Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1120
       
       
        
       By Senator Calatayud
       
       
       
       
       
       38-00939A-23                                          20231120__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to academic credit; creating s.
    3         1002.456, F.S.; requiring the State Board of Education
    4         to adopt a policy regarding the transfer and
    5         acceptance of academic credit from a licensed or
    6         nonlicensed source; requiring the State Board of
    7         Education to provide notice to students and parents or
    8         guardians regarding transfer and acceptance of
    9         academic credit; providing policy requirements;
   10         requiring each district school board to provide
   11         certain notice if academic credit or grades from a
   12         nonlicensed source are not accepted; providing an
   13         appeals process for the denial of academic credit or
   14         grades; requiring the State Board of Education to make
   15         a decision on the appeal within a specified timeframe;
   16         providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 1002.456, Florida Statutes, is created
   21  to read:
   22         1002.456 Transfer, acceptance of student academic credit.
   23  The State Board of Education shall adopt a policy establishing a
   24  process and standards for the transfer and acceptance of
   25  academic credit earned by a student. The board shall provide an
   26  explanation of the process which must include:
   27         (1) A method by which specific and adequate notice is given
   28  to a student and a parent or guardian of all requirements and
   29  limitations regarding transfer and acceptance of academic
   30  credit, such as by publication on the Department of Education’s
   31  website.
   32         (2) A process to accept academic credit or grades awarded
   33  to a student from a licensed school or provider. This may
   34  include reasonable timelines and may require adequate and timely
   35  documentation of authenticity for any academic credit or grades
   36  submitted. Grades awarded from a licensed school must be
   37  accepted at an equivalent value.
   38         (3) A process for a student to be awarded academic credit
   39  for coursework from a nonlicensed source, such as a nonlicensed
   40  education provider. The process to award credit from such source
   41  may include:
   42         (a) Requiring the student to demonstrate competency in the
   43  coursework that he or she completed, such as by completing an
   44  assessment or by other means.
   45         (b) Review of the student’s work or projects completed.
   46         (c) Requiring the student to produce proof of satisfaction
   47  of distance learning coursework.
   48         (4) An appeals process for the denial of academic credit or
   49  grades awarded by a nonlicensed source. The appeals process must
   50  require that if a district school board denies a student
   51  academic credit or grades from a nonlicensed source, the school
   52  board must notify the student and his or her parent or guardian
   53  in writing within 10 days after the denial. The student may
   54  appeal the denial to the State Board of Education in writing
   55  within 10 days after receiving the denial notice. The student or
   56  his or her parent or guardian may present evidence of
   57  satisfactory completion of the coursework to the State Board of
   58  Education, and the State Board of Education shall decide to
   59  grant or deny the appeal at its next regularly scheduled
   60  meeting.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.