The Florida Senate

1009.539  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Testing Program.--

(1)  The State Board of Education shall identify the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or courses for which credit is to be awarded for each College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general examination, CLEP subject examination, College Board Advanced Placement Program examination, and International Baccalaureate examination. In addition, the State Board of Education shall identify such courses in the general education core curriculum of each state university and community college.

(2)  Each community college and state university must award credit for specific courses for which competency has been demonstrated by successful passage of one of these examinations unless the award of credit duplicates credit already awarded. Community colleges and universities may not exempt students from courses without the award of credit if competencies have been so demonstrated. If a student achieves a passing score as identified by the State Board of Education on an examination required by this section, the student shall receive credit equivalent to successfully completing the equivalent course as identified by the State Board of Education in a state university or community college, provided that such credit is not duplicative of credit already earned by the student.

(3)(a)  Students eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars award or a Florida Medallion Scholars award who are admitted to and enroll in a community college or state university shall, prior to registering for courses that may be earned through a CLEP examination and no later than registration for their second term, complete at least five examinations from those specified in subsection (1) in the following areas: English; humanities; mathematics; natural sciences; and social sciences. Successful completion of dual enrollment courses, Advanced Placement examinations, and International Baccalaureate examinations taken prior to high school graduation satisfy this requirement. The State Board of Education shall identify the examinations that satisfy each component of this requirement.

¹(b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), and for the 2002-2003 fiscal year only, initial award recipients for the 2002-2003 academic year who are eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars award or a ²Florida Merit Scholars award and who are admitted to and enroll in a community college or state university shall, prior to registering for courses that may be earned through a CLEP examination and no later than the end of the 2002-2003 academic year, complete at least five examinations from those specified in subsection (1) in the following areas: English; humanities; mathematics; natural sciences; and social sciences. Successful completion of dual enrollment courses, Advanced Placement examinations, and International Baccalaureate examinations taken prior to high school graduation satisfy this requirement. The ³Articulation Coordinating Committee shall identify the examinations that satisfy each component of this requirement. This paragraph expires July 1, 2003.

(4)  Each community college and state university shall pay for the CLEP examinations required pursuant to this section from the funds appropriated from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. Institutions shall pay no more than $46 per examination for the program, which shall include access to a student guide to prepare for the test. The Department of Education shall negotiate with the College Board for a reduced rate for the examinations. The institution shall not charge the student for preparation and administration of the test, access to a student guide to prepare for the test, or recordkeeping and reporting of each student's test results to the department.

(5)  The credit awarded pursuant to this section shall apply toward the 120 hours of college credit required pursuant to s. 1007.25(7).

(6)  The Department of Education shall track and annually report on the effectiveness of the program, and include information on the number of students participating in the program; the CLEP examinations taken and the passage rate of Florida Academic Scholars and Florida Medallion Scholars award recipients; the use of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate examinations and dual enrollment courses to satisfy the requirements of the program; and the course credit provided.

History.--s. 431, ch. 2002-387; s. 6, ch. 2002-402.

¹Note.--Section 6, ch. 2002-402, added paragraph (3)(b) "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 7B of the 2002-2003 General Appropriations Act."

²Note.--The School Code Rewrite, ch. 2002-387, substituted references to the Florida Medallion Scholars award for the Florida Merit Scholars award.

³Note.--The School Code Rewrite, ch. 2002-387, substituted references to the State Board of Education for references to the Articulation Coordinating Committee in this material.