| 1 | Schools & Learning Council offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Between lines 161 and 162, insert: |
| 5 | Section 3. Section 1003.215, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 6 | to read: |
| 7 | 1003.215 Student Preparedness Pilot Program.-- |
| 8 | (1) The Legislature finds it to be in the public interest |
| 9 | that all students exit from the public schools with academic |
| 10 | skills that provide the students with the opportunity to pursue |
| 11 | postsecondary education or with skills that lead to ready to |
| 12 | work certification, industry certification, or skill licensure. |
| 13 | (2)(a) Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, and |
| 14 | continuing through the 2014-2015 school year, there is created |
| 15 | the Student Preparedness Pilot Program to be piloted by school |
| 16 | districts. Students in a school district selected to implement |
| 17 | the pilot program pursuant to subsection (3) who attain the age |
| 18 | of 16 years but have not reached the age of 18 years and who |
| 19 | choose to exercise their option not to regularly attend school |
| 20 | pursuant to s. 1003.21(1)(c) shall be subject to the attendance |
| 21 | and completion requirements of this section. |
| 22 | (b) In the 2008-2009 school year, each school district |
| 23 | selected pursuant to subsection (3) shall use its current level |
| 24 | of funding to review, identify, and develop curricula options |
| 25 | for the implementation of the pilot program requirements |
| 26 | pursuant to paragraph (5)(a) for students who attain the age of |
| 27 | 16 years but have not reached the age of 18 years whose academic |
| 28 | goals may not include a traditional high school diploma. These |
| 29 | options shall include, but are not limited to, nontraditional |
| 30 | academic options and flexible attendance options and may include |
| 31 | a phase-in of students by age or grade. Each selected school |
| 32 | district must develop a plan to meet the student's needs and the |
| 33 | attendance and completion requirements of this section prior to |
| 34 | implementation of the pilot program in the 2009-2010 school |
| 35 | year. |
| 36 | (3) The Department of Education shall develop an |
| 37 | application process for all school districts to apply to |
| 38 | participate in the pilot program. The State Board of Education |
| 39 | shall select the pilot program districts, one of which shall be |
| 40 | the Duval County School District. |
| 41 | (4) Parents of public school students enrolled in a |
| 42 | participating pilot program district must receive accurate and |
| 43 | timely information regarding their child's academic progress and |
| 44 | must be informed of ways they can help their child to succeed in |
| 45 | school. |
| 46 | (5)(a) A student in a participating pilot program district |
| 47 | who attains the age of 16 years but has not reached the age of |
| 48 | 18 years has the right to file a formal declaration of intent to |
| 49 | terminate school enrollment if the declaration is signed by the |
| 50 | parent. The parent has the right to be notified by the school |
| 51 | district of the district's receipt of the student's declaration |
| 52 | of intent to terminate school enrollment. The student's guidance |
| 53 | counselor or other school personnel must conduct an exit |
| 54 | interview pursuant to s. 1003.21(1)(c). Any student in a |
| 55 | participating pilot program district who files a declaration |
| 56 | seeking to terminate school enrollment but has not reached the |
| 57 | age of 18 years shall be required, until completion or |
| 58 | attainment of the age of 18 years, to continue pursuing credits |
| 59 | toward a high school diploma, pursue a high school equivalency |
| 60 | diploma with participation in the Florida Ready to Work |
| 61 | Certification Program under s. 1004.99, participate in a career |
| 62 | or job training program leading to industry certification or |
| 63 | skill licensure that is developed by or in cooperation with the |
| 64 | district school board, or participate in the Florida Ready to |
| 65 | Work Certification Program under s. 1004.99. |
| 66 | (b) A Student Preparedness Pilot Program student subject |
| 67 | to the attendance and completion requirements of this section is |
| 68 | not an "eligible student" for purposes of school grading under |
| 69 | s. 1008.34(3)(b) if the student has selected a nontraditional |
| 70 | academic option of the pilot program. |
| 71 | (6) Students who become or have become married or who are |
| 72 | pregnant and parenting have the right to attend school and |
| 73 | receive the same or equivalent educational instruction as other |
| 74 | students. |
| 75 | (7) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government |
| 76 | Accountability (OPPAGA), in cooperation with the participating |
| 77 | pilot program districts, the applicable state attorneys' offices |
| 78 | and regional workforce boards, the Agency for Workforce |
| 79 | Innovation, the Department of Education, and the Department of |
| 80 | Juvenile Justice, shall conduct a study annually of the impact |
| 81 | of the pilot program on dropout and graduation rates, on the |
| 82 | employability of students, and on juvenile crime, using 2007- |
| 83 | 2008 data as the baseline for the research. OPPAGA shall develop |
| 84 | criteria for collection and reporting of data with input from |
