| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to charter technical career centers; |
| 3 | creating the Charter Technical Career Center Associate in |
| 4 | Applied Science and Associate in Science Degrees Program; |
| 5 | providing a purpose for the program; authorizing charter |
| 6 | technical career centers to submit proposals to the State |
| 7 | Board of Education to offer specified associate in applied |
| 8 | science degree and associate in science degree programs; |
| 9 | authorizing charter technical career centers to offer such |
| 10 | degree programs through partnerships with community |
| 11 | colleges or direct authority; providing for certain |
| 12 | criteria to award the degrees on a limited basis; |
| 13 | requiring that the board adopt rules; requiring that a |
| 14 | participating charter technical career center implement |
| 15 | the program through a memorandum of agreement; prohibiting |
| 16 | a charter technical career center from requesting funding |
| 17 | for the initial costs associated with implementing the |
| 18 | degree programs for a specified amount of time after |
| 19 | receiving authorization; requiring that funding for |
| 20 | operational costs be at the same level as the funding for |
| 21 | workforce development programs; providing requirements for |
| 22 | participating charter technical career centers; providing |
| 23 | an effective date. |
| 24 |
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| 25 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 26 |
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| 27 | Section 1. (1) The Charter Technical Career Center |
| 28 | Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Science Degrees |
| 29 | Program is created for the purpose of authorizing charter |
| 30 | technical career centers to offer associate in applied science |
| 31 | degree and associate in science degree programs in order to meet |
| 32 | local workforce needs. Charter technical career centers may |
| 33 | submit proposals to the State Board of Education to participate |
| 34 | in the program in their respective districts. Charter technical |
| 35 | career centers may offer the degree programs through |
| 36 | partnerships with community colleges or through direct authority |
| 37 | to award such degrees. |
| 38 | (2) After receiving and reviewing a charter technical |
| 39 | career center's proposal, the board may approve the proposal for |
| 40 | a substantive change in accreditation status and authority to |
| 41 | award specified associate in applied science and associate in |
| 42 | science degrees, on a limited basis, if an unmet workforce need |
| 43 | for graduates from such degree programs exists and there is the |
| 44 | availability of facilities, faculty, and other resources. |
| 45 | (3) The board shall adopt rules providing guidelines for |
| 46 | receiving, reviewing, and approving proposals submitted by |
| 47 | charter technical career centers. The rules must establish an |
| 48 | annual timeframe in which proposals are received. The rules must |
| 49 | also require that a presentation be made to assist the board in |
| 50 | its decision and that the Commissioner of Education make |
| 51 | recommendations based on the proposals. |
| 52 | (4) A charter technical career center that is authorized |
| 53 | to offer an associate in applied science degree program or |
| 54 | associate in science degree program shall implement the program |
| 55 | in accordance with a memorandum of agreement entered into |
| 56 | between the board and the center which outlines the expectations |
| 57 | for administrative oversight and accountability for the initial |
| 58 | and continued approval of the program. |
| 59 | (5) A charter technical career center may not request |
| 60 | additional funding for costs associated with the implementation |
| 61 | and start-up of the associate in applied science and associate |
| 62 | in science degree programs during the first 2 years after the |
| 63 | charter technical career center receives authorization to offer |
| 64 | such degree programs. Operational costs must be funded at the |
| 65 | same level as funding for workforce development programs. |
| 66 | (6) Each participating charter technical career center |
| 67 | shall: |
| 68 | (a) Maintain, as its primary mission, responsibility for |
| 69 | responding to the community's needs for postsecondary career |
| 70 | degree programs and workforce education programs; |
| 71 | (b) Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate |
| 72 | degree programs and workforce education programs; and |
| 73 | (c) Accept credit for courses meeting general education |
| 74 | prerequisite requirements which are earned in an approved |
| 75 | program at an accredited college or university. |
| 76 | (7) Each charter technical career center participating in |
| 77 | the program shall accept general education course credit from |
| 78 | colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and |
| 79 | Schools for the first 3 years of the program to avoid |
| 80 | duplication of currently available courses. |
| 81 | (8) Upon approval by the State Board of Education and |
| 82 | pursuant to subsections (2) and (4), a charter technical career |
| 83 | center may use the designation "technical college" rather than |
| 84 | "center." Any charter technical career center that has used the |
| 85 | designation "college" may continue to use such designation after |
| 86 | July 1, 2010, and until the date of application for candidate |
| 87 | status with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for |
| 88 | a period up to 2 years. |
| 89 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |