HB 7069

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to college and career preparation;
3	amending s. 1003.413, F.S.; providing for an annual review
4	of a high school student's electronic personal education
5	plan; creating s. 1003.4285, F.S.; providing for
6	designations on standard high school diplomas; creating s.
7	1003.4287, F.S.; providing for access to postsecondary
8	education credit courses in public high schools;
9	specifying courses that may be accessed; requiring the
10	State Board of Education to develop a comprehensive plan;
11	amending s. 1004.91, F.S.; providing an exemption relating
12	to career-preparatory instruction; amending s. 1007.21,
13	F.S.; conforming provisions relating to administration of
14	the common placement test; creating s. 1007.212, F.S.;
15	creating the Remediation Reform Pilot Project with
16	participation by community colleges and school districts;
17	requiring the Department of Education to develop an
18	application process; specifying contents of the
19	application; requiring the Commissioner of Education to
20	evaluate applications and recommend proposals to the
21	Legislature for final approval; requiring annual status
22	reports by participants and analysis by the Office of
23	Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability;
24	providing for funding; amending s. 1007.235, F.S.;
25	requiring district interinstitutional articulation
26	agreements to include responsibility for assignment of
27	grades for dual enrollment courses; amending s. 1007.271,
28	F.S.; providing requirements for state universities to
29	weigh dual enrollment courses; amending s. 1008.30, F.S.;
30	revising provisions relating to administration and use of
31	the results of the common placement test; providing for
32	development of remedial content to be offered online;
33	providing an effective date.
34
35	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37	Section 1.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (3) of section
38	1003.413, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
39	1003.413  Florida Secondary School Redesign Act.--
40	(3)  Based on these guiding principles, district school
41	boards shall establish policies to implement the requirements of
42	ss. 1003.4156, 1003.428, and 1003.493. The policies must
43	address:
44	(i)  An annual review of each high school student's
45	electronic personal education plan pursuant to s. 1003.4156 and
46	procedures for high school students who have not prepared an
47	electronic personal education plan pursuant to s. 1003.4156 to
48	prepare such plan.
49	Section 2.  Section 1003.4285, Florida Statutes, is created
50	to read:
51	1003.4285  Standard high school diploma designations.--By
52	the 2008-2009 school year, each standard high school diploma
53	shall include, as applicable:
54	(1)  A designation of the student's major area of interest
55	pursuant to the student's completion of credits as provided in
56	s. 1003.428.
57	(2)  A designation reflecting completion of accelerated
58	college credit courses if the student is eligible for college
59	credit pursuant to s. 1007.27 in four or more Advanced
60	Placement, International Baccalaureate, Advanced International
61	Certificate of Education, or dual enrollment courses. The
62	Commissioner of Education shall establish guidelines for
63	successful passage of examinations or coursework in each of the
64	accelerated college credit options for purposes of this
65	subsection.
66	(3)  A designation reflecting career education
67	certification in accordance with s. 1003.431.
68	(4)  A designation reflecting Florida Ready to Work
69	Certification in accordance with s. 1004.99.
70	Section 3.  Section 1003.4287, Florida Statutes, is created
71	to read:
72	1003.4287  Postsecondary education credit courses;
73	comprehensive plan.--
74	(1)  The purpose of this section is to provide each public
75	high school student with access to a substantive and rigorous
76	curriculum that is designed to challenge the student's mind,
77	enhance the student's knowledge and skills, and prepare the
78	student for success in college and work.
79	(2)  For purposes of this section, the term "postsecondary
80	education credit course" means a course through which a high
81	school student may earn postsecondary credit and includes
82	Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses,
83	Advanced International Certificate of Education courses, and
84	dual enrollment courses.
85	(3)  By the 2009-2010 school year, each public high school
86	in the state must provide students access to at least four
87	Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Advanced
88	International Certificate of Education, or dual enrollment
89	courses, one each in English, mathematics, science, and social
90	studies, and at least four courses in career and technical dual
91	enrollment. To fulfill this requirement, schools may utilize
92	course offerings provided by the Florida Virtual School, a
93	career center, a charter technical career center, a community
94	college, a state university, or an independent college or
95	university eligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment program
96	pursuant to s. 1011.62.
