HB 0579

CS

CHAMBER ACTION

1	The Choice & Innovation Committee recommends the following:
2
3	Council/Committee Substitute
4	Remove the entire bill and insert:
5	A bill to be entitled
6	An act relating to acceleration mechanisms; amending s.
7	1002.20, F.S.; adding programs to list of public school
8	choice options; amending s. 1002.23, F.S.; adding programs
9	to list of rigorous academic programs included in parent
10	guide; amending s. 1007.22, F.S.; adding Advanced
11	International Certificate of Education programs to
12	acceleration mechanisms requiring postsecondary
13	institution collaboration; amending s. 1007.261, F.S.;
14	revising list of courses designated as advanced level fine
15	arts courses; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; providing an
16	exemption from examination fees for students enrolled in
17	the International General Certificate of Secondary
18	Education Program; amending s. 1007.271, F.S.; specifying
19	that dual enrollment courses are creditable toward high
20	school completion; revising instructional time
21	requirements and providing for FTE calculation; conforming
22	to law minimum academic credits required for graduation;
23	clarifying requirements for participation of independent
24	postsecondary institutions in a dual enrollment program;
25	providing for fee exemption; amending s. 1009.531, F.S.;
26	providing additional course weights for Florida Bright
27	Futures Scholarship Program eligibility determination;
28	amending s. 1009.534, F.S.; revising Florida Academic
29	Scholars award eligibility requirements to include
30	students completing or receiving an Advanced International
31	Certificate of Education curriculum or diploma; amending
32	s. 1009.535, F.S.; revising Florida Medallion Scholars
33	award eligibility requirements to include students
34	completing an Advanced International Certificate of
35	Education curriculum; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; providing
36	for FTE calculation for dual enrollment instruction;
37	revising Advanced International Certificate of Education
38	test score requirements necessary to generate funding to
39	match current test scoring scale; providing formula for
40	calculating additional full-time equivalent membership
41	based on International General Certificate of Secondary
42	Education examination scores and program completion;
43	reenacting s. 1011.69(2), F.S., relating to equity in
44	school-level funding, to incorporate the amendment to s.
45	1011.62, F.S., in a reference thereto; providing an
46	effective date.
47
48	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50	Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
51	1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
52	1002.20  K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of public
53	school students must receive accurate and timely information
54	regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed
55	of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
56	students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
57	rights including, but not limited to, the following:
58	(6)  EDUCATIONAL CHOICE.--
59	(a)  Public school choices.--Parents of public school
60	students may seek whatever public school choice options that are
61	applicable to their students and are available to students in
62	their school districts. These options may include controlled
63	open enrollment, lab schools, charter schools, charter technical
64	career centers, magnet schools, alternative schools, special
65	programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment, International
66	Baccalaureate, International General Certificate of Secondary
67	Education (pre-AICE), Advanced International Certificate of
68	Education, early admissions, credit by examination or
69	demonstration of competency, the New World School of the Arts,
70	the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Florida
71	Virtual School. These options may also include the public school
72	choice options of the Opportunity Scholarship Program and the
73	McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.
74	Section 2.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
75	1002.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
76	1002.23  Family and School Partnership for Student
77	Achievement Act.--
78	(2)  To facilitate meaningful parent and family
79	involvement, the Department of Education shall develop
80	guidelines for a parent guide to successful student achievement
81	which describes what parents need to know about their child's
82	educational progress and how they can help their child to
83	succeed in school. The guidelines shall include, but need not be
84	limited to:
85	(d)  Opportunities for parents to learn about rigorous
86	academic programs that may be available for their child, such as
87	honors programs, dual enrollment, advanced placement,
88	International Baccalaureate, International General Certificate
89	of Secondary Education (pre-AICE), Advanced International
90	Certificate of Education, Florida Virtual High School courses,
91	and accelerated access to postsecondary education;
92	Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 1007.22, Florida
93	Statutes, is amended to read:
94	1007.22  Articulation; postsecondary institution
95	coordination and collaboration.--
96	(2)  The levels of postsecondary education shall
97	collaborate in further developing and providing articulated
98	programs in which students can proceed toward their educational
99	objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. Time-
100	shortened educational programs, as well as the use of
101	acceleration mechanisms, shall include, but not be limited to,
102	the International Baccalaureate, Advanced International
103	Certificate of Education, credit by examination or demonstration
104	of competency, advanced placement, early admissions, and dual
105	enrollment.
106	Section 4.  Subsection (10) of section 1007.261, Florida
107	Statutes, is amended to read:
108	1007.261  State universities; admissions of students.--Each
109	university board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules
110	governing the admission of students, subject to this section and
111	rules of the State Board of Education.
112	(10)  A Florida resident who is denied admission as an
113	undergraduate to a state university for failure to meet the high
114	school grade point average requirement may appeal the decision
115	to the university and request a recalculation of the grade point
116	average including in the revised calculation the grades earned
117	in up to three credits of advanced fine arts courses. The
118	university shall provide the student with a description of the
119	appeals process at the same time as notification of the
120	admissions decision. The university shall recalculate the
121	student's grade point average using the additional courses and
122	advise the student of any changes in the student's admission
123	status. For purposes of this section, fine arts courses include
124	courses in music, drama, painting, sculpture, speech, debate, or
125	a course in any art form that requires manual dexterity.
126	Advanced level fine arts courses include fine arts courses
127	identified in the course code directory as Advanced Placement,
128	pre-International Baccalaureate, or International Baccalaureate,
129	International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-
130	AICE), or Advanced International Certificate of Education, or
131	fine arts courses taken in the third or fourth year of a fine
132	arts curriculum.
133	Section 5.  Subsection (9) of section 1007.27, Florida
134	Statutes, is amended to read:
135	1007.27  Articulated acceleration mechanisms.--
136	(9)  The Advanced International Certificate of Education
137	Program and the International General Certificate of Secondary
138	Education (pre-AICE) Program shall be the curricula curriculum
139	in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in programs of
140	study a program of studies offered through the Advanced
141	International Certificate of Education Program or the
142	International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-
143	AICE) Program administered by the University of Cambridge Local
144	Examinations Syndicate. The State Board of Education shall
145	establish rules which specify the cutoff scores and Advanced
146	International Certificate of Education examinations which will
147	be used to grant postsecondary credit at community colleges and
148	universities. Any such rules, which have the effect of raising
149	the required cutoff score or of changing the Advanced
150	International Certification of Education examinations which will
151	be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall apply to students
152	taking Advanced International Certificate of Education
153	examinations after such rules are adopted by the State Board of
154	Education. Students shall be awarded a maximum of 30 semester
155	credit hours pursuant to this subsection. The specific course
156	for which a student receives such credit shall be determined by
157	the community college or university that accepts the student for
158	admission. Students enrolled in either program of study pursuant
159	to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees
160	for administration of the examinations regardless of whether or
161	not the student achieves a passing score on the examination.
162	Section 6.  Subsections (1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (11), and
163	(13) of section 1007.271, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
164	1007.271  Dual enrollment programs.--
165	(1)  The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an
166	eligible secondary student or home education student in a
167	postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion
168	and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate
169	degree.
170	(2)  For the purpose of this section, an eligible secondary
171	student is a student who is enrolled in a Florida public
172	secondary school or in a Florida private secondary school which
173	is in compliance with s. 1002.42(2) and conducts a secondary
174	curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.43. Students enrolled in
175	postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward the high
176	school diploma shall not be classified as dual enrollments.
177	Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this
178	section shall be permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses
179	conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during
180	the summer term. Instructional time for such enrollment may vary
181	from exceed 900 hours; however, the school district may only
182	report the student for a maximum of 1.0 FTE, as provided in s.
183	1011.61(4). Each semester of instruction that generates high
184	school and postsecondary credit shall be reported by school
185	districts as 75 membership hours for purposes of FTE
186	calculation. Any student so enrolled is exempt from the payment
187	of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. Vocational-
188	preparatory instruction, college-preparatory instruction and
189	other forms of precollegiate instruction, as well as physical
190	education courses that focus on the physical execution of a
191	skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity,
192	are ineligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment program.
193	Recreation and leisure studies courses shall be evaluated
194	individually in the same manner as physical education courses
195	for potential inclusion in the program.
