1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to articulation and acceleration; amending

3

s. 1007.01, F.S.; providing legislative intent with

4

respect to the articulation and integration of the pre-K

5

through 20 education system; requiring certain

6

collaborative efforts by the State Board of Education and

7

the Board of Governors; requiring the Commissioner of

8

Education to establish an Articulation Coordinating

9

Committee; specifying duties of the committee; amending s.

10

1007.235, F.S.; requiring that the district

11

interinstitutional articulation agreement identify the

12

responsibilities of postsecondary institutions for

13

assigning letter grades for dual enrollment courses;

14

amending s. 1007.271, F.S.; redefining the term "dual

15

enrollment" as "early college enrollment"; defining the

16

term "accelerated career and technical enrollment";

17

revising the requirements for calculating full-time

18

equivalent membership and funding credits; providing

19

criteria for students who enroll in such programs;

20

providing for calculating the GPE of dual enrollment

21

courses for purposes of admission to a state university;

22

amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; revising the requirements for

23

calculating full-time equivalent membership and funding

24

credits; providing an effective date.

25

26

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

27

28

     Section 1.  Section 1007.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to

29

read:

30

     1007.01  Articulation; legislative intent; purpose; role of

31

the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors.--

32

     (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate

33

articulation and seamless integration of the pre-K through 20 K-

34

20 education system by building, and sustaining, and

35

strengthening relationships among pre-K through 20 K-20 public

36

organizations, between public and private organizations, and

37

between the education system as a whole and Florida's

38

communities. The purpose of building and sustaining these

39

relationships is to provide for the efficient and effective

40

progression and transfer of students within the education system

41

and to allow students to proceed toward their educational

42

objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. The

43

Legislature further intends that articulation policies and budget

44

action be implemented consistently in the practices of

45

postsecondary institutions and the Department of Education and

46

expressed in the collaborative policy efforts of the State Board

47

of Education and the Board of Governors.

48

     (2) To improve and facilitate articulation within the pre-K

49

through 20 education system systemwide, the State Board of

50

Education and the Board of Governors shall collaboratively

51

establish recommend policies and guidelines to the Legislature

52

with input from statewide pre-K through 20 K-20 advisory groups

53

established by the Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor

54

of the State University System relating to:

55

     (a)  The alignment between the exit requirements of one

56

system and the admissions requirements of another system into

57

which students typically transfer.

58

     (b)  The identification of common courses, the level of

59

courses, institutional participation in a statewide course

60

numbering system, and the transferability of credits among such

61

institutions.

62

     (c)  Identification of courses that meet general education

63

or common baccalaureate degree program prerequisite requirements

64

at public postsecondary educational institutions.

65

     (d) Dual enrollment course equivalencies and other

66

accelerated credit mechanisms.

67

     (e)  Articulation agreements.

68

     (3) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the

69

Chancellor of the State University System, shall establish an

70

Articulation Coordinating Committee that reports to the

71

commissioner. The committee shall be a pre-K through 20 advisory

72

group that consists of members representing the State University

73

System, the Community College System, public career and technical

74

education, public pre-K through 12 education, and nonpublic

75

education, and at least one member representing students. The

76

commissioner shall appoint a chair from the membership. The

77

committee shall:

78

     (a) Propose monitoring, compliance, and reporting systems

79

to facilitate and ensure institutional compliance with state

80

articulation policies.

81

     (b) Propose guidelines for interinstitutional agreements

82

between and among public schools, career and technical education

83

centers, community colleges, and universities.

84

     (c) Establish groups of public and nonpublic institutional

85

representatives to facilitate articulation.

86

     (d) Conduct a continuing review of statewide articulation

87

statutes, rules, and agreements and make recommendations to the

88

State Board of Education and the Board of Governors for

89

revisions.

90

     (e) Review the application of requirements for transferring

91

credit from public and nonpublic institutions participating in

92

the statewide course numbering system, including, but not limited

93

to, instances of difficulties in student transfers and

94

admissions.

95

     (f) Examine statewide data regarding articulation,

96

recommend resolutions for issues, and propose programmatic and

97

budget policies and procedures to improve articulation throughout

98

the pre-K through 20 education system.

99

     (g) Recommend roles and responsibilities of public

100

education entities in interfacing with the single statewide

101

student advising system created by s. 1007.28, including, but not

102

limited to, functionality requirements, data needs, and

103

appropriate reporting timelines.

104

     Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

105

1007.235, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

106

     1007.235  District interinstitutional articulation

107

agreements.--

108

     (2)  The district interinstitutional articulation agreement

109

for each school year must be completed before high school

110

registration for the fall term of the following school year. The

111

agreement must include, but is not limited to, the following

112

components:

113

     (b)1.  A delineation of courses and programs available to

114

students eligible to participate in dual enrollment. This

115

delineation must include a plan for the community college to

116

provide guidance services to participating students on the

117

selection of courses in the dual enrollment program. The process

118

of community college guidance should make maximum use of the

119

automated advisement system for community colleges. The plan must

120

assure that each dual enrollment student is encouraged to

121

identify a postsecondary education objective with which to guide

122

the course selection. At a minimum, each student's plan should

123

include a list of courses that will result in an Applied

124

Technology Diploma, an Associate in Science degree, or an

125

Associate in Arts degree. If the student identifies a

126

baccalaureate degree as the objective, the plan must include

127

courses that will meet the general education requirements and any

128

prerequisite requirements for entrance into a selected

129

baccalaureate degree program.

130

     2.  A delineation of the process by which students and their

131

parents are informed about opportunities to participate in

132

articulated acceleration programs.

133

     3.  A delineation of the process by which students and their

134

parents exercise their option to participate in an articulated

135

acceleration program.

136

     4.  A delineation of high school credits earned for

137

completion of each dual enrollment course.

138

     5.  Provision for postsecondary courses that meet the

139

criteria for inclusion in a district articulated acceleration

140

program to be counted toward meeting the graduation requirements

141

of s. 1003.43.

142

     6.  An identification of eligibility criteria for student

143

participation in dual enrollment courses and programs.

144

     7.  A delineation of institutional responsibilities

145

regarding student screening prior to enrollment and monitoring

146

student performance subsequent to enrollment in dual enrollment

147

courses and programs.

148

     8.  An identification of the criteria by which the quality

149

of dual enrollment courses and programs are to be judged and a

150

delineation of institutional responsibilities for the maintenance

151

of instructional quality.

152

     9.  A delineation of institutional responsibilities for

153

assuming the cost of dual enrollment courses and programs that

154

includes such responsibilities for student instructional

155

materials.

156

     10.  An identification of responsibility for providing

157

student transportation if the dual enrollment instruction is

158

conducted at a facility other than the high school campus.

159

     11.  A delineation of the process for converting college

160

credit hours earned through dual enrollment and early admission

161

programs to high school credit based on mastery of course

162

outcomes as determined by the Department of Education in

163

accordance with s. 1007.271(6).

164

     12. An identification of the responsibility of the

165

postsecondary institution for assigning letter grades for dual

166

enrollment courses. School districts must post dual enrollment

167

course grades to the high school transcript as assigned by the

168

postsecondary institution awarding the credit.

169

     Section 3.  Section 1007.271, Florida Statutes, is amended

170

to read:

171

     1007.271  Dual enrollment programs.--

172

     (1) The term "early college dual enrollment" means program

173

is the dual enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home

174

education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward

175

high school completion and a career certificate or an associate

176

or baccalaureate degree. The term "accelerated career and

177

technical enrollment" means the dual enrollment of an eligible

178

secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary

179

course or program creditable toward high school completion and a

180

career and technical certificate.

181

     (2)  For the purpose of this section, an eligible secondary

182

student is a student who is enrolled in a Florida public

183

secondary school or in a Florida private secondary school which

184

is in compliance with s. 1002.42(2) and conducts a secondary

185

curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.43. Students enrolled in

186

postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward the high

187

school diploma shall not be classified as dual enrollments.

188

Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this

189

section shall be permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses

190

conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during the

191

summer term. Instructional time for such enrollment may vary from

192

900 hours; however, the school district may only report the

193

student for a maximum of 1.0 FTE, as provided in s. 1011.61(4).

194

For the purposes of calculating FTE, each semester of instruction

195

that is eligible for high school and postsecondary credit shall

196

be funded in an amount equal to the hours of instruction that

197

would be necessary to earn the FTE and the funding for an

198

equivalent course if it were taught in the school district

199

reported by school districts as 75 membership hours for purposes

200

of FTE calculation. Any student so enrolled is exempt from the

201

payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

202

Vocational-preparatory instruction, college-preparatory

203

instruction and other forms of precollegiate instruction, as well

204

as physical education courses that focus on the physical

205

execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of

206

the activity, are ineligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment

207

program. Recreation and leisure studies courses shall be

208

evaluated individually in the same manner as physical education

209

courses for potential inclusion in the program.

210

     (3)  The Department of Education shall adopt guidelines

211

designed to achieve comparability across school districts of both

212

student qualifications and teacher qualifications for dual

213

enrollment courses. Student qualifications must demonstrate

214

readiness for college-level coursework if the student is to be

215

enrolled in college courses. Student qualifications must

216

demonstrate readiness for career-level coursework if the student

217

is to be enrolled in career courses. In addition to meeting

218

state-required scores on the common placement examination,

219

student qualifications for enrollment in early college credit

220

dual enrollment courses must include a 3.0 unweighted grade point

221

average., and Student qualifications for enrollment in

222

accelerated career and technical certificate dual enrollment

223

courses must include a 2.0 unweighted grade point average and

224

mastery of basic skills on the Tests of Adult Basic Education

225

(TABE) pursuant to s. 1004.91 or other proven indicators or

226

predictors of career education performance as determined by board

227

policy of the postsecondary institution. Exceptions to the

228

required grade point averages may be granted if the educational

229

entities agree and the terms of the agreement are contained

230

within the dual enrollment interinstitutional articulation

231

agreement between school districts and colleges or universities,

232

or pursuant to school district policy regarding the enrollment of

233

secondary students in postsecondary career and technical

234

certificate programs at district technical centers. Community

235

college boards of trustees may establish additional admissions

236

criteria, which shall be included in the district

237

interinstitutional articulation agreement developed according to

238

s. 1007.235, to ensure student readiness for postsecondary

239

instruction. Additional requirements included in the agreement

240

shall not arbitrarily prohibit students who have demonstrated the

241

ability to master advanced courses from participating in dual

242

enrollment courses. District school boards may not refuse to

243

enter into an agreement with a local community college if that

244

community college has the capacity to offer dual enrollment

245

courses.

246

     (4) Accelerated career and technical dual enrollment shall

247

be provided as a curricular option for secondary students to

248

pursue in order to earn a series of elective credits toward the

249

high school diploma. Accelerated career and technical dual

250

enrollment shall be available for secondary students seeking a

251

degree or certificate from a complete career-preparatory program,

252

and shall not be used to enroll students in isolated career

253

courses. It is the intent of the Legislature that accelerated

254

career and technical dual enrollment provide a comprehensive

255

academic and career dual enrollment program within the career

256

center or community college.

257

     (5)  Each district school board shall inform all secondary

258

students of dual enrollment as an educational option and

259

mechanism for acceleration. Students shall be informed of

260

eligibility criteria, the option for taking dual enrollment

261

courses beyond the regular school year, and the minimum academic

262

credits required for graduation. District school boards shall

263

annually assess the demand for dual enrollment and other advanced

264

courses, and the district school board shall consider strategies

265

and programs to meet that demand and include access to dual

266

enrollment on the high school campus whenever possible.

267

Alternative grade calculation, weighting systems, or information

268

regarding student education options which discriminates against

269

dual enrollment courses is prohibited.

270

     (6)  The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty

271

committees representing public school, community college, and

272

university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet

273

the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.43, and to

274

establish the number of postsecondary semester credit hours of

275

instruction and equivalent high school credits earned through

276

dual enrollment pursuant to this section that are necessary to

277

meet high school graduation requirements. Such equivalencies

278

shall be determined solely on comparable course content and not

279

on seat time traditionally allocated to such courses in high

280

school. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the

281

State Board of Education those postsecondary courses identified

282

to meet high school graduation requirements, based on mastery of

283

course outcomes, by their course numbers, and all high schools

284

shall accept these postsecondary education courses toward meeting

285

the requirements of s. 1003.43.

286

     (7) Early admission shall be a form of early college dual

287

enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll in a

288

postsecondary institution on a full-time basis in courses that

289

are creditable toward the high school diploma and the associate

290

or baccalaureate degree. Students enrolled pursuant to this

291

subsection shall be exempt from the payment of registration,

292

tuition, and laboratory fees.

293

     (8) Career and technical early admission is a form of

294

accelerated career and technical dual enrollment through which

295

eligible secondary students enroll full time in a career center

296

or a community college in courses that are creditable toward the

297

high school diploma and a career and technical the certificate or

298

associate degree. Participation in the career early admission

299

program shall be limited to students who have completed a minimum

300

of 6 semesters of full-time secondary enrollment, including

301

studies undertaken in the ninth grade. Students enrolled pursuant

302

to this section are exempt from the payment of registration,

303

tuition, and laboratory fees.

304

     (9)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for any

305

dual enrollment programs involving requirements for high school

306

graduation.

307

     (10)(a)  The dual enrollment program for home education

308

students consists of the enrollment of an eligible home education

309

secondary student in a postsecondary course creditable toward an

310

associate degree, a career certificate, or a baccalaureate

311

degree. To participate in the dual enrollment program, an

312

eligible home education secondary student must:

313

     1.  Provide proof of enrollment in a home education program

314

pursuant to s. 1002.41.

315

     2.  Be responsible for his or her own instructional

316

materials and transportation unless provided for otherwise.

317

     (b)  Each career center, community college, and state

318

university shall:

319

     1.  Delineate courses and programs for dually enrolled home

320

education students. Courses and programs may be added, revised,

321

or deleted at any time.

322

     2.  Identify eligibility criteria for home education student

323

participation, not to exceed those required of other dually

324

enrolled students.

325

     (11)  The Department of Education shall approve any course

326

for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is contained

327

within the statewide course numbering system. However, college-

328

preparatory and other forms of precollegiate instruction, and

329

physical education and other courses that focus on the physical

330

execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of

331

the activity, may not be so approved, but must be evaluated

332

individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment

333

program. This subsection shall not be construed to mean that an

334

independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in a

335

dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s. 1011.62

336

must participate in the statewide course numbering system

337

developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual

338

enrollment program.

339

     (12)  The Department of Education shall develop a statement

340

on transfer guarantees which will inform students, prior to

341

enrollment in a dual enrollment course, of the potential for the

342

dual enrollment course to articulate as an elective or a general

343

education course into a postsecondary education certificate or

344

degree program. The statement shall be provided to each district

345

school superintendent, who shall include the statement in the

346

information provided to all secondary students as required

347

pursuant to this subsection. The statement may also include

348

additional information, including, but not limited to, dual

349

enrollment options, guarantees, privileges, and responsibilities.

350

     (13)  Students who meet the eligibility requirements of this

351

section and who choose to participate in dual enrollment programs

352

are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and

353

laboratory fees.

354

     (14)  Instructional materials assigned for use within dual

355

enrollment courses shall be made available to dual enrollment

356

students from Florida public high schools free of charge. This

357

subsection shall not be construed to prohibit a community college

358

from providing instructional materials at no cost to a home

359

education student or student from a private school. Students

360

enrolled in postsecondary instruction not creditable toward a

361

high school diploma shall not be considered dual enrollments and

362

shall be required to assume the cost of instructional materials

363

necessary for such instruction.

364

     (15)  Instructional materials purchased by a district school

365

board or community college board of trustees on behalf of dual

366

enrollment students shall be the property of the board against

367

which the purchase is charged.

368

     (16)  Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2006-

369

2007 school year, school districts and community colleges must

370

weigh dual enrollment courses the same as advanced placement,

371

International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International

372

Certificate of Education courses when grade point averages are

373

calculated. For purposes of calculating GPA for admission to a

374

state university, dual enrollment courses that meet core

375

requirements for admission to a state university shall receive

376

the same weighting as advanced placement, International

377

Baccalaureate, and Advanced International Certificate of

378

Education courses. Alternative grade calculation or weighting

379

systems that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are

380

prohibited.

381

     (17)  The Commissioner of Education may approve dual

382

enrollment agreements for limited course offerings that have

383

statewide appeal. Such programs shall be limited to a single site

384

with multiple county participation.

385

     Section 4.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (1) of section

386

1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

387

     1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual

388

allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each

389

district for operation of schools is not determined in the annual

390

appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing the

391

annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as follows:

392

     (1)  COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR

393

OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in

394

determining the annual allocation to each district for operation:

395

     (i)  Calculation of full-time equivalent membership with

396

respect to dual enrollment instruction.--Students enrolled in

397

dual enrollment instruction pursuant to s. 1007.271 may be

398

included in calculations of full-time equivalent student

399

memberships for basic programs for grades 9 through 12 by a

400

district school board. For purposes of calculating FTE, each

401

semester of instruction that is eligible for high school and

402

postsecondary credit shall be funded in an amount equal to the

403

hours of instruction that would be necessary to earn the FTE and

404

the funding for an equivalent course if it were taught in the

405

school district reported by school districts as 75 membership

406

hours for purposes of FTE calculation. Such students may also be

407

calculated as the proportional shares of full-time equivalent

408

enrollments they generate for a community college or university

409

conducting the dual enrollment instruction. Early admission

410

students shall be considered dual enrollments for funding

411

purposes and 15 or more college credit hours per semester shall

412

be reported as 0.5 FTE. Students may be enrolled in dual

413

enrollment instruction provided by an eligible independent

414

college or university and may be included in calculations of

415

full-time equivalent student memberships for basic programs for

416

grades 9 through 12 by a district school board. However, those

417

provisions of law which exempt dual enrolled and early admission

418

students from payment of instructional materials and tuition and

419

fees, including laboratory fees, shall not apply to students who

420

select the option of enrolling in an eligible independent

421

institution. An independent college or university which is

422

located and chartered in Florida, is not for profit, is

423

accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern

424

Association of Colleges and Schools or the Accrediting Council

425

for Independent Colleges and Schools, and which confers degrees

426

as defined in s. 1005.02 shall be eligible for inclusion in the

427

dual enrollment or early admission program. Students enrolled in

428

dual enrollment instruction shall be exempt from the payment of

429

tuition and fees, including laboratory fees. No student enrolled

430

in college credit mathematics or English dual enrollment

431

instruction shall be funded as a dual enrollment unless the

432

student has successfully completed the relevant section of the

433

entry-level examination required pursuant to s. 1008.30.

434

     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.