Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2428
By Senator Wise
5-00538A-09 20092428__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to a charter technical career center
3 pilot project; creating s. 1002.345, F.S.;
4 establishing the Charter Technical Career Center
5 Associate in Applied Science Degree Pilot Project;
6 providing purpose; authorizing each charter technical
7 career center participating in the pilot project to
8 offer programs that lead to specified associate in
9 applied science degrees; providing requirements for
10 the centers; requiring collaboration with the
11 Department of Education to make recommendations for
12 the approval of associate degree programs; requiring
13 reporting; providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 1002.345, Florida Statutes, is created
18 to read:
19 1002.345 Charter Technical Career Center Associate in
20 Applied Science Degree Pilot Project.—
21 (1) To address the state’s workforce needs, the Legislature
22 intends to create an innovative means to increase access to
23 associate degree level education in areas that are underserved
24 by public associate degree granting institutions.
25 (2)(a) Beginning with the 2009-2010 fiscal year and
26 continuing through the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Charter
27 Technical Career Center Associate in Applied Science Degree
28 Pilot Project is established, which shall be conducted by First
29 Coast Technical College and Lake Technical Center. The purpose
30 of the pilot project is to recommend to the Legislature an
31 approval process for the provision of associate in applied
32 science degree programs by charter technical career centers.
33 (b) With approval of the charter technical career center’s
34 board of directors and the original sponsor, St. Johns County
35 School Board for First Coast Technical College and Lake County
36 School Board for Lake Technical Center, and continued compliance
37 with subsection (3), each center may offer the degrees specified
38 in this subsection.
39 (c) In addition to the certificates and diplomas authorized
40 by law, First Coast Technical College and Lake Technical Center
41 may offer selected associate degrees. Initially, the centers may
42 offer programs that lead to the following associate degrees:
43 1. First Coast Technical College may offer an Associate in
44 Applied Science in Fire Science Degree and an Associate in
45 Applied Science in Culinary Management Degree.
46 2. Lake Technical Center may offer an Associate in Applied
47 Science in Architectural Drafting Degree and an Associate in
48 Applied Science in Computer Programming Degree.
49 (3) Each center as a participant in the pilot project
50 shall:
51 (a) Maintain, as the institution’s primary mission,
52 responsibility for responding to community needs for
53 postsecondary career degree programs and workforce certificate
54 education programs.
55 (b) Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate
56 degree programs and workforce education programs.
57 (c) Receive and maintain institutional accreditation from a
58 federally approved agency for postsecondary workforce degree
59 granting institutions.
60 (d) Accept required general education college credit from
61 accredited colleges or universities for students in approved
62 associate degree programs. First Coast Technical College and
63 Lake Technical Center may not offer general education courses
64 for a period of at least 3 years.
65 (4)(a) The centers participating in the pilot project shall
66 collaborate with the Department of Education to make
67 recommendations to the State Board of Education, the President
68 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
69 on specific issues that should be addressed in the approval of
70 associate degree programs at charter technical career centers.
71 At a minimum, the following areas should be addressed during the
72 course of the pilot project:
73 1. The development of a program approval process to be
74 followed by the State Board of Education when considering
75 proposals for new associate degree programs that are designed to
76 meet the workforce needs of the state.
77 2. The development of a funding model for charter technical
78 career centers offering associate degree programs.
79 (b) A final report, including a status report on the
80 associate degree programs at each center participating in the
81 pilot project and recommendations on the issues outlined in
82 paragraph (a), shall be submitted to the State Board of
83 Education, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
84 House of Representatives by January 1, 2013.
85 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.