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The Florida Senate

HB 7031 — Education

by K-12 Subcommittee; and Rep. Adkins and others (CS/CS/SB 1226 by Rules Committee; Education Committee; and Senator Montford)

This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.

Prepared by: Education Committee (ED)

The bill repeals terminated or unfunded programs, corrects cross references, removes obsolete effective dates, eliminates duplicate reporting requirements, repeals completed pilot programs, and updates nomenclature. 

The bill clarifies the graduation requirements for certain cohorts of high school students. The bill identifies, with specificity, all course and assessment requirements for students entering grade 9 before the 2010-2011 school year, entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, entering grade 9 in the 2011-2012 school year, and entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013 school year. 

The bill removes references to repealed s. 1003.428, F.S., (prior high school graduation requirements) and s. 1003.429, F.S., (prior 18-credit early graduation option) and adds references to s. 1003.4282, F.S., (current standard high school diploma requirements), s. 1003.4281, F.S., (current early high school graduation option), and s. 1002.3105(5), F.S., (current 18-credit high school graduation option). 

The bill provides additional options for satisfying requirements for the Scholar designation on a standard high school diploma.  A student who is enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Biology course and who takes the respective AP, IB, or AICE Biology assessment and earns the minimum score necessary to earn college credit meets the Scholar designation science requirement without having to take the statewide, standardized Biology I end-of-course (EOC) assessment. The bill also provides that a student enrolled in an AP, IB, or AICE course that includes U.S. History topics, who takes the respective AP, IB, or AICE assessment and earns the minimum score necessary to earn college credit meets the Scholar designation social studies requirement without having to take the statewide, standardized U.S. History EOC assessment. Additionally, the bill provides that, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year, a student must pass the statewide, standardized Geometry EOC assessment in order to earn a Scholar designation. 

For the Adults with Disabilities Workforce Education Pilot program, the bill expands the eligibility age of participants from 30 to 40 and continues the program through June 30, 2016. 

The bill also provides a process for a school board, subject to approval of the electors, to modify its membership. 

If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect upon becoming law.

Vote: Senate 36-0; House 115-0