Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1588
By Senator Diaz
36-01423-19 20191588__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to enhancing Florida’s workforce;
3 creating s. 1009.551, F.S.; creating the Florida
4 Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program within
5 the Department of Education; providing the purpose of
6 the program; providing legislative intent; providing
7 requirements for the program; providing requirements
8 for grant applications for the program; requiring the
9 Commissioner of Education to establish an application
10 process for the program; providing that proposals for
11 grants be funded competitively; authorizing school
12 districts, charter schools, and Florida College System
13 institutions to apply for grants under the program;
14 providing for eligibility requirements; providing that
15 priority for grants be given to proposals that meet
16 specified criteria; requiring the commissioner to
17 annually report certain information to the Governor
18 and the Legislature by a specified date; requiring the
19 State Board of Education to adopt rules; amending s.
20 1003.4282, F.S.; authorizing students who earn one
21 credit in a computer science course to substitute the
22 credit for one science credit to fulfill standard high
23 school diploma requirements; providing an exception;
24 providing an effective date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Section 1009.551, Florida Statutes, is created
29 to read:
30 1009.551 The Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant
31 Program.—
32 (1) The Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant
33 Program is created within the Department of Education. The
34 purpose of the program is to enable high schools and Florida
35 College System institutions to offer applied learning
36 opportunities for students in high-demand career pathways linked
37 to occupations that will provide students with middle-level and
38 high-level wages.
39 (2) The Legislature intends for the competitive grant fund
40 to be established to provide individual grants statewide to
41 serve students in grades 9-12 and students within the first 60
42 hours of college coursework who enter a career pathway that
43 enables them to master the skills they need to graduate with a
44 career certificate or a 2-year technical degree to secure an
45 entry-level position in an industry.
46 (3) Selected institutions must provide students with an
47 opportunity to earn industry certifications, 60 hours of college
48 credit, or an associate of arts degree by the time they graduate
49 from high school, and the opportunity to gain valuable work
50 experience through internships, externships, apprenticeships, or
51 other job training programs. The grants must be used to enroll
52 students in work-based education programs that lead to career
53 opportunities in high-demand fields.
54 (4) Each grant application must include the expertise of
55 public institutions and the participation of one secondary
56 partner and one or more postsecondary and industry partners.
57 (5) The commissioner shall establish an application process
58 for allocated grants under the program.
59 (a) Proposals for the grant must be funded competitively.
60 (b) School districts, charter schools, and Florida College
61 System institutions may apply for grant funding under this
62 section. As a condition of the grant, applicants must agree to
63 timely provide the information described in subsection (8) to
64 the commissioner.
65 (6) To be eligible for a grant under the program, proposals
66 must:
67 (a) Give students opportunities to earn the following:
68 1. Industry certifications, associate degrees,
69 postsecondary certificates, or college credit aligned to high
70 demand workforce needs of the state, region, or local area and
71 linked to occupations that provide a middle wage or high wage
72 within 6 years; and
73 2. Applied learning experiences through internships,
74 externships, apprenticeships, or other job training programs;
75 (b) Provide students with mentorship or career counseling
76 informed by labor market demand;
77 (c) Provide industry and employer partner memoranda of
78 understanding to ensure the program is aligned to in-demand
79 skills and which show the nature of the industry and employer
80 partnership;
81 (d) Identify how the proposal will address opportunities
82 for underrepresented students such as minority, low-income, or
83 rural students, or girls in computer science courses;
84 (e) Identify how the school district, charter school, or
85 Florida College System institution will use the grant funding
86 and leverage other available funds to provide continued support
87 for the program;
88 (f) Provide the training and academic preparation at no
89 cost to students; and
90 (g) Identify the postsecondary partners to ensure
91 appropriate articulation and dual enrollment opportunities and
92 provide memoranda of understanding that show the nature of the
93 postsecondary partnership.
94 (7) Priority for grants must be given to proposals that
95 increase opportunities for underrepresented students such as
96 minority, low-income, or rural students, or girls in computer
97 science courses.
98 (8) The commissioner shall report by December 1 of each
99 year to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
100 Speaker of the House of Representatives the following:
101 (a) The number of participating students and their
102 outcomes, including the following:
103 1. Academic achievement;
104 2. Attainment of industry certifications, associate
105 degrees, or college credit;
106 3. Applied learning experiences of the participating
107 students;
108 4. Postsecondary enrollment, or continued enrollment at a
109 postsecondary institution, following completion of the program,
110 if applicable;
111 5. Employment outcomes and wages, if applicable; and
112 6. Non-completion rate;
113 (b) Demographics of participating students and their
114 outcomes as described in paragraph (a); and
115 (c) Identification of high-demand career pathways linked to
116 occupations that provide students with middle-level and high
117 level wages as reflected by labor market demand.
118 (9) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
119 implement this section.
120 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
121 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
122 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
123 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
124 REQUIREMENTS.—
125 (c) Three credits in science.—Two of the three required
126 credits must have a laboratory component. A student must earn
127 one credit in Biology I and two credits in equally rigorous
128 courses. The statewide, standardized Biology I EOC assessment
129 constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade. A
130 student who earns an industry certification for which there is a
131 statewide college credit articulation agreement approved by the
132 State Board of Education may substitute the certification for
133 one science credit, except for Biology I. A student who earns
134 one credit in a computer science course identified under s.
135 1007.2616, may substitute the credit for one science credit,
136 except for Biology I.
137 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.