CS/HB 7151

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s.
3	467.009, F.S.; deleting a reference to the College-Level
4	Academic Skills Test (CLAST); repealing s. 1000.07, F.S.,
5	relating to the Florida Business and Education
6	Collaborative; amending s. 1001.64, F.S.; requiring a
7	Florida College System institution board of trustees to
8	ask the Commissioner of Education to authorize an
9	investigation of the college president by the Department
10	of Education's inspector general in specified
11	circumstances; requiring a report and recommendations;
12	requiring the inspector general to refer potential legal
13	violations to the Commission on Ethics, the Department of
14	Law Enforcement, the Attorney General, or another
15	appropriate authority; amending s. 1004.015, F.S.;
16	requiring the Higher Education Coordinating Council to
17	make recommendations and submit a report relating to core
18	missions of postsecondary education institutions,
19	performance outputs and outcomes, articulation policies,
20	workforce development education, and baccalaureate degree
21	authorization; amending s. 1004.04, F.S.; deleting a
22	reference to the CLAST; amending s. 1004.68, F.S.;
23	deleting provisions relating to the use of test scores for
24	assessment of college-level communication and computation
25	skills; amending s. 1007.01, F.S.; providing legislative
26	intent and requirements relating to articulation;
27	requiring the establishment of the Articulation
28	Coordinating Committee and providing its responsibilities;
29	amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; deleting provisions that
30	require an examination or demonstration of remediation of
31	academic deficiencies to obtain a postsecondary degree;
32	amending ss. 1007.264 and 1007.265, F.S.; deleting
33	provisions that exclude students with intellectual
34	disabilities from eligibility for substitute requirements
35	for admission to or graduation from a public postsecondary
36	education institution; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.;
37	requiring the Department of Education to use student
38	performance data to determine appropriate credit-by-
39	examination scores and courses; deleting an exemption from
40	summer-term enrollment in a public postsecondary education
41	institution for students earning accelerated credit;
42	amending s. 1007.33, F.S.; deleting an exemption from
43	provisions governing the approval process for
44	baccalaureate degrees; amending s. 1008.30, F.S., relating
45	to common placement testing for public postsecondary
46	education; deleting a reference to the CLAST; requiring
47	rules for remediation opportunities, retesting policies,
48	and academic competencies; requiring that students be
49	advised of academic requirements, financial aid
50	eligibility, and certain costs; amending s. 1008.345,
51	F.S.; deleting Department of Education duties relating to
52	tests and assessment procedures that measure student
53	achievement of college-level communication and computation
54	skills; amending s. 1008.38, F.S.; revising and conforming
55	provisions relating to the articulation accountability
56	process; amending s. 1009.534, F.S.; revising provisions
57	relating to approval of community service work for
58	eligibility for the Florida Academic Scholars award;
59	providing an effective date.
60
61	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
62
63	Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 467.009, Florida
64	Statutes, is amended to read:
65	467.009  Midwifery programs; education and training
66	requirements.-
67	(3)  To be accepted into an approved midwifery program, an
68	applicant shall have:
69	(a)  A high school diploma or its equivalent.
70	(b)  Passed the college level academic scholastic test
71	(CLAST) or Taken three college-level credits each of math and
72	English or demonstrated competencies in communication and
73	computation.
74	Section 2.  Section 1000.07, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
75	Section 3.  Subsection (3) of section 1001.64, Florida
76	Statutes, is amended to read:
77	1001.64  Community college boards of trustees; powers and
78	duties.-
79	(3)  A board of trustees shall have the power to take
80	action without a recommendation from the president and shall
81	have the power to require the president to deliver to the board
82	of trustees all data and information required by the board of
83	trustees in the performance of its duties. A board of trustees
84	shall ask the Commissioner of Education to authorize an
85	investigation of the president's actions by the department's
86	inspector general if the board considers such investigation
87	necessary. The inspector general shall provide a report
88	detailing each issue under investigation and shall recommend
89	corrective action. If the inspector general identifies potential
90	legal violations, he or she shall refer the potential legal
91	violations to the Commission on Ethics, the Department of Law
92	Enforcement, the Attorney General, or another appropriate
93	authority.
94	Section 4.  Subsection (4) of section 1004.015, Florida
95	Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (6) and amended, and new
96	subsections (4) and (5) are added to that section, to read:
97	1004.015  Higher Education Coordinating Council.-
98	(4)  The council shall make detailed recommendations
99	relating to:
100	(a)  The primary core mission of public and nonpublic
101	postsecondary education institutions in the context of state
102	access demands and economic development goals.
103	(b)  Performance outputs and outcomes designed to meet
104	annual and long-term state goals, including, but not limited to,
105	increased student access, preparedness, retention, transfer, and
106	completion. Performance measures must be consistent across
107	sectors and allow for a comparison of the state's performance to
108	that of other states.
109	(c)  The state's articulation policies and practices to
110	ensure that cost benefits to the state are maximized without
111	jeopardizing quality. The recommendation shall consider return
112	on investment for both the state and students and propose
113	systems to facilitate and ensure institutional compliance with
114	state articulation policies.
115	(d)  A plan for workforce development education that
116	addresses:
117	1.  The alignment of school district and Florida College
118	System workforce development education programs to ensure cost
119	efficiency and mission delineation, including an examination of
120	the need for both college credit and noncollege credit
121	certificate programs, an evaluation of the merit of retaining
122	the associate in applied science degree, and the consolidation
123	of adult general education programs within school districts.
124	2.  The consistency of workforce education data collected
125	and reported by Florida College System institutions and school
126	districts, including the establishment of common elements and
127	definitions for any data that is used for state and federal
128	funding and program accountability.
129	(e)  Baccalaureate degree authorization and production,
130	which shall include the following:
131	1.  An assessment of the potential need to establish
132	comprehensive undergraduate institutions that would primarily
133	focus on the delivery of undergraduate instruction, including
134	offering baccalaureate degrees. Such institutions may include
135	Florida College System institutions, state universities, and
136	university branch campuses. The assessment must include
137	accountability options and address local and regional workforce
138	needs and gaps that might result from an institution's shift in
139	primary mission.
140	2.  Recommendations related to appropriate student
141	enrollment and institutional expenditure thresholds for upper-
142	division programs that justify legislative consideration in
143	order to establish or reestablish an institution under the
144	oversight of the State Board of Education, the Board of
145	Governors, or another statutorily established or created
146	governing or coordinating organization.
147	3.  Recommendations related to funding options and
148	strategies, student tuition and fees, student financial aid
149	funding, and other strategies to encourage performance-based
150	funding.
151	(5)  The council shall submit a report outlining its
152	detailed recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
153	Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Board
154	of Governors, and the State Board of Education by December 31,
155	2011, which specifically includes recommendations for
156	consideration by the Legislature for implementation in the 2012-
157	2013 fiscal year.
158	(6)(4)  The Board of Governors and the Department of
159	Education shall provide administrative support for the council.
160	Section 5.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
161	1004.04, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
162	1004.04  Public accountability and state approval for
163	teacher preparation programs.-
164	(4)  INITIAL STATE PROGRAM APPROVAL.-
165	(b)  Each teacher preparation program approved by the
166	Department of Education, as provided for by this section, shall
167	require students to meet the following as prerequisites for
168	admission into the program:
169	1.  Have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0
170	scale for the general education component of undergraduate
171	studies or have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate
172	degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
173	from any college or university accredited by a regional
174	accrediting association as defined by State Board of Education
175	rule or any college or university otherwise approved pursuant to
176	State Board of Education rule.
177	2.  Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, including the
178	ability to read, write, and compute, by passing the General
179	Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination,
180	the College Level Academic Skills Test, a corresponding
181	component of the National Teachers Examination series, or a
182	similar test pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education.
183
184	Each teacher preparation program may waive these admissions
185	requirements for up to 10 percent of the students admitted.
186	Programs shall implement strategies to ensure that students
187	admitted under a waiver receive assistance to demonstrate
188	competencies to successfully meet requirements for
189	certification.
190	Section 6.  Section 1004.68, Florida Statutes, is amended
191	to read:
192	1004.68  Community college; degrees and certificates; tests
193	for certain skills.-
194	(1)  Each community college board of trustees shall adopt
195	rules establishing student performance standards for the award
196	of degrees and certificates.
197	(2)  Each community college board of trustees shall require
198	the use of scores on tests for college-level communication and
199	computation skills provided in s. 1008.345(7) as a condition for
200	graduation with an associate in arts degree.
201	Section 7.  Section 1007.01, Florida Statutes, is amended
202	to read:
203	1007.01  Articulation; legislative intent; purpose; role of
204	the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors;
205	Articulation Coordinating Committee.-
206	(1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate
207	articulation and seamless integration of the K-20 education
208	system by building, and sustaining, and strengthening
209	relationships among K-20 public organizations, between public
210	and private organizations, and between the education system as a
211	whole and Florida's communities. The purpose of building, and
212	sustaining, and strengthening these relationships is to provide
213	for the efficient and effective progression and transfer of
214	students within the education system and to allow students to
215	proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their
216	circumstances permit. The Legislature further intends that
217	articulation policies and budget actions be implemented
218	consistently in the practices of the Department of Education and
219	postsecondary educational institutions and expressed in the
220	collaborative policy efforts of the State Board of Education and
221	the Board of Governors.
222	(2)  To improve and facilitate articulation systemwide, the
223	State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall
224	collaboratively establish and adopt recommend policies and
225	guidelines to the Legislature with input from statewide K-20
226	advisory groups established by the Commissioner of Education and
227	the Chancellor of the State University System and shall
228	recommend the policies to the Legislature. The policies shall
229	relate relating to:
230	(a)  The alignment between the exit requirements of one
231	education system and the admissions requirements of another
232	education system into which students typically transfer.
233	(b)  The identification of common courses, the level of
234	courses, institutional participation in a statewide course
235	numbering system, and the transferability of credits among such
236	institutions.
237	(c)  Identification of courses that meet general education
238	or common degree program prerequisite requirements at public
239	postsecondary educational institutions.
240	(d)  Dual enrollment course equivalencies.
241	(e)  Articulation agreements.
242	(3)  The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with
243	the Chancellor of the State University System, shall establish
244	the Articulation Coordinating Committee which shall make
245	recommendations related to statewide articulation policies to
246	the Higher Education Coordination Council, the State Board of
247	Education, and the Board of Governors. The committee shall
248	consist of two members each representing the State University
249	System, the Florida College System, public career and technical
250	education, public K-12 education, and nonpublic education and
251	one member representing students. The chair shall be elected
252	from the membership. The committee shall:
253	(a)  Monitor the alignment between the exit requirements of
254	one education system and the admissions requirements of another
255	education system into which students typically transfer and make
256	recommendations for improvement.
257	(b)  Propose guidelines for interinstitutional agreements
258	between and among public schools, career and technical education
259	centers, Florida College System institutions, state
260	universities, and nonpublic postsecondary institutions.
261	(c)  Annually recommend dual enrollment course and high
262	school subject area equivalencies for approval by the State
263	Board of Education and the Board of Governors.
264	(d)  Annually review the statewide articulation agreement
265	pursuant to s. 1007.23 and make recommendations for revisions.
266	(e)  Annually review the statewide course numbering system,
267	the levels of courses, and the application of transfer credit
268	requirements among public and nonpublic institutions
269	participating in the statewide course numbering system and
270	identify instances of student transfer and admissions
271	difficulties.
272	(f)  Annually publish a list of courses that meet common
273	general education and common degree program prerequisite
274	requirements at public postsecondary institutions identified
275	pursuant to s. 1007.25.
276	(g)  Examine statewide data regarding articulation to
277	identify issues and make recommendations to improve articulation
278	throughout the K-20 education system.
279	(h)  Recommend roles and responsibilities of public
280	education entities in interfacing with the single, statewide
281	computer-assisted student advising system established pursuant
282	to s. 1007.28.
283	Section 8.  Subsection (12) of section 1007.25, Florida
284	Statutes, is amended to read:
285	1007.25  General education courses; common prerequisites;
286	and other degree requirements.-
287	(12)(a)  A public postsecondary educational institution may
288	not confer an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree upon any
289	student who fails to successfully complete one of the following
290	requirements:
291	1.  Achieve a score that meets or exceeds a minimum score
292	on a nationally standardized examination, as established by the
293	State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of
294	Governors; or
295	2.  Demonstrate successful remediation of any academic
296	deficiencies and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.5
297	or above, on a 4.0 scale, in postsecondary-level coursework
298	identified by the State Board of Education in conjunction with
299	the Board of Governors. The Department of Education shall
300	specify the means by which a student may demonstrate successful
301	remediation.
302	(b)  Any student who, in the best professional opinion of
303	the postsecondary educational institution, has a specific
304	learning disability such that the student cannot demonstrate
305	successful mastery of one or more of the authorized examinations
306	but is achieving at the college level in every area despite his
307	or her disability, and whose diagnosis indicates that further
308	remediation will not succeed in overcoming the disability, may
309	appeal through the appropriate dean to a committee appointed by
310	the president or the chief academic officer for special
311	consideration. The committee shall examine the evidence of the
312	student's academic and medical records and may hear testimony
313	relevant to the case. The committee may grant a waiver for one
314	or more of the authorized examinations based on the results of
315	its review.
316	(c)  Each public postsecondary educational institution
317	president shall establish a committee to consider requests for
318	waivers from the requirements in paragraph (a). The committee
319	shall be chaired by the chief academic officer of the
320	institution and shall have four additional members appointed by
321	the president as follows:
322	1.  One faculty member from the mathematics department;
323	2.  One faculty member from the English department;
324	3.  The institutional test administrator; and
325	4.  One faculty member from a department other than English
326	or mathematics.
327	(d)  Any student who has taken the authorized examinations
328	and has not achieved a passing score, but has otherwise
329	demonstrated proficiency in coursework in the same subject area,
330	may request a waiver from the examination requirement. Waivers
331	shall be considered only after students have been provided test
332	accommodations or other administrative adjustments to permit the
333	accurate measurement of the student's proficiency in the subject
334	areas measured by the authorized examinations. The committee
335	shall consider the student's educational records and other
336	evidence as to whether the student should be able to pass the
337	authorized examinations. A waiver may be recommended to the
338	president upon a majority vote of the committee. The president
339	may approve or disapprove the recommendation. The president may
340	not approve a request that the committee has disapproved. If a
341	waiver is approved, the student's transcript shall include a
342	statement that the student did not meet the requirements of this
343	subsection and that a waiver was granted.
344	Section 9.  Subsection (1) of section 1007.264, Florida
345	Statutes, is amended to read:
346	1007.264  Persons with disabilities; admission to
347	postsecondary educational institutions; substitute requirements;
348	rules and regulations.-
349	(1)  Any student with a disability, as defined in s.
350	1007.02(2), who is otherwise eligible except those students who
351	have been documented as having intellectual disabilities, shall
352	be eligible for reasonable substitution for any requirement for
353	admission into a public postsecondary educational institution
354	where documentation can be provided that the person's failure to
355	meet the admission requirement is related to the disability.
356	Section 10.  Subsection (1) of section 1007.265, Florida
357	Statutes, is amended to read:
358	1007.265  Persons with disabilities; graduation, study
359	program admission, and upper-division entry; substitute
360	requirements; rules and regulations.-
361	(1)  Any student with a disability, as defined in s.
362	1007.02(2), in a public postsecondary educational institution,
363	except those students who have been documented as having
364	intellectual disabilities, shall be eligible for reasonable
365	substitution for any requirement for graduation, for admission
366	into a program of study, or for entry into the upper division
367	where documentation can be provided that the person's failure to
368	meet the requirement is related to the disability and where
369	failure to meet the graduation requirement or program admission
370	requirement does not constitute a fundamental alteration in the
371	nature of the program.
372	Section 11.  Subsections (2) and (10) of section 1007.27,
373	Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
374	1007.27  Articulated acceleration mechanisms.-
375	(2)  The Department of Education shall annually identify
376	and publish the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or
377	courses for which credit is to be awarded for each College Level
378	Examination Program (CLEP) general examination, CLEP subject
379	examination, College Board Advanced Placement Program
380	examination, Advanced International Certificate of Education
381	examination, and International Baccalaureate examination. The
382	department shall use student performance data in subsequent
383	postsecondary courses to determine the appropriate examination
384	scores and courses for which credit is to be granted. Minimum
385	scores may vary by subject area based on available performance
386	data. In addition, the department shall identify such courses in
387	the general education core curriculum of each state university
388	and community college.
389	(10)  Any student who earns 9 or more credits from one or
390	more of the acceleration mechanisms provided for in this section
391	is exempt from any requirement of a public postsecondary
392	educational institution mandating enrollment during a summer
393	term.
394	Section 12.  Subsections (6) and (7) of section 1007.33,
395	Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
396	1007.33  Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.-
397	(6)(a)  Beginning July 1, 2010, and each subsequent July 1,
398	the Division of Florida Colleges may accept and review
399	applications from a Florida college to obtain an exemption from
400	the State Board of Education's approval for subsequent degrees
401	as required in subsection (5), if the Florida college is
402	accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
403	Association of Colleges and Schools as a baccalaureate-degree-
404	granting institution and has been offering baccalaureate degree
405	programs for 3 or more years. The division shall develop
406	criteria for determining eligibility for an exemption based upon
407	demonstrated compliance with the requirements for baccalaureate
408	degrees, primary mission, and fiscal, including, but not limited
409	to:
410	1.  Obtaining and maintaining appropriate SACS
411	accreditation;
412	2.  The maintenance of qualified faculty and institutional
413	resources;
414	3.  The maintenance of enrollment projections in previously
415	approved programs;
416	4.  The appropriate management of fiscal resources;
417	5.  Compliance with the primary mission and responsibility
418	requirements in subsections (2) and (3);
419	6.  The timely submission of the institution's annual
420	performance accountability report; and
421	7.  Other indicators of success such as program completers,
422	placements, and surveys of students and employers.
423	(b)  If the Florida college has demonstrated satisfactory
424	progress in fulfilling the eligibility criteria in this
425	subsection, the Division of Florida Colleges may recommend to
426	the State Board of Education that the institution be exempt from
427	the requirement in subsection (5) for approval of future
428	baccalaureate degree programs. The State Board of Education
429	shall review the division's recommendation and determine if an
430	exemption is warranted. If the State Board of Education approves
431	the application, the Florida college is exempt from subsequent
432	program approval under subsection (5) and such authority is
433	delegated to the Florida college board of trustees. If the State
434	Board of Education disapproves of the Florida college's request
435	for an exemption, the college shall continue to be subject to
436	the State Board of Education's approval of subsequent
437	baccalaureate degree programs.
438	(c)  Prior to developing or proposing a new baccalaureate
439	degree program, all Florida colleges, regardless of an exemption
440	from subsection (5), shall:
441	1.  Engage in need, demand, and impact discussions with the
442	state university in their service district and other local and
443	regional, accredited postsecondary providers in their region.
