1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s. |
3 | 1001.44, F.S.; authorizing an articulation agreement for |
4 | delivery of associate in applied science degree programs |
5 | by career centers; providing requirements for use of the |
6 | designation "technical college"; providing a definition; |
7 | amending s. 1002.34, F.S.; providing for a charter |
8 | technical career center to use the designation "technical |
9 | college"; providing a definition; amending s. 1007.22, |
10 | F.S.; revising provisions relating to establishment of |
11 | interinstitutional mechanisms by public postsecondary |
12 | educational institutions; amending s. 1007.23, F.S.; |
13 | revising components of the statewide articulation |
14 | agreement; revising terminology; creating s. 1007.234, |
15 | F.S.; requiring the State Board of Education, in |
16 | consultation with the Board of Governors, to establish |
17 | statewide articulation agreements for articulated career |
18 | paths for specific professions; requiring career paths to |
19 | provide for the articulation of credit for certain |
20 | programs and experiential learning; providing criteria for |
21 | participation by nonpublic colleges and schools in the |
22 | statewide articulation agreements for articulated career |
23 | paths; requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
24 | Government Accountability to assess articulation |
25 | agreements and identify career center programs that may |
26 | articulate to certain degree programs; requiring the |
27 | office to review career paths for articulation of credit |
28 | awarded by public and private institutions; requiring |
29 | reporting to the Legislature; creating s. 1011.802, F.S.; |
30 | establishing the School District Career Center Facility |
31 | Enhancement Challenge Grant Program; authorizing a school |
32 | district direct-support organization to solicit funds and |
33 | establish a separate career center capital facilities |
34 | matching account for private contributions for |
35 | instructional facility construction projects; providing |
36 | for match by state appropriations; providing for a portion |
37 | of the cost of a facility construction project to be |
38 | provided from a school district's local capital funds; |
39 | providing State Board of Education requirements relating |
40 | to capital outlay budget requests for such projects; |
41 | providing for reversion of funds; creating the Board of |
42 | Governors Scholarship Matching Pilot Project; providing |
43 | for funding; providing for annual reports to the Governor |
44 | and Legislature; providing for future repeal; providing an |
45 | effective date. |
46 |
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47 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
48 |
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49 | Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 1001.44, |
50 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
51 | 1001.44 Career centers.-- |
52 | (4) DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD CAREER CENTER PROGRAM |
53 | DELIVERY.-- |
54 | (a) A district school board with an established career |
55 | center as part of the district school system may enter into an |
56 | articulation agreement for the delivery of specified associate |
57 | in applied science degree programs. |
58 | (b) A career center that offers a postsecondary adult |
59 | vocational program designed to articulate into an associate in |
60 | applied science degree program and enters into an articulation |
61 | agreement for the delivery of such an associate in applied |
62 | science degree program may use the designation "technical |
63 | college." |
64 | (c) For purposes of this subsection, "postsecondary adult |
65 | vocational program" is a job preparatory program, excluding |
66 | continuing workforce education, through which a student receives |
67 | a vocational certificate upon completion of instruction. |
68 | Section 2. Subsection (20) is added to section 1002.34, |
69 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
70 | 1002.34 Charter technical career centers.-- |
71 | (20) DESIGNATION AS A TECHNICAL COLLEGE.--A charter |
72 | technical career center that offers a postsecondary adult |
73 | vocational program designed to articulate into an associate in |
74 | applied science degree program and enters into an articulation |
75 | agreement for the delivery of such an associate in applied |
76 | science degree program may use the designation "technical |
77 | college." For purposes of this subsection, "postsecondary adult |
78 | vocational program" is a job preparatory program, excluding |
79 | continuing workforce education, through which a student receives |
80 | a vocational certificate upon completion of instruction. |
81 | Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 1007.22, Florida |
82 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
83 | 1007.22 Articulation; postsecondary institution |
84 | coordination and collaboration.-- |
85 | (3) Public postsecondary educational institutions serving |
86 | the same students in a geographic and service area are |
87 | encouraged to establish appropriate interinstitutional |
88 | mechanisms to achieve cooperative planning and delivery of |
89 | academic programs and related services, share a high-cost |
90 | instructional facility and equipment, coordinate credit and |
91 | noncredit outreach activities, have access to each other's |
92 | library and media holdings and services, and provide cooperative |
93 | campus activities and consultative relationships for the |
94 | discussion and resolution of interinstitutional issues and |
95 | problems which discourage student access or transfer. |
96 | Section 4. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1007.23, |
97 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
98 | 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.-- |
99 | (1) The State Board of Education shall establish in rule a |
100 | statewide articulation agreement that governs: |
101 | (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary |
102 | education, including credit earned through high school career |
103 | and technical education majors and career academies; |
104 | (b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from |
105 | community colleges and state universities; |
106 | (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program |
107 | graduates from community colleges or career centers; |
108 | (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate |
109 | in applied science degree graduates from community colleges; |
