The Florida Senate

1007.27  Articulated acceleration mechanisms.--

(1)  It is the intent of the Legislature that a variety of articulated acceleration mechanisms be available for secondary and postsecondary students attending public educational institutions. It is intended that articulated acceleration serve to shorten the time necessary for a student to complete the requirements associated with the conference of a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree, broaden the scope of curricular options available to students, or increase the depth of study available for a particular subject. Articulated acceleration mechanisms shall include, but not be limited to, dual enrollment as provided for in s. 1007.271, early admission, advanced placement, credit by examination, the International Baccalaureate Program, and the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program. Credit earned through the Florida Virtual School shall provide additional opportunities for early graduation and acceleration.

(2)  The Department 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 department shall identify such courses in the general education core curriculum of each state university and community college.

(3)  Each community college and state university must award credit for specific courses for which competency has been demonstrated by successful passage of one of the examinations in subsection (2) unless the award of credit duplicates credit already awarded. Community colleges and state universities may not exempt students from courses without the award of credit if competencies have been so demonstrated.

(4)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide articulated acceleration mechanisms for students who are in home education programs, as defined in s. 1002.01, consistent with the educational opportunities available to public and private secondary school students. Home education students may participate in dual enrollment, career dual enrollment, early admission, and credit by examination. Credit earned by home education students through dual enrollment shall apply toward the completion of a home education program that meets the requirements of s. 1002.41

(5)  Early admission shall be a form of dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll in a postsecondary institution on a full-time basis in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the associate or baccalaureate degree. Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

(6)  Advanced placement shall be the enrollment of an eligible secondary student in a course offered through the Advanced Placement Program administered by the College Board. Postsecondary credit for an advanced placement course shall be limited to students who score a minimum of 3, on a 5-point scale, on the corresponding Advanced Placement Examination. The specific courses for which students receive such credit shall be determined by the department. Students of Florida public secondary schools enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examination regardless of whether or not the student achieves a passing score on the examination.

(7)  Credit by examination shall be the program through which secondary and postsecondary students generate postsecondary credit based on the receipt of a specified minimum score on nationally standardized general or subject-area examinations. For the purpose of statewide application, such examinations and the corresponding minimum scores required for an award of credit shall be delineated by the State Board of Education in the statewide articulation agreement. The maximum credit generated by a student pursuant to this subsection shall be mitigated by any related postsecondary credit earned by the student prior to the administration of the examination. This subsection shall not preclude community colleges and universities from awarding credit by examination based on student performance on examinations developed within and recognized by the individual postsecondary institutions.

(8)  The International Baccalaureate Program shall be the curriculum in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in a program of studies offered through the International Baccalaureate Program administered by the International Baccalaureate Office. The State Board of Education shall establish rules which specify the cutoff scores and International Baccalaureate Examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit at community colleges and universities. Any such rules, which have the effect of raising the required cutoff score or of changing the International Baccalaureate Examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall only apply to students taking International Baccalaureate Examinations after such rules are adopted by the State Board of Education. Students shall be awarded a maximum of 30 semester credit hours pursuant to this subsection. The specific course for which a student receives such credit shall be determined by the department. Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examinations regardless of whether or not the student achieves a passing score on the examination.

(9)  The Advanced International Certificate of Education Program and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-AICE) Program shall be the curricula in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in programs of study offered through the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-AICE) Program administered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. The State Board of Education shall establish rules which specify the cutoff scores and Advanced International Certificate of Education examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit at community colleges and universities. Any such rules, which have the effect of raising the required cutoff score or of changing the Advanced International Certification of Education examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall apply to students taking Advanced International Certificate of Education examinations after such rules are adopted by the State Board of Education. Students shall be awarded a maximum of 30 semester credit hours pursuant to this subsection. The specific course for which a student receives such credit shall be determined by the community college or university that accepts the student for admission. Students enrolled in either program of study pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examinations regardless of whether the student achieves a passing score on the examination.

(10)  Any student who earns 9 or more credits from one or more of the acceleration mechanisms provided for in this section is exempt from any requirement of a public postsecondary educational institution mandating enrollment during a summer term.

(11)(a)  The State Board of Education shall conduct a review of the extent to which the acceleration mechanisms authorized by this section are currently utilized by school districts and public postsecondary educational institutions and shall submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31, 2003.

(b)  The report must include a summary of ongoing activities and a plan to increase and enhance the use of acceleration mechanisms as a way to shorten the length of time as well as the funding required for a student, including a student with a documented disability, to obtain a postsecondary degree.

(c)  The review and plan shall address, but are not limited to, the following issues:

1.  The manner in which students, including students with documented disabilities, are advised regarding the availability of acceleration mechanism options.

2.  The availability of acceleration mechanism options to eligible students, including students with documented disabilities, who wish to participate.

3.  The grading practices, including weighting of courses, of school districts and public postsecondary educational institutions with regard to credit earned through acceleration mechanisms.

4.  The extent to which credit earned through an acceleration mechanism is used to meet the general education requirements of a public postsecondary educational institution.

5.  The extent to which the secondary instruction associated with acceleration mechanism options could be offered at sites other than public K through 12 school sites to assist in meeting class size reduction needs.

6.  The manner in which funding for instruction associated with acceleration mechanism options is provided.

7.  The feasibility of providing students, including students with documented disabilities, the option of choosing Advanced Placement credit or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit as an alternative to dual enrollment credit upon completion of a dual enrollment course.

History.--s. 356, ch. 2002-387; s. 6, ch. 2003-8; s. 167, ch. 2004-5; s. 108, ch. 2004-357; s. 5, ch. 2005-196.