Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 788
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00866-18                                             2018788__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to alternative high school graduation
    3         requirements; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; providing
    4         that, as of a specified school year, certain students
    5         are eligible for alternative pathways to a standard
    6         high school diploma; specifying the alternative
    7         pathways; requiring that students provide verified
    8         documentation of completion of the alternative
    9         pathway; requiring district school boards to
   10         incorporate certain information in the student
   11         progression plan; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; providing
   12         that certain students may be eligible to complete an
   13         alternative pathway to a standard high school diploma;
   14         providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Present subsection (11) of section 1003.4282,
   19  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (12), and a new
   20  subsection (11) is added to that section, to read:
   21         1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
   22         (11) ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL
   23  DIPLOMA.—
   24         (a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a student who
   25  completed the minimum high school graduation course credit
   26  requirements established by rule of the State Board of Education
   27  but did not pass the grade 10 ELA assessment or the statewide,
   28  standardized Algebra I EOC assessment is eligible to complete an
   29  alternative pathway to a standard high school diploma.
   30         (b) A student may satisfy the requirements for a standard
   31  high school diploma through one of the following alternative
   32  pathways:
   33         1. Attain an industry-recognized credential or
   34  certification approved by the State Board of Education and
   35  accumulate a combined level score of at least 13 points on the
   36  ACT WorkKeys Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and
   37  Reading for Information assessments.
   38         2. Master the academic standards or competencies that had
   39  not previously been met, as indicated by the student not passing
   40  the applicable grade 10 ELA assessment or the statewide,
   41  standardized Algebra I EOC assessment, in a portfolio containing
   42  quantifiable evidence of such mastery.
   43         (c) A student shall be awarded a standard high school
   44  diploma upon completion of the requirements of an appropriate
   45  alternative pathway to graduation. The student must provide
   46  documentation verifying the completion of the alternative
   47  pathway to graduation. Documentation must be verified by the
   48  student’s principal.
   49         (d) Each district school board shall incorporate the
   50  alternative pathways to graduation in the student progression
   51  plan required pursuant to s. 1008.25.
   52         Section 2. Present subsections (11), (12), and (13) of
   53  section 1008.22, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   54  subsections (12), (13), and (14), respectively, and a new
   55  subsection (11) is added to that section, to read:
   56         1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
   57         (11) ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO GRADUATION.—If a student fails
   58  to satisfy the grade 10 ELA assessment or Algebra I EOC
   59  assessment graduation requirements, the student may be eligible
   60  to complete an alternative pathway to graduation under s.
   61  1003.4282(11).
   62         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.