97	(4)  To assist with implementation of this section, the
98	State Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive
99	plan that:
100	(a)  Provides all students with access to a substantive and
101	rigorous curriculum that is designed to challenge their minds
102	and enhance their knowledge and skills and with opportunities to
103	acquire postsecondary education credits while in high school.
104	(b)  Supports school administrators and guidance counselors
105	in the receipt of professional development that enables them to
106	create strong and effective postsecondary opportunities for
107	their students.
108	(c)  Establishes guidelines and timelines for teachers and
109	school leaders in middle schools and high schools to receive
110	training in content knowledge and instructional skills to
111	prepare students for success in a rigorous curriculum that leads
112	to postsecondary education credit.
113	(d)  Creates long-term and annual statewide goals for
114	increasing:
115	1.  The number and percentage of students enrolling in and
116	completing postsecondary education credit courses.
117	2.  The number and percentage of students receiving
118	postsecondary education credits in such courses.
119	3.  The number and percentage of low-income and
120	underrepresented students enrolling in and completing
121	postsecondary education credit courses.
122	4.  The number and percentage of low-income and
123	underrepresented students receiving postsecondary education
124	credit in such courses.
125	(e)  Leverages federal and private funding available for
126	incentives and training.
127	(f)  Focuses state and federal funding to carry out
128	activities that target school districts serving high
129	concentrations of low-income and underrepresented students.
130	(g)  Provides a plan of communication that emphasizes the
131	importance of postsecondary education credit courses to a
132	student's ability to gain access to and succeed in postsecondary
133	education. The plan for such communication should include
134	information to students, teachers, counselors, administrators,
135	school districts, community colleges, and state universities.
136	(h)  Annually evaluates the impact of the implementation of
137	this section on the rates of student enrollment and success in
138	postsecondary education credit courses, on high school
139	graduation rates, and on college enrollment rates. The
140	evaluation must include a review of the progress toward meeting
141	goals established pursuant to paragraph (d).
142	Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 1004.91, Florida
143	Statutes, is amended to read:
144	1004.91  Career-preparatory instruction.--
145	(3)  An adult student with a disability may be exempted
146	from the provisions of this section. A student who possesses a
147	college degree at the associate in applied science level or
148	higher is exempt from this section. A student who has completed
149	or who is exempt from the college-level communication and
150	computation skills examination pursuant to s. 1008.29, or who is
151	exempt from the college entry-level examination pursuant to s.
152	1008.29, is exempt from the provisions of this section. Students
153	who have passed a state, national, or industry licensure exam
154	are exempt from this section. An adult student who is enrolled
155	in an apprenticeship program that is registered with the
156	Department of Education in accordance with the provisions of
157	chapter 446 is exempt from the provisions of this section.
158	Section 5.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
159	1007.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
160	1007.21  Readiness for postsecondary education and the
161	workplace.--
162	(2)
163	(c)  The common placement test authorized in ss.
164	1001.03(10) and 1008.30 or a similar test may be administered to
165	all high school students second semester sophomores who have
166	chosen one of the four destinations. The results of the
167	placement test shall be used to target additional instructional
168	needs in reading, writing, and mathematics prior to graduation.
169	Section 6.  Section 1007.212, Florida Statutes, is created
170	to read:
171	1007.212  Remediation Reform Pilot Project.--
172	(1)  The Legislature finds that the cost to the state and
173	to students for remedial education has exceeded $100 million in
174	recent years. The Legislature further finds that it is in the
175	public's best interest to identify policies and best practices
176	that reduce the need for and the cost of remediation for recent
177	high school graduates who enter postsecondary education.
178	(2)  Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, there is
179	created the Remediation Reform Pilot Project with the goal of
180	reducing the need for and the cost of remediation for recent
181	high school graduates who enter postsecondary education.
182	(3)  The Department of Education shall develop by August 1,
183	2008, an application process for community colleges and school
184	districts to participate in the pilot project. Each application
185	must represent a collaborative effort between one or more
186	community colleges and one or more school districts in each
187	community college's service area.
188	(4)  Each application shall:
189	(a)  Identify the specific area or areas of remediation to
190	be addressed as part of the pilot project.
191	(b)  Provide the most recent data available from the
192	postsecondary feedback reports produced pursuant to s. 1008.37
193	for each community college and school district that will
194	participate in the pilot project for the area or areas of
195	remediation that will be addressed during the course of the
196	project.
197	(c)  Describe the strategies currently used by the
198	participating institutions to address remediation needs,
199	including mechanisms used to identify students who need
200	remediation, corrective actions employed to address identified
201	needs, and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of these
202	strategies.
203	(d)  Describe any proposed changes to current strategies
204	that have been designed to reduce the need for postsecondary
205	remediation, including, but not limited to:
206	1.  Specific intervention efforts that will be employed to
207	address identified deficiencies.
208	2.  The process the community college and the school
209	district will use to determine the effectiveness of the changes.
210	3.  A projected timeline for implementation of the changes.
211	(e)  Describe specific professional development activities
212	that will be provided for secondary education faculty.
213	(f)  Provide itemized estimates of the costs to each
214	participating community college and school district of
215	implementing the proposal.
216	(g)  Identify any local, federal, or private funding that
217	may be available to support the project.
218	(h)  Project any reductions in the need for and the cost of
219	remediation that are anticipated following implementation and
220	describe the method used to develop the projections.
221	(5)  By October 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Education
222	shall evaluate the applications and recommend no more than four
223	proposals to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
224	House of Representatives for consideration and final approval.
225	To the extent possible, the proposals recommended by the
226	commissioner shall be representative of the geographic regions
227	of the state and representative of large, medium, and small
228	school districts.
229	(6)  Each community college and school district
230	participating in the pilot project shall submit an annual status
231	report, including a description of the strategies implemented,
232	any costs incurred, and the effectiveness of the strategies used
233	in reducing the need for and the cost of postsecondary
234	remediation to students and the state. This report shall be
235	submitted to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President
236	of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
237	Commissioner of Education, and the Office of Program Policy
238	Analysis and Government Accountability by September 1. The
239	Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
240	shall analyze the reports submitted pursuant to this subsection
241	to identify the policies and practices that are most effective
242	in reducing the need for and the cost of remediation, including
243	any cost savings realized as a result of implementation.
244	(7)  The pilot project shall be funded as provided in the
245	General Appropriations Act. The Department of Education, school
246	districts, and community colleges may redirect existing
247	resources for purposes of the pilot project and are encouraged
248	to seek and accept grants from additional public and private
249	sources to implement the pilot project.
250	Section 7.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
251	1007.235, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
252	1007.235  District interinstitutional articulation
253	agreements.--
254	(2)  The district interinstitutional articulation agreement
255	for each school year must be completed before high school
256	registration for the fall term of the following school year. The
257	agreement must include, but is not limited to, the following
258	components:
259	(b)1.  A delineation of courses and programs available to
260	students eligible to participate in dual enrollment. This
261	delineation must include a plan for the community college to
262	provide guidance services to participating students on the
263	selection of courses in the dual enrollment program. The process
264	of community college guidance should make maximum use of the
265	automated advisement system for community colleges. The plan
266	must assure that each dual enrollment student is encouraged to
267	identify a postsecondary education objective with which to guide
268	the course selection. At a minimum, each student's plan should
269	include a list of courses that will result in an Applied
270	Technology Diploma, an Associate in Science degree, or an
271	Associate in Arts degree. If the student identifies a
272	baccalaureate degree as the objective, the plan must include
273	courses that will meet the general education requirements and
274	any prerequisite requirements for entrance into a selected
275	baccalaureate degree program.
276	2.  A delineation of the process by which students and
277	their parents are informed about opportunities to participate in
278	articulated acceleration programs.
279	3.  A delineation of the process by which students and
280	their parents exercise their option to participate in an
281	articulated acceleration program.
282	4.  A delineation of high school credits earned for
283	completion of each dual enrollment course.
284	5.  Provision for postsecondary courses that meet the
285	criteria for inclusion in a district articulated acceleration
286	program to be counted toward meeting the graduation requirements
287	of s. 1003.43.
