HB 513

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to career and professional academies;
3creating s. 1003.493, F.S.; defining the term "career and
4professional academy"; providing academy goals and duties;
5providing types of career and professional academies;
6providing for the approval of career education courses as
7core curricula courses under certain circumstances;
8creating s. 1003.494, F.S.; requiring the Department of
9Education to establish a Career High-Skill Occupational
10Initiative for Career Education (CHOICE) project as a
11competitive process for the designation of school district
12participants and CHOICE academies; providing eligibility
13criteria for such designation; providing duties of school
14districts and the department; providing for the award to
15certain school districts of startup funds for the
16development of CHOICE academies; creating s. 1003.495,
17F.S.; requiring the department to establish a
18comprehensive career academy project to provide for the
19designation of comprehensive career academies; providing
20duties of the department; providing for assessment of
21academies; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.; requiring district
22school board student progression plans to provide for the
23substitution of certain courses for credit requirements
24for high school graduation; amending ss. 288.9015 and
25445.004, F.S.; providing duties of Enterprise Florida,
26Inc., and Workforce Florida, Inc., to conform; providing
27an effective date.
28
29Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31     Section 1.  Section 1003.493, Florida Statutes, is created
32to read:
33     1003.493  Career and professional academies.--
34     (1)  A "career and professional academy" is a
35research-based program as described in subsection (3) that
36offers a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum with an
37industry and business relevant career theme offered by a public
38school or school district.
39     (2)  The goals of career and professional academies are to:
40     (a)  Increase student achievement.
41     (b)  Focus on careers and postsecondary education.
42     (c)  Raise student aspiration and commitment to academic
43achievement.
44     (3)  A career and professional academy may be offered as
45one of the following small learning communities:
46     (a)  A Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for Career
47Education (CHOICE) academy, pursuant to s. 1003.494, with one
48career theme and created as part of an existing high school or
49as a school-within-a-school program. Students in the school are
50not required to be students in the academy.
51     (b)  A comprehensive career academy, pursuant to s.
521003.495, that is structured around one or more career themes
53and consists of one or more career academy programs.
54     (4)  Each career and professional academy must:
55     (a)  Provide a rigorous and relevant standards-based
56academic curriculum through a career-based theme with
57instruction relevant to the career. The curriculum must take
58into consideration multiple styles of student learning; promote
59learning by doing through application and adaptation; maximize
60relevance of the subject matter; enhance each student's capacity
61to excel; and include an emphasis on work habits and work
62ethics.
63     (b)  Include one or more partnerships with businesses,
64industry, employers, economic development organizations, or
65other appropriate partners from the local community. Such
66partnerships must include opportunities for:
67     1.  Highly skilled professionals to provide instruction in
68their areas of expertise.
69     2.  Use of state-of-the-art equipment in the instructional
70program of the academy.
71     3.  Internships, externships, and on-the-job training.
72     (c)  Include one or more partnerships with public or
73private postsecondary institutions accredited by a regional or
74national accrediting agency recognized by the United States
75Department of Education. The educational partner must:
76     1.  Agree to articulate coursework to maximize
77transferability of credit.
78     2.  Offer a postsecondary degree, diploma, or certificate
79in the career theme of the academy.
80     (d)  Provide creative and tailored student advisement,
81including opportunities and encouragement for parent
82participation in career education planning, and coordination
83with middle schools in the school district to provide career
84counseling. The coordination with middle schools must include
85promotion in middle school of secondary and postsecondary career
86education programs and opportunities to participate in an
87academy. Such promotion may take place through middle school
88exploratory courses.
89     (e)  Provide a career education certification on the high
90school diploma pursuant to s. 1003.431.
91     (f)  Provide instruction, certification, or credentials in
92work readiness skills, including, but not limited to,
93communication skills, interpersonal skills, decisionmaking
94skills, the importance of attendance and timeliness in the work
95environment, and work ethics.
96     (g)  Establish student eligibility criteria. While
97recognizing that rigorous academic performance will be expected
98of all students participating in an academy, initial eligibility
99criteria must permit opportunities for students who may not yet
100meet the academic requirements but demonstrate characteristics
101that may lead to success in an academy. The aim of an academy
102should be to serve not only students who are already succeeding
103but also students who would succeed if the proper instructional
104and motivational opportunities were provided.
