13  current demands of the workforce. It further recognizes that

14  business and industry partnerships that provide facilities and

15  equipment strengthen and enhance career centers and the

16  education that students who are enrolled in those centers

17  receive. The Legislature further recognizes that students in

18  school district career centers could benefit from facility

19  expansions and enhancements in addition to those currently

20  available from existing revenue sources. The Legislature also

21  recognizes that there are sources of private support that, if

22  matched with state and local support, can assist in

23  constructing and equipping facilities that will further

24  strengthen the commitment of business and industry in

25  promoting excellence at each career center. Therefore, it is

26  the intent of the Legislature to establish a program to

27  provide the opportunity for each school district career

28  center, through a direct-support organization, to receive and

29  match challenge grants for instructional capital facilities

30  within the career center.

31  

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 1         (2)  There is established the School District Career

 2  Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program for the

 3  purpose of assisting career centers in building high-priority

 4  instructional and community-related capital facilities

 5  consistent with s. 1001.44, including common areas connecting

 6  such facilities. The direct-support organizations that serve

 7  the school districts may solicit from private sources gifts

 8  that are eligible for state matching funds for capital

 9  facilities. For purposes of this section, private sources of

10  funds may not include any federal or state government funds

11  that a school district receives.

12         (3)  The School District Career Center Facilities

13  Enhancement Challenge Grant Program shall provide funds to

14  match private contributions for the development of

15  high-priority instructional and community-related capital

16  facilities, including common areas connecting such facilities,

17  within the career centers.

18         (4)  Within the direct-support organization of each

19  school district there must be established a separate career

20  center capital facilities matching account for the purpose of

21  providing matching funds from the direct-support

22  organization's unrestricted donations or other private

23  contributions for the development of high-priority

24  instructional and community-related capital facilities,

25  including common areas connecting such facilities. The

26  Legislature shall appropriate funds for distribution to a

27  school district after the direct-support organization and the

28  school district have certified matching funds to the

29  department. The Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt

30  Service Trust Fund may not be used as the source of the state

31  match for private contributions.

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 1         (5)  A project may not be initiated unless all private

 2  funds for planning, constructing, and equipping the facility

 3  have been received and deposited in the direct-support

 4  organization's matching account and the state's share for the

 5  minimum amount of funds needed to begin the project has been

 6  appropriated by the Legislature. The Legislature may

 7  appropriate the state's matching funds in one or more fiscal

 8  years for planning, constructing, and equipping an eligible

 9  facility. However, these requirements do not preclude the

10  school district or direct-support organization from expending

11  available funds from private sources to develop a prospectus,

12  including preliminary architectural schematics or models, for

13  use in its efforts to raise private funds for a facility.

14  Additionally, any private sources of funds expended for this

15  purpose are eligible for state matching funds if the project

16  is awarded grant funds under this section.

17         (6)  To be eligible to participate in the School

18  District Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant

19  Program, a school district, through its direct-support

20  organization, must raise a contribution equal to one-third of

21  the total cost of a facility construction project from private

22  sources, which must be matched by a state appropriation equal

23  to the amount raised for a facility construction project,

24  subject to the General Appropriations Act. Another one-third

25  of the total cost must be provided from the school district's

26  local capital funds.

27         (7)  If the state's share of the required match is

28  insufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (6), the

29  school district must renegotiate the terms of the contribution

30  with the donors. If the project is terminated, each private

31  donation, plus accrued interest, shall revert to the

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 1  direct-support organization for remittance to the donor at the

 2  donor's discretion.

 3         (8)  By September 1 of each year, the State Board of

 4  Education shall transmit to the Legislature, in the capital

 5  outlay budget request, a list of projects that meet all

 6  criteria for eligibility to participate in the School District

 7  Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program and

 8  a budget request that includes the recommended schedule

 9  necessary to complete each project.

10         (9)  In order for a project to be eligible under this

11  program, it must be recommended in an educational plant survey

12  prepared under s. 1013.31 and included in the school

13  district's 5-year capital improvement plan, and it must

14  receive prior approval from the State Board of Education.

15         (10)  Any project funds that are unexpended after a

16  project is completed shall revert to the school district's

17  direct-support organization capital facilities matching

18  account. Fifty percent of the unexpended funds shall be

19  reserved for the school district career center that originally

20  received the private contribution for the purpose of providing

21  private matching funds for future facility construction

22  projects as provided in this section. The balance of such

23  unexpended funds shall be returned to the General Revenue

24  Fund.

25         (11)  The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and

26  equipment shall be the property of the participating school

27  district. A facility constructed under this section may be

28  named in honor of a donor at the discretion of the local

29  school board.

30  

31  

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 1         Section 6.  Part VI of chapter 1011, Florida Statutes,

 2  consisting of sections 1011.96, 1011.97, and 1011.98, Florida

 3  Statutes, is created to read:

 4                             PART VI

 5                        SUCCEED, FLORIDA!

 6         1011.96  SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Crucial Professionals

 7  Program.--

 8         (1)  The SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Crucial Professionals

 9  Program is established to award funds to nationally or

10  regionally accredited public and private postsecondary

11  educational institutions in the state on a competitive basis

12  to offer programs that meet the critical workforce needs of

13  the state and to maximize the number of diplomas,

14  certificates, and degrees that are awarded to postsecondary

15  education students in fields vital to the residents of the

16  state. The Legislature shall annually determine in the General

17  Appropriations Act the programs that are eligible for this

18  funding.

19         (2)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature to the

20  department for the SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Crucial Professionals

21  Program shall be distributed as provided in this section.

22         (3)  The department shall develop and annually issue a

23  request for proposals. The department shall establish

24  application procedures, guidelines, accountability measures,

25  and timelines for implementing the grant program.

26         (4)  A proposal for a grant authorized pursuant to this

27  section must:

28         (a)  Indicate the number of students to be served, the

29  length of the proposed program, and the total projected cost

30  to students and the state. Funds for a grant provided pursuant

31  

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 1  to this section must be used to support new students and not

 2  to supplant current funding of students.

 3         (b)  Document the workforce need to be addressed.

 4         (c)  Demonstrate a pool of qualified applicants.

 5         (d)  Include a plan to increase the graduation rate of

 6  minorities and the presence of minorities in the workforce.

 7         (e)  Be submitted by an accredited public postsecondary

 8  educational institution in the state which provides

 9  postsecondary instruction in a field specified in the priority

10  list established pursuant to subsection (1).

11         (5)  For purposes of this section, postsecondary

12  educational institutions include school district career

13  centers that offer postsecondary programs.

14         (6)  Grant recipients must enter into a contract with

15  the state to produce a specific number of graduates in the

16  designated program within a specific time period. Grant

17  recipients must submit to the department periodic reports that

18  document compliance with the accountability measures

19  established by the department. The State Board of Education

20  shall monitor compliance with the accountability requirements.

21         1011.97  SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Career Paths Program.--

22         (1)  The SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Career Paths Program is

23  established as a grant program within the Department of

24  Education to provide startup grants to offset the

25  implementation costs of partnerships between a district school

26  board or the Florida Virtual School and one or more

27  businesses, industries, or postsecondary educational

28  institutions to operate a career and professional academy

29  pursuant to s. 1014.21.

30         (2)  A district school board or the Florida Virtual

31  School may apply to the department for a grant, which must be

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 1  provided through a competitive process and may be used only

 2  for a career and professional academy.

 3         (3)  A high school that currently has a career academy,

 4  career institute, industry-certified program, or

 5  pre-apprenticeship program, as well as a charter technical

 6  career center, is eligible to apply for a grant to redesign

 7  its programs to meet the rigorous and relevant academic

 8  standards of a career and professional academy.

 9         (4)  Curriculum and content developed in a career and

10  professional academy as a result of a startup grant must be

11  made available to all school districts.

12         1011.98  SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Critical Jobs Program.--

13         (1)  The SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Critical Jobs Program is

14  established to award funds to public postsecondary educational

15  institutions in the state on a competitive basis to produce

16  more qualified and trained graduates to enter high-demand,

17  high-skill, high-wage occupations or other occupations

18  identified each year by Enterprise Florida or Workforce

19  Florida, Inc., each year as critical in the state. For

20  purposes of this section, postsecondary educational

21  institutions include school district career centers that offer

22  postsecondary programs.

23         (2)  Funds appropriated by the Legislature to the

24  department for the SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Critical Jobs Program

25  must be distributed as set forth in this section.

