Florida Senate - 2016 SB 480
By Senator Bullard
39-00622-16 2016480__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high school graduation
3 requirements; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; requiring
4 students to earn one-half credit in health education,
5 independent of the physical education credit
6 requirements, for high school graduation; authorizing
7 a waiver for students who request to take and
8 successfully complete a health education assessment
9 developed by the Department of Education; reducing the
10 number of required credits in elective courses;
11 providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section
16 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended, paragraph (g) of that
17 subsection is redesignated as paragraph (h) and amended, and a
18 new paragraph (g) is added to that subsection, to read:
19 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
20 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
21 REQUIREMENTS.—
22 (f) One credit in physical education.—Physical education
23 must include the integration of health, except that beginning
24 with students entering grade 9 in the 2016-2017 school year,
25 health education shall not be included in physical education.
26 Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior varsity
27 or varsity level for two full seasons shall satisfy the one
28 credit requirement in physical education if the student passes a
29 competency test on personal fitness with a score of “C” or
30 better. The competency test on personal fitness developed by the
31 Department of Education must be used. A district school board
32 may not require that the one credit in physical education be
33 taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one semester with
34 a grade of “C” or better in a marching band class, in a physical
35 activity class that requires participation in marching band
36 activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a dance class
37 shall satisfy one-half credit in physical education or one-half
38 credit in performing arts. This credit may not be used to
39 satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for
40 adaptive physical education under an individual education plan
41 (IEP) or 504 plan. Completion of 2 years in a Reserve Officer
42 Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class, a significant component of
43 which is drills, shall satisfy the one-credit requirement in
44 physical education and the one-credit requirement in performing
45 arts. This credit may not be used to satisfy the personal
46 fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive physical
47 education under an IEP or 504 plan.
48 (g) One-half credit in health education.—Beginning with
49 students entering grade 9 in the 2016-2017 school year, a
50 student must earn one-half credit in health education. The
51 health education requirement may be waived if the student
52 requests to take a health education assessment and scores a “C”
53 or better, in which case the student must earn eight credits in
54 electives. The Department of Education shall develop the health
55 education assessment.
56 (h)(g) Eight credits in electives or, beginning with
57 students entering grade 9 in the 2016-2017 school year, seven
58 and one-half credits in electives.—School districts must develop
59 and offer coordinated electives so that a student may develop
60 knowledge and skills in his or her area of interest, such as
61 electives with a STEM or liberal arts focus. Such electives must
62 include opportunities for students to earn college credit,
63 including industry-certified career education programs or series
64 of career-themed courses that result in industry certification
65 or articulate into the award of college credit, or career
66 education courses for which there is a statewide or local
67 articulation agreement and which lead to college credit.
68 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.