1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to postsecondary education enhancements; |
3 | requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
4 | Government Accountability to conduct a study of certain |
5 | enrollment forecasting models; requiring a final report; |
6 | requiring the Department of Education to conduct a review |
7 | of certain courses in the statewide course numbering |
8 | system and update the system as appropriate; requiring a |
9 | report; requiring nonpublic postsecondary institutions |
10 | that participate in statewide course numbering to provide |
11 | certain information in their catalogs; requiring the |
12 | department's website to include certain information; |
13 | requiring the department to review certain examinations |
14 | and recommend articulated acceleration mechanisms; |
15 | amending s. 1007.33, F.S.; identifying the areas in which |
16 | community colleges may propose to deliver baccalaureate |
17 | degree programs; removing requirement that proposal be |
18 | submitted to the Council for Education Policy Research and |
19 | Improvement for review; providing an effective date. |
20 |
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21 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
22 |
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23 | Section 1. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
24 | Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the |
25 | higher education enrollment forecasting models currently used in |
26 | the state. The study must analyze the current models and provide |
27 | options for improvements. The review shall specifically examine |
28 | ways to include Florida's changing demographics in the |
29 | forecasts. During the course of the study OPPAGA shall consult |
30 | with staff from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research. |
31 | A final report with recommendations shall be submitted to the |
32 | President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of |
33 | Representatives by February 1, 2008. |
34 | Section 2. (1) The Department of Education shall conduct |
35 | a comprehensive review of the courses that are listed in the |
36 | statewide course numbering system to: |
37 | (a) Identify courses that are listed in the system that |
38 | have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5 |
39 | years; |
40 | (b) Identify courses of nonpublic postsecondary |
41 | institutions that may be inappropriately designated as |
42 | equivalent for purposes of transfer of credit; and |
43 | (c) Update the statewide course numbering system as |
44 | appropriate based on these findings. |
45 | (2) The Department of Education shall submit a report of |
46 | its findings and actions to the President of the Senate and the |
47 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2008. |
48 | (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule to |
49 | the contrary, any nonpublic postsecondary institution, as a |
50 | condition of initial or continued participation in the statewide |
51 | course numbering system, shall identify in all of its catalogs, |
52 | printed or electronic, the specific courses offered by the |
53 | institution that are included in the statewide course numbering |
54 | system. |
55 | (4) No later than July 1, 2008, the Department of |
56 | Education shall develop and maintain in the department's website |
57 | a listing of all courses in the statewide course numbering |
58 | system and the institutions that offer each course. The listing |
59 | shall be available to the public. Each institution that |
60 | participates in the statewide course numbering system shall |
61 | include in all of its catalogs, printed or electronic, a |
62 | statement advising the reader of the website address and its use |
63 | as a resource for information on the transferability of credits |
64 | to other Florida institutions. |
65 | Section 3. No later than March 1, 2008, the Department of |
66 | Education shall review the Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) |
67 | and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support |
68 | (DANTES) standardized subject area tests (DSST) and recommend to |
69 | the State Board of Education, the Board of Governors, the |
70 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
71 | Representatives any examination that should be identified as an |
72 | articulated acceleration mechanism under s. 1007.27, Florida |
73 | Statutes. The department shall also identify the minimum scores, |
74 | maximum credit, and course or courses for which credit is to be |
75 | awarded for each examination recommended by the department. |
76 | Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1007.33, Florida |
77 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
78 | 1007.33 Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.-- |
79 | (3) A community college may develop a proposal to deliver |
80 | specified baccalaureate degree programs in the areas of teaching |
81 | and nursing and in the areas of math and science for the purpose |
82 | of preparing graduates to enter a teaching position and to |
83 | deliver bachelor of applied science workforce-related degrees in |
84 | high need/high demand majors its district to meet local |
85 | workforce needs. The bachelor of applied science degree is a |
86 | workforce baccalaureate degree designed primarily for associate |
87 | in science degree holders desiring career advancement or |
88 | advanced technical training. The proposal must be submitted to |
89 | the State Board of Education for approval. The community |
90 | college's proposal must include the following information: |
91 | (a) Demand for the baccalaureate degree program is |
92 | identified by the workforce development board, local businesses |
93 | and industry, local chambers of commerce, and potential |
94 | students. |
95 | (b) Unmet need for graduates of the proposed degree |
96 | program is substantiated. |
97 | (c) The community college has the facilities and academic |
98 | resources to deliver the program. |
99 |
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100 | The proposal must be submitted to the Council for Education |
101 | Policy Research and Improvement for review and comment. Upon |
102 | approval of the State Board of Education for the specific degree |
103 | program or programs, the community college shall pursue regional |
104 | accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern |
105 | Association of Colleges and Schools. Any additional |
106 | baccalaureate degree programs the community college wishes to |
107 | offer must be approved by the State Board of Education. |
108 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |