Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1468
By Senator Book
35-01227-23 20231468__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to career-themed courses; amending s.
3 1003.493, F.S.; requiring the Department of Education
4 to identify career-themed courses that are appropriate
5 for middle school students; encouraging school
6 districts to offer such courses at middle schools
7 within the district; providing an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
12 1003.493, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
13 1003.493 Career and professional academies and career
14 themed courses.—
15 (1)
16 (b) A “career-themed course” is a course, or a course in a
17 series of courses, that leads to an industry certification
18 identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List
19 pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
20 Career-themed courses have industry-specific curriculum aligned
21 directly to priority workforce needs established by the local
22 workforce development board or the Department of Economic
23 Opportunity. School districts shall offer at least two career
24 themed courses, and each secondary school is encouraged to offer
25 at least one career-themed course. The Department of Education
26 shall identify career-themed courses that are appropriate for
27 middle school students. School districts are encouraged to offer
28 such courses at each middle school within the district. The
29 Florida Virtual School is encouraged to develop and offer
30 rigorous career-themed courses as appropriate. High school
31 students completing a career-themed course must be provided
32 opportunities to earn postsecondary credit if the credit for the
33 career-themed course can be articulated to a postsecondary
34 institution approved to operate in the state.
35 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.