| 85 | the cooperating entities. The results of each annual report |
| 86 | shall be made available to participating pilot program |
| 87 | districts, the applicable state attorneys' offices and regional |
| 88 | workforce boards, the Agency for Workforce Education, the |
| 89 | Department of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the |
| 90 | Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the |
| 91 | House of Representatives by January 1 following each school |
| 92 | year, beginning January 1, 2012. |
| 93 | Section 4. Subsections (8) and (13) of section 1003.01, |
| 94 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 95 | 1003.01 Definitions.--As used in this chapter, the term: |
| 96 | (8) "Habitual truant" means a student who: has 15 |
| 97 | unexcused absences within 90 calendar days with or without the |
| 98 | knowledge or consent of the student's parent;, is subject to |
| 99 | compulsory school attendance under s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a) or |
| 100 | is subject to the Student Preparedness Pilot Program under s. |
| 101 | 1003.215;, and is not exempt under s. 1003.21(3), or s. 1003.24, |
| 102 | or by meeting the criteria for any other exemption specified by |
| 103 | law or rules of the State Board of Education. Such a student |
| 104 | must have been the subject of the activities specified in ss. |
| 105 | 1003.26 and 1003.27(3), without resultant successful remediation |
| 106 | of the truancy problem before being dealt with as a child in |
| 107 | need of services according to the provisions of chapter 984. |
| 108 | (13)(a) "Regular school attendance" means the actual |
| 109 | attendance of a student during the school day as defined by law |
| 110 | and rules of the State Board of Education. Regular attendance |
| 111 | within the intent of s. 1003.21 may be achieved by attendance |
| 112 | in: |
| 113 | 1.(a) A public school supported by public funds; |
| 114 | 2.(b) A parochial, religious, or denominational school; |
| 115 | 3.(c) A private school supported in whole or in part by |
| 116 | tuition charges or by endowments or gifts; |
| 117 | 4.(d) A home education program that meets the requirements |
| 118 | of chapter 1002; or |
| 119 | 5.(e) A private tutoring program that meets the |
| 120 | requirements of chapter 1002. |
| 121 | (b) "Regular program attendance" for a student in the |
| 122 | Student Preparedness Pilot Program under s. 1003.215 means |
| 123 | actual attendance by the student in traditional or |
| 124 | nontraditional academic options as defined by law and rules of |
| 125 | the State Board of Education. The district school superintendent |
| 126 | shall be responsible for enforcing such attendance. |
| 127 | Section 5. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section |
| 128 | 1003.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 129 | 1003.21 School attendance.-- |
| 130 | (1) |
| 131 | (c) A student who attains the age of 16 years during the |
| 132 | school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance |
| 133 | beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age if the |
| 134 | student files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school |
| 135 | enrollment with the district school board. Public school |
| 136 | students who have attained the age of 16 years and who have not |
| 137 | graduated are subject to compulsory school attendance until the |
| 138 | formal declaration of intent is filed with the district school |
| 139 | board. The declaration must acknowledge that terminating school |
| 140 | enrollment is likely to reduce the student's earning potential |
| 141 | and must be signed by the student and the student's parent. The |
| 142 | school district must notify the student's parent of receipt of |
| 143 | the student's declaration of intent to terminate school |
| 144 | enrollment. The student's guidance counselor or other school |
| 145 | personnel must conduct an exit interview with the student to |
| 146 | determine the reasons for the student's decision to terminate |
| 147 | school enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the |
| 148 | student in school. The student must be informed of opportunities |
| 149 | to continue his or her education in a different environment, |
| 150 | including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test |
| 151 | preparation. Additionally, the student must complete a survey in |
| 152 | a format prescribed by the Department of Education to provide |
| 153 | data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions |
| 154 | taken by schools to keep students enrolled. A student enrolled |
| 155 | in a Student Preparedness Pilot Program school district must |
| 156 | receive information regarding the program's attendance and |
| 157 | completion requirements under s. 1003.215. |
| 158 | Section 6. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of section |
| 159 | 1003.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 160 | 1003.26 Enforcement of school attendance.--The Legislature |
| 161 | finds that poor academic performance is associated with |
| 162 | nonattendance and that school districts must take an active role |
| 163 | in promoting and enforcing attendance as a means of improving |
| 164 | student performance. It is the policy of the state that each |
| 165 | district school superintendent be responsible for enforcing |
