| 1 | The Community Colleges & Workforce Committee recommends the |
| 2 | following: |
| 3 |
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| 4 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 5 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 6 | A bill to be entitled |
| 7 | An act relating to career and professional academies; |
| 8 | creating s. 1003.493, F.S.; defining "career and |
| 9 | professional academy"; providing academy goals and duties; |
| 10 | authorizing an academy to be offered as a described small |
| 11 | learning community; creating s. 1003.494, F.S.; requiring |
| 12 | the Department of Education to establish a Career High- |
| 13 | Skill Occupational Initiative for Career Education |
| 14 | (CHOICE) project as a competitive process for the |
| 15 | designation of school district participants and CHOICE |
| 16 | academies; defining "CHOICE academy" and providing |
| 17 | purposes thereof; providing eligibility criteria for such |
| 18 | designation and duties of participating school districts |
| 19 | and the department; providing for the award to school |
| 20 | district participants in the CHOICE project of startup |
| 21 | funds for the development of CHOICE academies; amending |
| 22 | ss. 288.9015 and 445.004, F.S.; providing duties of |
| 23 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., and Workforce Florida, Inc., to |
| 24 | conform; providing an effective date. |
| 25 |
|
| 26 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 27 |
|
| 28 | Section 1. Section 1003.493, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 29 | to read: |
| 30 | 1003.493 Career and professional academies.-- |
| 31 | (1) A "career and professional academy" is a |
| 32 | research-based program that integrates a rigorous academic |
| 33 | curriculum with an industry-driven career curriculum. Career and |
| 34 | professional academies may be offered by public schools, school |
| 35 | districts, or the Florida Virtual School. Students completing |
| 36 | career and professional academy programs receive a standard high |
| 37 | school diploma, the highest available industry certification, |
| 38 | and postsecondary credit if the academy partners with a |
| 39 | postsecondary institution. |
| 40 | (2) The goals of a career and professional academy are to: |
| 41 | (a) Increase student academic achievement and graduation |
| 42 | rates through integrated academic and career curricula. |
| 43 | (b) Focus on career preparation through rigorous academics |
| 44 | and industry certification. |
| 45 | (c) Raise student aspiration and commitment to academic |
| 46 | achievement and work ethics. |
| 47 | (d) Support graduation requirements by providing creative, |
| 48 | applied majors as provided by law. |
| 49 | (e) Promote acceleration mechanisms, such as dual |
| 50 | enrollment, articulated credit, or occupational completion |
| 51 | points, so that students may earn postsecondary credit while in |
| 52 | high school. |
| 53 | (f) Support the state's economy by meeting industry needs |
| 54 | for skilled employees in high-demand occupations. |
| 55 | (3) A career and professional academy may be offered as |
| 56 | one of the following small learning communities: |
| 57 | (a) A school-within-a-school career academy, as part of an |
| 58 | existing high school, that provides courses in one occupational |
| 59 | cluster. Students in the high school are not required to be |
| 60 | students in the academy. |
| 61 | (b) A total school configuration providing multiple |
| 62 | academies, each structured around an occupational cluster. Every |
| 63 | student in the school is in an academy. |
| 64 | (4) Each career and professional academy must: |
| 65 | (a) Provide a rigorous standards-based academic curriculum |
| 66 | integrated with a career curriculum. The curriculum must take |
| 67 | into consideration multiple styles of student learning; promote |
| 68 | learning by doing through application and adaptation; maximize |
| 69 | relevance of the subject matter; enhance each student's capacity |
| 70 | to excel; and include an emphasis on work habits and work |
| 71 | ethics. |
| 72 | (b) Include one or more partnerships with postsecondary |
| 73 | institutions, businesses, industry, employers, economic |
| 74 | development organizations, or other appropriate partners from |
| 75 | the local community. Such partnerships must provide |
| 76 | opportunities for: |
| 77 | 1. Instruction from highly skilled professionals. |
| 78 | 2. Internships, externships, and on-the-job training. |
| 79 | 3. A postsecondary degree, diploma, or certificate. |
| 80 | 4. The highest available level of industry certification. |
| 81 | Where no national or state certification exists, school |
| 82 | districts may establish a local certification in conjunction |
| 83 | with the local workforce development board, the chamber of |
| 84 | commerce, or the Agency for Workforce Innovation. |
| 85 | 5. Maximum articulation of credits pursuant to s. 1007.23 |
| 86 | upon program completion. |
| 87 | (c) Provide creative and tailored student advisement, |
| 88 | including parent participation and coordination with middle |
| 89 | schools to provide career exploration and education planning. |
| 90 | Coordination with middle schools must provide information to |
| 91 | middle school students about secondary and postsecondary career |
| 92 | education programs and academies. |
| 93 | (d) Provide a career education certification on the high |
| 94 | school diploma pursuant to s. 1003.431. |
| 95 | (e) Provide instruction in careers designated as high |
| 96 | growth, high demand, and high pay by the local workforce |
| 97 | development board, the chamber of commerce, or the Agency for |
| 98 | Workforce Innovation. |
| 99 | (f) Deliver academic content through instruction relevant |
| 100 | to the career, including intensive reading and mathematics |
| 101 | intervention, with an emphasis on strengthening reading for |
| 102 | information skills. |
| 103 | (g) Offer applied courses that combine academic content |
| 104 | with technical skills. Such courses must be submitted to the |
| 105 | Department of Education no later than 5 months before the |
| 106 | beginning of the school term in which such courses are planned |
| 107 | to be offered. The State Board of Education must approve or |
| 108 | disapprove courses no later than 3 months before the beginning |
| 109 | of the school term in which such courses are planned to be |
| 110 | offered. The department shall present new courses to the state |
| 111 | board for approval a minimum of three times annually. |
| 112 | (h) Provide instruction resulting in competency, |
| 113 | certification, or credentials in workplace skills, including, |
| 114 | but not limited to, communication skills, interpersonal skills, |
| 115 | decisionmaking skills, the importance of attendance and |
| 116 | timeliness in the work environment, and work ethics. |
| 117 | (i) Provide opportunities for students to obtain the |
| 118 | Florida Ready to Work Certification as provided by law. |
| 119 | (j) Include an evaluation plan developed jointly with the |
| 120 | Department of Education. The evaluation plan must include a |
| 121 | self-assessment tool based on standards, such as the Career |
| 122 | Academy National Standards of Practice, and outcome measures |
| 123 | including, but not limited to, graduation rates, enrollment in |
| 124 | postsecondary education, business and industry satisfaction, |
| 125 | employment and earnings, achievement of industry certification, |
| 126 | awards of postsecondary credit, and FCAT achievement levels and |
| 127 | learning gains. |
| 128 | Section 2. Section 1003.494, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 129 | to read: |
| 130 | 1003.494 Career High-Skill Occupational Initiative for |
| 131 | Career Education (CHOICE) academies.-- |
| 132 | (1) The Department of Education shall establish a Career |
| 133 | High-Skill Occupational Initiative for Career Education (CHOICE) |
| 134 | project. The project shall consist of a competitive process for |
| 135 | selecting and designating school districts as participants in |
| 136 | the project and designating CHOICE academies within |
| 137 | participating school districts. |
| 138 | (2) A "CHOICE academy" is a career and professional |
| 139 | academy that meets the goals and requirements specified in s. |
| 140 | 1003.493 and offers a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum |
| 141 | leading to industry-recognized certification, college credit, |
| 142 | and credit toward a high school diploma. Existing career |
| 143 | education courses may serve as a foundation for the creation of |
| 144 | a CHOICE academy. |
| 145 | (3) The purposes of a CHOICE academy are to: |
| 146 | (a) Draw upon ongoing partnerships between education and |
| 147 | workforce development or economic development organizations to |
| 148 | enhance the quality and opportunities for career education for |
| 149 | high school students by exposure to in-demand career education |
| 150 | as identified by such organizations in the local community. |
| 151 | (b) Build upon the state system of school improvement and |
| 152 | education accountability by providing students with a solid |
| 153 | academic foundation, opportunities to obtain industry-recognized |
| 154 | certification or credentials, and preparation for postsecondary |
| 155 | educational experiences in related fields. |
| 156 | (c) Prepare graduating high school students to make |
| 157 | appropriate choices relative to employment and future |
| 158 | educational experiences. |
| 159 | (4) The Department of Education may establish application |
| 160 | guidelines for an annual competitive process and eligibility |
| 161 | criteria for school district participation. A school district |
| 162 | may apply to the department for designation as a CHOICE project |
| 163 | participating district, and the department, in consultation with |
| 164 | Workforce Florida, Inc., and Enterprise Florida, Inc., may |
| 165 | designate as many school districts as it deems advisable each |
| 166 | year. Eligibility criteria for designation of a school district |
| 167 | as a CHOICE project participant shall include, but not be |
| 168 | limited to: |
| 169 | (a) The willingness and ability of associated businesses |
| 170 | or industries to form partnerships with and support CHOICE |
| 171 | academies. |
| 172 | (b) The dedication of school district resources to CHOICE |
| 173 | academies. |
| 174 | (5) The Department of Education, in consultation with |
| 175 | Workforce Florida, Inc., shall establish standards for |
| 176 | designating specific CHOICE academies in each participating |
| 177 | school district. A participating school district may apply to |
| 178 | the department for designation of a CHOICE academy within the |
| 179 | district. Eligibility criteria for such designation shall |
| 180 | include, but not be limited to: |
| 181 | (a) Partnerships with an associated business or industry |
