Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2232
By Senator Siplin
19-01662A-09 20092232__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high school graduation; providing a
3 short title; establishing the General Education
4 Development Exit Option Program; providing a purpose
5 for such program; providing definitions; providing
6 eligibility criteria for students to enroll in the
7 program; providing that enrollment in the program is
8 voluntary and requires parental notification and
9 consent; providing that a student enrolled in the
10 program may participate in all high school curricular
11 and extracurricular activities if eligible; providing
12 an exemption for students enrolled in the program from
13 the minimum graduation requirements for a standard
14 high school diploma; requiring that such exemption be
15 documented in an exceptional student's individual
16 education plan; requiring that a student who is
17 enrolled in the program be promoted to grade 10 or the
18 grade level of his or her cohort group upon enrollment
19 in the program; providing that such student may take
20 the grade 10 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test;
21 providing that a student who does not meet the
22 graduation requirements in his or her senior year may
23 return for a 13th year of school to enroll in the
24 program; providing that such student is not required
25 to take classes upon meeting the program requirements
26 and is deemed a high school graduate; providing
27 requirements for the successful completion of the
28 program; requiring that a student's transcript
29 identify certain information regarding the program;
30 requiring that the Department of Education include the
31 program in its calculation of the high school
32 graduation rate; providing an effective date.
33
34 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Graduates
37 Realizing Academic Dreams Act.”
38 Section 2. General Education Development Exit Option
39 Program.—
40 (1) PURPOSE.—The General Education Development (GED) Exit
41 Option Program is established to provide a graduation strategy
42 for currently enrolled high school students who are at risk of
43 not receiving a standard high school diploma and not graduating
44 with their cohort group.
45 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
46 (a) “Cohort group” means the group or class of students
47 with whom a student has entered kindergarten and will graduate
48 from high school.
49 (b) “Program” means the GED Exit Option Program.
50 (3) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to enroll in the program, a
51 student must:
52 (a) Be enrolled in a public K-12 education program in
53 courses that meet the high school graduation requirements;
54 (b) Be 16 years of age or older;
55 (c) Be older than the average age of students in his or her
56 grade level;
57 (d) Be behind in meeting the credit and grade point average
58 requirements for graduation;
59 (e) Have a cohort group that is graduating or has
60 graduated;
61 (f) At a minimum, be documented as reading at a 7th-grade
62 level;
63 (g) Earn acceptable scores on the official GED practice
64 tests administered under approved testing conditions;
65 (h) Be recommended for the program by a teacher,
66 administrator, or guidance counselor who is employed by the
67 school in which the student is enrolled; and
68 (i) Have a cumulative record that indicates that the
69 program is the most appropriate graduation alternative.
70
71 Enrollment in the program is voluntary and requires parental
72 notification and consent. A student and his or her parent or
73 guardian must be properly notified and informed of the program
74 and its requirements. The student must also obtain permission
75 from his or her parent or guardian before enrolling in the
76 program.
77 (4) SCHOOL PARTICIPATION.—A student who is enrolled in the
78 program may participate in all high school curricular and
79 extracurricular activities for which he or she meets the age and
80 eligibility requirements, including, but not limited to,
81 graduation ceremonies.
82 (5) ENROLLMENT.—
83 (a) Promotion.—A student who has not met the criteria for
84 promotion to grade 10 shall be promoted to grade 10 or the grade
85 level of his or her cohort group upon enrollment in the program.
86 Such student may take the grade 10 Florida Comprehensive
87 Assessment Test (FCAT).
88 (b) Completion of the program.—
89 1. A student who is enrolled in the program may not take
90 the GED tests until he or she has passed the FCAT and earned a
91 minimum score of 500 on the GED practice tests.
92 2. A student must pass the GED tests and all sections of
93 the grade 10 FCAT to complete the program and earn a standard
94 high school diploma. Students must also complete any vocational
95 requirements that are included in an approved district school
96 board plan.
97 3. A student who enrolls in the program may not graduate
98 before his or her cohort group.
99 4. A student who passes only the GED tests shall be awarded
100 a State of Florida Diploma.
101 (c) Exemption.—A student who is enrolled in the program is
102 exempt from the minimum graduation requirements for a standard
103 high school diploma, including the credit and grade point
104 average requirements. Such exemption must be documented in an
105 exceptional student's individual education plan.
106 (6) RETURNING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS.—A student who does not
107 meet the high school graduation requirements in his or her
108 senior year and chooses to return for the 13th year of high
109 school in order to enroll in the program is not required to
110 continue taking classes upon meeting the program requirements
111 and is deemed a high school graduate. If the district school
112 board or school has implemented a program that requires the
113 completion of a vocational course or program, such student may
114 be required to complete the requirement before he or she is
115 deemed a high school graduate even if the FCAT and GED
116 requirements have been met.
117 (7) TRANSCRIPTS.—A student who is enrolled in the program,
118 and his or her parent or guardian, must be informed that the
119 student’s transcript will indicate that he or she chose an
120 alternative graduation route. The transcript must identify only
121 the actual credits earned, successful completion of the FCAT
122 requirement, and the date on which the diploma was awarded. Such
123 information must be provided to the student and his or her
124 parent or guardian along with the notice and information
125 required in subsection (3).
126 (8) GRADUATION RATE.—The Department of Education shall
127 include the program in its calculation of the high school
128 graduation rate.
129 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.