Florida Senate - 2011 SB 1194
By Senator Oelrich
14-01050-11 20111194__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education; amending
3 s. 1004.04, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to the
4 College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST); amending
5 s. 1004.68, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to the
6 use of test scores for assessment of college-level
7 communication and computation skills; amending s.
8 1007.01, F.S.; providing legislative intent and
9 requirements relating to articulation; requiring the
10 establishment of the Articulation Coordinating
11 Committee and providing its responsibilities; amending
12 s. 1007.25, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to the
13 CLAST and authorized examinations that demonstrate
14 mastery of certain academic competencies; revising
15 degree requirements; amending ss. 1007.264 and
16 1007.265, F.S.; deleting provisions that exclude
17 students with intellectual disabilities from
18 eligibility for substitute requirements for admission
19 to or graduation from a public postsecondary
20 educational institution; amending s. 1008.30, F.S.;
21 revising requirements of the common placement testing
22 program; requiring access to approved remedial
23 instruction; requiring rules for remediation
24 opportunities, retesting, and academic competencies;
25 requiring that students be advised of academic
26 requirements, financial aid eligibility, and certain
27 costs; amending s. 1008.345, F.S.; deleting Department
28 of Education duties relating to tests and assessment
29 procedures that measure student achievement of
30 college-level communication and computation skills;
31 amending s. 1008.38, F.S.; revising and conforming
32 provisions relating to the articulation process;
33 amending s. 1009.534, F.S.; revising provisions
34 relating to approval of community service work for
35 eligibility for the Florida Academic Scholars award;
36 amending ss. 467.009 and 1012.56, F.S.; deleting
37 provisions relating to the CLAST; providing an
38 effective date.
39
40 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
41
42 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
43 1004.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
44 1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for
45 teacher preparation programs.—
46 (4) INITIAL STATE PROGRAM APPROVAL.—
47 (b) Each teacher preparation program approved by the
48 Department of Education, as provided for by this section, shall
49 require students to meet the following as prerequisites for
50 admission into the program:
51 1. Have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0
52 scale for the general education component of undergraduate
53 studies or have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate
54 degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
55 from any college or university accredited by a regional
56 accrediting association as defined by State Board of Education
57 rule or any college or university otherwise approved pursuant to
58 State Board of Education rule.
59 2. Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, including the
60 ability to read, write, and compute, by passing the General
61 Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination,
62 the College Level Academic Skills Test, a corresponding
63 component of the National Teachers Examination series, or a
64 similar test pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education.
65
66 Each teacher preparation program may waive these admissions
67 requirements for up to 10 percent of the students admitted.
68 Programs shall implement strategies to ensure that students
69 admitted under a waiver receive assistance to demonstrate
70 competencies to successfully meet requirements for
71 certification.
72 Section 2. Section 1004.68, Florida Statutes, is amended to
73 read:
74 1004.68 Community college; degrees and certificates; tests
75 for certain skills.—
76 (1) Each community college board of trustees shall adopt
77 rules establishing student performance standards for the award
78 of degrees and certificates.
79 (2) Each community college board of trustees shall require
80 the use of scores on tests for college-level communication and
81 computation skills provided in s. 1008.345(7) as a condition for
82 graduation with an associate in arts degree.
83 Section 3. Section 1007.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to
84 read:
85 1007.01 Articulation; legislative intent; purpose; role of
86 the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors;
87 articulation coordinating committee.—
88 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate
89 articulation and seamless integration of the K-20 education
90 system by building, and sustaining, and strengthening
91 relationships among K-20 public organizations, between public
92 and private organizations, and between the education system as a
93 whole and Florida’s communities. The purpose of building, and
94 sustaining, and strengthening these relationships is to provide
95 for the efficient and effective progression and transfer of
96 students within the education system and to allow students to
97 proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their
98 circumstances permit. The Legislature further intends that
99 articulation policies and budget actions be implemented
100 consistently in the practices of the Department of Education and
101 postsecondary educational institutions and expressed in the
102 collaborative policy efforts of the State Board of Education and
103 the Board of Governors.
104 (2) To improve and facilitate articulation systemwide, the
105 State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall
106 collaboratively establish recommend policies and guidelines to
107 the Legislature with input from statewide K-20 advisory groups
108 established by the Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor
109 of the State University System and shall recommend the policies
110 and guidelines to the Legislature. The policies and guidelines
111 shall relate relating to:
112 (a) The alignment between the exit requirements of one
113 system and the admissions requirements of another system into
114 which students typically transfer.
115 (b) The identification of common courses, the level of
116 courses, institutional participation in a statewide course
117 numbering system, and the transferability of credits among such
118 institutions.
119 (c) Identification of courses that meet general education
120 or common degree program prerequisite requirements at public
121 postsecondary educational institutions.
122 (d) Dual enrollment course equivalencies.
123 (e) Articulation agreements.
124 (3) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the
125 Chancellor of the State University System, shall establish the
126 Articulation Coordinating Committee, which shall report to the
127 commissioner. The committee shall be a K-20 advisory group that
128 consists of members representing the State University System,
129 the Florida College System, public career and technical
130 education, public K-12 education, and nonpublic education, with
131 at least one member representing students. The commissioner
132 shall appoint a chair from the membership. The committee shall:
133 (a) Propose monitoring, compliance, and reporting systems
134 to facilitate and ensure institutional compliance with state
135 articulation policies.
136 (b) Propose guidelines for interinstitutional agreements
137 between and among public schools, career and technical education
138 centers, Florida College System institutions, and state
139 universities.
140 (c) Establish groups of public and nonpublic educational
141 institution representatives to facilitate articulation.
142 (d) Conduct a continuing review of statewide articulation
143 statutes, rules, regulations, and agreements and make
144 recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Board of
145 Governors for revisions.
146 (e) Review the application of transfer credit requirements
147 from public and nonpublic institutions participating in the
148 statewide course numbering system, including, but not limited
149 to, instances of student transfer and admissions difficulties.
150 (f) Examine statewide data regarding articulation,
151 recommend resolutions for issues, and propose programmatic and
152 budget policies and procedures to improve articulation
153 throughout the K-20 education system.
154 (g) Recommend roles and responsibilities of public
155 education entities in interfacing with the single, statewide
156 computer-assisted student advising system established pursuant
157 to s. 1007.28, including, but not limited to, functionality
158 requirements, data needs, and appropriate reporting timelines.
159 Section 4. Subsection (12) of section 1007.25, Florida
160 Statutes, is amended to read:
161 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
162 and other degree requirements.—
163 (12)(a) A public postsecondary educational institution may
164 not confer an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree upon any
165 student who fails to successfully complete one of the following
166 requirements:
167 1. Achieve a score that meets or exceeds a minimum score on
168 a nationally standardized examination, as established by the
169 State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of
170 Governors; or
171 2. demonstrate successful mastery remediation of any
172 academic competencies deficiencies and achieve a cumulative
173 grade point average of 2.0 2.5 or above, on a 4.0 scale, in
174 postsecondary-level coursework identified by the State Board of
175 Education in conjunction with the Board of Governors. The
176 Department of Education shall specify the means by which a
177 student may demonstrate successful remediation.
178 (b) Any student who, in the best professional opinion of
179 the postsecondary educational institution, has a specific
180 learning disability such that the student cannot demonstrate
181 successful mastery of one or more of the authorized examinations
182 but is achieving at the college level in every area despite his
183 or her disability, and whose diagnosis indicates that further
184 remediation will not succeed in overcoming the disability, may
185 appeal through the appropriate dean to a committee appointed by
186 the president or the chief academic officer for special
187 consideration. The committee shall examine the evidence of the
188 student’s academic and medical records and may hear testimony
189 relevant to the case. The committee may grant a waiver for one
190 or more of the authorized examinations based on the results of
191 its review.
