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.