110 | (e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including |
111 | nationally standardized examinations through which students may |
112 | earn credit; |
113 | (f) General education requirements and statewide course |
114 | numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and |
115 | (g) Articulation among programs in nursing; and. |
116 | (h) Admission of postsecondary vocational, technical, or |
117 | career certificate or diploma graduates from school district |
118 | career centers or charter technical career centers. |
119 | (3) The articulation agreement must guarantee the |
120 | statewide articulation of appropriate workforce education |
121 | development programs and courses between school districts and |
122 | community colleges and specifically provide that every applied |
123 | technology diploma graduate must be granted the same amount of |
124 | credit upon admission to an associate in science degree or |
125 | associate in applied science degree program unless it is a |
126 | limited access program. Preference for admission must be given |
127 | to graduates who are residents of Florida. |
128 | Section 5. Section 1007.234, Florida Statutes, is created |
129 | to read: |
130 | 1007.234 Statewide articulation agreements for articulated |
131 | career paths.-- |
132 | (1) By March 1, 2007, the State Board of Education, in |
133 | consultation with the Board of Governors, shall establish |
134 | statewide articulation agreements for articulated career paths |
135 | for specific workforce education professions, including, but not |
136 | limited to, the program areas of criminal justice, business, |
137 | manufacturing, nursing, allied health, and early childhood |
138 | education. The career paths shall provide for the articulation |
139 | of: |
140 | (a) Credit earned in vocational, technical, or career |
141 | certificate or diploma programs to associate in science degrees |
142 | or associate in applied science degrees. |
143 | (b) Credit earned in associate in science degree programs |
144 | to credit in baccalaureate degree programs. |
145 | (c) Credit awarded by public and private institutions. |
146 | (d) Credit for experiential learning associated with |
147 | minimum training requirements for employment. |
148 | (2) To participate in a statewide articulation agreement |
149 | for an articulated career path required in this section, |
150 | nonpublic colleges and schools must be fully accredited by a |
151 | regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United |
152 | States Department of Education, must participate in the Florida |
153 | Education and Training Placement Information Program pursuant to |
154 | s. 1008.39, and must meet one of the following criteria: |
155 | (a) Be eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, |
156 | Florida Resident Access Grant Program; or |
157 | (b) Have been issued a license pursuant to s. 1005.31 or |
158 | s. 1005.32 and use an assessment required in s. 1005.04(1)(b) |
159 | that has been recommended by the State Board of Education. In |
160 | these licensed colleges and schools for courses not in the |
161 | statewide course numbering system pursuant to s. 1007.24, |
162 | credits to be accepted by a receiving institution must be |
163 | generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials |
164 | that are comparable to those required by the accrediting |
165 | association of the receiving institution. |
166 | (3) To determine the appropriate courses and programs for |
167 | statewide articulation agreements for articulated career paths, |
168 | the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government |
169 | Accountability, by December 31, 2006, shall collect, review, and |
170 | conduct an assessment of all existing articulation agreements |
171 | between school district career centers or charter technical |
172 | career centers and community colleges. |
173 | (4) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government |
174 | Accountability shall use the information compiled pursuant to |
175 | subsection (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of articulation |
176 | agreements for articulated career paths and to identify other |
177 | postsecondary technical or career programs within a school |
178 | district career center or charter technical career center that |
179 | may articulate to an associate in science degree program or an |
180 | associate in applied science degree program on an individual |
181 | course or block basis for statewide articulation agreements for |
182 | articulated career paths. By December 31, 2007, the Office of |
183 | Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall |
184 | submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker |
185 | of the House of Representatives. |
186 | (5) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government |
187 | Accountability shall review all career paths that provide for |
188 | the articulation of credit awarded by public and private |
189 | institutions as required pursuant to subsection (1). The review |
190 | shall include an assessment of methods used to evaluate the |
191 | following: a student's ability to successfully complete the |
192 | course of study for which the student has applied before |
193 | accepting the student into the program; completion rates; job |
194 | placement rates; and the method used by institutions to report |
195 | data. By December 31, 2007, the Office of Program Policy |
196 | Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit a report to |
197 | the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of |
198 | Representatives. |
199 | Section 6. Section 1011.802, Florida Statutes, is created |
200 | to read: |
201 | 1011.802 School District Career Center Facility |
202 | Enhancement Challenge Grant Program.-- |
203 | (1) There is established the School District Career Center |
204 | Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program for the purpose of |
205 | assisting career centers in building high priority instructional |
206 | capital facilities consistent with s. 1001.44, including common |
207 | areas connecting such facilities. The direct-support |
208 | organizations that serve the school districts may solicit gifts |
209 | from private sources which are eligible for state matching funds |
210 | for capital facilities. For purposes of this section, private |
211 | sources of funds shall not include any federal, state, or local |
212 | government funds that a school district may receive. |
213 | (2) The School District Career Center Facility Enhancement |