| 166 | school attendance of all students subject to the compulsory |
| 167 | school age in the school district and supporting enforcement of |
| 168 | school attendance by local law enforcement agencies. The |
| 169 | responsibility includes recommending policies and procedures to |
| 170 | the district school board that require public schools to respond |
| 171 | in a timely manner to every unexcused absence, and every absence |
| 172 | for which the reason is unknown, of students enrolled in the |
| 173 | schools. District school board policies shall require the parent |
| 174 | of a student to justify each absence of the student, and that |
| 175 | justification will be evaluated based on adopted district school |
| 176 | board policies that define excused and unexcused absences. The |
| 177 | policies must provide that public schools track excused and |
| 178 | unexcused absences and contact the home in the case of an |
| 179 | unexcused absence from school, or an absence from school for |
| 180 | which the reason is unknown, to prevent the development of |
| 181 | patterns of nonattendance. The Legislature finds that early |
| 182 | intervention in school attendance is the most effective way of |
| 183 | producing good attendance habits that will lead to improved |
| 184 | student learning and achievement. Each public school shall |
| 185 | implement the following steps to promote and enforce regular |
| 186 | school attendance: |
| 187 | (1) CONTACT, REFER, AND ENFORCE.-- |
| 188 | (f)1. If the parent of a child who has been identified as |
| 189 | exhibiting a pattern of nonattendance enrolls the child in a |
| 190 | home education program pursuant to chapter 1002, the district |
| 191 | school superintendent shall provide the parent a copy of s. |
| 192 | 1002.41 and the accountability requirements of this paragraph. |
| 193 | The district school superintendent shall also refer the parent |
| 194 | to a home education review committee composed of the district |
| 195 | contact for home education programs and at least two home |
| 196 | educators selected by the parent from a district list of all |
| 197 | home educators who have conducted a home education program for |
| 198 | at least 3 years and who have indicated a willingness to serve |
| 199 | on the committee. The home education review committee shall |
| 200 | review the portfolio of the student, as defined by s. 1002.41, |
| 201 | every 30 days during the district's regular school terms until |
| 202 | the committee is satisfied that the home education program is in |
| 203 | compliance with s. 1002.41(1)(b). The first portfolio review |
| 204 | must occur within the first 30 calendar days of the |
| 205 | establishment of the program. The provisions of subparagraph 2. |
| 206 | do not apply once the committee determines the home education |
| 207 | program is in compliance with s. 1002.41(1)(b). |
| 208 | 2. If the parent fails to provide a portfolio to the |
| 209 | committee, the committee shall notify the district school |
| 210 | superintendent. The district school superintendent shall then |
| 211 | terminate the home education program and require the parent to |
| 212 | enroll the child in an attendance option that meets the |
| 213 | definition of "regular school attendance" under s. |
| 214 | 1003.01(13)(a)1., 2., 3., or 5., (b), (c), or (e), within 3 |
| 215 | days. Upon termination of a home education program pursuant to |
| 216 | this subparagraph, the parent shall not be eligible to reenroll |
| 217 | the child in a home education program for 180 calendar days. |
| 218 | Failure of a parent to enroll the child in an attendance option |
| 219 | as required by this subparagraph after termination of the home |
| 220 | education program pursuant to this subparagraph shall constitute |
| 221 | noncompliance with the compulsory attendance requirements of s. |
| 222 | 1003.21 and may result in criminal prosecution under s. |
| 223 | 1003.27(2). Nothing contained herein shall restrict the ability |
| 224 | of the district school superintendent, or the ability of his or |
| 225 | her designee, to review the portfolio pursuant to s. |
| 226 | 1002.41(1)(b). |
| 227 | Section 7. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section |
| 228 | 1004.99, Florida Statutes, is amended, subsection (4) is |
| 229 | renumbered as subsection (5), and a new subsection (4) is added |
| 230 | to that section, to read: |
| 231 | 1004.99 Florida Ready to Work Certification Program.-- |
| 232 | (3) The Florida Ready to Work Certification Program shall |
| 233 | be composed of: |
| 234 | (d) A Florida Ready to Work Credential certificate and |
| 235 | portfolio awarded to students upon successful completion of the |
| 236 | instruction. Each portfolio must delineate the skills |
| 237 | demonstrated by the student as evidence of the student's |
| 238 | preparation for employment. |
| 239 | (4) A Florida Ready to Work Credential shall be awarded to |
| 240 | a student who successfully passes assessments in Reading for |
| 241 | Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information or |
| 242 | any other assessments of comparable rigor. Each assessment shall |
| 243 | be scored on a scale of 3 to 7. The level of the credential each |
| 244 | student receives is based on the following: |
| 245 | (a) A bronze-level credential requires a minimum score of |
| 246 | 3 or above on each of the assessments. |
| 247 | (b) A silver-level credential requires a minimum score of |
