CS/HB 751

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to articulation; amending s. 1007.23,
3F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation agreement to
4govern the establishment of guidelines for the inclusion
5of institutions licensed by the Commission for Independent
6Education in statewide articulation agreements; amending
7s. 1007.235, F.S.; authorizing school districts to enter
8into articulation agreements with such independent
9postsecondary educational institutions; amending s.
101007.24, F.S.; requiring representatives from school
11districts, public postsecondary educational institutions,
12and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational
13institutions to participate on faculty committees
14established to review courses under specified
15circumstances; expanding eligibility to participate in the
16statewide course numbering system to all licensees of the
17Commission for Independent Education; guaranteeing the
18award of course credit by participating institutions
19notwithstanding the institution's accrediting agency;
20requiring the State Board of Education and Board of
21Governors to enforce compliance with the award of certain
22credits; requiring adoption of a rule establishing a
23process for reporting and monitoring noncompliance with
24the award of certain credits; amending s. 1008.38, F.S.;
25requiring establishment of a process for the reporting of
26trend data by the Department of Education on the
27progression of students into and through postsecondary
28education and the workforce; revising factors that must be
29addressed by the articulation accountability measures;
30providing an effective date.
31
32Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34     Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida
35Statutes, is amended to read:
36     1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.--
37     (1)  The State Board of Education and the Board of
38Governors shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement,
39which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The
40agreement must preserve Florida's "2+2" system of articulation,
41facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit across
42and among Florida's public and nonpublic educational entities,
43and reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing:
44     (a)  Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
45education;
46     (b)  Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
47community colleges and state universities;
48     (c)  Admission of applied technology diploma program
49graduates from community colleges or career centers;
50     (d)  Admission of associate in science degree and associate
51in applied science degree graduates from community colleges;
52     (e)  The establishment of guidelines for the inclusion of
53institutions licensed by the Commission for Independent
54Education in statewide articulation agreements;
55     (f)(e)  The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
56nationally standardized examinations through which students may
57earn credit;
58     (g)(f)  General education requirements and statewide course
59numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
60     (h)(g)  Articulation among programs in nursing.
61     Section 2.  Subsection (8) is added to section 1007.235,
62Florida Statutes, to read:
63     1007.235  District interinstitutional articulation
64agreements.--
65     (8)  School districts may enter into articulation
66agreements with independent postsecondary educational
67institutions that are licensed by the Commission for Independent
68Education.
69     Section 3.  Subsections (2), (6), and (7) of section
701007.24, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (9) is
71added to that section, to read:
72     1007.24  Statewide course numbering system.--
73     (2)  The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the
74Chancellor of the State University System, shall appoint faculty
75committees representing faculties of participating institutions
76to recommend a single level for each course, including
77postsecondary career education courses, included in the
78statewide course numbering system. At least one representative
79from school districts, public postsecondary educational
80institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary
81educational institutions shall be appointed to each faculty
82committee established to review courses if the district or
83institution offers courses in the discipline.
84     (a)  Any course designated as an upper-division-level
85course must be characterized by a need for advanced academic
86preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to
87achieve without significant prior coursework.
88     (b)  A course that is offered as part of an associate in
89science degree program and as an upper-division course for a
90baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and
91upper division.
92     (c)  A course designated as lower-division may be offered
93by any community college.
94     (6)  Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully
95accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency
96recognized by the United States Department of Education and are
97either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV,
98Florida Resident Access Grant or have been licensed by the
99Commission for Independent Education issued a regular license
100pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course
101numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating
102colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with
103inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions
104for institutional participation in the system. The department
105shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred
106through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem,
107and staff and clerical support time. The Such fee schedule may
108differentiate between the costs associated with initial course
109inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent
110course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial
111course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made
112within 360 days after the submission of the required materials
113and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may
114select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new
115courses to be included, and may delay review of courses
116submitted after that date until the next year's cycle. Any
117college that currently participates in the system, and that
118participated in the system before prior to July 1, 1986, is
119shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial
120course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation
121in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the
122provisions of this section shall be deposited in the
123Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit
124college or university that is eligible to participate in the
125statewide course numbering system is shall not be required to
126pay the costs associated with participation in the system. A No
127college or school may not shall record student transcripts or
128document courses offered by the college or school in accordance
129with this subsection unless the college or school is actually
130participating in the system pursuant to the rules of the State
131Board of Education. Any college or school that violates deemed
132to be in violation of this section is shall be subject to the
133provisions in of s. 1005.38.
134     (7)  Any student who transfers among postsecondary
135institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national
136accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
137Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering
138system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for
139courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous
140institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged
141by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty
142committees representing school districts, public postsecondary
143educational institutions, and participating nonpublic
144postsecondary educational institutions to be academically
145equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution,
146including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the
147regional or national accrediting agency and public or nonpublic
148control of the previous institution. The Department of Education
149shall ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving
150institution are generated in courses for which the faculty
151possess credentials that are comparable to those required by the
152accrediting association of the receiving institution. The award
153of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the
154statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded under
155pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional
156requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native
157students.
158     (9)  The State Board of Education and the Board of
159Governors, as appropriate, shall enforce compliance by
160participating institutions in the award of credits under
161subsection (7). Such enforcement shall include adoption of a
162rule by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
163Board of Governors, that establishes a process for reporting and
164monitoring noncompliance by participating institutions.
165     Section 4.  Section 1008.38, Florida Statutes, is amended
166to read:
167     1008.38  Articulation accountability process.--The State
168Board of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors,
169shall develop articulation accountability measures that which
170assess the status of systemwide articulation processes
171authorized under s. 1007.23 and shall establish a an
172articulation accountability process for the reporting of trend
173data by the Department of Education on the progression of
174students from secondary education into and through public and
175nonpublic postsecondary education and the workforce. At a
176minimum, the articulation accountability measures which at a
177minimum shall address:
178     (1)  The impact of articulation processes on ensuring
179educational continuity and the orderly and unobstructed
180transition of students between public secondary and
181postsecondary education systems and facilitating the transition
182of students between the public and private sectors.
183     (1)(2)  The adequacy of preparation of public secondary
184students who matriculate to smoothly articulate to a public
185postsecondary institution.
186     (2)(3)  The use and effectiveness of articulated
187acceleration mechanisms available to secondary students.
188     (3)(4)  The transition smooth transfer of community college
189associate in arts degree graduates to 4-year baccalaureate
190degree programs a state university.
191     (4)(5)  An examination of degree requirements that exceed
192the parameters of 60 credit hours for an associate degree and
193120 hours for a baccalaureate degree in public postsecondary
194programs.
195     (5)(6)  The relationship between the College Level Academic
196Skills Test Program and articulation to the upper division in
197public postsecondary institutions and the adequacy of
198preparation of lower-division undergraduate students for success
199in upper-division programs.
200     (6)  The transition of career and technical education
201students into and through programs of study that have
202established articulation agreements.
203     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.


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