| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to a charter technical career center pilot |
| 3 | project; creating s. 1002.345, F.S.; establishing the |
| 4 | Charter Technical Career Center Associate in Applied |
| 5 | Science Degree Pilot Project; providing purpose; |
| 6 | authorizing each charter technical career center |
| 7 | participating in the pilot project to offer programs that |
| 8 | lead to specified associate in applied science degrees; |
| 9 | providing requirements for centers; requiring |
| 10 | collaboration with the Department of Education to make |
| 11 | recommendations for the approval of associate degree |
| 12 | programs; requiring reporting; providing an effective |
| 13 | date. |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Section 1. Section 1002.345, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 18 | to read: |
| 19 | 1002.345 Charter Technical Career Center Associate in |
| 20 | Applied Science Degree Pilot Project.-- |
| 21 | (1) To address the state's workforce needs, the |
| 22 | Legislature intends to create an innovative means to increase |
| 23 | access to associate degree level education in areas that are |
| 24 | underserved by public associate degree granting institutions. |
| 25 | (2)(a) Beginning with the 2009-2010 fiscal year and |
| 26 | continuing through the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Charter |
| 27 | Technical Career Center Associate in Applied Science Degree |
| 28 | Pilot Project is established, which shall be conducted by First |
| 29 | Coast Technical College and Lake Technical Center. The purpose |
| 30 | of the pilot project is to recommend to the Legislature an |
| 31 | approval process for the provision of associate in applied |
| 32 | science degree programs by charter technical career centers. |
| 33 | (b) With approval of the charter technical career center's |
| 34 | board of directors and the original sponsor, St. Johns County |
| 35 | School Board for First Coast Technical College and Lake County |
| 36 | School Board for Lake Technical Center, and continued compliance |
| 37 | with subsection (3), each center may offer the degrees specified |
| 38 | in this subsection. |
| 39 | (c) In addition to the certificates and diplomas |
| 40 | authorized by law, First Coast Technical College and Lake |
| 41 | Technical Center may offer selected associate degrees. |
| 42 | Initially, the centers may offer programs that lead to the |
| 43 | following associate degrees: |
| 44 | 1. First Coast Technical College may offer an Associate in |
| 45 | Applied Science in Fire Science Degree and an Associate in |
| 46 | Applied Science in Culinary Management Degree. |
| 47 | 2. Lake Technical Center may offer an Associate in Applied |
| 48 | Science in Architectural Drafting Degree and an Associate in |
| 49 | Applied Science in Computer Programming Degree. |
| 50 | (3) Each center as a participant in the pilot project |
| 51 | shall: |
| 52 | (a) Maintain, as the institution's primary mission, |
| 53 | responsibility for responding to community needs for |
| 54 | postsecondary career degree programs and workforce certificate |
| 55 | education programs. |
| 56 | (b) Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate |
| 57 | degree programs and workforce education programs. |
| 58 | (c) Receive and maintain institutional accreditation from |
| 59 | a federally approved agency for postsecondary workforce degree |
| 60 | granting institutions. |
| 61 | (d) Accept required general education college credit from |
| 62 | accredited colleges or universities for students in approved |
| 63 | associate degree programs. First Coast Technical College and |
| 64 | Lake Technical Center may not offer general education courses |
| 65 | for a period of at least 3 years. |
| 66 | (4)(a) The centers participating in the pilot project |
| 67 | shall collaborate with the Department of Education to make |
| 68 | recommendations to the State Board of Education, the President |
| 69 | of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives |
| 70 | on specific issues that should be addressed in the approval of |
| 71 | associate degree programs at charter technical career centers. |
| 72 | At a minimum, the following areas should be addressed during the |
| 73 | course of the pilot project: |
| 74 | 1. The development of a program approval process to be |
| 75 | followed by the State Board of Education when considering |
| 76 | proposals for new associate degree programs that are designed to |
| 77 | meet the workforce needs of the state. |
| 78 | 2. The development of a funding model for charter |
| 79 | technical career centers offering associate degree programs. |
| 80 | (b) A final report, including a status report on the |
| 81 | associate degree programs at each center participating in the |
| 82 | pilot project and recommendations on the issues outlined in |
| 83 | paragraph (a), shall be submitted to the State Board of |
| 84 | Education, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the |
| 85 | House of Representatives by January 1, 2013. |
| 86 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |