HB 4155

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the College-Level Academic Skills Test;
3	amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to
4	the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) and
5	authorized examinations that demonstrate mastery of
6	certain academic competencies; amending ss. 467.009,
7	1004.04, 1008.30, 1008.38, and 1012.56, F.S.; deleting
8	provisions relating to the CLAST; providing an effective
9	date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsection (12) of section 1007.25, Florida
14	Statutes, is amended to read:
15	1007.25  General education courses; common prerequisites;
16	and other degree requirements.-
17	(12)(a)  A public postsecondary educational institution may
18	not confer an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree upon any
19	student who fails to successfully complete one of the following
20	requirements:
21	1.  Achieve a score that meets or exceeds a minimum score
22	on a nationally standardized examination, as established by the
23	State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of
24	Governors; or
25	2.  Demonstrate successful remediation of any academic
26	deficiencies and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.5
27	or above, on a 4.0 scale, in postsecondary-level coursework
28	identified by the State Board of Education in conjunction with
29	the Board of Governors. The Department of Education shall
30	specify the means by which a student may demonstrate successful
31	remediation.
32	(b)  Any student who, in the best professional opinion of
33	the postsecondary educational institution, has a specific
34	learning disability such that the student cannot demonstrate
35	successful mastery of one or more of the authorized examinations
36	but is achieving at the college level in every area despite his
37	or her disability, and whose diagnosis indicates that further
38	remediation will not succeed in overcoming the disability, may
39	appeal through the appropriate dean to a committee appointed by
40	the president or the chief academic officer for special
41	consideration. The committee shall examine the evidence of the
42	student's academic and medical records and may hear testimony
43	relevant to the case. The committee may grant a waiver for one
44	or more of the authorized examinations based on the results of
45	its review.
46	(c)  Each public postsecondary educational institution
47	president shall establish a committee to consider requests for
48	waivers from the requirements in paragraph (a). The committee
49	shall be chaired by the chief academic officer of the
50	institution and shall have four additional members appointed by
51	the president as follows:
52	1.  One faculty member from the mathematics department;
53	2.  One faculty member from the English department;
54	3.  The institutional test administrator; and
55	4.  One faculty member from a department other than English
56	or mathematics.
57	(d)  Any student who has taken the authorized examinations
58	and has not achieved a passing score, but has otherwise
59	demonstrated proficiency in coursework in the same subject area,
60	may request a waiver from the examination requirement. Waivers
61	shall be considered only after students have been provided test
62	accommodations or other administrative adjustments to permit the
63	accurate measurement of the student's proficiency in the subject
64	areas measured by the authorized examinations. The committee
65	shall consider the student's educational records and other
66	evidence as to whether the student should be able to pass the
67	authorized examinations. A waiver may be recommended to the
68	president upon a majority vote of the committee. The president
69	may approve or disapprove the recommendation. The president may
70	not approve a request that the committee has disapproved. If a
71	waiver is approved, the student's transcript shall include a
72	statement that the student did not meet the requirements of this
73	subsection and that a waiver was granted.
74	Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 467.009, Florida
75	Statutes, is amended to read:
76	467.009  Midwifery programs; education and training
77	requirements.-
78	(3)  To be accepted into an approved midwifery program an
79	applicant shall have:
80	(a)  A high school diploma or its equivalent.
81	(b)  Passed the college level academic scholastic test
82	(CLAST) or Taken three college-level credits each of math and
83	English or demonstrated competencies in communication and
84	computation.
85	Section 3.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
86	1004.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
87	1004.04  Public accountability and state approval for
88	teacher preparation programs.-
89	(4)  INITIAL STATE PROGRAM APPROVAL.-
90	(b)  Each teacher preparation program approved by the
91	Department of Education, as provided for by this section, shall
92	require students to meet the following as prerequisites for
93	admission into the program:
94	1.  Have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0
95	scale for the general education component of undergraduate
96	studies or have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate
97	degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
98	from any college or university accredited by a regional
99	accrediting association as defined by State Board of Education
100	rule or any college or university otherwise approved pursuant to
101	State Board of Education rule.
102	2.  Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, including the
103	ability to read, write, and compute, by passing the General
104	Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination,
105	the College Level Academic Skills Test, a corresponding
106	component of the National Teachers Examination series, or a
107	similar test pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education.
108
109	Each teacher preparation program may waive these admissions
110	requirements for up to 10 percent of the students admitted.
111	Programs shall implement strategies to ensure that students
112	admitted under a waiver receive assistance to demonstrate
113	competencies to successfully meet requirements for
114	certification.
115	Section 4.  Subsection (2) of section 1008.30, Florida
116	Statutes, is amended to read:
117	1008.30  Common placement testing for public postsecondary
118	education.-
119	(2)  The common placement testing program shall include at
120	a minimum the following: the capacity to diagnose basic
121	competencies in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics
122	which are essential to perform college-level work; prerequisite
123	skills that relate to progressively advanced instruction in
124	mathematics, such as algebra and geometry; prerequisite skills
125	that relate to progressively advanced instruction in language
126	arts, such as English composition and literature; prerequisite
127	skills which relate to the College Level Academic Skills Test
128	(CLAST); and provision of test information to students on the
129	specific deficiencies.
130	Section 5.  Subsection (6) of section 1008.38, Florida
131	Statutes, is amended to read:
132	1008.38  Articulation accountability process.-The State
133	Board of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors,
134	shall develop articulation accountability measures which assess
135	the status of systemwide articulation processes authorized under
136	s. 1007.23 and establish an articulation accountability process
137	which at a minimum shall address:
138	(6)  The relationship between the College Level Academic
139	Skills Test Program and articulation to the upper division in
140	public postsecondary institutions.
141	Section 6.  Subsection (3) of section 1012.56, Florida
142	Statutes, is amended to read:
143	1012.56  Educator certification requirements.-
144	(3)  MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.-Acceptable means of
145	demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are:
146	(a)  Achievement of passing scores on basic skills
147	examination required by state board rule;
148	(b)  Achievement of passing scores on the College Level
149	Academic Skills Test earned prior to July 1, 2002;
150	(b)(c)  A valid professional standard teaching certificate
151	issued by another state;
152	(c)(d)  A valid certificate issued by the National Board
153	for Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
154	credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education; or
155	(d)(e)  Documentation of two semesters of successful
156	teaching in a community college, state university, or private
157	college or university that awards an associate or higher degree
158	and is an accredited institution or an institution of higher
159	education identified by the Department of Education as having a
160	quality program.
161	Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

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