Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1688
By Senator Burton
12-01368-25 20251688__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1003.4282,
3 F.S.; requiring that certain internships be included
4 in counseling materials and presented with certain
5 courses; requiring the Department of Education to
6 develop certain courses; amending s. 1003.491, F.S.;
7 revising the requirements of a certain strategic 3
8 year plan to include the Florida Gold Seal CAPE
9 Scholars award; amending s. 1003.493, F.S.; requiring
10 certain career and professional academies and
11 secondary schools to promote the Florida Gold Seal
12 CAPE Scholars award; amending ss. 1009.22 and 1009.23,
13 F.S.; prohibiting the inclusion of the transportation
14 access fee in the calculation of Florida Gold Seal
15 CAPE Scholars awards; amending ss. 1009.534, 1009.535,
16 and 1009.536, F.S.; deleting obsolete language;
17 amending s. 1007.271, F.S.; revising the requirements
18 for certain career dual enrollment agreements to
19 include specified student notification requirements
20 and addressing certain scheduling changes; revising
21 the requirements for certain dual enrollment
22 articulation agreements to include certain scheduling
23 changes; providing an effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and paragraph
28 (a) of subsection (7) of section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes,
29 are amended to read:
30 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
31 (1) TWENTY-FOUR CREDITS REQUIRED.—
32 (b) The required credits may be earned through equivalent,
33 applied, or integrated courses or career education courses as
34 defined in s. 1003.01(2), including work-related internships
35 approved by the State Board of Education and identified in the
36 course code directory. Such internships must be included in
37 counseling materials and presented with courses required for
38 graduation. However, any must-pass assessment requirements must
39 be met. An equivalent course is one or more courses identified
40 by content-area experts as being a match to the core curricular
41 content of another course, based upon review of the state
42 academic standards for that subject. An applied course aligns
43 with state academic standards and includes real-world
44 applications of a career and technical education standard used
45 in business or industry. An integrated course includes content
46 from several courses within a content area or across content
47 areas.
48 (7) CAREER EDUCATION COURSES THAT SATISFY HIGH SCHOOL
49 CREDIT REQUIREMENTS.—
50 (a) Participation in equivalent, applied, or integrated
51 courses or career education courses engages students in their
52 high school education, increases academic achievement, enhances
53 employability, and increases postsecondary success. The
54 department shall develop, for approval by the State Board of
55 Education, multiple, additional equivalent, applied, or
56 integrated courses or career education courses or a series of
57 courses that meet the requirements set forth in s. 1003.493(2),
58 (4), and (5) and this subsection and allow students to earn
59 credit in both the career education course and courses required
60 for high school graduation under this section and s. 1003.4281.
61 1. The state board must determine at least biennially
62 whether sufficient academic standards are covered to warrant the
63 award of academic credit, including satisfaction of graduation,
64 assessment, and state university admissions requirements under
65 this section.
66 2. Career education courses must:
67 a. Include workforce and digital literacy skills.
68 b. Integrate required course content with practical
69 applications and designated rigorous coursework that results in
70 one or more industry certifications or clearly articulated
71 credit or advanced standing in a 2-year or 4-year certificate or
72 degree program, which may include high school junior and senior
73 year work-related internships or apprenticeships. The department
74 shall negotiate state licenses for material and testing for
75 industry certifications.
76
77 The instructional methodology used in these courses must
78 comprise authentic projects, problems, and activities for
79 contextual academic learning and emphasize workplace skills
80 identified under s. 445.06.
81 3. A student who earns credit upon completion of 1 year of
82 related technical instruction for an apprenticeship program
83 registered with the Department of Education under chapter 446 or
84 preapprenticeship program registered with the Department of
85 Education under chapter 446 may use such credit to satisfy the
86 high school graduation credit requirements in paragraph (3)(e)
87 or paragraph (3)(g). The state board shall approve and identify
88 in the Course Code Directory the apprenticeship and
89 preapprenticeship programs from which earned credit may be used
90 pursuant to this subparagraph.
91 4. The State Board of Education shall, by rule, establish a
92 process that enables a student to receive work-based learning
93 credit or credit in electives for completing a threshold level
94 of demonstrable participation in extracurricular activities
95 associated with career and technical student organizations.
