Florida Senate - 2013 SB 1676
By Senator Flores
37-00878C-13 20131676__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high schools; creating s. 1003.432,
3 F.S.; providing definitions; creating the State Seal
4 of Biliteracy Program to recognize a high school
5 graduate who has attained a high level of competency
6 in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or
7 more languages in addition to English; providing the
8 purpose of the program; specifying criteria to earn a
9 State Seal of Biliteracy; specifying minimum standards
10 of a school-district-developed or school-district
11 selected world language examination; requiring a
12 school district to certify to the Commissioner of
13 Education that such examination meets the minimum
14 standards; requiring the Commissioner of Education and
15 school districts to perform specific duties to
16 administer the State Seal of Biliteracy Program;
17 prohibiting a school district or the Department of
18 Education from charging fees to a student who earns
19 the State Seal of Biliteracy; requiring the State
20 Board of Education to adopt certain rules; providing a
21 directive to the Division of Law Revision and
22 Information; providing an effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. Section 1003.432, Florida Statutes, is created
27 to read:
28 1003.432 State Seal of Biliteracy for high school
29 graduates.—
30 (1) As used in this section, the term:
31 (a) “Biliteracy” means attainment of a high level of
32 competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one
33 or more languages in addition to English.
34 (b) “World language” means a language that is spoken
35 internationally and learned by many people as a second language.
36 (2) The State Seal of Biliteracy Program is established to
37 recognize a high school graduate who has attained a high level
38 of competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in
39 one or more languages in addition to English. The Commissioner
40 of Education shall award the State Seal of Biliteracy upon
41 graduation to a high school student who meets the qualifications
42 in this section.
43 (3) The purpose of the State Seal of Biliteracy is to:
44 (a) Encourage students to study languages;
45 (b) Certify attainment of biliteracy;
46 (c) Provide employers with a method of identifying an
47 individual who has language and biliteracy skills;
48 (d) Provide a postsecondary institution with a method to
49 recognize and grant certain postsecondary credit to an applicant
50 who is seeking admission to a postsecondary institution;
51 (e) Recognize and promote world language instruction in
52 public schools; and
53 (f) Strengthen relationships, affirm the value of
54 diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and languages of a
55 community.
56 (4) The State Seal of Biliteracy shall be awarded upon
57 graduation to a high school student who:
58 (a) Completed the English requirements for graduation with
59 a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
60 or its equivalent, in the courses required under s. 1003.428, s.
61 1003.4281, or s. 1003.429;
62 (b) Passed, at Level 4 or above, a statewide, standardized
63 assessment in reading administered pursuant to s. 1008.22;
64 (c) Completed 4 credits of sequential instruction in a high
65 school world language course and attained a cumulative grade
66 point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale in such course, or
67 the equivalent as demonstrated by earning a passing score on a
68 school-district-developed or school-district-selected world
69 language end-of-course examination. The school-district
70 developed or school-district-selected end-of-course examination,
71 at a minimum, must assess listening, speaking, reading, and
72 writing in the subject language. The end-of-course examination
73 must be aligned with the Florida Next Generation World Languages
74 Standards’ proficiency levels. The school district shall set the
75 passing score for the end-of-course examination and shall
76 certify to the Commissioner of Education that the district
77 developed or district-selected end-of-course examination meets a
78 level of rigor specified by State Board of Education rule based
79 upon the course benchmark description in the Florida Next
80 Generation World Languages Standards; and
81 (d) Demonstrated competency in one or more languages other
82 than English through at least one of the following:
83 1. Passing an International Baccalaureate examination in a
84 world language.
85 2. Passing an Advanced Placement examination in a world
86 language.
87 3. Passing an SAT II examination in a world language.
88 4. Passing the Cambridge AICE Diploma examination.
89 (5) The Commissioner of Education shall:
90 (a) Prepare and provide to each school district an
91 appropriate insignia to be affixed to the student’s diploma and
92 transcript indicating that the student has been awarded a State
93 Seal of Biliteracy by the Commissioner of Education; and
94 (b) Provide other information that is necessary for a
95 school district to successfully participate in the program.
96 (6) Each school district shall:
97 (a) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify a
98 student who has met the requirements to receive a State Seal of
99 Biliteracy;
100 (b) Provide the Commissioner of Education with the name of
101 each student who has met the requirements to receive a State
102 Seal of Biliteracy; and
103 (c) Affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma and
104 transcript of each student who earns a State Seal of Biliteracy.
105 (7) A school district or the Department of Education may
106 not charge a fee for the State Seal of Biliteracy.
107 (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
108 implement the provisions of this section. Such rules, at a
109 minimum, must include:
110 (a) Evidence of the student’s successful completion of 4
111 credits of sequential instruction in a high school world
112 language course and attainment of a cumulative grade point
113 average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent in
114 such courses as demonstrated by earning a passing score on a
115 school-district-developed or school-district-selected world
116 language end-of-course examination;
117 (b) The passing score that a student must receive on each
118 of the examinations listed in paragraph (4)(d); and
119 (c) Alternative means by which students may demonstrate
120 equivalent world language competence, including the means by
121 which a student whose native language is not English may
122 demonstrate competency in the native language in order to earn
123 the State Seal of Biliteracy.
124 Section 2. The Division of Law Revision and Information is
125 directed to change the term “foreign language” to “world
126 language” and the term “foreign languages” to “world languages”
127 wherever the terms appear in ss. 1001.41-1007.34 of the Florida
128 Statutes.
129 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.