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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to workplace skills of students; amending

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s. 1003.428. F.S.; requiring a Florida Ready to Work

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Credential for high school graduation with a career or

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technical major area of interest; amending s. 1009.536,

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F.S.; requiring a student to earn the credential for

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receipt of a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award;

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amending s. 445.004, F.S.; requiring Workforce Florida,

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Inc., and the Department of Education to ensure consistent

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use of the credential; 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.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

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1003.428, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1003.428  General requirements for high school graduation;

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revised.--

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     (2)  The 24 credits may be earned through applied,

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integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of

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Education and shall be distributed as follows:

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     (b)  Eight credits in majors, minors, or electives:

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     1.  Four credits in a major area of interest, such as

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sequential courses in a career and technical program, fine and

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performing arts, or academic content area, selected by the

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student as part of the education plan required by s. 1003.4156.

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Students may revise major areas of interest each year as part of

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annual course registration processes and should update their

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education plan to reflect such revisions. Annually by October 1,

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the district school board shall approve major areas of interest

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and submit the list of majors to the Commissioner of Education

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for approval. Each major area of interest shall be deemed

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approved unless specifically rejected by the commissioner within

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60 days. Upon approval, each district's major areas of interest

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shall be available for use by all school districts and shall be

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posted on the department's website. Beginning with students

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entering their first year of high school in the 2008-2009 school

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year, a student must earn a Florida Ready to Work Credential as

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created under s. 1004.99 in order to graduate with a career or

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technical major area of interest.

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     2.  Four credits in elective courses selected by the student

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as part of the education plan required by s. 1003.4156. These

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credits may be combined to allow for a second major area of

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interest pursuant to subparagraph 1., a minor area of interest,

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elective courses, or intensive reading or mathematics

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intervention courses as described in this subparagraph.

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     a.  Minor areas of interest are composed of three credits

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selected by the student as part of the education plan required by

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s. 1003.4156 and approved by the district school board.

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     b.  Elective courses are selected by the student in order to

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pursue a complete education program as described in s. 1001.41(3)

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and to meet eligibility requirements for scholarships.

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     c.  For each year in which a student scores at Level l on

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FCAT Reading, the student must be enrolled in and complete an

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intensive reading course the following year. Placement of Level 2

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readers in either an intensive reading course or a content area

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course in which reading strategies are delivered shall be

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determined by diagnosis of reading needs. The department shall

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provide guidance on appropriate strategies for diagnosing and

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meeting the varying instructional needs of students reading below

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grade level. Reading courses shall be designed and offered

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pursuant to the comprehensive reading plan required by s.

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1011.62(8).

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     d.  For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 or

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Level 2 on FCAT Mathematics, the student must receive remediation

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the following year. These courses may be taught through applied,

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integrated, or combined courses and are subject to approval by

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the department for inclusion in the Course Code Directory.

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     Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.536, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1009.536  Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award.--The

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Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award is created within the

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Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to recognize and

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reward academic achievement and career preparation by high school

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students who wish to continue their education.

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     (1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal

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Vocational Scholars award if the student meets the general

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eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures

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Scholarship Program and the student:

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     (a)  Completes the secondary school portion of a sequential

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program of studies that requires at least three secondary school

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career credits taken over at least 2 academic years, and is

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continued in a planned, related postsecondary education program.

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If the student's school does not offer such a two-plus-two or

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tech-prep program, the student must complete a job-preparatory

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career education program selected by Workforce Florida, Inc., for

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its ability to provide high-wage employment in an occupation with

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high potential for employment opportunities. On-the-job training

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may not be substituted for any of the three required career

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credits.

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     (b)  Demonstrates readiness for postsecondary education by

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earning a passing score on the Florida College Entry Level

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Placement Test or its equivalent as identified by the Department

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of Education.

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     (c)  Earns a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average

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of 3.0, as calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, on all subjects

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required for a standard high school diploma, excluding elective

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courses.

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     (d)  Earns a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.5

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on a 4.0 scale for secondary career courses comprising the career

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program.

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     (e) Beginning with students entering their first year of

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high school in the 2008-2009 school year, earns a gold level

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Florida Ready to Work credential as created under s. 1004.99.

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     Section 3.  Subsection (5) of section 445.004, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     445.004  Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose;

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membership; duties and powers.--

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     (5)  Workforce Florida, Inc., shall have all the powers and

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authority, not explicitly prohibited by statute, necessary or

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convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes as determined

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by statute, Pub. L. No. 105-220, and the Governor, as well as its

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functions, duties, and responsibilities, including, but not

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limited to, the following:

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     (a)  Serving as the state's Workforce Investment Board

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pursuant to Pub. L. No. 105-220. Unless otherwise required by

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federal law, at least 90 percent of the workforce development

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funding must go into direct customer service costs.

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     (b)  Providing oversight and policy direction to ensure that

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the following programs are administered by the Agency for

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Workforce Innovation in compliance with approved plans and under

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contract with Workforce Florida, Inc.:

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     1.  Programs authorized under Title I of the Workforce

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Investment Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-220, with the exception

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of programs funded directly by the United States Department of

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Labor under Title I, s. 167.

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     2.  Programs authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933,

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as amended, 29 U.S.C. ss. 49 et seq.

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     3.  Activities authorized under Title II of the Trade Act of

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2002, as amended, 19 U.S.C. ss. 2272 et seq., and the Trade

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Adjustment Assistance Program.

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     4.  Activities authorized under 38 U.S.C., chapter 41,

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including job counseling, training, and placement for veterans.

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     5.  Employment and training activities carried out under

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funds awarded to this state by the United States Department of

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Housing and Urban Development.

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     6.  Welfare transition services funded by the Temporary

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Assistance for Needy Families Program, created under the Personal

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Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996,

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as amended, Pub. L. No. 104-193, and Title IV, s. 403, of the

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Social Security Act, as amended.

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     7.  Displaced homemaker programs, provided under s. 446.50.

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     8.  The Florida Bonding Program, provided under Pub. L. No.

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97-300, s. 164(a)(1).

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     9.  The Food Stamp Employment and Training Program, provided

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under the Food Stamp Act of 1977, 7 U.S.C. ss. 2011-2032; the

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Food Security Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 99-198; and the Hunger

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Prevention Act, Pub. L. No. 100-435.

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     10.  The Quick-Response Training Program, provided under ss.

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288.046-288.047. Matching funds and in-kind contributions that

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are provided by clients of the Quick-Response Training Program

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shall count toward the requirements of s. 288.90151(5)(d),

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pertaining to the return on investment from activities of

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Enterprise Florida, Inc.

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     11.  The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, provided under the Tax

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and Trade Relief Extension Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-277, and

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the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Pub. L. No. 105-34.

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     12.  Offender placement services, provided under ss.

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944.707-944.708.

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     (c)  The agency may adopt rules necessary to administer the

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provisions of this chapter which relate to implementing and

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administering the programs listed in paragraph (b) as well as

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rules related to eligible training providers and auditing and

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monitoring subrecipients of the workforce system grant funds.

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     (d)  Contracting with public and private entities as

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necessary to further the directives of this section. All

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contracts executed by Workforce Florida, Inc., must include

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specific performance expectations and deliverables. All Workforce

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Florida, Inc., contracts, including those solicited, managed, or

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paid by the Agency for Workforce Innovation pursuant to s.

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20.50(2) are exempt from s. 112.061, but shall be governed by

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subsection (1).

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     (e)  Notifying the Governor, the President of the Senate,

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and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of noncompliance

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by the Agency for Workforce Innovation or other agencies or

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obstruction of the board's efforts by such agencies. Upon such

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notification, the Executive Office of the Governor shall assist

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agencies to bring them into compliance with board objectives.

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     (f)  Ensuring that the state does not waste valuable

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training resources. Thus, the board shall direct that all

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resources, including equipment purchased for training Workforce

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Investment Act clients, be available for use at all times by

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eligible populations as first priority users. At times when

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eligible populations are not available, such resources shall be

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used for any other state authorized education and training

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purpose. Workforce Florida, Inc., may authorize expenditures to

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award suitable framed certificates, pins, or other tokens of

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recognition for performance by a regional workforce board, its

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committees and subdivisions, and other units of the workforce

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system. Workforce Florida, Inc., may also authorize expenditures

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for promotional items, such as t-shirts, hats, or pens printed

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with messages promoting the state's workforce system to

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employers, job seekers, and program participants. However, such

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expenditures are subject to federal regulations applicable to the

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expenditure of federal funds.

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     (g)  Establish a dispute resolution process for all

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memoranda of understanding or other contracts or agreements

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entered into between the agency and regional workforce boards.

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     (h)  Archiving records with the Bureau of Archives and

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Records Management of the Division of Library and Information

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Services of the Department of State.

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     (i)  Working with the Department of Education and Enterprise

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Florida, Inc., in the implementation of the CHOICE project

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pursuant to s. 1003.494.

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     (j) In partnership with the Department of Education,

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ensuring consistent use of the Florida Ready to Work Credential

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as created under s. 1004.99.

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     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.