96 Work-based learning credit or credit in electives for
97 extracurricular activities or supervised agricultural
98 experiences may not be limited by grade level.
99 Section 2. Paragraphs (j) and (n) of subsection (3) of
100 section 1003.491, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
101 1003.491 Florida Career and Professional Education Act.—The
102 Florida Career and Professional Education Act is created to
103 provide a statewide planning partnership between the business
104 and education communities in order to attract, expand, and
105 retain targeted, high-value industry and to sustain a strong,
106 knowledge-based economy.
107 (3) The strategic 3-year plan developed jointly by the
108 local school district, local workforce development boards,
109 economic development agencies, and state-approved postsecondary
110 institutions must be constructed and based on:
111 (j) Strategies to recruit students into career-themed
112 courses and career and professional academies. The strategies
113 shall also which include opportunities for students who have
114 been unsuccessful in traditional classrooms but who are
115 interested in enrolling in career-themed courses or a career and
116 professional academy. School boards shall provide opportunities
117 for students who may be deemed as potential dropouts or whose
118 cumulative grade point average drops below a 2.0 to enroll in
119 career-themed courses or participate in career and professional
120 academies. Such students must be provided in-person academic
121 advising that includes information on career education programs
122 by a certified school counselor or the school principal or his
123 or her designee during any semester the students are at risk of
124 dropping out or have a cumulative grade point average below a
125 2.0;
126 (n) Promotion of the benefits of the Florida Gold Seal
127 Vocational Scholars and Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards
128 within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
129 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section
130 1003.493, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
131 1003.493 Career and professional academies and career
132 themed courses.—
133 (4) Each career and professional academy and secondary
134 school providing a career-themed course must:
135 (c) Promote and provide opportunities for students enrolled
136 in a career and professional academy or a career-themed course
137 to attain, at minimum, the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
138 award or the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award pursuant to
139 s. 1009.536.
140 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (13) of section
141 1009.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
142 1009.22 Workforce education postsecondary student fees.—
143 (13)
144 (b) Notwithstanding ss. 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536,
145 the transportation access fee authorized under paragraph (a) may
146 not be included in calculating the amount a student receives for
147 a Florida Academic Scholars award, a Florida Medallion Scholars
148 award, or a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, or a
149 Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award.
150 Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (18) of section
151 1009.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
152 1009.23 Florida College System institution student fees.—
153 (18)
154 (b) Notwithstanding ss. 1009.534, 1009.535, and 1009.536,
155 the transportation access fee authorized under paragraph (a) may
156 not be included in calculating the amount a student receives for
157 a Florida Academic Scholars award, a Florida Medallion Scholars
158 award, or a Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award, or a
159 Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award.
160 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
161 Statutes, is amended to read:
162 1009.534 Florida Academic Scholars award.—
163 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
164 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
165 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
166 (a) Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
167 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
168 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
169 Education as college-preparatory academic courses and has
170 attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(a) on
171 the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
172 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
173 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
174 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
175 (b) Has attended a home education program according to s.
176 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12, has completed the International