105     (5)  If a career and professional academy is designated as
106a CHOICE academy under s. 1003.494 or a comprehensive career
107academy under s. 1003.495, the career education courses offered
108in the academy that emphasize reading, writing, mathematics, and
109science may be considered core curricula courses upon approval
110of the Commissioner of Education.
111     Section 2.  Section 1003.494, Florida Statutes, is created
112to read:
113     1003.494  Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for
114Career Education (CHOICE) academies.--
115     (1)  The Department of Education shall establish a Career
116High-Skill Occupational Initiative for Career Education (CHOICE)
117project. The project shall consist of a competitive process for
118selecting and designating school districts as participants in
119the project and designating CHOICE academies in schools within
120participating school districts.
121     (2)  A CHOICE academy is a career and professional academy
122that meets the goals and requirements specified in s. 1003.493
123and offers a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum leading
124to industry-recognized certification, college credit, and credit
125toward a high school diploma. Existing career education courses
126may serve as a foundation for the creation of a CHOICE academy.
127     (3)  The purpose of a CHOICE academy shall be to:
128     (a)  Draw upon ongoing partnerships between education and
129workforce development or economic development organizations to
130enhance the quality and opportunities for career education for
131high school students by exposure to in-demand career education
132as identified by such organizations in the local community.
133     (b)  Build upon the state system of school improvement and
134education accountability by providing students with a solid
135academic foundation, opportunities to obtain industry-recognized
136certification or credentials, and preparation for postsecondary
137educational experiences in related fields.
138     (c)  Focus students on completing high school graduation
139requirements, including, but not limited to, receiving passing
140scores on the grade 10 FCAT.
141     (d)  Prepare graduating high school students to make
142appropriate choices relative to employment and future
143educational experiences.
144     (4)  The Department of Education shall establish
145application guidelines for an annual competitive process and
146eligibility criteria for school district participation. A school
147district may apply to the department for designation as a CHOICE
148project participating district, and the department, in
149consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc., and Enterprise
150Florida, Inc., may designate as many school districts as it
151deems advisable each year. Eligibility criteria for designation
152of a school district as a CHOICE project participant shall
153include, but not be limited to:
154     (a)  The willingness and ability of associated businesses
155or industries to form partnerships with and support CHOICE
156academies.
157     (b)  The dedication of school district resources to CHOICE
158academies.
159     (5)  The Department of Education, in consultation with
160Workforce Florida, Inc., shall establish standards for
161designating specific CHOICE academies in each participating
162school district. The Okaloosa County School District may serve
163in an advisory role in the establishment of such standards. A
164participating school district may apply to the department for
165designation of a CHOICE academy within a school in the district.
166Eligibility criteria for such designation must include, but not
167be limited to, the following:
168     (a)  The existence of partnerships with an associated
169business or industry and a regional workforce board or the
170primary local economic development organization in the county as
171recognized by Enterprise Florida, Inc. The partnership of the
172business or industry with the CHOICE academy must be based on
173the connection of the business or industry with the academy's
174career theme and must involve future plans for improving the
175local economy. The business or industry partner must be
176consulted during the planning stages of a CHOICE academy and
177provide business or industry support and resources devoted to
178the CHOICE academy.
179     (b)  The existence of at least one established partnership
180and an articulation agreement for credit with a postsecondary
181institution.
182     (c)  The existence of participation opportunities for
183students, including students in home education programs,
184students with disabilities, and nontraditional students.
185     (d)  The existence of a plan for sustaining the CHOICE
186academy.
187
188The Okaloosa County School District and other school districts
189that have received funding from Workforce Florida, Inc., for the
190establishment of CHOICE academies prior to July 1, 2006, shall
191receive an expedited review for CHOICE academy designation by
192the department.
193     (6)  A participating school district shall:
194     (a)  Identify an appropriate location for classes.
195     (b)  Ensure that a CHOICE academy is flexible enough to
196respond both to the needs and abilities of students and to the
197needs of associated businesses or industries.
198     (c)  Redirect appropriated funding from ongoing activities
199to a CHOICE academy.
200     (d)  Plan for sustaining a CHOICE academy as an ongoing
201program without additional funding.
202     (e)  Assist in program technical support for students in
203private schools, charter schools, or home education programs.
204     (f)  Allow students in private schools, charter schools, or
205home education programs to participate in a CHOICE academy
206through dual enrollment.
207     (7)  The Department of Education shall:
208     (a)  With assistance from Workforce Florida, Inc., provide
209technical assistance to participating school districts in
210submitting applications for designation of specific CHOICE
211academies located in specific schools in the school district,
212reorganizing career education opportunities, developing CHOICE
213academies with career themes in areas deemed appropriate by
214Workforce Florida, Inc., or local economic development
215organizations, and developing funding plans.
216     (b)  Approve or disapprove within 30 days a request by a
217participating school district on behalf of a designated CHOICE
218academy for the substitution of appropriate rigorous and
219relevant coursework deemed critical for student success by an
220industry for coursework required for high school graduation. If
221the school district does not receive a response to the request
222within 30 days, the district school board shall allow the
223substitution according to its student progression plan pursuant
224to s. 1003.43(1).
225     (c)  Make appropriate policy decisions relative to CHOICE
226academies when such decisions are not specifically directed by
227law.
228     (d)  Jointly with Workforce Florida, Inc., and in
229consultation with the school districts, develop evaluation
230criteria for CHOICE academies. Such criteria shall include
231increased academic performance of students and schools using
232school-level accountability data.
233     (e)  Report to the State Board of Education, the Governor,
234the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
235Representatives by July 1 of each year on school district
236participation in the CHOICE project, designated CHOICE academies
237with enrollment and completion data for such academies, and
238appropriate outcomes for students who have completed a CHOICE
239academy program. Such outcomes may include continuing
240educational experiences of CHOICE academy graduates, business or
241industry satisfaction with the CHOICE academies, placement of
242CHOICE academy graduates in employment, and earnings of such
243graduates.
244     (f)  Have the authority to promote CHOICE academies and to
245provide planning and startup resources.
246     (8)  Pursuant to appropriation in the General
247Appropriations Act, the Department of Education shall award one-
248time startup funds to five of the school districts designated as
249participants in the CHOICE project for the development of CHOICE
250academies. All school districts designated by the department are
251authorized to establish one or more CHOICE academies without
252incentive funds.
253     Section 3.  Section 1003.495, Florida Statutes, is created
254to read:
255     1003.495  Comprehensive career academies.--
256     (1)  The Department of Education shall establish a
257comprehensive career academy project to provide for the
258designation of comprehensive career academies in the school
259districts.
260     (2)  A comprehensive career academy is a career and
261professional academy that meets the goals and requirements
262specified in s. 1003.493 and offers a rigorous and relevant
263academic curriculum that prepares students for college, careers,
264and productive citizenship.
265     (3)  The Department of Education, in consultation with the
266school districts, shall adopt criteria for evaluation of
267comprehensive career academies and an assessment tool based on
268national standards of practice. The assessment tool must be
269designed so that a comprehensive career academy may use it as a
270self-assessment tool.
271     (4)  Each comprehensive career academy shall perform a
272self-assessment using the adopted assessment tool at the end of
273the first year of operation and periodically thereafter as
274determined by the Department of Education.
275     (5)  A school district may request the Department of
276Education to conduct an assessment of a comprehensive career
277academy for purposes of designation by the department as a
278comprehensive career academy. If the department determines that
279an academy meets national standards of practice, the department
280shall designate the academy as a comprehensive career academy.
281     (6)  The Department of Education shall approve or
282disapprove within 30 days a request by a school district on
283behalf of a designated comprehensive career academy for the
284substitution of appropriate rigorous and relevant coursework
285deemed critical for student success by an industry for
286coursework required for high school graduation. If the school
287district does not receive a response to the request within 30
288days, the district school board shall allow the substitution
289according to its student progression plan pursuant to s.
2901003.43(1).
291     Section 4.  Subsection (1) of section 1003.43, Florida
292Statutes, is amended to read:
293     1003.43  General requirements for high school graduation.--
294     (1)  Graduation requires successful completion of either a
295minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12 or an
296International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits shall be
297distributed as follows:
298     (a)  Four credits in English, with major concentration in
299composition and literature.
300     (b)  Three credits in mathematics. Effective for students
301entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
302thereafter, one of these credits must be Algebra I, a series of
303courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a higher-level mathematics
304course.
305     (c)  Three credits in science, two of which must have a
306laboratory component. Agriscience Foundations I, the core course
307in secondary Agriscience and Natural Resources programs, counts
308as one of the science credits.
309     (d)  One credit in American history.
310     (e)  One credit in world history, including a comparative
311study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of all major
312political systems.
313     (f)  One-half credit in economics, including a comparative
314study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of all major
315economic systems. The Florida Council on Economic Education
316shall provide technical assistance to the department and
317district school boards in developing curriculum materials for
318the study of economics.
319     (g)  One-half credit in American government, including
320study of the Constitution of the United States. For students
321entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
322thereafter, the study of Florida government, including study of
323the State Constitution, the three branches of state government,
324and municipal and county government, shall be included as part
325of the required study of American government.
326     (h)1.  One credit in practical arts career education or
327exploratory career education. Any career education course as
328defined in s. 1003.01 may be taken to satisfy the high school
329graduation requirement for one credit in practical arts or
330exploratory career education provided in this subparagraph;
331     2.  One credit in performing fine arts to be selected from
332music, dance, drama, painting, or sculpture. A course in any art
333form, in addition to painting or sculpture, that requires manual
334dexterity, or a course in speech and debate, may be taken to
335satisfy the high school graduation requirement for one credit in
336performing arts pursuant to this subparagraph; or
337     3.  One-half credit each in practical arts career education
338or exploratory career education and performing fine arts, as
339defined in this paragraph.
340
341Such credit for practical arts career education or exploratory
342career education or for performing fine arts shall be made
343available in the 9th grade, and students shall be scheduled into
344a 9th grade course as a priority.
345     (i)  One-half credit in life management skills to include
346consumer education, positive emotional development, marriage and
347relationship skill-based education, nutrition, parenting skills,
348prevention of human immunodeficiency virus infection and
349acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other sexually
350transmissible diseases, benefits of sexual abstinence and
351consequences of teenage pregnancy, information and instruction
352on breast cancer detection and breast self-examination,
353cardiopulmonary resuscitation, drug education, and the hazards
354of smoking.
355     (j)  One credit in physical education to include
356assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal fitness.
357Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior varsity
358or varsity level, for two full seasons, shall satisfy the one-
359credit requirement in physical education if the student passes a
360competency test on personal fitness with a score of "C" or
361better. The competency test on personal fitness must be
362developed by the Department of Education. A district school
363board may not require that the one credit in physical education
364be taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one semester
365with a grade of "C" or better in a marching band class, in a
366physical activity class that requires participation in marching
367band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a Reserve
368Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class a significant component
369of which is drills shall satisfy a one-half credit requirement
370in physical education. This one-half credit may not be used to
371satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for
372adaptive physical education under an individual educational plan
373(IEP) or 504 plan.
374     (k)  Eight and one-half elective credits.
375
376District school boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in
377social studies and one-half elective credit for student
378completion of nonpaid voluntary community or school service
379work. Students choosing this option must complete a minimum of
38075 hours of service in order to earn the one-half credit in
381either category of instruction. Credit may not be earned for
382service provided as a result of court action. District school
383boards that approve the award of credit for student volunteer
384service shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the
385credit, and school principals are responsible for approving
386specific volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course
387Code Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 that is taken below
388the 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation
389requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements as
390specified in a district school board's student progression plan.
391A student shall be granted credit toward meeting the
392requirements of this subsection for equivalent courses, as
393identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(6), taken through dual
394enrollment. Each district school board's student progression
395plan must provide for the substitution of a course identified in
396the Course Code Directory and offered in a designated CHOICE
397academy under s. 1003.494 or in a designated comprehensive
398career academy under s. 1003.495 for a credit requirement for
399graduation under this subsection. A student may make such
400substitution for a maximum of two of the academic credit
401requirements.
402     Section 5.  Subsection (7) is added to section 288.9015,
403Florida Statutes, to read:
404     288.9015  Enterprise Florida, Inc.; purpose; duties.--
405     (7)  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall work with the
406Department of Education and Workforce Florida, Inc., in the
407designation of school districts as participants in the CHOICE
408project pursuant to s. 1003.494.
409     Section 6.  Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (5) of
410section 445.004, Florida Statutes, to read:
411     445.004  Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose;
412membership; duties and powers.--
413     (5)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall have all the powers and
414authority, not explicitly prohibited by statute, necessary or
415convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes as
416determined by statute, Pub. L. No. 105-220, and the Governor, as
417well as its functions, duties, and responsibilities, including,
418but not limited to, the following:
419     (i)  Working with the Department of Education and
420Enterprise Florida, Inc., in the implementation of the CHOICE
421project pursuant to s. 1003.494.
422     Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.


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