| 248 | 4 or above on each of the assessments. |
| 249 | (c) A gold-level credential requires a minimum score of 5 |
| 250 | or above on each of the assessments. |
| 251 | Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section |
| 252 | 1003.428, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 253 | 1003.428 General requirements for high school graduation; |
| 254 | revised.-- |
| 255 | (2) The 24 credits may be earned through applied, |
| 256 | integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of |
| 257 | Education and shall be distributed as follows: |
| 258 | (b) Eight credits in majors, minors, or electives: |
| 259 | 1. Four credits in a major area of interest, such as |
| 260 | sequential courses in a career and technical program, fine and |
| 261 | performing arts, or academic content area, selected by the |
| 262 | student as part of the education plan required by s. 1003.4156. |
| 263 | Students may revise major areas of interest each year as part of |
| 264 | annual course registration processes and should update their |
| 265 | education plan to reflect such revisions. Annually by October 1, |
| 266 | the district school board shall approve major areas of interest |
| 267 | and submit the list of majors to the Commissioner of Education |
| 268 | for approval. Each major area of interest shall be deemed |
| 269 | approved unless specifically rejected by the commissioner within |
| 270 | 60 days. Upon approval, each district's major areas of interest |
| 271 | shall be available for use by all school districts and shall be |
| 272 | posted on the department's website. Beginning with students |
| 273 | entering grade 9 in the 2008-2009 school year, a student must |
| 274 | earn a Florida Ready to Work Credential as created under s. |
| 275 | 1004.99 in order to graduate with a career or technical major |
| 276 | area of interest. |
| 277 | 2. Four credits in elective courses selected by the |
| 278 | student as part of the education plan required by s. 1003.4156. |
| 279 | These credits may be combined to allow for a second major area |
| 280 | of interest pursuant to subparagraph 1., a minor area of |
| 281 | interest, elective courses, or intensive reading or mathematics |
| 282 | intervention courses as described in this subparagraph. |
| 283 | a. Minor areas of interest are composed of three credits |
| 284 | selected by the student as part of the education plan required |
| 285 | by s. 1003.4156 and approved by the district school board. |
| 286 | b. Elective courses are selected by the student in order |
| 287 | to pursue a complete education program as described in s. |
| 288 | 1001.41(3) and to meet eligibility requirements for |
| 289 | scholarships. |
| 290 | c. For each year in which a student scores at Level l on |
| 291 | FCAT Reading, the student must be enrolled in and complete an |
| 292 | intensive reading course the following year. Placement of Level |
| 293 | 2 readers in either an intensive reading course or a content |
| 294 | area course in which reading strategies are delivered shall be |
| 295 | determined by diagnosis of reading needs. The department shall |
| 296 | provide guidance on appropriate strategies for diagnosing and |
| 297 | meeting the varying instructional needs of students reading |
| 298 | below grade level. Reading courses shall be designed and offered |
| 299 | pursuant to the comprehensive reading plan required by s. |
| 300 | 1011.62(8). |
| 301 | d. For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 or |
| 302 | Level 2 on FCAT Mathematics, the student must receive |
| 303 | remediation the following year. These courses may be taught |
| 304 | through applied, integrated, or combined courses and are subject |
| 305 | to approval by the department for inclusion in the Course Code |
| 306 | Directory. |
| 307 | Section 9. Subsection (1) of section 1009.536, Florida |
| 308 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 309 | 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.--The |
| 310 | Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within |
| 311 | the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and |
| 312 | reward academic achievement and career preparation by high |
| 313 | school students who wish to continue their education. |
| 314 | (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal |
| 315 | Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general |
| 316 | eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures |
| 317 | Scholarship Program and the student: |
| 318 | (a) Completes the secondary school portion of a sequential |
| 319 | program of studies that requires at least three secondary school |
| 320 | career credits taken over at least 2 academic years, and is |
| 321 | continued in a planned, related postsecondary education program. |
| 322 | If the student's school does not offer such a two-plus-two or |
| 323 | tech-prep program, the student must complete a job-preparatory |
| 324 | career education program selected by Workforce Florida, Inc., |
| 325 | for its ability to provide high-wage employment in an occupation |
| 326 | with high potential for employment opportunities. On-the-job |
| 327 | training may not be substituted for any of the three required |
| 328 | career credits. |
| 329 | (b) Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by |
| 330 | earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level |
