| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to postsecondary education enhancements; |
| 3 | requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
| 4 | Government Accountability to conduct a study of certain |
| 5 | enrollment forecasting models; requiring a final report; |
| 6 | requiring the Department of Education to conduct a review |
| 7 | of certain courses in the statewide course numbering |
| 8 | system and update the system as appropriate; requiring a |
| 9 | report; requiring nonpublic postsecondary institutions |
| 10 | that participate in statewide course numbering to provide |
| 11 | certain information in their catalogs; requiring the |
| 12 | department's website to include certain information; |
| 13 | requiring the department to review certain examinations |
| 14 | and recommend articulated acceleration mechanisms; |
| 15 | amending s. 1007.33, F.S.; identifying the areas in which |
| 16 | community colleges may propose to deliver baccalaureate |
| 17 | degree programs; removing requirement that proposal be |
| 18 | submitted to the Council for Education Policy Research and |
| 19 | Improvement for review; providing an effective date. |
| 20 |
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| 21 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 22 |
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| 23 | Section 1. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
| 24 | Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the |
| 25 | higher education enrollment forecasting models currently used in |
| 26 | the state. The study must analyze the current models and provide |
| 27 | options for improvements. The review shall specifically examine |
| 28 | ways to include Florida's changing demographics in the |
| 29 | forecasts. During the course of the study OPPAGA shall consult |
| 30 | with staff from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. |
| 31 | A final report with recommendations shall be submitted to the |
| 32 | President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of |
| 33 | Representatives by February 1, 2008. |
| 34 | Section 2. (1) The Department of Education shall conduct |
| 35 | a comprehensive review of the courses that are listed in the |
| 36 | statewide course numbering system to: |
| 37 | (a) Identify courses that are listed in the system that |
| 38 | have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5 |
| 39 | years; |
| 40 | (b) Identify courses of nonpublic postsecondary |
| 41 | institutions that may be inappropriately designated as |
| 42 | equivalent for purposes of transfer of credit; and |
| 43 | (c) Update the statewide course numbering system as |
| 44 | appropriate based on these findings. |
| 45 | (2) The Department of Education shall submit a report of |
| 46 | its findings and actions to the President of the Senate and the |
| 47 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2008. |
| 48 | (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule to |
| 49 | the contrary, any nonpublic postsecondary institution, as a |
| 50 | condition of initial or continued participation in the statewide |
| 51 | course numbering system, shall identify in all of its catalogs, |
| 52 | printed or electronic, the specific courses offered by the |
| 53 | institution that are included in the statewide course numbering |
| 54 | system. |
| 55 | (4) No later than July 1, 2008, the Department of |
| 56 | Education shall develop and maintain in the department's website |
| 57 | a listing of all courses in the statewide course numbering |
| 58 | system and the institutions that offer each course. The listing |
| 59 | shall be available to the public. Each institution that |
| 60 | participates in the statewide course numbering system shall |
| 61 | include in all of its catalogs, printed or electronic, a |
| 62 | statement advising the reader of the website address and its use |
| 63 | as a resource for information on the transferability of credits |
| 64 | to other Florida institutions. |
| 65 | Section 3. No later than March 1, 2008, the Department of |
| 66 | Education shall review the Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) |
| 67 | and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support |
| 68 | (DANTES) standardized subject area tests (DSST) and recommend to |
| 69 | the State Board of Education, the Board of Governors, the |
| 70 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 71 | Representatives any examination that should be identified as an |
| 72 | articulated acceleration mechanism under s. 1007.27, Florida |
| 73 | Statutes. The department shall also identify the minimum scores, |
| 74 | maximum credit, and course or courses for which credit is to be |
| 75 | awarded for each examination recommended by the department. |
| 76 | Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1007.33, Florida |
| 77 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 78 | 1007.33 Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.-- |
| 79 | (3) A community college may develop a proposal to deliver |
| 80 | specified baccalaureate degree programs in the areas of teaching |
| 81 | and nursing and in the areas of math and science for the purpose |
| 82 | of preparing graduates to enter a teaching position and to |
| 83 | deliver bachelor of applied science workforce-related degrees in |
| 84 | high need/high demand majors its district to meet local |
| 85 | workforce needs. The bachelor of applied science degree is a |
| 86 | workforce baccalaureate degree designed primarily for associate |
| 87 | in science degree holders desiring career advancement or |
| 88 | advanced technical training. The proposal must be submitted to |
| 89 | the State Board of Education for approval. The community |
| 90 | college's proposal must include the following information: |
| 91 | (a) Demand for the baccalaureate degree program is |
| 92 | identified by the workforce development board, local businesses |
| 93 | and industry, local chambers of commerce, and potential |
| 94 | students. |
| 95 | (b) Unmet need for graduates of the proposed degree |
| 96 | program is substantiated. |
| 97 | (c) The community college has the facilities and academic |
| 98 | resources to deliver the program. |
| 99 |
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| 100 | The proposal must be submitted to the Council for Education |
| 101 | Policy Research and Improvement for review and comment. Upon |
| 102 | approval of the State Board of Education for the specific degree |
| 103 | program or programs, the community college shall pursue regional |
| 104 | accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern |
| 105 | Association of Colleges and Schools. Any additional |
| 106 | baccalaureate degree programs the community college wishes to |
| 107 | offer must be approved by the State Board of Education. |
| 108 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |