Florida Senate - 2019 SB 770
By Senator Hutson
7-00876A-19 2019770__
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 an alternative pathway to a standard
6 high school diploma through the Career and Technical
7 Education (CTE) pathway option; providing requirements
8 for the CTE pathway option; requiring that each
9 principal or his or her designee, who must be an
10 academic advisor, inform parents and students of the
11 CTE pathway option and establish certain processes
12 relating to the pathway; requiring district school
13 boards to incorporate certain information in the
14 student progression plan; 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) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION GRADUATION PATHWAY
23 OPTION.—Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a student is
24 eligible to complete an alternative pathway to earning a
25 standard high school diploma through the Career and Technical
26 Education (CTE) pathway option. Receipt of a standard high
27 school diploma awarded through the CTE pathway option requires
28 the student’s successful completion of at least 18 credits. A
29 student completing the CTE pathway option must earn at least a
30 cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
31 (a) In order for a student to satisfy the requirements of
32 the CTE pathway option, a student must:
33 1. Complete three credits in English Language Arts. The
34 three credits must be in ELA I, II, and III; however, a student
35 may substitute up to three credits in ELA honors, AP, AICE, IB,
36 or dual enrollment courses for the required ELA credits. A
37 student also must pass the statewide, standardized grade 10
38 Reading assessment or, when implemented, the grade 10 ELA
39 assessment, or earn a concordant score, in order to earn a
40 standard high school diploma;
41 2. Complete three credits in mathematics. A student must
42 earn one credit in Algebra I and one credit in Geometry. A
43 student’s performance on the statewide, standardized Algebra I
44 end-of-course (EOC) assessment constitutes 30 percent of the
45 student’s final course grade. A student also must pass the
46 statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC assessment, or earn a
47 comparative score, in order to earn a standard high school
48 diploma. A student’s performance on the statewide, standardized
49 Geometry EOC assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s
50 final course grade. A student who earns an industry
51 certification for which there is a statewide college credit
52 articulation agreement approved by the State Board of Education
53 may substitute the certification for one mathematics credit.
54 Substitution may occur for up to one mathematics credit, except
55 for Algebra I and Geometry;
56 3. Complete three credits in science. Two of the three
57 required credits must have a laboratory component. A student
58 must earn one credit in Biology I and two credits in equally
59 rigorous courses. The statewide, standardized Biology I EOC
60 assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course
61 grade. A student who earns an industry certification for which
62 there is a statewide college credit articulation agreement
63 approved by the State Board of Education may substitute the
64 certification for two science credits, except for Biology I;
65 4. Complete three and one-half credits in social studies. A
66 student must earn one credit in United States History; one
67 credit in World History; one-half credit in economics; one-half
68 credit in financial literacy; and one-half credit in United
69 States Government. The United States History EOC assessment
70 constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade;
71 5. Complete three credits in career and technical
72 education. The courses must result in a program completion and
73 an industry certification;
74 6. Complete two and one-half credits in work-based learning
75 programs. A student must earn two and one-half credits through
76 work-based learning program courses. A student may substitute up
77 to two and one-half credits of electives for work-based learning
78 program courses to fulfill this requirement; and
79 7. Sit for the statewide, standardized Geometry EOC
80 assessment, Biology I EOC assessment, and United States History
81 EOC assessment.
82 (b) Upon completion of the requirements specified in
83 paragraph (a), a student shall be awarded a standard high school
84 diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.
85 (c) Each principal or his or her faculty designee, who must
86 be designated as an academic advisor, shall:
87 1. Inform parents and students of the CTE pathway option
88 available at the school and the graduation requirements for the
89 CTE pathway option established pursuant to paragraph (a);
90 2. Establish a process by which a parent may request
91 student participation in the CTE pathway option. The student
92 must be provided the opportunity to participate in the CTE
93 pathway option;
94 3. Establish a process to verify a student’s progress and
95 completion of the CTE pathway option; and
96 4. Meet with any student who has a cumulative grade point
97 average that falls below 2.0 during the first semester in which
98 his or her grade point average falls below 2.0, and any
99 subsequent semester in which his or her grade point average
100 remains below 2.0, to discuss CTE pathway options.
101 (d) Each district school board shall incorporate the CTE
102 pathway option to graduation in the student progression plan
103 required under s. 1008.25.
104 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.