Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 760
       
       
       
       By Senator Bean
       
       
       
       
       4-01232A-13                                            2013760__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to high school course options;
    3         requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
    4         Government Accountability, in conjunction with the
    5         Department of Education, to conduct a study on the
    6         identification or creation of career-technical high
    7         school courses of provable equivalency to standard
    8         required courses; providing requirements for the
    9         study; requiring the office to submit study results to
   10         the Legislature; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
   15  Government Accountability, in conjunction with the Department of
   16  Education, shall conduct a study on the identification or
   17  creation of high school courses of provable equivalency to
   18  standard required courses at the high school level. The study
   19  shall include, but is not limited to:
   20         (a) The feasibility of offering students alternative high
   21  school courses structured toward career-technical education and
   22  workforce development which have provable equivalent rigor and
   23  would be substitutable for standard required courses in an
   24  effort to provide multiple pathways for the student to best
   25  achieve a high school diploma based on his or her learning style
   26  or interests.
   27         (b) The potential for the courses to be credited towards
   28  the attainment of a national industry certification identified
   29  in the Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to rules
   30  adopted by the State Board of Education and to provide workforce
   31  readiness.
   32         (c) The identification of requirements for a career
   33  technical course and overlapping requirements for a career
   34  technical course and the corresponding standard high school
   35  course, with a view to enabling a student to substitute one for
   36  the other.
   37         (d) The potential use of career and professional academies,
   38  internships, the Florida Ready to Work Certification Program,
   39  and other relevant career and technical education programs.
   40         (e) A timeframe for implementing career-technical
   41  curriculum options if determined to be feasible.
   42         (2) The study shall build upon the information and findings
   43  reported in the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
   44  Accountability Report No. 11-05.
   45         (3) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
   46  Accountability shall submit the results of the study to the
   47  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   48  Representatives by December 1, 2013.
   49         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.