Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1068
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       35-00823-22                                           20221068__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to certificates of completion;
    3         amending s. 1001.44, F.S.; providing that students
    4         awarded a certificate of completion are eligible to
    5         enroll in workforce education programs; amending s.
    6         1002.34, F.S.; providing that students awarded a
    7         certificate of completion are eligible to enroll in
    8         workforce education programs; requiring charter
    9         technical career centers to identify such programs;
   10         amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; requiring that students
   11         be advised of specified educational options before
   12         being awarded a certificate of completion; providing
   13         an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Present paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of
   18  section 1001.44, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
   19  (c), and a new paragraph (b) is added to that subsection, to
   20  read:
   21         1001.44 Career centers.—
   22         (3) CAREER CENTER PART OF DISTRICT SCHOOL SYSTEM DIRECTED
   23  BY A DIRECTOR.—
   24         (b) A student awarded a certificate of completion under s.
   25  1003.4282 is eligible to enroll in workforce education programs
   26  under s. 1011.80.
   27         Section 2. Subsection (8) of section 1002.34, Florida
   28  Statutes, is amended to read:
   29         1002.34 Charter technical career centers.—
   30         (8) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.—A center must be open to all
   31  students as space is available and may not discriminate in
   32  admissions policies or practices on the basis of an individual’s
   33  physical disability or proficiency in English or on any other
   34  basis that would be unlawful if practiced by a public school or
   35  a Florida College System institution. A student awarded a
   36  certificate of completion under s. 1003.4282 is eligible to
   37  enroll in workforce education programs under s. 1011.80. A
   38  center may establish reasonable criteria by which to evaluate
   39  prospective students, which criteria must be outlined in the
   40  charter, and must identify workforce education programs in which
   41  a student who has been awarded a certificate of completion under
   42  s. 1003.4282 is eligible to enroll.
   43         Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section
   44  1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   45         1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
   46         (6) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.—
   47         (c) A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the
   48  required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the
   49  assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA
   50  shall be awarded a certificate of completion in a form
   51  prescribed by the State Board of Education. However, before the
   52  award of a certificate of completion, a student must be advised
   53  of available educational options, including workforce education
   54  programs under s. 1011.80, adult general education programs as
   55  defined in s. 1004.02(3), and the option who is otherwise
   56  entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in
   57  high school either as a full-time student or a part-time student
   58  for up to 1 additional year and receive special instruction
   59  designed to remedy his or her identified deficiencies.
   60         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.