Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1450
By Senator Rodriguez
39-01366A-21 20211450__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to civic education curriculum;
3 amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the social
4 studies high school graduation credit requirement;
5 amending s. 1003.44, F.S.; requiring the Department of
6 Education to develop or approve an integrated civic
7 education curriculum that meets certain requirements;
8 requiring the department to curate oral history
9 resources to be used along with such curriculum;
10 providing a short title; requiring the department to
11 approve the civic education curricula submitted by
12 school districts and charter schools; providing an
13 effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
18 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
19 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
20 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
21 REQUIREMENTS.—
22 (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn
23 one credit in United States History; one credit in World
24 History; one-half credit in economics; and one-half credit in
25 United States Government, which must include a comparative
26 discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and
27 totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom
28 and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United
29 States. The United States History EOC assessment constitutes 30
30 percent of the student’s final course grade.
31 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 1003.44,
32 Florida Statutes, to read:
33 1003.44 Patriotic programs; rules.—
34 (6) To help families, civic institutions, local
35 communities, district school boards, and charter schools prepare
36 students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults,
37 the Department of Education shall:
38 (a) Develop or approve an integrated civic education
39 curriculum that school districts and charter schools must
40 incorporate as part of regular school work in kindergarten
41 through grade 12. The civic education curriculum must assist
42 students in developing:
43 1. An understanding of their shared rights and
44 responsibilities as residents of the state and of the founding
45 principles of the United States as described in s.
46 1003.42(2)(a)-(c).
47 2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate
48 regularly with government at the local, state, and federal
49 levels.
50 3. An understanding of the process for effectively
51 advocating before government bodies and officials.
52 4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations,
53 developed by the State Board of Education, of an upright and
54 desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility
55 for preserving and defending the blessings of liberty inherited
56 from prior generations and secured by the United States
57 Constitution.
58 (b) Curate oral history resources to be used along with the
59 civic education curriculum which provide portraits in patriotism
60 based on the personal stories of diverse individuals who
61 demonstrate civic-minded qualities, including first-person
62 accounts of victims of other nations’ governing philosophies who
63 can compare those philosophies with those of the United States.
64 This paragraph may be cited as the “Portraits in Patriotism
65 Act.”
66 (c) Approve integrated civic education curricula submitted
67 by school districts and charter schools that meet the
68 requirements of this subsection.
69 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.