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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to education; amending ss. 218.39,

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1002.34, 1003.493, 1004.99, and 1012.467, F.S.;

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redesignating "technical centers" as "technical colleges";

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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 (f) of subsection (1) of section

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218.39, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     218.39  Annual financial audit reports.--

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     (1)  If, by the first day in any fiscal year, a local

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governmental entity, district school board, charter school, or

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charter technical career center has not been notified that a

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financial audit for that fiscal year will be performed by the

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Auditor General, each of the following entities shall have an

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annual financial audit of its accounts and records completed

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within 12 months after the end of its fiscal year by an

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independent certified public accountant retained by it and paid

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from its public funds:

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     (f) Each charter technical college center established under

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s. 1002.34.

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     Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) and subsections

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(4) and (19) of section 1002.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to

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read:

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     1002.34  Charter technical career centers.--

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     (3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

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     (a)  "Charter technical career center" or "center" means a

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public school or a public technical college center operated under

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a charter granted by a district school board or community college

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board of trustees or a consortium, including one or more district

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school boards and community college boards of trustees, that

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includes the district in which the facility is located, that is

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nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment

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practices, and operations, and is managed by a board of

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directors.

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     (4)  CHARTER.--A sponsor may designate centers as provided

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in this section.  An application to establish a center may be

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submitted by a sponsor or another organization that is

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determined, by rule of the State Board of Education, to be

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appropriate. However, an independent school is not eligible for

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status as a center.  The charter must be signed by the governing

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body of the center and the sponsor, and must be approved by the

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district school board and community college board of trustees in

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whose geographic region the facility is located. If a charter

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technical career center is established by the conversion to

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charter status of a public technical college center formerly

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governed by a district school board, the charter status of that

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center takes precedence in any question of governance. The

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governance of the center or of any program within the center

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remains with its board of directors unless the board agrees to a

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change in governance or its charter is revoked as provided in

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subsection (15). Such a conversion charter technical career

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center is not affected by a change in the governance of public

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technical colleges centers or of programs within other centers

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that are or have been governed by district school boards. A

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charter technical career center, or any program within such a

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center, that was governed by a district school board and

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transferred to a community college prior to the effective date of

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this act is not affected by this provision. An applicant who

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wishes to establish a center must submit to the district school

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board or community college board of trustees, or a consortium of

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one or more of each, an application that includes:

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     (a)  The name of the proposed center.

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     (b)  The proposed structure of the center, including a list

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of proposed members of the board of directors or a description of

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the qualifications for and method of their appointment or

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election.

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     (c)  The workforce development goals of the center, the

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curriculum to be offered, and the outcomes and the methods of

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assessing the extent to which the outcomes are met.

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     (d)  The admissions policy and criteria for evaluating the

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admission of students.

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     (e)  A description of the staff responsibilities and the

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proposed qualifications of the teaching staff.

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     (f)  A description of the procedures to be implemented to

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ensure significant involvement of representatives of business and

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industry in the operation of the center.

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     (g)  A method for determining whether a student has

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satisfied the requirements for graduation specified in s. 1003.43

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and for completion of a postsecondary certificate or degree.

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     (h)  A method for granting secondary and postsecondary

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diplomas, certificates, and degrees.

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     (i)  A description of and address for the physical facility

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in which the center will be located.

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     (j)  A method of resolving conflicts between the governing

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body of the center and the sponsor and between consortium

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members, if applicable.

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     (k)  A method for reporting student data as required by law

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and rule.

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     (l)  Other information required by the district school board

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or community college board of trustees.

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Students at a center must meet the same testing and academic

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performance standards as those established by law and rule for

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students at public schools and public technical colleges centers.

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The students must also meet any additional assessment indicators

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that are included within the charter approved by the district

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school board or community college board of trustees.

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     (19)  EVALUATION; REPORT.--The Commissioner of Education

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shall provide for an annual comparative evaluation of charter

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technical career centers and public technical colleges centers.

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The evaluation may be conducted in cooperation with the sponsor,

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through private contracts, or by department staff.  At a minimum,

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the comparative evaluation must address the demographic and

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socioeconomic characteristics of the students served, the types

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and costs of services provided, and the outcomes achieved.  By

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December 30 of each year, the Commissioner of Education shall

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submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker

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of the House of Representatives, and the Senate and House

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committees that have responsibility for secondary and

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postsecondary career and technical education a report of the

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comparative evaluation completed for the previous school year.

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     Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section

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1003.493, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1003.493  Career and professional academies.--

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     (4)  Each career and professional academy must:

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     (b)  Include one or more partnerships with postsecondary

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institutions, businesses, industry, employers, economic

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development organizations, or other appropriate partners from the

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local community. Such partnerships shall be delineated in

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articulation agreements to provide for career-based courses that

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earn postsecondary credit. Such agreements may include

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articulation between the academy and public or private 2-year and

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4-year postsecondary institutions and technical colleges centers.

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The Department of Education, in consultation with the Board of

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Governors, shall establish a mechanism to ensure articulation and

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transfer of credits to postsecondary institutions in this state.

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Such partnerships must provide opportunities for:

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     1.  Instruction from highly skilled professionals who

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possess industry-certification credentials for courses they are

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teaching.

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     2.  Internships, externships, and on-the-job training.

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     3.  A postsecondary degree, diploma, or certificate.

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     4.  The highest available level of industry certification.

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     5.  Maximum articulation of credits pursuant to s. 1007.23

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upon program completion.

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     Section 4.  Subsection (2) of section 1004.99, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1004.99  Florida Ready to Work Certification Program.--

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     (2)  The Florida Ready to Work Certification Program may be

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conducted in public middle and high schools, community colleges,

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technical colleges centers, one-stop career centers, vocational

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rehabilitation centers, and Department of Juvenile Justice

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educational facilities. The program may be made available to

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other entities that provide job training. The Department of

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Education shall establish institutional readiness criteria for

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program implementation.

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     Section 5.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section

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1012.467, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1012.467  Noninstructional contractors who are permitted

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access to school grounds when students are present; background

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screening requirements.--

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     (1)  As used in this section, the term:

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     (c)  "School grounds" means the buildings and grounds of any

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public prekindergarten, kindergarten, elementary school, middle

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school, junior high school, high school, or secondary school, or

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any combination of grades prekindergarten through grade 12,

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together with the school district land on which the buildings are

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located. The term does not include:

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     1.  Any other facility or location where school classes or

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activities may be located or take place;

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     2.  The buildings and grounds of any public prekindergarten,

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kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, junior high

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school, high school, or secondary school, or any combination of

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grades prekindergarten through grade 12, or contiguous school

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district land, during any time period in which students are not

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permitted access; or

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     3.  Any building described in this paragraph during any

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period in which it is used solely as a career or technical

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college center under part IV of chapter 1004 for postsecondary or

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adult education.

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     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.