The Florida Senate

239.115  Funds for operation of adult general education and vocational education programs.--

(1)  As used in this section, the terms "workforce development education" and "workforce development program" include:

(a)  Adult general education programs designed to improve the employability skills of the state's workforce through adult basic education, adult secondary education, GED preparation, and vocational-preparatory education;

(b)  Certificate vocational education programs, including courses that lead to an occupational completion point within a program that terminates in either a certificate or a degree;

(c)  Degree vocational education programs that lead to an associate in applied technology degree or an associate in science degree; and

(d)  Apprenticeship programs as defined in s. 446.021.

(2)  Any workforce development education program may be conducted by a community college or a school district, except that an associate in science degree may be awarded only by a community college. However, if an associate in science degree program contains within it an occupational completion point that confers a certificate or an associate in applied technology degree, that portion of the program may be conducted by a school district technical center. Any college credit instruction designed to articulate to a degree program is subject to guidelines and standards adopted by the Articulation Coordinating Committee pursuant to s. 229.551(1)(g).

(3)  If a program for disabled adults pursuant to s. 239.301 is a workforce development program as defined in this ¹section it must be funded as provided in this section.

(4)  The Florida Workforce Development Education Fund is created to provide performance-based funding for all workforce development programs, whether the programs are offered by a school district or a community college. Funding for all workforce development education programs must be from the Workforce Development Education Fund and must be based on cost categories, performance output measures, and performance outcome measures. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(a)  The cost categories must be calculated to identify high-cost programs, medium-cost programs, and low-cost programs. The cost analysis used to calculate and assign a course of study to a cost category must include at least both direct and indirect instructional costs, consumable supplies, equipment, and optimum program length.

(b)

1.  The performance output measure for a vocational education course of study is student completion of a single course; a program that leads to an occupational completion point associated with a certificate; an apprenticeship program; or a program that leads to an associate in applied technology degree or an associate in science degree.

2.  The performance output measure for an adult general education course of study is measurable improvement in student skills.

(c)  The performance outcome measures are associated with placement of students after completion of a course of study. These measures include placement in employment that is related to the course of study; placement into employment in an occupation on the Occupational Forecasting Conference list of high-wage, high-skill occupations with sufficient openings; placement of WAGES clients or former WAGES clients; and retention in employment of former WAGES clients. Placement must be reported pursuant to ss. 229.8075 and 239.233.

(5)  Initial state funding is generated by student enrollment in a course of study. When the student completes the course of study or the program, the agency may collect the remaining state funding. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(6)  The total state funding entitlement for each course of study is determined by its length, the output measures, and its cost category. The district cost differential, as established annually in the General Appropriations Act, must be applied to the appropriation for the workforce development education fund.

(a)

1.  For a course that does not result in an occupational completion point, state funding equals 50 percent of the cost of the course, with student fees, business support, quick-response training funds, or other means making up the remaining 50 percent.

2.  For a program that results in an occupational completion point, an educational agency may collect 100 percent of the cost of the program, with 85 percent generated from a combination of student fees and state support during a student's enrollment, and the remaining 15 percent generated upon the student's reaching an occupational completion point or completing the program.

(b)  Student output measures for adult education instruction consist of improvement in literacy skills, grade level improvement as measured by an approved test, or attainment of a general education development diploma or an adult high school diploma.

(c)  The cost category of a course that is part of a vocational program or an adult general education program is the same as that of the program. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(7)  When a student reaches an occupational completion point or completes a program, the educational agency shall first collect the remainder of the total state funding entitlement and may be eligible for additional incentive funds generated by student outcome measures. However, the total funding earned by an educational agency under the formula, including state funding and student fees, may not exceed 125 percent of the calculated program cost. Any funds earned in excess of program cost must be expended to improve the program. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(8)  For each course of study, an educational agency that serves students in workforce education programs shall submit an enrollment count each semester, which shall replace the full-time equivalent student enrollment used by the Florida Education Finance Program and the enrollment calculation used by the Community College Program Fund. The Division of Workforce Development shall calculate the funding entitlement for that semester by a date established by the Department of Education. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(9)  A school district or a community college that provides workforce development education shall receive initial funding for each student in the semester in which the student enrolls. During each subsequent semester, a funding entitlement shall be calculated for each student by subtracting the student fee amount from the total funding amount for the course of study in its assigned cost category. The semester funding amount is 85 percent of the cost of the program, including student fees, divided by the number of semesters in the course of study. When a student reaches an occupational completion point or completes a course, the educational agency shall collect the difference between the total state funding entitlement and the amount in state funding already paid. A student may not generate funding for any semester in which the student is not enrolled. This subsection takes effect July 1, 1998.

(10)  A high school student dually enrolled under s. 240.116 in a workforce development program operated by a community college or school district technical center generates the amount calculated by the Workforce Development Education Fund, including any payment of performance incentives, and the proportional share of full-time equivalent enrollment generated through the Florida Education Finance Program for the student's enrollment in a high school. If a high school student is dually enrolled in a community college program, including a program conducted at a high school, the community college earns the funds generated through the Workforce Development Education Fund and the school district earns the proportional share of full-time equivalent funding from the Florida Education Finance Program. If a student is dually enrolled in a technical center operated by the same district as the district in which the student attends high school, that district earns the funds generated through the Workforce Development Education Fund and also earns the proportional share of full-time equivalent funding from the Florida Education Finance Program. If a student is dually enrolled in a workforce development program provided by a technical center operated by a different school district, the funds must be divided between the two school districts proportionally from the two funding sources. A student may not be reported for funding in a dual enrollment workforce development program unless the student has completed the basic skills assessment pursuant to s. 239.213.

(11)  The Department of Education may adopt rules to administer this section.

History.--s. 18, ch. 97-307.

¹Note.--The words "or s. 239.115" following the word "section" were deleted by the editors.