288	6.  An identification of eligibility criteria for student
289	participation in dual enrollment courses and programs.
290	7.  A delineation of institutional responsibilities
291	regarding student screening prior to enrollment and monitoring
292	student performance subsequent to enrollment in dual enrollment
293	courses and programs.
294	8.  An identification of the criteria by which the quality
295	of dual enrollment courses and programs are to be judged and a
296	delineation of institutional responsibilities for the
297	maintenance of instructional quality.
298	9.  A delineation of institutional responsibilities for
299	assuming the cost of dual enrollment courses and programs that
300	includes such responsibilities for student instructional
301	materials.
302	10.  An identification of responsibility for providing
303	student transportation if the dual enrollment instruction is
304	conducted at a facility other than the high school campus.
305	11.  A delineation of the process for converting college
306	credit hours earned through dual enrollment and early admission
307	programs to high school credit based on mastery of course
308	outcomes as determined by the Department of Education in
309	accordance with s. 1007.271(6).
310	12.  An identification of the responsibility of the
311	postsecondary educational institution for assigning letter
312	grades for dual enrollment courses and the responsibility of
313	school districts for posting dual enrollment course grades to
314	the high school transcript as assigned by the postsecondary
315	institution awarding the credit.
316	Section 8.  Subsection (16) of section 1007.271, Florida
317	Statutes, are amended to read:
318	1007.271  Dual enrollment programs.--
319	(16)  Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2006-
320	2007 school year, school districts and community colleges must
321	weigh dual enrollment courses the same as advanced placement,
322	International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International
323	Certificate of Education courses when grade point averages are
324	calculated. Alternative grade calculation or weighting systems
325	that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are
326	prohibited. Beginning with students applying for admission to a
327	state university for the 2009-2010 academic year, state
328	universities must weigh dual enrollment courses the same as
329	comparable Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and
330	Advanced International Certificate of Education courses when
331	calculating grade point averages for purposes of making
332	admissions decisions.
333	Section 9.  Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section
334	1008.30, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
335	1008.30  Common placement testing for public postsecondary
336	education.--
337	(1)  The State Board of Education, in conjunction with the
338	Board of Governors, shall develop and implement a common
339	placement test for the purpose of assessing the basic
340	computation and communication skills students need to continue
341	their education at the postsecondary level or enter the
342	workforce of students who intend to enter a degree program at
343	any public postsecondary educational institution. Public
344	postsecondary educational institutions shall provide appropriate
345	modifications of the test instruments or test procedures for
346	students with disabilities.
347	(2)  The common placement testing program shall include at
348	a minimum the following: the capacity to diagnose basic
349	competencies in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics
350	which are essential to perform at the postsecondary level or
351	enter the workforce college-level work; prerequisite skills that
352	relate to progressively advanced instruction in mathematics,
353	such as algebra and geometry; prerequisite skills that relate to
354	progressively advanced instruction in language arts, such as
355	English composition and literature; prerequisite skills which
356	relate to the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST); and
357	provision of test information to students on the specific
358	deficiencies.
359	(3)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that
360	would require high schools to evaluate during grade 11 the
361	college or career readiness of each student who passed the
362	reading or mathematics portion of the grade 10 FCAT. High
363	schools shall perform this evaluation using results from give
364	the common placement test prescribed in this section, or an
365	equivalent test identified by the State Board of Education. The
366	State Board of Education shall establish in rule the minimum
367	test scores a student must achieve to demonstrate readiness. The
368	high school shall use the results of the test to advise the
369	students of any identified deficiencies and provide students any
370	necessary remedial instruction prior to, or the summer
371	immediately following, high school graduation. The remedial
372	instruction provided pursuant to this subsection shall be
373	developed as a collaborative effort between secondary and
374	postsecondary educational institutions. Contingent upon
375	appropriation of funds in the General Appropriations Act, the
376	Florida Virtual School shall partner with one or more community
377	colleges to develop remedial content that may be offered online,
378	at the beginning of the tenth grade year before enrollment in
379	the eleventh grade year in public high school for the purpose of
380	obtaining remedial instruction prior to entering public
381	postsecondary education.
382	Section 10.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.