444	2.  Send documentation, data, and other information from
445	the inter-institutional discussions regarding program need,
446	demand, and impact required in subparagraph 1. to the college's
447	board of trustees, the Division of Florida Colleges, and the
448	Chancellor of the State University System.
449	3.  Base board of trustees approval of the new program upon
450	the documentation, data, and other information required in this
451	paragraph and the factors in subsection (5)(d).
452
453	The Division of Florida Colleges shall use the documentation,
454	data, and other information required in this subsection,
455	including information from the Chancellor of the State
456	University System, in its compliance review.
457	(d)  The board of trustees of a Florida college that is
458	exempt from subsection (5) must submit newly approved programs
459	to the Division of Florida Colleges and SACS within 30 days
460	after approval.
461	(e)  Within 30 days after receiving the approved
462	baccalaureate degree program, the Division of Florida Colleges
463	shall conduct a compliance review and notify the college if the
464	proposal meets the criteria for implementation based upon the
465	criteria in paragraphs (5)(d) and (6)(c). If the program fails
466	to meet the criteria for implementation as determined by the
467	Division of Florida Colleges, the college may not proceed with
468	implementation of the program until the State Board of Education
469	reviews the proposal and the compliance materials and gives its
470	final approval of the program.
471	(6)(7)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
472	prescribe format and content requirements and submission
473	procedures for notices of intent, proposals, and alternative
474	proposals under subsection (5).
475	Section 13.  Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of subsection
476	(4) of section 1008.30, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
477	1008.30  Common placement testing for public postsecondary
478	education.-
479	(2)  The common placement testing program shall include at
480	a minimum the following: the capacity to diagnose basic
481	competencies in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics
482	which are essential to perform college-level work; prerequisite
483	skills that relate to progressively advanced instruction in
484	mathematics, such as algebra and geometry; prerequisite skills
485	that relate to progressively advanced instruction in language
486	arts, such as English composition and literature; prerequisite
487	skills which relate to the College Level Academic Skills Test
488	(CLAST); and provision of test information to students on the
489	specific deficiencies.
490	(4)(a)  Public postsecondary educational institution
491	Students who have been identified as requiring additional
492	preparation pursuant to subsection (1) shall enroll in college-
493	preparatory or other adult education pursuant to s. 1004.93 in
494	community colleges to develop needed college-entry skills. The
495	State Board of Education shall specify by rule provisions for
496	alternative remediation opportunities and retesting policies.
497	These students shall be permitted to take courses within their
498	degree program concurrently in other curriculum areas for which
499	they are qualified while enrolled in college-preparatory
500	instruction courses. A student enrolled in a college-preparatory
501	course may concurrently enroll only in college credit courses
502	that do not require the skills addressed in the college-
503	preparatory course. The State Board of Education, in conjunction
504	with the Board of Governors, shall specify the college credit
505	courses that are acceptable for students enrolled in each
506	college-preparatory skill area. A degree-seeking student who
507	wishes to earn an associate in arts or a baccalaureate degree,
508	but who is required to complete a college-preparatory course,
509	must successfully complete the required college-preparatory
510	studies by the time the student has accumulated 12 hours of
511	lower-division college credit degree coursework; however, a
512	student may continue enrollment in degree-earning coursework
513	provided the student maintains enrollment in college-preparatory
514	coursework for each subsequent semester until college-
515	preparatory coursework requirements are completed, and provided
516	the student demonstrates satisfactory performance in degree-
517	earning coursework. A student who has accumulated 12 college
518	credit hours and has not yet demonstrated proficiency in the
519	basic competency areas of reading, writing, and mathematics must
520	be advised in writing of the requirements for associate degree
521	completion and state university admission, including information
522	about future financial aid eligibility and the potential costs
523	of accumulating excessive college credit as described in s.
524	1009.286. A passing score on a standardized, institutionally
525	developed test must be achieved Before a student is considered
526	to have met basic computation and communication skills
527	requirements, the student must demonstrate successful mastery of
528	the required developmental education competencies as defined in
529	State Board of Education rule; however, no student shall be
530	required to retake any test or subtest that was previously
531	passed by said student. Credit awarded for college-preparatory
532	instruction may not be counted toward fulfilling the number of
533	credits required for a degree.
