Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1740
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       19-00145A-21                                          20211740__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Seal of Fine Arts
    3         Program; creating s. 1003.4321, F.S.; establishing the
    4         Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program within the
    5         Department of Education; providing the purpose of the
    6         program; specifying eligibility requirements for the
    7         awarding of a Seal of Fine Arts; defining the term
    8         “work of art”; authorizing the State Board of
    9         Education to adopt additional requirements for the
   10         award of a seal; requiring the Commissioner of
   11         Education and school districts to perform specified
   12         duties to administer the program; prohibiting a school
   13         district or the Department of Education from charging
   14         a fee for the seal; requiring the state board to adopt
   15         rules; providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 1003.4321, Florida Statutes, is created
   20  to read:
   21         1003.4321 Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program for high school
   22  graduates.—
   23         (1) The Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program is established
   24  within the Department of Education to recognize high school
   25  graduates who have met exemplary benchmarks in fine arts
   26  coursework.
   27         (2) The purpose of the Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program is
   28  to encourage students to develop an exemplary level of
   29  proficiency in the performing or visual arts.
   30         (3)(a) Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the Seal
   31  of Fine Arts shall be awarded to a high school student who has
   32  earned a standard high school diploma, successfully completed at
   33  least three year-long courses in dance, music, theatre, or the
   34  visual arts with a grade of “A” or higher in each course or
   35  earned three sequential course credits in such courses with a
   36  grade of “A” or higher in each course, and meets a minimum of
   37  two of the requirements below:
   38         1. Successfully complete a fine arts International
   39  Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, or honors
   40  course in the subjects listed in paragraph (a) with a grade of
   41  “B” or higher.
   42         2. Participate in a district or statewide organization
   43  juried event as a selected student participant for two or more
   44  years.
   45         3. Record at least 25 volunteer hours of arts-related
   46  community service in his or her community and present a
   47  comprehensive presentation on his or her experiences.
   48         4. Meet the requirements of a portfolio-based program
   49  identifying the student as an exemplary practitioner of the fine
   50  arts.
   51         5. Receive district, state, or national recognition for the
   52  creation and submission of an original work of art or
   53  performance. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “work of
   54  art” means a musical or theatrical composition, visual art work,
   55  or choreographed routine or performance.
   56         (b) The State Board of Education may establish additional
   57  criteria for the award of the Seal of Fine Arts.
   58         (4) The Commissioner of Education shall:
   59         (a) Prepare for and provide to each school district an
   60  appropriate seal to be affixed to a student’s diploma indicating
   61  that the student has been awarded the Seal of Fine Arts.
   62         (b) Provide appropriate benchmarks in rubric form necessary
   63  for a school district to successfully implement the program.
   64         (5) Each school district shall:
   65         (a) Maintain appropriate records to identify a student who
   66  has met the requirements to receive a Seal of Fine Arts.
   67         (b) Provide the Commissioner of Education with the number
   68  of students who have met the requirements to receive a Seal of
   69  Fine Arts.
   70         (c) Affix the appropriate insignia to the student’s diploma
   71  and indicate on the student’s transcript that the student has
   72  earned a Seal of Fine Arts.
   73         (6) A school district or the department may not charge a
   74  fee for a Seal of Fine Arts.
   75         (7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
   76  administer this section, including, but not limited to:
   77         (a) A process to confirm a student’s successful completion
   78  of the requirements in subsection (3) through the creation of a
   79  rubric.
   80         (b) Any additional requirements a student must meet to be
   81  awarded the Seal of Fine Arts.
   82         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.