192 (c) Each public postsecondary educational institution
193 president shall establish a committee to consider requests for
194 waivers from the requirements in paragraph (a). The committee
195 shall be chaired by the chief academic officer of the
196 institution and shall have four additional members appointed by
197 the president as follows:
198 1. One faculty member from the mathematics department;
199 2. One faculty member from the English department;
200 3. The institutional test administrator; and
201 4. One faculty member from a department other than English
202 or mathematics.
203 (d) Any student who has taken the authorized examinations
204 and has not achieved a passing score, but has otherwise
205 demonstrated proficiency in coursework in the same subject area,
206 may request a waiver from the examination requirement. Waivers
207 shall be considered only after students have been provided test
208 accommodations or other administrative adjustments to permit the
209 accurate measurement of the student’s proficiency in the subject
210 areas measured by the authorized examinations. The committee
211 shall consider the student’s educational records and other
212 evidence as to whether the student should be able to pass the
213 authorized examinations. A waiver may be recommended to the
214 president upon a majority vote of the committee. The president
215 may approve or disapprove the recommendation. The president may
216 not approve a request that the committee has disapproved. If a
217 waiver is approved, the student’s transcript shall include a
218 statement that the student did not meet the requirements of this
219 subsection and that a waiver was granted.
220 Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 1007.264, Florida
221 Statutes, is amended to read:
222 1007.264 Persons with disabilities; admission to
223 postsecondary educational institutions; substitute requirements;
224 rules and regulations.—
225 (1) Any student with a disability, as defined in s.
226 1007.02(2), who is otherwise eligible except those students who
227 have been documented as having intellectual disabilities, shall
228 be eligible for reasonable substitution for any requirement for
229 admission into a public postsecondary educational institution
230 where documentation can be provided that the person’s failure to
231 meet the admission requirement is related to the disability.
232 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 1007.265, Florida
233 Statutes, is amended to read:
234 1007.265 Persons with disabilities; graduation, study
235 program admission, and upper-division entry; substitute
236 requirements; rules and regulations.—
237 (1) Any student with a disability, as defined in s.
238 1007.02(2), in a public postsecondary educational institution,
239 except those students who have been documented as having
240 intellectual disabilities, shall be eligible for reasonable
241 substitution for any requirement for graduation, for admission
242 into a program of study, or for entry into the upper division
243 where documentation can be provided that the person’s failure to
244 meet the requirement is related to the disability and where
245 failure to meet the graduation requirement or program admission
246 requirement does not constitute a fundamental alteration in the
247 nature of the program.
248 Section 7. Subsections (2) and (3) and paragraph (a) of
249 subsection (4) of section 1008.30, Florida Statutes, are amended
250 to read:
251 1008.30 Common placement testing for public postsecondary
252 education.—
253 (2) The common placement testing program shall include at a
254 minimum the following: the capacity to diagnose basic
255 competencies in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics
256 which are essential to perform college-level work; an assessment
257 of prerequisite skills that relate to progressively advanced
258 instruction in mathematics and, such as algebra and geometry;
259 prerequisite skills that relate to progressively advanced
260 instruction in language arts, such as English composition and
261 literature; prerequisite skills which relate to the College
262 Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST); and provision of specific
263 test information to students on skill the specific deficiencies.
264 The State Board of Education shall establish by rule the test
265 scores a student must achieve to demonstrate readiness.
266 (3) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that
267 require high schools to evaluate before the beginning of grade
268 12 the college readiness of each student who indicates an
269 interest in postsecondary education and scores at Level 2 or
270 Level 3 on the reading portion of the grade 10 FCAT or Level 2,
271 Level 3, or Level 4 on the mathematics assessments under s.
272 1008.22(3)(c). High schools shall perform this evaluation using
273 results from the corresponding component of the common placement
274 test prescribed in this section, or an equivalent test
275 identified by the State Board of Education. The Department of
276 Education shall adopt purchase or develop the assessments
277 necessary to perform the evaluations required by this subsection
278 and shall work with the school districts to administer the
279 assessments. The State Board of Education shall establish by
280 rule the minimum test scores a student must achieve to
281 demonstrate readiness. Students who demonstrate readiness by
282 achieving the minimum test scores established by the state board
283 and enroll in a community college within 2 years after of
284 achieving such scores shall not be required to enroll in
285 remediation courses as a condition of acceptance to any
286 community college. The high school shall use the results of the
287 test to advise the students of any identified deficiencies and
288 to the maximum extent practicable provide 12th grade students
289 access to approved appropriate remedial instruction prior to
290 high school graduation. The remedial instruction provided under
291 this subsection shall be a collaborative effort between
292 secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, as
293 prescribed by State Board of Education rule. To the extent
294 courses are available, the Florida Virtual School may be used to
295 provide the remedial instruction required by this subsection.
296 Students who demonstrate readiness through successful completion
297 of the approved remedial instruction are eligible to repeat the
298 common placement test prior to high school graduation.
299 (4)(a) Public postsecondary educational institution
300 Students who have been identified as requiring additional
301 preparation pursuant to subsection (1) shall enroll in college
302 preparatory or other adult education pursuant to s. 1004.93 in
303 community colleges to develop needed college-entry skills. The
304 State Board of Education shall specify by rule provisions for
305 alternative remediation opportunities and retesting policies.
306 These students shall be permitted to take courses within their
307 degree program concurrently in other curriculum areas for which
308 they are qualified while enrolled in college-preparatory
309 instruction courses. A student enrolled in a college-preparatory
310 course may concurrently enroll only in college credit courses
311 that do not require the skills addressed in the college
312 preparatory course. The State Board of Education, in conjunction
313 with the Board of Governors, shall specify the college credit
314 courses that are acceptable for students enrolled in each
315 college-preparatory skill area. A degree-seeking student who
316 wishes to earn an associate in arts or a baccalaureate degree,
317 but who is required to complete a college-preparatory course,
318 must successfully complete the required college-preparatory
319 studies by the time the student has accumulated 12 hours of
320 lower-division college credit degree coursework; however, a
321 student may continue enrollment in degree-earning coursework
322 provided the student maintains enrollment in college-preparatory
323 coursework for each subsequent semester until college
324 preparatory coursework requirements are completed, and provided
325 the student demonstrates satisfactory performance in degree
326 earning coursework. A student who has accumulated 12 college
327 credit hours and has not yet demonstrated proficiency in the
328 basic competency areas of reading, writing, and mathematics must
329 be advised in writing of the requirements for associate degree
330 completion and state university admission, including information
331 about future financial aid eligibility and the potential costs
332 of accumulating excessive college credit as described in s.
333 1009.286. A passing score on a standardized, institutionally
334 developed test must be achieved Before a student is considered
335 to have met basic computation and communication skills
336 requirements, the student must demonstrate successful mastery of
337 the required developmental education competencies as defined in
338 State Board of Education rule; however, no student shall be
339 required to retake any test or subtest that was previously
340 passed by said student. Credit awarded for college-preparatory
341 instruction may not be counted toward fulfilling the number of
342 credits required for a degree.
343 Section 8. Subsection (7) of section 1008.345, Florida
344 Statutes, is amended to read:
345 1008.345 Implementation of state system of school
346 improvement and education accountability.—
347 (7) As a part of the system of educational accountability,
348 the Department of Education shall:
349 (a) Develop minimum standards for various grades and
350 subject areas, as required in ss. 1001.03, 1008.22, and 1008.34.
351 (b) Administer the statewide assessment testing program
352 created by s. 1008.22.
353 (c) Review the school advisory councils of each district as
354 required by s. 1001.452.
355 (d) Conduct the program evaluations required by s. 1001.03.
356 (e) Maintain a listing of college-level communication and
357 mathematics skills defined pursuant to s. 1008.29 as being
358 associated with successful student performance through the
359 baccalaureate level and submit it to the State Board of
360 Education and the Board of Governors for approval.
361 (f) Maintain a listing of tests and other assessment
362 procedures which measure and diagnose student achievement of
363 college-level communication and computation skills and submit it
364 to the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors for
365 approval.
366 (g) Maintain for the information of the State Board of
367 Education, the Board of Governors, and the Legislature a file of
368 data to reflect achievement of college-level communication and
369 mathematics competencies by students in state universities and
370 community colleges.
371 (h) Develop or contract for, and submit to the State Board
372 of Education and the Board of Governors for approval, tests
373 which measure and diagnose student achievement of college-level
374 communication and mathematics skills. Any tests and related
375 documents developed are exempt from the provisions of s.
376 119.07(1). The commissioner shall maintain statewide
377 responsibility for the administration of such tests and may
378 assign administrative responsibilities for the tests to any
379 state university or community college. The state board, upon
380 recommendation of the commissioner, may enter into contracts for
381 such services beginning in one fiscal year and continuing into
382 the next year which are paid from the appropriation for either
383 or both fiscal years.
384 (f)(i) Perform any other functions that may be involved in
385 educational planning, research, and evaluation or that may be
386 required by the commissioner, the State Board of Education, the
387 Board of Governors, or law.
388 Section 9. Subsections (4) and (6) of section 1008.38,
389 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
390 1008.38 Articulation accountability process.—The State
391 Board of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors,
392 shall develop articulation accountability measures which assess
393 the status of systemwide articulation processes authorized under
394 s. 1007.23 and establish an articulation accountability process
395 which at a minimum shall address:
396 (4) The smooth transfer of Florida College System community
397 college associate in arts degree graduates to a Florida College
398 System institution or a state university.
399 (6) The relationship between student attainment of college
400 level the College Level academic skills Test Program and
401 articulation to the upper division in public postsecondary
402 institutions.
403 Section 10. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
404 Statutes, is amended to read:
405 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
406 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
407 award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
408 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
409 student:
410 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
411 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
412 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
413 Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
414 attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the
415 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
416 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
417 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
418 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
419 (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
420 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
421 International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
422 International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
423 Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
424 failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
425 Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score pursuant
426 to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative
427 parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment
428 Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the
429 College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
430 Assessment Program;
431 (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
432 from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
433 International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
434 University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
435 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
436 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
437 scholar or finalist; or
438 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
439 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
440
441 A student must complete a program of community service work, as
442 approved by the district school board, or the administrators of
443 a nonpublic school, or the Department of Education for home
444 school students, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of
445 service work and require the student to identify a social
446 problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
447 personal involvement in addressing the problem, and, through
448 papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or
449 her experience.
450 Section 11. Subsection (3) of section 467.009, Florida
451 Statutes, is amended to read:
452 467.009 Midwifery programs; education and training
453 requirements.—
454 (3) To be accepted into an approved midwifery program, an
455 applicant shall have:
456 (a) A high school diploma or its equivalent.
457 (b) Passed the college level academic scholastic test
458 (CLAST) or Taken three college-level credits each of math and
459 English or demonstrated competencies in communication and
460 computation.
461 Section 12. Subsection (3) of section 1012.56, Florida
462 Statutes, is amended to read:
463 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
464 (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
465 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
466 (a) Achievement of passing scores on basic skills
467 examination required by state board rule;
468 (b) Achievement of passing scores on the College Level
469 Academic Skills Test earned prior to July 1, 2002;
470 (b)(c) A valid professional standard teaching certificate
471 issued by another state;
472 (c)(d) A valid certificate issued by the National Board for
473 Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
474 credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education; or
475 (d)(e) Documentation of two semesters of successful
476 teaching in a community college, state university, or private
477 college or university that awards an associate or higher degree
478 and is an accredited institution or an institution of higher
479 education identified by the Department of Education as having a
480 quality program.
481 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.