Florida Senate - 2009 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2654
Barcode 575226
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/16/2009 .
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 (Wise) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) and subsections
6 (5) through (11) of section 1003.428, Florida Statutes, are
7 amended to read:
8 1003.428 General requirements for high school graduation;
9 revised.—
10 (2) The 24 credits may be earned through applied,
11 integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of
12 Education and shall be distributed as follows:
13 (a) Sixteen core curriculum credits:
14 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in
15 composition, reading for information, and literature.
16 2. Four credits in mathematics, one of which must be
17 Algebra I, a series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a
18 higher-level mathematics course. Beginning with students
19 entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the four
20 credits must be Algebra I or a series of courses equivalent to
21 Algebra I as approved by the State Board of Education, and one
22 credit must be geometry or a series of courses equivalent to
23 geometry as approved by the State Board of Education. Beginning
24 with students entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013 school year, one
25 of the four credits must be Algebra I or a series of courses
26 equivalent to Algebra I as approved by the State Board of
27 Education, one credit must be geometry or a series of courses
28 equivalent to geometry as approved by the State Board of
29 Education, and one credit must be Algebra II or a series of
30 courses equivalent to Algebra II as approved by the State Board
31 of Education. School districts are encouraged to set specific
32 goals to increase enrollments in, and successful completion of,
33 geometry and Algebra II.
34 3. Three credits in science, two of which must have a
35 laboratory component. Beginning with students entering grade 9
36 in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the three credits must be
37 Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to Biology I as
38 approved by the State Board of Education, one credit must be a
39 physical science or a series of courses equivalent to a physical
40 science as approved by the State Board of Education, and one
41 credit must be a higher-level science course. At least two of
42 the science courses must have a laboratory component. Beginning
43 with students entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013 school year, one
44 of the three credits must be Biology I or a series of courses
45 equivalent to Biology I as approved by the State Board of
46 Education, one credit must be chemistry or a series of courses
47 equivalent to chemistry as approved by the State Board of
48 Education, and one credit must be a higher-level science course.
49 At least two of the science courses must have a laboratory
50 component.
51 4. Three credits in social studies as follows: one credit
52 in American history; one credit in world history; one-half
53 credit in economics; and one-half credit in American government.
54 5. One credit in fine or performing arts, speech and
55 debate, or a practical arts course that incorporates artistic
56 content and techniques of creativity, interpretation, and
57 imagination. Eligible practical arts courses shall be identified
58 through the Course Code Directory.
59 6. One credit in physical education to include integration
60 of health. Participation in an interscholastic sport at the
61 junior varsity or varsity level for two full seasons shall
62 satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical education if the
63 student passes a competency test on personal fitness with a
64 score of “C” or better. The competency test on personal fitness
65 must be developed by the Department of Education. A district
66 school board may not require that the one credit in physical
67 education be taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one
68 semester with a grade of “C” or better in a marching band class,
69 in a physical activity class that requires participation in
70 marching band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a
71 dance class shall satisfy one-half credit in physical education
72 or one-half credit in performing arts. This credit may not be
73 used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the
74 requirement for adaptive physical education under an individual
75 education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. Completion of 2 years in a
76 Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class, a significant
77 component of which is drills, shall satisfy the one-credit
78 requirement in physical education and the one-credit requirement
79 in performing arts. This credit may not be used to satisfy the
80 personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive
81 physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or
82 504 plan.
83 (5) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing
84 and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the
85 recommendations of the commissioner for the provision of test
86 accommodations and modifications of procedures as necessary for
87 students with disabilities which will demonstrate the student’s
88 abilities rather than reflect the student’s impaired sensory,
89 manual, speaking, or psychological process skills.
90 (6) The public hearing and consideration required in
91 subsection (5) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the
92 requirements of security relating to the contents of
93 examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or
94 data as prescribed in s. 1008.23.
95 (5)(7)(a) A student who meets all requirements prescribed
96 in subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall be awarded a
97 standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of
98 Education.
99 (b) A student who completes the minimum number of credits
100 and other requirements prescribed by subsections (1), (2), and
101 (3), but who is unable to meet the standards of paragraph
102 (4)(b), paragraph (4)(c), or paragraph (4)(d), shall be awarded
103 a certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the State
104 Board of Education. However, any student who is otherwise
105 entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in
106 the secondary school either as a full-time student or a part
107 time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special
108 instruction designed to remedy his or her identified
109 deficiencies.
110 (8)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction
111 to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency
112 in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for
113 successful grade-to-grade progression and high school
114 graduation.
115 (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s.
116 1007.02(2), for whom the individual education plan (IEP)
117 committee determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the
118 student’s abilities taking into consideration all allowable
119 accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of paragraph
120 (4)(b) waived for the purpose of receiving a standard high
121 school diploma, if the student:
122 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other
123 requirements prescribed by subsections (1), (2), and (3).
124 2. Does not meet the requirements of paragraph (4)(b) after
125 one opportunity in 10th grade and one opportunity in 11th grade.
126 (9) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard high
127 school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started high
128 school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate
129 between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States
130 Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946,
131 prior to completing the necessary high school graduation
132 requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the
133 State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for
134 awarding such diplomas.
135 (10) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard
136 high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started
137 high school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate
138 between 1950 and 1954, but were inducted into the United States
139 Armed Forces between June 27, 1950, and January 31, 1955, and
140 served during the Korean Conflict prior to completing the
141 necessary high school graduation requirements. Upon the
142 recommendation of the commissioner, the State Board of Education
143 may develop criteria and guidelines for awarding such diplomas.
144 (6)(11) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
145 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the
146 provisions of this section and may enforce the provisions of
147 this section pursuant to s. 1008.32.
148 Section 2. Section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is created
149 to read:
150 1003.4282 Accommodations for students with disabilities;
151 graduation requirements.—For purposes of high school graduation:
152 (1) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing
153 and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the
154 recommendations of the Commissioner of Education for the
155 provision of test accommodations as necessary for students with
156 disabilities which will demonstrate the student’s abilities
157 rather than reflect the student’s impaired sensory, manual,
158 speaking, or psychological process skills.
159 (2) The public hearing and consideration required in
160 subsection (1) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the
161 requirements of security relating to the contents of
162 examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or
163 data as prescribed in s. 1008.23.
164 (3)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction
165 to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency
166 in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for
167 successful grade-to-grade progression and high school
168 graduation.
169 (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s.
170 1007.02(2), for whom the individual education plan committee
171 determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the student’s
172 abilities taking into consideration all allowable
173 accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of s.
174 1003.428(4)(b) or s. 1003.43(5)(a) waived for the purpose of
175 receiving a high school diploma, if the student:
176 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other
177 requirements prescribed in s. 1003.428(1)-(3) or s. 1003.43(1)
178 and (4).
179 2. Does not meet the FCAT requirements of s. 1003.428(4)(b)
180 or s. 1003.43(5)(a) after one opportunity in grade 10 and one
181 opportunity in grade 11.
182 Section 3. Section 1003.4287, Florida Statutes, is created
183 to read:
184 1003.4287 Recognition of veterans; high school diploma.—
185 (1) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard high
186 school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started high
187 school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate
188 between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States
189 Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946,
190 prior to completing the necessary high school graduation
191 requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the
192 State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for
193 awarding such diplomas.
194 (2) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard high
195 school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started high
196 school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate
197 between 1949 and 1955 but were inducted into the United States
198 Armed Forces between June 1949 and January 1955 and served
199 during the Korean War prior to completing the necessary high
200 school graduation requirements. Upon the recommendation of the
201 commissioner, the State Board of Education may develop criteria
202 and guidelines for awarding such diplomas.
203 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
204 1003.429, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
205 1003.429 Accelerated high school graduation options.—
206 (1) Students who enter grade 9 in the 2006-2007 school year
207 and thereafter may select, upon receipt of each consent required
208 by this section, one of the following three high school
209 graduation options:
210 (b) Completion of a 3-year standard college preparatory
211 program requiring successful completion of a minimum of 18
212 academic credits in grades 9 through 12. At least 6 of the 18
213 credits required for completion of this program must be received
214 in classes that are offered pursuant to the International
215 Baccalaureate Program, the Advanced Placement Program, dual
216 enrollment, or the Advanced International Certificate of
217 Education Program, or specifically listed or identified by the
218 Department of Education as rigorous pursuant to s. 1009.531(3).
219 Students must be advised of the Advanced Placement,
220 International Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate
221 of Education, and dual enrollment courses available, as well as
222 the availability of course offerings through the Florida Virtual
223 School. The 18 credits required for completion of this program
224 shall be primary requirements and shall be distributed as
225 follows:
226 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in
227 composition and literature;
228 2. Three credits in mathematics at the Algebra I level or
229 higher from the list of courses that qualify for state
230 university admission;
231 3. Three credits in natural science, two of which must have
232 a laboratory component;
233 4. Three credits in social sciences, which must include one
234 credit in American history, one credit in world history, one
235 half credit in American government, and one-half credit in
236 economics;
237 5. Two credits in the same second language unless the
238 student is a native speaker of or can otherwise demonstrate
239 competency in a language other than English. If the student
240 demonstrates competency in another language, the student may
241 replace the language requirement with two credits in other
242 academic courses; and
243 6. Three credits in electives; or
244
245 Any student who selected an accelerated graduation program
246 before July 1, 2004, may continue that program, and all
247 statutory program requirements that were applicable when the
248 student made the program choice shall remain applicable to the
249 student as long as the student continues that program.
250 Section 5. Subsections (8) through (13) of section 1003.43,
251 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
252 1003.43 General requirements for high school graduation.—
253 (8) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing
254 and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the
255 recommendations of the commissioner for the provision of test
256 accommodations and modifications of procedures as necessary for
257 students with disabilities which will demonstrate the student’s
258 abilities rather than reflect the student’s impaired sensory,
259 manual, speaking, or psychological process skills.
260 (9) The public hearing and consideration required in
261 subsection (8) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the
262 requirements of security relating to the contents of
263 examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or
264 data as prescribed in s. 1008.23.
265 (8)(10)(a) A student who meets all requirements prescribed
266 in subsections (1), (4), and (5) shall be awarded a standard
267 diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. A
268 district school board may attach the Florida gold seal career
269 endorsement to a standard diploma or, instead of the standard
270 diploma, award differentiated diplomas to those exceeding the
271 prescribed minimums.
272 (b) A student who completes the minimum number of credits
273 and other requirements prescribed by subsections (1) and (4),
274 but who is unable to meet the standards of paragraph (5)(a),
275 paragraph (5)(b), or paragraph (5)(c), shall be awarded a
276 certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the State
277 Board of Education. However, any student who is otherwise
278 entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in
279 the secondary school either as a full-time student or a part
280 time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special
281 instruction designed to remedy his or her identified
282 deficiencies.
283 (11)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction
284 to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency
285 in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for
286 successful grade-to-grade progression and high school
287 graduation.
288 (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s.
289 1007.02(2), for whom the individual educational plan (IEP)
290 committee determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the
291 student’s abilities taking into consideration all allowable
292 accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of paragraph
293 (5)(a) waived for the purpose of receiving a standard high
294 school diploma, if the student:
295 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other
296 requirements prescribed by subsections (1) and (4).
297 2. Does not meet the requirements of paragraph (5)(a) after
298 one opportunity in 10th grade and one opportunity in 11th grade.
299 (12) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard
300 high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started
301 high school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate
302 between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States
303 Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946,
304 prior to completing the necessary high school graduation
305 requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the
306 State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for
307 awarding such diplomas.
308 (13) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard
309 high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started
310 high school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate
311 between 1949 and 1955, but were inducted into the United States
312 Armed Forces between June 1949 and January 1955, and served
313 during the Korean War prior to completing the necessary high
314 school graduation requirements. Upon the recommendation of the
315 commissioner, the State Board of Education may develop criteria
316 and guidelines for awarding such diplomas.
317 Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida
318 Statutes, is amended to read:
319 1007.263 Community colleges; admissions of students.—Each
320 community college board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules
321 governing admissions of students subject to this section and
322 rules of the State Board of Education. These rules shall include
323 the following:
324 (4) A student who has been awarded a special diploma as
325 defined in s. 1003.438 or a certificate of completion as defined
326 in s. 1003.43(8)(10) is eligible to enroll in certificate career
327 education programs.
328
329 Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify
330 students about, and place students into, adult basic education,
331 adult secondary education, or other instructional programs that
332 provide students with alternatives to traditional college
333 preparatory instruction, including private provider instruction.
334 A student is prohibited from enrolling in additional college
335 level courses until the student scores above the cut-score on
336 all sections of the common placement test.
337 Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
338 1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
339 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
340 (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.—The commissioner shall
341 design and implement a statewide program of educational
342 assessment that provides information for the improvement of the
343 operation and management of the public schools, including
344 schools operating for the purpose of providing educational
345 services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
346 The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued
347 administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation
348 programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may
349 be initiated in 1 fiscal year and continue into the next and may
350 be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years.
351 The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale or
352 lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and
353 related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the
354 statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall:
355 (c) Develop and implement a student achievement testing
356 program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
357 (FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program to measure a
358 student’s content knowledge and skills in reading, writing,
359 science, and mathematics. Other content areas may be included as
360 directed by the commissioner. Comprehensive assessments of
361 reading and mathematics shall be administered annually in grades
362 3 through 10. Comprehensive assessments of writing and science
363 shall be administered at least once at the elementary, middle,
364 and high school levels. End-of-course assessments for a subject
365 may be administered in addition to the comprehensive assessments
366 required for that subject under this paragraph. An end-of-course
367 assessment must be rigorous, statewide, standardized, and
368 developed or approved by the department. The content knowledge
369 and skills assessed by comprehensive and end-of-course
370 assessments must be aligned to the core curricular content
371 established in the Sunshine State Standards. The commissioner
372 may select one or more nationally developed comprehensive
373 examinations, which may include, but need not be limited to,
374 examinations for a College Board Advanced Placement course,
375 International Baccalaureate course, or Advanced International
376 Certificate of Education course or industry-approved
377 examinations to earn national industry certifications as defined
378 in s. 1003.492, for use as end-of-course assessments under this
379 paragraph, if the commissioner determines that the content
380 knowledge and skills assessed by the examinations meet or exceed
381 the grade level expectations for the core curricular content
382 established for the course in the Next Generation Sunshine State
383 Standards. The commissioner may collaborate with the American
384 Diploma Project in the adoption or development of rigorous end
385 of-course assessments that are aligned to the Next Generation
386 Sunshine State Standards. The testing program must be designed
387 as follows:
388 1. The tests shall measure student skills and competencies
389 adopted by the State Board of Education as specified in
390 paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report student
391 proficiency levels of all students assessed in reading, writing,
392 mathematics, and science. The commissioner shall provide for the
393 tests to be developed or obtained, as appropriate, through
394 contracts and project agreements with private vendors, public
395 vendors, public agencies, postsecondary educational
396 institutions, or school districts. The commissioner shall obtain
397 input with respect to the design and implementation of the
398 testing program from state educators, assistive technology
399 experts, and the public.
400 2. The testing program shall be composed of criterion
401 referenced tests that shall, to the extent determined by the
402 commissioner, include test items that require the student to
403 produce information or perform tasks in such a way that the core
404 content knowledge and skills he or she uses can be measured.
405 3. Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the
406 commissioner shall discontinue administration of the selected
407 response test items on the comprehensive assessments of writing.
408 Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the comprehensive
409 assessments of writing shall be composed of a combination of
410 selected-response test items, short-response performance tasks,
411 and extended-response performance tasks, which shall measure a
412 student’s content knowledge of writing, including, but not
413 limited to, paragraph and sentence structure, sentence
414 construction, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization,
415 spelling, parts of speech, verb tense, irregular verbs, subject
416 verb agreement, and noun-pronoun agreement.
417 4. A score shall be designated for each subject area
418 tested, below which score a student’s performance is deemed
419 inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate
420 remedial instruction to students who score below these levels.
421 5. Except as provided in s. 1003.4282 1003.428(8)(b) or s.
422 1003.43(11)(b), students must earn a passing score on the grade
423 10 assessment test described in this paragraph or attain
424 concordant scores as described in subsection (10) in reading,
425 writing, and mathematics to qualify for a standard high school
426 diploma. The State Board of Education shall designate a passing
427 score for each part of the grade 10 assessment test. In
428 establishing passing scores, the state board shall consider any
429 possible negative impact of the test on minority students. The
430 State Board of Education shall adopt rules which specify the
431 passing scores for the grade 10 FCAT. Such passing scores must
432 at a minimum meet grade-level proficiency. Any such rules, which
433 have the effect of raising the required passing scores, shall
434 apply only to students taking the grade 10 FCAT for the first
435 time after such rules are adopted by the State Board of
436 Education.
437 6. Participation in the testing program is mandatory for
438 all students attending public school, including students served
439 in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise
440 prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not
441 participate in the statewide assessment, the district must
442 notify the student’s parent and provide the parent with
443 information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation.
444 A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive
445 classroom instructional accommodations that would not be
446 available or permitted on the statewide assessments and must
447 acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the
448 implications of such instructional accommodations. The State
449 Board of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations
450 of the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations
451 for students in exceptional education programs and for students
452 who have limited English proficiency. Accommodations that negate
453 the validity of a statewide assessment are not allowable in the
454 administration of the FCAT. However, instructional
455 accommodations are allowable in the classroom if included in a
456 student’s individual education plan. Students using
457 instructional accommodations in the classroom that are not
458 allowable as accommodations on the FCAT may have the FCAT
459 requirement waived pursuant to the requirements of s. 1003.4282
460 1003.428(8)(b) or s. 1003.43(11)(b).
461 7. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must meet
462 the same testing requirements that a regular high school student
463 must meet.
464 8. District school boards must provide instruction to
465 prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the core
466 curricular content established in the Next Generation Sunshine
467 State Standards adopted under s. 1003.41, including the core
468 content knowledge and skills necessary for successful grade-to
469 grade progression and high school graduation. If a student is
470 provided with instructional accommodations in the classroom that
471 are not allowable as accommodations in the statewide assessment
472 program, as described in the test manuals, the district must
473 inform the parent in writing and must provide the parent with
474 information regarding the impact on the student’s ability to
475 meet expected proficiency levels in reading, writing, and
476 mathematics. The commissioner shall conduct studies as necessary
477 to verify that the required core curricular content is part of
478 the district instructional programs.
479 9. District school boards must provide opportunities for
480 students to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an
481 alternative standardized assessment approved by the State Board
482 of Education following enrollment in summer academies.
483 10. The Department of Education must develop, or select,
484 and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be
485 used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools
486 must accurately measure the core curricular content established
487 in the Sunshine State Standards.
488 11. For students seeking a special diploma pursuant to s.
489 1003.438, the Department of Education must develop or select and
490 implement an alternate assessment tool that accurately measures
491 the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State
492 Standards for students with disabilities under s. 1003.438.
493 12. The Commissioner of Education shall establish schedules
494 for the administration of statewide assessments and the
495 reporting of student test results. The commissioner shall, by
496 August 1 of each year, notify each school district in writing
497 and publish on the department’s Internet website the testing and
498 reporting schedules for, at a minimum, the school year following
499 the upcoming school year. The testing and reporting schedules
500 shall require that:
501 a. There is the latest possible administration of statewide
502 assessments and the earliest possible reporting to the school
503 districts of student test results which is feasible within
504 available technology and specific appropriations; however, test
505 results must be made available no later than the final day of
506 the regular school year for students.
507 b. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a
508 comprehensive statewide assessment of writing is not
509 administered earlier than the week of March 1 and a
510 comprehensive statewide assessment of any other subject is not
511 administered earlier than the week of April 15.
512 c. A statewide standardized end-of-course assessment is
513 administered within the last 2 weeks of the course.
514
515 The commissioner may, based on collaboration and input from
516 school districts, design and implement student testing programs,
517 for any grade level and subject area, necessary to effectively
518 monitor educational achievement in the state, including the
519 measurement of educational achievement of the Sunshine State
520 Standards for students with disabilities. Development and
521 refinement of assessments shall include universal design
522 principles and accessibility standards that will prevent any
523 unintended obstacles for students with disabilities while
524 ensuring the validity and reliability of the test. These
525 principles should be applicable to all technology platforms and
526 assistive devices available for the assessments. The field
527 testing process and psychometric analyses for the statewide
528 assessment program must include an appropriate percentage of
529 students with disabilities and an evaluation or determination of
530 the effect of test items on such students.
531 Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
532 1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
533 1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
534 student eligibility requirements for initial awards.—
535 (1) Effective January 1, 2008, in order to be eligible for
536 an initial award from any of the three types of scholarships
537 under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, a student
538 must:
539 (b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its
540 equivalent as described in s. 1003.428, s. 1003.429, s. 1003.43,
541 or s. 1003.435 unless:
542 1. The student completes a home education program according
543 to s. 1002.41; or
544 2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non
545 Florida school while living with a parent or guardian who is on
546 military or public service assignment away from Florida.
547 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.
548
549 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
550 And the title is amended as follows:
551 Delete everything before the enacting clause
552 and insert:
553 A bill to be entitled
554 An act relating to high school graduation; amending s.
555 1003.428, F.S.; providing credit requirements for high
556 school graduation with a standard diploma beginning
557 with students entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school
558 year and students entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013
559 school year; deleting provisions relating to general
560 requirements for high school graduation to conform to
561 changes made by the act; creating s. 1003.4282, F.S.;
562 providing for accommodations for students with
563 disabilities for purposes of high school graduation;
564 creating s. 1003.4287, F.S.; authorizing the award of
565 a standard high school diploma to certain honorably
566 discharged veterans; amending s. 1003.429, F.S.;
567 requiring that students be advised of the availability
568 of certain courses for purposes of an accelerated high
569 school graduation option; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.;
570 deleting provisions relating to general requirements
571 for high school graduation to conform to changes made
572 by the act; amending s. 1007.263, F.S.; conforming a
573 cross-reference; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; requiring
574 passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT to meet grade
575 level proficiency; conforming cross-references;
576 amending s. 1009.531, F.S.; conforming provisions;
577 providing an effective date.