534	Section 14.  Subsection (7) of section 1008.345, Florida
535	Statutes, is amended to read:
536	1008.345  Implementation of state system of school
537	improvement and education accountability.-
538	(7)  As a part of the system of educational accountability,
539	the Department of Education shall:
540	(a)  Develop minimum standards for various grades and
541	subject areas, as required in ss. 1001.03, 1008.22, and 1008.34.
542	(b)  Administer the statewide assessment testing program
543	created by s. 1008.22.
544	(c)  Review the school advisory councils of each district
545	as required by s. 1001.452.
546	(d)  Conduct the program evaluations required by s.
547	1001.03.
548	(e)  Maintain a listing of college-level communication and
549	mathematics skills defined pursuant to s. 1008.29 as being
550	associated with successful student performance through the
551	baccalaureate level and submit it to the State Board of
552	Education and the Board of Governors for approval.
553	(f)  Maintain a listing of tests and other assessment
554	procedures which measure and diagnose student achievement of
555	college-level communication and computation skills and submit it
556	to the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors for
557	approval.
558	(g)  Maintain for the information of the State Board of
559	Education, the Board of Governors, and the Legislature a file of
560	data to reflect achievement of college-level communication and
561	mathematics competencies by students in state universities and
562	community colleges.
563	(h)  Develop or contract for, and submit to the State Board
564	of Education and the Board of Governors for approval, tests
565	which measure and diagnose student achievement of college-level
566	communication and mathematics skills. Any tests and related
567	documents developed are exempt from the provisions of s.
568	119.07(1). The commissioner shall maintain statewide
569	responsibility for the administration of such tests and may
570	assign administrative responsibilities for the tests to any
571	state university or community college. The state board, upon
572	recommendation of the commissioner, may enter into contracts for
573	such services beginning in one fiscal year and continuing into
574	the next year which are paid from the appropriation for either
575	or both fiscal years.
576	(f)(i)  Perform any other functions that may be involved in
577	educational planning, research, and evaluation or that may be
578	required by the commissioner, the State Board of Education, the
579	Board of Governors, or law.
580	Section 15.  Subsections (4) and (6) of section 1008.38,
581	Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
582	1008.38  Articulation accountability process.-The State
583	Board of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors,
584	shall develop articulation accountability measures which assess
585	the status of systemwide articulation processes authorized under
586	s. 1007.23 and establish an articulation accountability process
587	which at a minimum shall address:
588	(4)  The smooth transfer of Florida College System
589	community college associate in arts degree graduates to a
590	Florida College System institution or a state university.
591	(6)  The relationship between student attainment of
592	college-level the College Level academic skills Test Program and
593	articulation to the upper division in public postsecondary
594	institutions.
595	Section 16.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
596	Statutes, is amended to read:
597	1009.534  Florida Academic Scholars award.-
598	(1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
599	award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
600	for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
601	student:
602	(a)  Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
603	calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
604	school courses that are designated by the State Board of
605	Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
606	attained at least the score pursuant to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the
607	combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
608	Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
609	Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
610	or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
611	(b)  Has attended a home education program according to s.
612	1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
613	International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
614	International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
615	Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
616	failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
617	Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score pursuant
618	to s. 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative
619	parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment
620	Test, or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the
621	College Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
622	Assessment Program;
623	(c)  Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
624	Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office or an
625	Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
626	University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
627	(d)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
628	programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
629	scholar or finalist; or
630	(e)  Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
631	Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
632
633	A student must complete a program of community service work, as
634	approved by the district school board, or the administrators of
635	a nonpublic school, or the Department of Education for home
636	education program students, which shall include a minimum of 75
637	hours of service work and require the student to identify a
638	social problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his
639	or her personal involvement in addressing the problem, and,
640	through papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon
641	his or her experience.
642	Section 17.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

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