Florida Senate - 2013                                    SB 1182
       
       
       
       By Senator Sobel
       
       
       
       
       33-00901-13                                           20131182__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to health education; amending s.
    3         1003.428, F.S.; requiring students to earn one-half
    4         credit in health education, independent of the
    5         physical education credit requirement, for high school
    6         graduation; authorizing a waiver for students who
    7         request to take and successfully complete a health
    8         education assessment developed by the Department of
    9         Education; reducing the number of required credits in
   10         elective courses; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 1003.428, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         1003.428 General requirements for high school graduation;
   17  revised.—
   18         (2) The 24 credits may be earned through applied,
   19  integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of
   20  Education. The 24 credits shall be distributed as follows:
   21         (a) Sixteen and one-half core curriculum credits:
   22         1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in
   23  composition, reading for information, and literature.
   24         2. Four credits in mathematics, one of which must be
   25  Algebra I, a series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a
   26  higher-level mathematics course. Beginning with students
   27  entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, in addition to
   28  the Algebra I credit requirement, one of the four credits in
   29  mathematics must be geometry or a series of courses equivalent
   30  to geometry as approved by the State Board of Education.
   31  Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school
   32  year, the end-of-course assessment requirements under s.
   33  1008.22(3)(c)2.a.(I) must be met in order for a student to earn
   34  the required credit in Algebra I. Beginning with students
   35  entering grade 9 in the 2011-2012 school year, the end-of-course
   36  assessment requirements under s. 1008.22(3)(c)2.a.(I) must be
   37  met in order for a student to earn the required credit in
   38  geometry. Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2012
   39  2013 school year, in addition to the Algebra I and geometry
   40  credit requirements, one of the four credits in mathematics must
   41  be Algebra II or a series of courses equivalent to Algebra II as
   42  approved by the State Board of Education.
   43         3. Three credits in science, two of which must have a
   44  laboratory component. Beginning with students entering grade 9
   45  in the 2011-2012 school year, one of the three credits in
   46  science must be Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to
   47  Biology I as approved by the State Board of Education. Beginning
   48  with students entering grade 9 in the 2011-2012 school year, the
   49  end-of-course assessment requirements under s.
   50  1008.22(3)(c)2.a.(II) must be met in order for a student to earn
   51  the required credit in Biology I. Beginning with students
   52  entering grade 9 in the 2013-2014 school year, one of the three
   53  credits must be Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to
   54  Biology I as approved by the State Board of Education, one
   55  credit must be chemistry or physics or a series of courses
   56  equivalent to chemistry or physics as approved by the State
   57  Board of Education, and one credit must be an equally rigorous
   58  course, as determined by the State Board of Education.
   59         4. Three credits in social studies as follows: one credit
   60  in United States history; one credit in world history; one-half
   61  credit in economics; and one-half credit in United States
   62  government.
   63         5. One credit in fine or performing arts, speech and
   64  debate, or a practical arts course that incorporates artistic
   65  content and techniques of creativity, interpretation, and
   66  imagination. Eligible practical arts courses shall be identified
   67  through the Course Code Directory.
   68         6. One credit in physical education to include integration
   69  of health. Participation in an interscholastic sport at the
   70  junior varsity or varsity level for two full seasons shall
   71  satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical education if the
   72  student passes a competency test on personal fitness with a
   73  score of “C” or better. The competency test on personal fitness
   74  must be developed by the Department of Education. A district
   75  school board may not require that the one credit in physical
   76  education be taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one
   77  semester with a grade of “C” or better in a marching band class,
   78  in a physical activity class that requires participation in
   79  marching band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a
   80  dance class shall satisfy one-half credit in physical education
   81  or one-half credit in performing arts. This credit may not be
   82  used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the
   83  requirement for adaptive physical education under an individual
   84  education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. Completion of 2 years in a
   85  Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class, a significant
   86  component of which is drills, shall satisfy the one-credit
   87  requirement in physical education and the one-credit requirement
   88  in performing arts. This credit may not be used to satisfy the
   89  personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive
   90  physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or
   91  504 plan.
   92         7. One-half credit in health education. The health
   93  education requirement may be waived if the student requests to
   94  take a health education assessment and scores a “C” or better.
   95  The Department of Education shall develop the health education
   96  assessment.
   97         (b) Seven and one-half Eight credits in electives.
   98         1. For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 on
   99  FCAT Reading, the student must be enrolled in and complete an
  100  intensive reading course the following year. Placement of Level
  101  2 readers in either an intensive reading course or a content
  102  area course in which reading strategies are delivered shall be
  103  determined by diagnosis of reading needs. The department shall
  104  provide guidance on appropriate strategies for diagnosing and
  105  meeting the varying instructional needs of students reading
  106  below grade level. Reading courses shall be designed and offered
  107  pursuant to the comprehensive reading plan required by s.
  108  1011.62(9). A high school student who scores at Level 1 or Level
  109  2 on FCAT Reading but who did not score below Level 3 in the
  110  previous 3 years may be granted a 1-year exemption from the
  111  reading remediation requirement; however, the student must have
  112  an approved academic improvement plan already in place, signed
  113  by the appropriate school staff and the student’s parent, for
  114  the year for which the exemption is granted.
  115         2. For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 or
  116  Level 2 on FCAT Mathematics, the student must receive
  117  remediation the following year. These courses may be taught
  118  through applied, integrated, or combined courses and are subject
  119  to approval by the department for inclusion in the Course Code
  120  Directory.
  121         (c) Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2011
  122  2012 school year, at least one course within the 24 credits
  123  required in this subsection must be completed through online
  124  learning. A school district may not require a student to take
  125  the online course outside the school day or in addition to a
  126  student’s courses for a given semester. An online course taken
  127  during grades 6 through 8 fulfills this requirement. This
  128  requirement shall be met through an online course offered by the
  129  Florida Virtual School, an online course offered by the high
  130  school, or an online dual enrollment course. A student who is
  131  enrolled in a full-time or part-time virtual instruction program
  132  under s. 1002.45 meets this requirement. This requirement does
  133  not apply to a student who has an individual educational plan
  134  under s. 1003.57 which indicates that an online course would be
  135  inappropriate or a student who is enrolled in a Florida high
  136  school and has less than 1 academic year remaining in high
  137  school.
  138         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.