| 182 | and a regional workforce board or the primary local economic |
| 183 | development organization in the county as recognized by |
| 184 | Enterprise Florida, Inc. The partnership of the business or |
| 185 | industry with the CHOICE academy must be based on the connection |
| 186 | of the business or industry with the academy's career theme and |
| 187 | must involve future plans for improving the local economy. The |
| 188 | business or industry partner must be consulted during the |
| 189 | planning stages of a CHOICE academy and provide business or |
| 190 | industry support and resources devoted to the CHOICE academy. |
| 191 | The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations or a designee |
| 192 | must also be consulted during the planning stages of a CHOICE |
| 193 | academy and may provide support and resources devoted to the |
| 194 | CHOICE academy. |
| 195 | (b) At least one established partnership and an |
| 196 | articulation agreement for credit with a postsecondary |
| 197 | institution. |
| 198 | (c) A plan for sustaining the CHOICE academy. |
| 199 |
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| 200 | The Okaloosa County School District and other school districts |
| 201 | that have received funding from Workforce Florida, Inc., for the |
| 202 | establishment of CHOICE academies prior to July 1, 2006, shall |
| 203 | receive an expedited review for CHOICE academy designation by |
| 204 | the department. |
| 205 | (6) A participating school district shall: |
| 206 | (a) Identify an appropriate location for classes. |
| 207 | (b) Ensure that a CHOICE academy is flexible enough to |
| 208 | respond both to the needs and abilities of students and to the |
| 209 | needs of associated businesses or industries. |
| 210 | (c) Redirect appropriated funding from ongoing activities |
| 211 | to a CHOICE academy. |
| 212 | (d) Plan for sustaining a CHOICE academy as an ongoing |
| 213 | program without additional funding. |
| 214 | (7) The Department of Education shall: |
| 215 | (a) With assistance from Workforce Florida, Inc., provide |
| 216 | technical assistance to participating school districts in |
| 217 | submitting applications for designation of specific CHOICE |
| 218 | academies located in specific schools in the school district, |
| 219 | reorganizing career education opportunities, developing CHOICE |
| 220 | academies with career themes in areas deemed appropriate by |
| 221 | Workforce Florida, Inc., or local economic development |
| 222 | organizations, and developing funding plans. |
| 223 | (b) Jointly with Workforce Florida, Inc., and in |
| 224 | consultation with school districts, develop evaluation criteria |
| 225 | for CHOICE academies. Such criteria shall include increased |
| 226 | academic performance of students and schools using school-level |
| 227 | accountability data. |
| 228 | (c) Report to the State Board of Education, the Governor, |
| 229 | the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 230 | Representatives by July 1 of each year on school district |
| 231 | participation in the CHOICE project, designated CHOICE academies |
| 232 | with enrollment and completion data for such academies, and |
| 233 | appropriate outcomes for students who have completed a CHOICE |
| 234 | academy program. Such outcomes may include continuing |
| 235 | educational experiences of CHOICE academy graduates, business or |
| 236 | industry satisfaction with the CHOICE academies, placement of |
| 237 | CHOICE academy graduates in employment, and earnings of such |
| 238 | graduates. |
| 239 | (d) Promote CHOICE academies and provide planning and |
| 240 | startup resources as available. |
| 241 | (8) As provided in the General Appropriations Act, the |
| 242 | Department of Education shall award one-time startup funds to |
| 243 | school districts designated as participants in the CHOICE |
| 244 | project for the development of CHOICE academies. All school |
| 245 | districts designated by the department are authorized to |
| 246 | establish one or more CHOICE academies without incentive funds. |
| 247 | Section 3. Subsection (7) is added to section 288.9015, |
| 248 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 249 | 288.9015 Enterprise Florida, Inc.; purpose; duties.-- |
| 250 | (7) Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall work with the |
| 251 | Department of Education and Workforce Florida, Inc., in the |
| 252 | designation of school districts as participants in the CHOICE |
| 253 | project pursuant to s. 1003.494. |
| 254 | Section 4. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (5) of |
| 255 | section 445.004, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 256 | 445.004 Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose; |
| 257 | membership; duties and powers.-- |
| 258 | (5) Workforce Florida, Inc., shall have all the powers and |
| 259 | authority, not explicitly prohibited by statute, necessary or |
| 260 | convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes as |
| 261 | determined by statute, Pub. L. No. 105-220, and the Governor, as |
| 262 | well as its functions, duties, and responsibilities, including, |
| 263 | but not limited to, the following: |
| 264 | (i) Working with the Department of Education and |
| 265 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., in the implementation of the CHOICE |
| 266 | project pursuant to s. 1003.494. |
| 267 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |