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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to public school attendance; creating s.

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1003.215, F.S.; creating the Compulsory Attendance Pilot

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Program; requiring receipt of a high school diploma, a

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high school equivalency diploma and ready to work

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certification, career or job training certification or

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licensure, or ready to work certification in order to

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terminate school enrollment between ages 16 and 18 years;

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providing for an application and selection process for

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school district participation in the pilot program;

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providing student and parent rights; specifying school

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attendance requirements and procedures for termination of

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school enrollment; requiring an annual study and reporting

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by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government

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Accountability; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1.  Section 1003.215, Florida Statutes, is created

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to read:

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     1003.215 Compulsory Attendance Pilot Program.--

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     (1) The Legislature finds it to be in the public interest

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that all students exit from the public schools with academic

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skills that provide the students with the opportunity to pursue

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postsecondary education or with skills that lead to ready to work

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certification, industry certification, or skill licensure.

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     (2) Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, and

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continuing through the 2013-2014 school year, there is created

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the Compulsory Attendance Pilot Program (CAPP) to be piloted by

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school districts. Beginning with incoming ninth graders in the

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2008-2009 school year, all students enrolled in a pilot school

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district shall be subject to the attendance requirements of this

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section, notwithstanding ss. 1002.20(2)(a)1. and (b) and

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1003.21(1)(a)1. and (c) and any other provision of law to the

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contrary.

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     (3) The Department of Education shall develop an

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application process for school districts to participate in the

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pilot program. The State Board of Education shall select the

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pilot school districts from the applications submitted, one of

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which shall be the Duval County School District.

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     (4) Parents of public school students enrolled in a pilot

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school district must receive accurate and timely information

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regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed of

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ways they can help their child to succeed in school. These K-12

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students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory

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rights, including, but not limited to, the following:

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     (a) The compulsory school attendance laws apply to all

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children in a pilot school district between the ages of 6 and 18

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years, as provided in, and in accordance with, subsection (5) and

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s. 1003.21(1)(a)2., (b), (d), (e), and (f). A student who attains

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the age of 16 years during the school year has the right to file

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a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment if

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the declaration is signed by the parent. The parent has the right

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to be notified by the school district of the district's receipt

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of the student's declaration of intent to terminate school

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enrollment. However, any student who files a declaration seeking

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to terminate school enrollment but has not reached the age of 18

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years shall be required to continue pursuing credits toward a

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high school diploma, pursue a high school equivalency diploma

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with participation in the Florida Ready to Work Certification

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Program under s. 1004.99, participate in a career or job training

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program leading to industry certification or skill licensure that

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is developed by or in cooperation with the district school board,

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or participate in the Ready to Work Certification Program under

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s. 1004.99.

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     (b) Students who become or have become married or who are

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pregnant and parenting have the right to attend school and

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receive the same or equivalent educational instruction as other

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students.

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     (c) Parents of students who have attained the age of 6

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years by February 1 of any school year but who have not attained

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the age of 18 years must comply with the compulsory school

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attendance laws. Parents have the option to comply with the

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school attendance laws by attendance of the student in a public

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school; a parochial, religious, or denominational school; a

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private school; a home education program; or a private tutoring

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program, in accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.01(13).

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     (5)(a) All children in a pilot school district who have

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attained the age of 6 years or who will have attained the age of

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6 years by February 1 of any school year or who are older than 6

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years of age but who have not attained the age of 18 years,

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except as otherwise provided, are required to attend school

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regularly during the entire school term.

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     (b) A student who attains the age of 16 years during the

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school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance beyond

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the date upon which he or she attains that age if the student

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files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school

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enrollment with the district school board and has received a high

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school diploma, has received a high school equivalency diploma

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and obtained a bronze or higher level Florida Ready to Work

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Credential under s. 1004.99, has obtained industry certification

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or skill licensure, or has obtained a Florida Ready to Work

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Credential under s. 1004.99. The declaration must acknowledge

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that terminating school enrollment is likely to reduce the

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student's earning potential and must be signed by the student and

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the student's parent. The school district must notify the

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student's parent of receipt of the student's declaration of

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intent to terminate school enrollment. The student's guidance

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counselor or other school personnel must conduct an interview

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with the student to determine the reasons for the student's

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decision to terminate school enrollment and actions that could be

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taken to keep the student in school. If, after the interview, the

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student still wishes to terminate school enrollment, the student

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must continue his or her education to complete high school

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graduation credit requirements, receive a high school equivalency

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diploma with completion of the Florida Ready to Work

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Certification Program, complete a career or job training program

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leading to industry certification or skill licensure that is

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developed by or in cooperation with the district school board, or

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complete the Florida Ready to Work Certification Program. Such

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student shall be required to receive a high school diploma, a

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high school equivalency diploma and a bronze or higher level

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Florida Ready to Work Credential, industry certification or skill

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licensure, or a Florida Ready to Work Credential. Additionally,

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the student must complete a survey in a format prescribed by the

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Department of Education to provide data on student reasons for

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seeking to terminate enrollment and actions taken by schools to

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keep students enrolled.

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     (6) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government

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Accountability (OPPAGA), in cooperation with the pilot school

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districts, the applicable state attorneys' offices and regional

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workforce boards, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the

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Department of Education, and the Department of Juvenile Justice,

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shall conduct a study annually of the impact of the pilot program

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on dropout and graduation rates, on the employability of

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students, and on juvenile crime, using 2007-2008 data as the

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baseline for the research. OPPAGA shall develop criteria for

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collection and reporting of data with input from the cooperating

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entities. The results of each annual report shall be made

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available to participating pilot school districts, the applicable

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state attorneys' offices and regional workforce boards, the

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Agency for Workforce Education, the Department of Education, the

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Department of Juvenile Justice, the Office of the Governor, the

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President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives by January 1 following each school year,

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beginning January 1, 2011.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.