214 | Challenge Grant Program shall provide funds to match private |
215 | contributions for the development of high priority instructional |
216 | capital facilities, including common areas connecting such |
217 | facilities, within the career centers. |
218 | (3) Within the direct-support organization of each school |
219 | district, a separate career center capital facilities matching |
220 | account must be established for the purpose of providing |
221 | matching funds from the direct-support organization's |
222 | unrestricted donations or other private contributions for the |
223 | development of high priority instructional capital facilities, |
224 | including common areas connecting such facilities. The |
225 | Legislature may appropriate funds for distribution to a school |
226 | district after matching funds are certified by the direct- |
227 | support organization and school district to the Department of |
228 | Education. The Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service |
229 | Trust Fund shall not be used as the source of the state match |
230 | for private contributions. |
231 | (4) A project may not be initiated unless all private |
232 | funds for planning, construction, and equipping the facility |
233 | have been received and deposited in the direct-support |
234 | organization's matching account and the state's share for the |
235 | minimum amount of funds needed to begin the project has been |
236 | appropriated by the Legislature. The Legislature may appropriate |
237 | the state's matching funds in one or more fiscal years for the |
238 | planning, construction, and equipping of an eligible facility. |
239 | However, these requirements shall not preclude the school |
240 | district or direct-support organization from expending available |
241 | funds from private sources to develop a prospectus, including |
242 | preliminary architectural schematics or models, for use in its |
243 | efforts to raise private funds for a facility. Additionally, any |
244 | private sources of funds expended for this purpose are eligible |
245 | for state matching funds if the project is awarded grant funds |
246 | under this section. |
247 | (5) To be eligible to participate in the School District |
248 | Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, a |
249 | school district, through its direct-support organization, shall |
250 | raise contributions from private sources equal to one-third of |
251 | the total cost of a facility construction project. After raising |
252 | such contributions, the school district shall be eligible for a |
253 | match by a state appropriation equal to the amount raised for a |
254 | facility construction project up to one-third of the cost of the |
255 | project, subject to the General Appropriations Act. Another one- |
256 | third of the total cost must be provided from the school |
257 | district's local capital funds. |
258 | (6) If the state's share of the required match is |
259 | insufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (5), the |
260 | school district shall renegotiate the terms of the contribution |
261 | with the donors. If the project is terminated, each private |
262 | donation, plus accrued interest, shall revert to the direct- |
263 | support organization for remittance to the donor at the donor's |
264 | discretion. |
265 | (7) By September 1 of each year, the State Board of |
266 | Education shall transmit to the Legislature, in the capital |
267 | outlay budget request, a list of projects that meet all |
268 | eligibility requirements to participate in the School District |
269 | Career Center Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program and a |
270 | budget request that includes the recommended schedule necessary |
271 | to complete each project. |
272 | (8) In order for a project to be eligible under this |
273 | program, it must be survey-recommended under the provisions of |
274 | s. 1013.31, included in the school district's 5-year capital |
275 | improvement plan, and receive prior approval from the State |
276 | Board of Education. |
277 | (9) Any project funds that are unexpended after a project |
278 | is completed shall revert to the school district direct-support |
279 | organization's career center capital facilities matching |
280 | account. One-third of such unexpended funds shall be reserved |
281 | for the school district career center that originally received |
282 | the private contribution for the purpose of providing private |
283 | matching funds for future facility construction projects as |
284 | provided in this section. One-third of such unexpended funds |
285 | shall be returned to the General Revenue Fund. One-third of such |
286 | unexpended funds shall be returned to the school district. |
287 | (10) The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and |
288 | equipment shall be the property of the participating school |
289 | district. |
290 | Section 7. Board of Governors Scholarship Matching Pilot |
291 | Project.--The Board of Governors and the Board of Governors |
292 | Foundation are authorized to provide donors with an incentive in |
293 | the form of matching grants for donations for the sole purpose |
294 | of providing needs-based financial assistance for students |
295 | attending state universities. Donations received by the Board of |
296 | Governors for this purpose prior to September 30, 2006, are |
297 | eligible for state matching funds through legislative |
298 | appropriations. Any donations and state matching grants received |
299 | by the Board of Governors pursuant to this section may be |
300 | invested by the Board of Governors Foundation. Donations, state |
301 | matching funds, and associated investment earnings must be fully |
302 | disbursed for needs-based financial assistance to state |
303 | university students prior to June 30, 2010. The Board of |
304 | Governors shall provide annual reports to the Governor, the |
305 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
306 | Representatives providing information on the unexpended balance |
307 | of funds associated with this pilot project; the number of |
308 | students who received financial assistance; the number of |
309 | scholarship recipients at each state university; and the |
310 | minimum, maximum, and average annual award per recipient, by |
311 | university. The reports shall be submitted by September 30 for |
312 | the preceding annual period ending on June 30. This section is |
313 | repealed effective September 30, 2010. |
314 | Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006. |