196	(4)  Career dual enrollment shall be provided as a
197	curricular option for secondary students to pursue in order to
198	earn a series of elective credits toward the high school
199	diploma. However, career dual enrollment shall not supplant
200	student acquisition of the diploma. Career dual enrollment shall
201	be available for secondary students seeking a degree or
202	certificate from a complete career-preparatory program, and but
203	shall not be used to enroll students sustain student enrollment
204	in isolated career courses. It is the intent of the Legislature
205	that career dual enrollment provide reflect the interests and
206	aptitudes of the student. The provision of a comprehensive
207	academic and career dual enrollment program within the career
208	center or community college is supportive of legislative intent;
209	however, such provision is not mandatory.
210	(5)  Each district school board shall inform all secondary
211	students of dual enrollment as an educational option and
212	mechanism for acceleration. Students shall be informed of
213	eligibility criteria, the option for taking dual enrollment
214	courses beyond the regular school year, and the 24 minimum
215	academic credits required for graduation. District school boards
216	shall annually assess the demand for dual enrollment and other
217	advanced courses, and the district school board shall consider
218	strategies and programs to meet that demand.
219	(6)  The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty
220	committees representing public school, community college, and
221	university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet
222	the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.43, and to
223	establish the number of postsecondary semester credit hours of
224	instruction and equivalent high school credits earned through
225	dual enrollment pursuant to this section that are necessary to
226	meet high school graduation requirements. Such equivalencies
227	shall be determined solely on comparable course content and not
228	on seat time traditionally allocated to such courses in high
229	school. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the
230	State Board of Education those postsecondary courses identified
231	to meet high school graduation requirements, based on mastery of
232	course outcomes, by their statewide course numbers number, and
233	all high schools shall accept these postsecondary education
234	courses toward meeting the requirements of s. 1003.43.
235	(11)  The Department of Education shall approve any course
236	for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is contained
237	within the statewide course numbering system. However, college-
238	preparatory and other forms of precollegiate instruction, and
239	physical education and other courses that focus on the physical
240	execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of
241	the activity, may not be so approved, but must be evaluated
242	individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment
243	program. This subsection shall not be construed to mean that an
244	independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in
245	a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s.
246	1011.62 must participate in the statewide course numbering
247	system developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual
248	enrollment program.
249	(13)  It is the intent of the Legislature that Students who
250	meet the eligibility requirements of this section subsection and
251	who choose to participate in dual enrollment programs are be
252	exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory
253	fees.
254	Section 7.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
255	1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
256	1009.531  Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program;
257	student eligibility requirements for initial awards.--
258	(3)  For purposes of calculating the grade point average to
259	be used in determining initial eligibility for a Florida Bright
260	Futures Scholarship, the department shall assign additional
261	weights to grades earned in the following courses:
262	(a)  Courses identified in the course code directory as
263	Advanced Placement, pre-International Baccalaureate, or
264	International Baccalaureate, International General Certificate
265	of Secondary Education (pre-AICE), or Advanced International
266	Certificate of Education.
267
268	The department may assign additional weights to courses, other
269	than those described in paragraphs (a) and (b), that are
270	identified by the Department of Education as containing rigorous
271	academic curriculum and performance standards. The additional
272	weight assigned to a course pursuant to this subsection shall
273	not exceed 0.5 per course. The weighted system shall be
274	developed and distributed to all high schools in the state prior
275	to January 1, 1998. The department may determine a student's
276	eligibility status during the senior year before graduation and
277	may inform the student of the award at that time.
278	Section 8.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.534, Florida
279	Statutes, is amended to read:
280	1009.534  Florida Academic Scholars award.--
281	(1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Academic Scholars
282	award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
283	for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
284	student:
285	(a)  Has achieved a 3.5 weighted grade point average as
286	calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or its equivalent, in high
287	school courses that are designated by the State Board of
288	Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
289	attained at least the score identified by rules of the State
290	Board of Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts
291	of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test,
292	or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
293	Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
294	Assessment Program; or
295	(b)  Has attended a home education program according to s.
296	1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
297	International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
298	International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
299	Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
300	failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
301	Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score
302	identified by rules of the State Board of Education on the
303	combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
304	Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
305	Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
306	or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; or
307	(c)  Has been awarded an International Baccalaureate
308	Diploma from the International Baccalaureate Office or an
309	Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma from the
310	University of Cambridge International Examinations Office; or
311	(d)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
312	programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
313	scholar or finalist; or
314	(e)  Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
315	Recognition Program as a scholar recipient.
316
317	A student must complete a program of community service work, as
318	approved by the district school board or the administrators of a
319	nonpublic school, which shall include a minimum of 75 hours of
320	service work and require the student to identify a social
321	problem that interests him or her, develop a plan for his or her
322	personal involvement in addressing the problem, and, through
323	papers or other presentations, evaluate and reflect upon his or
324	her experience.
325	Section 9.  Subsection (1) of section 1009.535, Florida
326	Statutes, is amended to read:
327	1009.535  Florida Medallion Scholars award.--
328	(1)  A student is eligible for a Florida Medallion Scholars
329	award if the student meets the general eligibility requirements
330	for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program and the
331	student:
332	(a)  Has achieved a weighted grade point average of 3.0 as
333	calculated pursuant to s. 1009.531, or the equivalent, in high
334	school courses that are designated by the State Board of
335	Education as college-preparatory academic courses; and has
336	attained at least the score identified by rules of the State
337	Board of Education on the combined verbal and quantitative parts
338	of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test,
339	or the recentered Scholastic Assessment Test of the College
340	Entrance Examination, or an equivalent score on the ACT
341	Assessment Program; or
342	(b)  Has attended a home education program according to s.
343	1002.41 during grades 11 and 12 or has completed the
344	International Baccalaureate curriculum but failed to earn the
345	International Baccalaureate Diploma or has completed the
346	Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum but
347	failed to earn the Advanced International Certificate of
348	Education Diploma, and has attained at least the score
349	identified by rules of the State Board of Education on the
350	combined verbal and quantitative parts of the Scholastic
351	Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered
352	Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination,
353	or an equivalent score on the ACT Assessment Program; or
354	(c)  Has been recognized by the merit or achievement
355	program of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a
356	scholar or finalist but has not completed a program of community
357	service as provided in s. 1009.534; or
358	(d)  Has been recognized by the National Hispanic
359	Recognition Program as a scholar, but has not completed a
360	program of community service as provided in s. 1009.534.
361	Section 10.  Paragraphs (i) and (m) of subsection (1) of
362	section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, are amended, paragraphs (n),
363	(o), (p), (q), and (r) of said subsection are redesignated as
364	paragraphs (o), (p), (q), (r), and (s), respectively, and a new
365	paragraph (n) is added to said subsection, to read:
366	1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual
367	allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
368	district for operation of schools is not determined in the
369	annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
370	the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
371	follows:
372	(1)  COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
373	OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in
374	determining the annual allocation to each district for
375	operation:
376	(i)  Calculation of full-time equivalent membership with
377	respect to dual enrollment instruction from community colleges
378	or state universities.--Students enrolled in community college
379	or university dual enrollment instruction pursuant to s.
380	1007.271 may be included in calculations of full-time equivalent
381	student memberships for basic programs for grades 9 through 12
382	by a district school board. Each semester of instruction that
383	generates high school and postsecondary credit shall be reported
384	by school districts as 75 membership hours for purposes of FTE
385	calculation. Such students may also be calculated as the
386	proportional shares of full-time equivalent enrollments they
387	generate for a the community college or university conducting
388	the dual enrollment instruction. Early admission students shall
389	be considered dual enrollments for funding purposes. Students
390	may be enrolled in dual enrollment instruction provided by an
391	eligible independent college or university and may be included
392	in calculations of full-time equivalent student memberships for
393	basic programs for grades 9 through 12 by a district school
394	board. However, those provisions of law which exempt dual
395	enrolled and early admission students from payment of
396	instructional materials and tuition and fees, including
397	laboratory fees, shall not apply to students who select the
398	option of enrolling in an eligible independent institution. An
399	independent college or university which is located and chartered
400	in Florida, is not for profit, is accredited by the Commission
401	on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
402	or the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools,
403	and which confers degrees as defined in s. 1005.02 shall be
404	eligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment or early admission
405	program. Students enrolled in dual enrollment instruction shall
406	be exempt from the payment of tuition and fees, including
407	laboratory fees. No student enrolled in college credit
408	mathematics or English dual enrollment instruction shall be
409	funded as a dual enrollment unless the student has successfully
410	completed the relevant section of the entry-level examination
411	required pursuant to s. 1008.30.
412	(m)  Calculation of additional full-time equivalent
413	membership based on Advanced International Certificate of
414	Education examination scores of students.--A value of 0.24 full-
415	full-time equivalent student membership shall be calculated for
416	each student enrolled in a full-credit Advanced International
417	Certificate of Education course who receives a score of E 2 or
418	higher on a subject examination. A value of 0.12 full-time
419	equivalent student membership shall be calculated for each
420	student enrolled in a half-credit Advanced International
421	Certificate of Education course who receives a score of E 1 or
422	higher on a subject examination. A value of 0.3 full-time
423	equivalent student membership shall be calculated for each
424	student who receives received an Advanced International
425	Certificate of Education diploma. Such value shall be added to
426	the total full-time equivalent student membership in basic
427	programs for grades 9 through 12 in the subsequent fiscal year.
428	The school district shall distribute to each classroom teacher
429	who provided Advanced International Certificate of Education
430	instruction:
431	1.  A bonus in the amount of $50 for each student taught by
432	the Advanced International Certificate of Education teacher in
433	each full-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education
434	course who receives a score of E 2 or higher on the Advanced
435	International Certificate of Education examination. A bonus in
436	the amount of $25 for each student taught by the Advanced
437	International Certificate of Education teacher in each half-
438	credit Advanced International Certificate of Education course
439	who receives a score of E 1 or higher on the Advanced
440	International Certificate of Education examination.
441	2.  An additional bonus of $500 to each Advanced
442	International Certificate of Education teacher in a school
443	designated performance grade category "D" or "F" who has at
444	least one student scoring E 2 or higher on the full-credit
445	Advanced International Certificate of Education examination,
446	regardless of the number of classes taught or of the number of
447	students scoring an E a 2 or higher on the full-credit Advanced
448	International Certificate of Education examination.
449	3.  Additional bonuses of $250 each to teachers of half-
450	credit Advanced International Certificate of Education classes
451	in a school designated performance grade category "D" or "F"
452	which has at least one student scoring an E a 1 or higher on the
453	half-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education
454	examination in that class. The maximum additional bonus for a
455	teacher awarded in accordance with this subparagraph shall not
456	exceed $500 in any given school year. Teachers receiving an
457	award under subparagraph 2. are not eligible for a bonus under
458	this subparagraph.
459
460	Bonuses awarded to a teacher according to this paragraph shall
461	not exceed $2,000 in any given school year and shall be in
462	addition to any regular wage or other bonus the teacher received
463	or is scheduled to receive.
464	(n)  Calculation of additional full-time equivalent
465	membership based on International General Certificate of
466	Secondary Education examination scores of students.--A value of
467	0.12 full-time equivalent student membership shall be calculated
468	for each student enrolled in an International General
469	Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-AICE) course who
470	receives a score of E or higher on a subject examination. A
471	value of 0.15 full-time equivalent student membership shall be
472	calculated for each student who receives an International
473	Certificate of Education diploma. Such value shall be added to
474	the total full-time equivalent student membership in basic
475	programs for grades 9 through 12 in the subsequent fiscal year.
476	Section 11.  For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
477	to section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, in a reference thereto,
478	subsection (2) of section 1011.69, Florida Statutes, is
479	reenacted to read:
480	1011.69  Equity in School-Level Funding Act.--
481	(2)  Beginning in the 2003-2004 fiscal year, district
482	school boards shall allocate to schools within the district an
483	average of 90 percent of the funds generated by all schools and
484	guarantee that each school receives at least 80 percent of the
485	funds generated by that school based upon the Florida Education
486	Finance Program as provided in s. 1011.62 and the General
487	Appropriations Act, including gross state and local funds,
488	discretionary lottery funds, and funds from the school
489	district's current operating discretionary millage levy. Total
490	funding for each school shall be recalculated during the year to
491	reflect the revised calculations under the Florida Education
492	Finance Program by the state and the actual weighted full-time
493	equivalent students reported by the school during the full-time
494	equivalent student survey periods designated by the Commissioner
495	of Education. If the district school board is providing programs
496	or services to students funded by federal funds, any eligible
497	students enrolled in the schools in the district shall be
498	provided federal funds. Only academic performance-based charter
499	school districts, pursuant to s. 1003.62, are exempt from the
500	provisions of this section.
501	Section 12.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.