| 331 | Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the Department |
| 332 | of Education. |
| 333 | (c) Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point |
| 334 | average of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, on all |
| 335 | subjects required for a standard high school diploma, excluding |
| 336 | elective courses. |
| 337 | (d) Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5 |
| 338 | on a 4.0 scale for secondary career courses comprising the |
| 339 | career program. |
| 340 | (e) Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2008- |
| 341 | 2009 school year, earns a gold-level Florida Ready to Work |
| 342 | Credential as created under s. 1004.99. |
| 343 | Section 10. Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (5) of |
| 344 | section 445.004, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 345 | 445.004 Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose; |
| 346 | membership; duties and powers.-- |
| 347 | (5) Workforce Florida, Inc., shall have all the powers and |
| 348 | authority, not explicitly prohibited by statute, necessary or |
| 349 | convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes as |
| 350 | determined by statute, Pub. L. No. 105-220, and the Governor, as |
| 351 | well as its functions, duties, and responsibilities, including, |
| 352 | but not limited to, the following: |
| 353 | (j) In partnership with the Department of Education, |
| 354 | ensuring consistent use of the Florida Ready to Work Credential |
| 355 | as created under s. 1004.99. |
| 356 |
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| 357 |
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| 358 | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 359 | T I T L E A M E N D M E N T |
| 360 | Remove line(s) 2-24 and insert: |
| 361 | An act relating to alternative high school courses and programs; |
| 362 | creating s. 1002.375, F.S.; establishing a pilot project for |
| 363 | awarding high school credit to students enrolled in industry |
| 364 | certification programs; requiring the Commissioner of Education |
| 365 | to establish criteria for program participation; requiring that |
| 366 | a school district submit a letter of interest by a specified |
| 367 | date in order to participate in the pilot project; requiring |
| 368 | that the Commissioner of Education submit a report to the |
| 369 | Governor and the Legislature; providing for specified courses to |
| 370 | be included as alternative credit courses; exempting alternative |
| 371 | credit courses from certain requirements; authorizing the |
| 372 | Department of Education to approve certain courses for credit by |
| 373 | examination; requiring the Department of Education to adopt |
| 374 | passing minimum scores on approved assessments and maintain a |
| 375 | course directory; requiring the State Board of Education to |
| 376 | adopt rules; amending s. 1011.61, F.S., relating to definitions |
| 377 | for the Florida Education Finance Program; providing for an |
| 378 | alternate method of reporting full-time equivalent membership |
| 379 | for credit earned in alternative high school credit courses for |
| 380 | the pilot project created under s. 1002.375, F.S.; creating s. |
| 381 | 1003.215, F.S.; creating the Student Preparedness Pilot Program; |
| 382 | requiring the Duval County School District and each selected |
| 383 | school district to review and identify curricula options for |
| 384 | certain students; requiring students who attain the age of 16 |
| 385 | years but have not reached the age of 18 years in pilot program |
| 386 | districts who do not regularly attend school to be subject to |
| 387 | specific attendance and completion requirements; providing for |
| 388 | an application and selection process for school district |
| 389 | participation; specifying procedures for termination of school |
| 390 | enrollment and requirements for pilot program attendance and |
| 391 | completion; specifying that students who select a nontraditional |
| 392 | academic option are not eligible students for purposes of school |
| 393 | grading; requiring an annual study and reporting by the Office |
| 394 | of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability; |
| 395 | amending s. 1003.01, F.S.; providing that habitual truancy |
| 396 | provisions apply to students subject to pilot program |
| 397 | requirements; defining regular program attendance in a pilot |
| 398 | program school district; amending s. 1003.21, F.S.; requiring a |
| 399 | student in a pilot program school district to be informed of |
| 400 | attendance and completion requirements; amending s. 1003.26, |
| 401 | F.S.; conforming cross-references; amending s. 1004.99, F.S., |
| 402 | relating to the Florida Ready to Work Program; providing |
| 403 | requirements for attaining bronze, silver, and gold credential |
| 404 | levels; amending s. 1003.428, F.S.; requiring a student to earn |
| 405 | the credential for high school graduation with a career or |
| 406 | technical major area of interest; amending s. 1009.536, F.S.; |
| 407 | requiring a student to earn the credential for receipt of a |
| 408 | Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award; amending s. |
| 409 | 445.004, F.S.; requiring Workforce Florida, Inc., and the |
| 410 | Department of Education to ensure consistent use of the |
| 411 | credential; providing an effective date. |