Florida Senate - 2014                             CS for SB 1206
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education; and Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       581-03156A-14                                         20141206c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to agricultural industry
    3         certifications; amending s. 570.07, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to
    5         annually provide to the State Board of Education and
    6         the Department of Education information and industry
    7         certifications for farm occupations to be considered
    8         for placement on industry certification funding lists;
    9         amending s. 1003.492, F.S.; defining the term
   10         “industry certification”; requiring the state board to
   11         adopt rules for implementing an industry certification
   12         process for farm occupations; amending s. 1003.4935,
   13         F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; providing an
   14         effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsection (43) is added to section 570.07,
   19  Florida Statutes, to read:
   20         570.07 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;
   21  functions, powers, and duties.—The department shall have and
   22  exercise the following functions, powers, and duties:
   23         (43) In cooperation with the Institute of Food and
   24  Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida and the
   25  College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Florida Agricultural
   26  and Mechanical University, annually provide to the State Board
   27  of Education and the Department of Education information and
   28  industry certifications for farm occupations to be considered
   29  for placement on the Industry Certification Funding List and the
   30  Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to s.
   31  1008.44. The information and industry certifications provided by
   32  the department must be based upon the best available data.
   33         Section 2. Section 1003.492, Florida Statutes, is amended
   34  to read:
   35         1003.492 Industry-certified career education programs.—
   36         (1) Secondary schools offering career-themed courses, as
   37  defined in s. 1003.493(1)(b), and career and professional
   38  academies shall be coordinated with the relevant and appropriate
   39  industry to prepare a student for further education or for
   40  employment in that industry.
   41         (2) As used in this section, the term “industry
   42  certification” means a voluntary process through which students
   43  are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity
   44  using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills, and
   45  competencies, and resulting in the award of a credential that is
   46  nationally recognized and must be at least one of the following:
   47         (a) Within an industry that addresses a critical local or
   48  statewide economic need.
   49         (b) Linked to an occupation that is included in the
   50  workforce system’s targeted occupation list.
   51         (c) Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging.
   52         (3)(2) The State Board of Education shall use the expertise
   53  of Workforce Florida, Inc., and the Department of Agriculture
   54  and Consumer Services, to develop and adopt rules pursuant to
   55  ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 for implementing an industry
   56  certification process.
   57         (a) For nonfarm occupations, industry certification shall
   58  be defined by the Department of Economic Opportunity, based upon
   59  the highest available national standards for specific industry
   60  certification, to ensure student skill proficiency and to
   61  address emerging labor market and industry trends. A regional
   62  workforce board or a school principal may apply to Workforce
   63  Florida, Inc., to request additions to the approved list of
   64  industry certifications based on high-skill, high-wage, and
   65  high-demand job requirements in the regional economy. The list
   66  of industry certifications approved by Workforce Florida, Inc.,
   67  and the Department of Education shall be published and updated
   68  annually by a date certain, to be included in the adopted rule.
   69         (b) For farm occupations submitted pursuant to s. 570.07,
   70  industry certification shall demonstrate student skill
   71  proficiency and be based upon the best available data to address
   72  critical local or statewide economic needs.
   73         (4) The list of industry certifications approved by
   74  Workforce Florida, Inc., the Department of Agriculture and
   75  Consumer Services, and the Department of Education shall be
   76  published and updated annually by a date certain, to be included
   77  in the adopted rule.
   78         (5)(3) The Department of Education shall collect student
   79  achievement and performance data in industry-certified career
   80  education programs and career-themed courses and shall work with
   81  Workforce Florida, Inc., and the Department of Agriculture and
   82  Consumer Services in the analysis of collected data. The data
   83  collection and analyses shall examine the performance of
   84  participating students over time. Performance factors shall
   85  include, but not be limited to, graduation rates, retention
   86  rates, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship awards, additional
   87  educational attainment, employment records, earnings, industry
   88  certification, and employer satisfaction. The results of this
   89  study shall be submitted to the President of the Senate and the
   90  Speaker of the House of Representatives annually by December 31.
   91         Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 1003.4935, Florida
   92  Statutes, is amended to read:
   93         1003.4935 Middle grades career and professional academy
   94  courses and career-themed courses.—
   95         (3) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, if a school
   96  district implements a middle school career and professional
   97  academy or a career-themed course, the Department of Education
   98  shall collect and report student achievement data pursuant to
   99  performance factors identified under s. 1003.492(5) s.
  100  1003.492(3) for students enrolled in an academy or a career
  101  themed course.
  102         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.