Florida Senate - 2016 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Bill No. SB 1638
Ì698686iÎ698686
576-03416-16
Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
(Appropriations Subcommittee on Education)
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education for
3 veterans; amending s. 1004.096, F.S.; specifying
4 individuals who are eligible for college credit for
5 college-level military training and education;
6 amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; expanding the list of
7 examinations for which the department is required to
8 establish college credit equivalencies; amending s.
9 1009.26, F.S.; revising the residency requirement for
10 certain tuition waivers for recipients of specified
11 military decorations; conforming provisions; amending
12 s. 1012.56, F.S.; providing that specified programs
13 and test scores meet certain educator certification
14 requirements; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 1004.096, Florida Statutes, is amended
19 to read:
20 1004.096 College credit for military training and education
21 courses.—The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations and the
22 State Board of Education shall adopt rules that enable eligible
23 servicemembers or honorably discharged veterans members of the
24 United States Armed Forces to earn academic college credit at
25 public postsecondary educational institutions for college-level
26 training and education acquired in the military. The regulations
27 and rules shall include procedures for credential evaluation and
28 the award of academic college credit, including, but not limited
29 to, equivalency and alignment of military coursework with
30 appropriate college courses, course descriptions, type and
31 amount of college credit that may be awarded, and transfer of
32 credit.
33 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 1007.27, Florida
34 Statutes, is amended to read:
35 1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms.—
36 (2) The Department of Education shall annually identify and
37 publish the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or
38 courses for which credit is to be awarded for each College Level
39 Examination Program (CLEP) subject examination, College Board
40 Advanced Placement Program examination, Advanced International
41 Certificate of Education examination, and International
42 Baccalaureate examination, Excelsior College subject
43 examination, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
44 Support (DANTES) subject standardized test, and Defense Language
45 Proficiency Test (DLPT). The department shall use student
46 performance data in subsequent postsecondary courses to
47 determine the appropriate examination scores and courses for
48 which credit is to be granted. Minimum scores may vary by
49 subject area based on available performance data. In addition,
50 the department shall identify such courses in the general
51 education core curriculum of each state university and Florida
52 College System institution.
53 Section 3. Subsection (8) of section 1009.26, Florida
54 Statutes, is amended to read:
55 1009.26 Fee waivers.—
56 (8) A state university, a Florida College System
57 institution, a career center operated by a school district under
58 s. 1001.44, or a charter technical career center shall waive
59 tuition for undergraduate college credit programs and career
60 certificate programs for each recipient of a Purple Heart or
61 another combat decoration superior in precedence who:
62 (a) Is enrolled as a full-time, part-time, or summer-school
63 student in a program that terminates in an associate or a
64 baccalaureate degree, a college credit certificate, or a career
65 certificate;
66 (b) Is currently, or and was at the time of the military
67 action that resulted in the awarding of the Purple Heart or
68 other combat decoration superior in precedence, a resident of
69 this state; and
70 (c) Submits to the state university, the Florida College
71 System institution, or the career center operated by a school
72 district under s. 1001.44, or the charter technical career
73 center the DD-214 form issued at the time of separation from
74 service as documentation that the student has received a Purple
75 Heart or another combat decoration superior in precedence. If
76 the DD-214 is not available, other documentation may be
77 acceptable if recognized by the United States Department of
78 Defense or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as
79 documenting the award.
80
81 Such a waiver for a Purple Heart recipient or recipient of
82 another combat decoration superior in precedence shall be
83 applicable for 110 percent of the number of required credit
84 hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student
85 is enrolled.
86 Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 1012.56, Florida
87 Statutes, is amended to read:
88 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
89 (5) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of
90 demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are:
91 (a) For a subject requiring only a baccalaureate degree for
92 which a Florida subject area examination has been developed,
93 achievement of a passing score on the Florida-developed subject
94 area examination specified in state board rule;
95 (b) For a subject for which a Florida subject area
96 examination has not been developed, achievement of a passing
97 score on a standardized examination specified in state board
98 rule, including, but not limited to, passing scores on both the
99 oral proficiency and written proficiency examinations
100 administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
101 Languages;
102 (c) For a subject for which a Florida subject area
103 examination has not been developed or a standardized examination
104 has not been specified in state board rule, completion of the
105 subject area specialization requirements specified in state
106 board rule and verification of the attainment of the essential
107 subject matter competencies by the district school
108 superintendent of the employing school district or chief
109 administrative officer of the employing state-supported or
110 private school;
111 (d) For a subject requiring a master’s or higher degree,
112 completion of the subject area specialization requirements
113 specified in state board rule and achievement of a passing score
114 on the Florida-developed subject area examination or a
115 standardized examination specified in state board rule;
116 (e) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching
117 certificate issued by another state; or
118 (f) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the
119 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or a national
120 educator credentialing board approved by the State Board of
121 Education;
122 (g) Documentation of successful completion of a United
123 States Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
124 program; or
125 (h) Documentation of a passing score on the Defense
126 Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).
127
128 School districts are encouraged to provide mechanisms for middle
129 grades teachers holding only a K-6 teaching certificate to
130 obtain a subject area coverage for middle grades through
131 postsecondary coursework or district add-on certification.
132 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.