26         (3)  The department shall develop and annually issue a

27  request for proposals. The department shall establish

28  application procedures, guidelines, accountability measures,

29  and timelines for implementation of the grant program.

30         (4)  Proposals for a grant authorized pursuant to this

31  section must:

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 1         (a)  Indicate the number of students to be served, the

 2  length of the proposed program, and the total projected cost

 3  to students and the state. Funds for a grant provided under

 4  this section must be used to support new students and not to

 5  supplant current funding for students.

 6         (b)  Document the workforce need to be addressed using

 7  the Enterprise Florida Sectors and the Statewide Demand List

 8  produced by the Workforce Estimating Conference.

 9         (c)  Demonstrate a pool of qualified applicants.

10         (d)  Be submitted by a public postsecondary educational

11  institution in the state which provides postsecondary

12  instruction in a field that produces graduates prepared to

13  enter an occupation identified in the priority list

14  established pursuant to subsection (1).

15         (e)  Indicate the number of postsecondary diplomas,

16  certificates, or degrees that the institution will award using

17  funds received pursuant to this section and the fields in

18  which the diplomas, certificates, or degrees will be awarded.

19         (f)  Indicate how the funds received will leverage

20  private industry contributions, grants, or scholarships and

21  how the funds will be used to offset costs to the state for

22  program startup or expansion or to offset student tuition

23  costs.

24         (5)  The department must review proposals and determine

25  funding to be provided based on the requirements set forth in

26  subsection (4) and shall give high priority to proposals that

27  appear likely to produce the greatest number of students

28  completing the program.

29         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

30  

31  

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 1            *****************************************

 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Relates to career education. Creates the "SUCCEED,
      FLORIDA! Initiative" act. In s. 1007.23, F.S., relating
 4    to statewide articulation, replaces the phrase "workforce
      development" with the phrase "workforce education."
 5    Requires the Department of Education annually to identify
      workforce education program courses and programs for
 6    statewide articulation and to propose an articulation
      agreement. Allows students who are enrolled in a
 7    postsecondary career certificate program that comprises
      at least 450 hours to qualify for the Florida Public
 8    Student Assistance Grant Program.
           Creates the GED Success Scholarship Program.
 9    Prescribes the amount of a scholarship. Provides
      procedures. Provides requirements for eligibility.
10    Requires reports to the department. Requires a financial
      audit of each institution's administration of the
11    program. Allows the State Board of Education to adopt
      rules.
12         Creates the School District Career Center Facility
      Enhancement Challenge Grant Program. Provides legislative
13    intent and findings. Provides purposes of the program.
      Provides for direct-support organizations to solicit
14    private funds. Provides for state matching funds.
      Requires the establishment of a separate career center
15    capital facilities matching account. Prohibits the use of
      certain funding sources to provide state matching funds.
16    Provides criteria for a school district's eligibility to
      participate in the program. Provides for the disposition
17    of private donations if a project is terminated. Requires
      the State Board of Education annually to submit to the
18    Legislature a list of eligible projects and a budget
      request that includes the recommended completion schedule
19    for each project. Provides prerequisites for eligibility.
      Provides for the disposition of unexpended project funds.
20    Provides that certain elements of the project are the
      property of the school district. Allows a facility to be
21    named for a donor.
           Creates pt. VI of ch. 1011, F.S., consisting of ss.
22    1011.96, 1011.97, and 1011.98, F.S. Creates the SUCCEED,
      FLORIDA! Crucial Professionals Program. Provides
23    purposes. Requires the department to issue requests for
      proposals and to establish application procedures,
24    guidelines, accountability measures, and timelines.
      Provides requirements for the contents of a grant
25    proposal. Provides requirements for participants.
      Requires grant recipients to report to the department.
26    Requires the State Board of Education to monitor
      compliance with the accountability requirements. Creates
27    the SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Career Paths Program. Provides
      purposes. Provides application procedures. Requires that
28    curriculum and content developed in a career and
      professional academy be made available to all school
29    districts. Creates the SUCCEED, FLORIDA! Critical Jobs
      Program. Provides purposes. Provides criteria for
30    distributing funds. Requires the department to issue
      requests for proposals and to establish application
31    procedures, guidelines, accountability measures, and
      timelines. Provides requirements for the contents of a
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 1    grant proposal. Requires the department to review the
      proposals and determine the funding to be provided and to
 2    prioritize recipients as specified.

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