HB 967

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to public K-12 educational instruction;
3	amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; revising provisions relating to
4	required instruction and courses of study in the public
5	schools; including study of the history of the United
6	States and free enterprise; requiring standards and
7	assessments adopted by the State Board of Education to
8	conform to requirements for instruction; providing
9	requirements for teaching the history of the United States
10	at certain grade levels; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.,
11	relating to general requirements for high school
12	graduation; including study of the Declaration of
13	Independence in the credit requirement for American
14	government; amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; correcting a cross-
15	reference; providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Section 1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended
20	to read:
21	1003.42  Required instruction.--
22	(1)  Each district school board shall provide all courses
23	required for high school graduation and appropriate instruction
24	designed to ensure that students meet State Board of Education
25	adopted standards in the following subject areas: reading and
26	other language arts, mathematics, science, social studies,
27	foreign languages, health and physical education, and the arts.
28	(2)  All members of the instructional staff of the public
29	schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
30	and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
31	faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
32	highest standards for professionalism and historic accuracy,
33	following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
34	approved methods of instruction, the following:
35	(a)  The history and content of the Declaration of
36	Independence as written, including national sovereignty, natural
37	law, self-evident truth, equality of all persons, limited
38	government, popular sovereignty, and God-given, inalienable
39	rights of life, liberty, and property, and how it forms the
40	philosophical foundation of our government.
41	(b)  The history, meaning, significance, and effect of the
42	provisions of the Constitution of the United States and
43	amendments thereto with emphasis on each of the 10 amendments
44	that make up the Bill of Rights and how the constitution
45	provides the structure of our government.
46	(c)  The history of the state and the State Constitution.
47	(d)(b)  The most important arguments in support of adopting
48	our republican form of government, as they are embodied in the
49	most important of the Federalist Papers.
50	(c)  The essentials of the United States Constitution and
51	how it provides the structure of our government.
52	(e)(d)  Flag education, including proper flag display and
53	flag salute.
54	(f)(e)  The elements of United States civil government,
55	including the primary functions of and interrelationships
56	between the Federal Government, the state, and its counties,
57	municipalities, school districts, and special districts.
58	(g)  The history of the United States, including the period
59	of discovery, the early colonies, the War for Independence, the
60	Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present
61	boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the
62	present. The history of the United States shall be taught in a
63	factual manner based on genuine history.
64	(h)(f)  The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
65	systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
66	groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
67	humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an
68	investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the
69	ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
70	examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful
71	person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity
72	in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting
73	democratic values and institutions.
74	(i)(g)  The history of African Americans, including the
75	history of African peoples before the political conflicts that
76	led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the
77	enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of
78	African Americans to society.
79	(j)(h)  The elementary principles of agriculture.
80	(k)(i)  The true effects of all alcoholic and intoxicating
81	liquors and beverages and narcotics upon the human body and
82	mind.
83	(l)(j)  Kindness to animals.
84	(k)  The history of the state.
85	(m)(l)  The conservation of natural resources.
86	(n)(m)  Comprehensive health education that addresses
87	concepts of community health; consumer health; environmental
88	health; family life, including an awareness of the benefits of
89	sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences
90	of teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury
91	prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention
92	and control of disease; and substance use and abuse.
93	(o)(n)  Such additional materials, subjects, courses, or
94	fields in such grades as are prescribed by law or by rules of
95	the State Board of Education and the district school board in
96	fulfilling the requirements of law.
97	(p)(o)  The study of Hispanic contributions to the United
98	States.
99	(q)(p)  The study of women's contributions to the United
100	States.
101	(r)  The nature and importance of free enterprise to the
102	United States economy.
103	(s)(q)  A character-development program in the elementary
104	schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which
105	is secular in nature and stresses such character qualities as
106	attentiveness, patience, and initiative. Beginning in school
107	year 2004-2005, the character-development program shall be
108	required in kindergarten through grade 12. Each district school
109	board shall develop or adopt a curriculum for the character-
110	development program that shall be submitted to the department
111	for approval. The character-development curriculum shall stress
112	the qualities of patriotism;, responsibility;, citizenship; the
113	Golden Rule;, kindness;, respect for authority, human life,
114	liberty, and personal property;, honesty; charity;, self-
115	control;, racial, ethnic, and religious tolerance;, and
116	cooperation.
117	(t)(r)  In order to encourage patriotism, the sacrifices
118	that veterans have made in serving our country and protecting
119	democratic values worldwide. Such instruction must occur on or
120	before Veterans' Day and Memorial Day. Members of the
121	instructional staff are encouraged to use the assistance of
122	local veterans when practicable.
123
124	Standards and assessments adopted by the State Board of
125	Education shall be based on, and conform to, the requirements of
126	this subsection.
127	(3)  Each district school board shall require that United
128	States history, including the provisions of paragraphs (2)(a)-
129	(g), be taught in at least two grade levels in elementary
130	school, two grade levels in middle school, and two grade levels
131	in high school.
132	(4)(3)  Any student whose parent makes written request to
133	the school principal shall be exempted from the teaching of
134	reproductive health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, its
135	symptoms, development, and treatment. A student so exempted may
136	not be penalized by reason of that exemption. Course
137	descriptions for comprehensive health education shall not
138	interfere with the local determination of appropriate curriculum
139	which reflects local values and concerns.
140	Section 2.  Paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of section
141	1003.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
142	1003.43  General requirements for high school graduation.--
143	(1)  Graduation requires successful completion of either a
144	minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12 or an
145	International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits shall be
146	distributed as follows:
147	(g)  One-half credit in American government, including
148	study of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of
149	the United States. For students entering the 9th grade in the
150	1997-1998 school year and thereafter, the study of Florida
151	government, including study of the State Constitution, the three
152	branches of state government, and municipal and county
153	government, shall be included as part of the required study of
154	American government.
155
156	District school boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in
157	social studies and one-half elective credit for student
158	completion of nonpaid voluntary community or school service
159	work. Students choosing this option must complete a minimum of
160	75 hours of service in order to earn the one-half credit in
161	either category of instruction. Credit may not be earned for
162	service provided as a result of court action. District school
163	boards that approve the award of credit for student volunteer
164	service shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the
165	credit, and school principals are responsible for approving
166	specific volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course
167	Code Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 that is taken below
168	the 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation
169	requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements as
170	specified in a district school board's student progression plan.
171	A student shall be granted credit toward meeting the
172	requirements of this subsection for equivalent courses, as
173	identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(6), taken through dual
174	enrollment.
175	Section 3.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
176	1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
177	1002.20  K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of public
178	school students must receive accurate and timely information
179	regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed
180	of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
181	students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
182	rights including, but not limited to, the following:
183	(3)  HEALTH ISSUES.--
184	(d)  Reproductive health and disease education.--A public
185	school student whose parent makes written request to the school
186	principal shall be exempted from the teaching of reproductive
187	health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, in accordance with
188	the provisions of s. 1003.42(4)(3).
189	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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