177 Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the International
178 Baccalaureate Diploma, or has completed the Advanced
179 International Certificate of Education curriculum but failed to
180 earn the Advanced International Certificate of Education
181 Diploma, and has attained at least the score required under s.
182 1009.531(6)(a) on the combined verbal and quantitative parts of
183 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or
184 the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
185 Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
186 Assessment Program;
187 (c) Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate Diploma
188 from the International Baccalaureate Office or an Advanced
189 International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
190 University of Cambridge International Examinations Office;
191 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
192 programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
193 scholar or finalist; or
194 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
195 Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
196
197 The student must complete a program of volunteer service or,
198 beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
199 academic year and thereafter, paid work, as approved by the
200 district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic school,
201 or the Department of Education for home education program
202 students, which must include 100 hours of volunteer service,
203 paid work, or a combination of both. Eligible paid work
204 completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be included in the
205 student’s total of paid work hours. The student may identify a
206 social or civic issue or a professional area that interests him
207 or her and develop a plan for his or her personal involvement in
208 addressing the issue or learning about the area. The student
209 must, through papers or other presentations, evaluate and
210 reflect upon his or her volunteer service or paid work
211 experience. Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but
212 is not limited to, a business or governmental internship, work
213 for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
214 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
215 service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
216 document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
217 guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
218 student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
219 Section 7. Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
220 Statutes, is amended to read:
221 1009.535 Florida Medallion Scholars award.—
222 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
223 award if he or she meets the general eligibility requirements
224 for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and:
225 (a) Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
226 calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
227 school courses that are designated by the State Board of
228 Education as college-preparatory academic courses and has
229 attained at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on
230 the combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
231 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
232 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
233 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
234 (b) Has completed the International Baccalaureate
235 curriculum but failed to earn the International Baccalaureate
236 Diploma or has completed the Advanced International Certificate
237 of Education curriculum but failed to earn the Advanced
238 International Certificate of Education Diploma, and has attained
239 at least the score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the
240 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
241 Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
242 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
243 or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
244 (c) Has attended a home education program according to s.
245 1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 and has attained at least the
246 score required under s. 1009.531(6)(b) on the combined verbal
247 and quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
248 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
249 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
250 equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program;
251 (d) Has been recognized by the merit or achievement program
252 of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a scholar or
253 finalist but has not completed the program of volunteer service
254 or paid work required under s. 1009.534; or
255 (e) Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
256 Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed the
257 program of volunteer service or paid work required under s.
258 1009.534.
259
260 A high school student must complete a program of volunteer
261 service or, beginning with a high school student graduating in
262 the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, paid work approved
263 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
264 school, or the Department of Education for home education
265 program students, which must include 75 hours of volunteer
266 service, 100 hours of paid work, or 100 hours of a combination
267 of both. Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022,
268 shall be included in a student’s total of required paid work
269 hours. The student may identify a social or civic issue or a
270 professional area that interests him or her and develop a plan
271 for his or her personal involvement in addressing the issue or
272 learning about the area. The student must, through papers or
273 other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her
274 volunteer service or paid work experience. Such volunteer
275 service or paid work may include, but is not limited to, a
276 business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit
277 community service organization, or activities on behalf of a
278 candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer service or
279 paid work must be documented in writing, and the document must
280 be signed by the student, the student’s parent or guardian, and
281 a representative of the organization for which the student
282 performed the volunteer service or paid work.
283 Section 8. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1), paragraph (b)
284 of subsection (2), and subsection (5) of section 1009.536,
285 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
286 1009.536 Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and Florida
287 Gold Seal CAPE Scholars awards.—The Florida Gold Seal Vocational
288 Scholars award and the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award are
289 created within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to
290 recognize and reward academic achievement and career preparation
291 by high school students who wish to continue their education.
292 (1) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal
293 Vocational Scholars award if he or she meets the general
294 eligibility requirements for the Florida Bright Futures
295 Scholarship Program and:
296 (e) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or,
297 beginning with high school students graduating in the 2022-2023
298 academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved
299 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
300 school, or the Department of Education for home education
301 program students, or 100 hours of a combination of both.
302 Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be
303 included in a student’s total of required paid work hours. The
304 student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional
305 area that interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her
306 personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about
307 the area. The student must, through papers or other
308 presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her volunteer
309 service or paid work experience. Such volunteer service or paid
310 work may include, but is not limited to, a business or
311 governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service
312 organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public
313 office. The hours of volunteer service or paid work must be
314 documented in writing, and the document must be signed by the
315 student, the student’s parent or guardian, and a representative
316 of the organization for which the student performed the
317 volunteer service or paid work.
318 (2) A student is eligible for a Florida Gold Seal CAPE
319 Scholars award if he or she meets the general eligibility
320 requirements for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program,
321 and the student:
322 (b) Completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service or,
323 beginning with a high school student graduating in the 2022-2023
324 academic year and thereafter, 100 hours of paid work, approved
325 by the district school board, the administrators of a nonpublic
326 school, or the Department of Education for home education
327 program students, or 100 hours of a combination of both.
328 Eligible paid work completed on or after June 27, 2022, shall be
329 included in a student’s total required paid work hours. The
330 student may identify a social or civic issue or a professional
331 area that interests him or her and develop a plan for his or her
332 personal involvement in addressing the issue or learning about
333 the area. The student must, through papers or other
334 presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or her experience.
335 Such volunteer service or paid work may include, but is not
336 limited to, a business or governmental internship, work for a
337 nonprofit community service organization, or activities on
338 behalf of a candidate for public office. The hours of volunteer
339 service or paid work must be documented in writing, and the
340 document must be signed by the student, the student’s parent or
341 guardian, and a representative of the organization for which the
342 student performed the volunteer service or paid work.
343 (5)(a) A student who is initially eligible in the 2012-2013
344 academic year and thereafter may earn a Florida Gold Seal
345 Vocational Scholarship for a maximum of 100 percent of the
346 number of credit hours or equivalent clock hours required to
347 complete one of the following at a Florida public or nonpublic
348 education institution that offers these specific programs: for
349 an applied technology diploma program as defined in s.
350 1004.02(7), up to 60 credit hours or equivalent clock hours; for
351 a technical degree education program as defined in s.
352 1004.02(13), up to the number of hours required for a specific
353 degree not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock hours;
354 or for a career certificate program as defined in s.
355 1004.02(20), up to the number of hours required for a specific
356 certificate not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock
357 hours.
358 (b)1. A student who is initially eligible in the 2017-2018
359 academic year and thereafter for a Florida Gold Seal CAPE
360 Scholars award under subsection (2) may receive an award for a
361 maximum of 100 percent of the number of credit hours or
362 equivalent clock hours required to complete one of the following
363 at a Florida public or nonpublic education institution that
364 offers these specific programs: for an applied technology
365 diploma program as defined in s. 1004.02(7), up to 60 credit
366 hours or equivalent clock hours; for a technical degree
367 education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13), up to the number
368 of hours required for a specific degree, not to exceed 72 credit
369 hours or equivalent clock hours; or for a career certificate
370 program as defined in s. 1004.02(20), up to the number of hours
371 required for a specific certificate, not to exceed 72 credit
372 hours or equivalent clock hours. A student who transfers from
373 one of these program levels to another program level is eligible
374 for the higher of the two credit hour limits.
375 2. A Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholar who completes a
376 technical degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13)
377 may also receive an award for:
378 a. A maximum of 60 credit hours for a bachelor of science
379 degree program for which there is a statewide associate in
380 science degree program to bachelor of science degree program
381 articulation agreement; or
382 b. A maximum of 60 credit hours for a bachelor of applied
383 science degree program at a Florida College System institution.
384 Section 9. Paragraph (f) of subsection (7) of section
385 1007.271, Florida Statutes, is amended, paragraph (g) is added
386 to that subsection, and paragraph (p) is added to subsection
387 (21) of that section, to read:
388 1007.271 Dual enrollment programs.—
389 (7) Career dual enrollment shall be provided as a
390 curricular option for secondary students to pursue in order to
391 earn industry certifications adopted pursuant to s. 1008.44,
392 which count as credits toward the high school diploma. Career
393 dual enrollment shall be available for secondary students
394 seeking a degree and industry certification through a career
395 education program or course. Each career center established
396 under s. 1001.44 shall enter into an agreement with each high
397 school in any school district it serves. Beginning with the
398 2019-2020 school year, the agreement must be completed annually
399 and submitted by the career center to the Department of
400 Education by August 1. The agreement must:
401 (f) Delineate costs incurred by each entity and determine
402 how transportation will be provided for students who are unable
403 to provide their own transportation and how students will be
404 notified of such transportation.
405 (g) Address scheduling changes that will increase access
406 and student participation.
407 (21) Each district school superintendent and each public
408 postsecondary institution president shall develop a
409 comprehensive dual enrollment articulation agreement for the
410 respective school district and postsecondary institution. The
411 superintendent and president shall establish an articulation
412 committee for the purpose of developing the agreement. Each
413 state university president may designate a university
414 representative to participate in the development of a dual
415 enrollment articulation agreement. A dual enrollment
416 articulation agreement shall be completed and submitted annually
417 by the postsecondary institution to the Department of Education
418 on or before August 1. The agreement must include, but is not
419 limited to:
420 (p) Any scheduling changes that are necessary to increase
421 access and student participation.
422 Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.