The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Education
BILL: SB 1068
INTRODUCER: Senator Jones
SUBJECT: Certificates of Completion
DATE: January 31, 2022
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Sagues Bouck ED Pre-meeting
2. CM
3. RC
I. Summary:
SB 1068 requires that before the award of a certificate of completion, a student must be advised
of his or her educational options, to include workforce and adult general education programs. In
addition, the bill:
Provides a student who is awarded a Florida high school certificate of completion, eligibility
to enroll in programs offered at a school district career center and charter technical career
center.
Requires a charter technical career center to identify workforce education programs available
to a student who has been awarded a certificate of completion.
The bill has no impact on state revenues or expenditures.
The bill takes effect on of July 1, 2022.
II. Present Situation:
Florida High School Diploma
Requirements
Florida law establishes academic requirements for earning a standard high school diploma to
include five options:
1
24-credit program;
2
1
In addition to the five options available for students to earn a standard diploma, students with disabilities have two
additional options. Rule 6A-1.09963, F.A.C. Florida Department of Education, Standard Diploma Requirements,
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7764/urlt/StandardDiplomaRequirements.pdf (last visited Jan., 25, 2022).
2
Section 1003.4282(1)(a), F.S.
REVISED: BILL: SB 1068 Page 2
Career and Technical Education Pathway;
3
An International Baccalaureate curriculum;
4
An Advanced International Certificate of Education curriculum;
5
or
18-credit Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) option.
6
The 24 credits required for a standard high school diploma include:
7
Four credits in English Language Arts (ELA);
Four credits in mathematics;
Three credits in science;
Three credits in social studies;
One credit in fine or performing arts, speech, and debate, or practical arts;
One credit in physical education; and
Eight credits in electives.
Within the 24 credits, at least one course must be completed through online learning.
8
In addition
to successful completion of the required courses a student must earn a cumulative grade point
average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
9
and must pass the following required statewide
standardized assessments:
Grade 10 ELA assessment or earn a concordant score;
10
and
Algebra I end-of-course (EOC) assessment or earn a comparative score.
11
Certificate of Completion
A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the required 18 credits through the ACCEL
options graduation pathway, but fails to pass the required statewide assessments or achieve a 2.0
GPA must be awarded a certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of
Education (SBE).
However, a student who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion
may elect to remain in high school either as a full-time student or a part-time student for up to
one additional year and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified
deficiencies.
12
3
Section 1003.4282(10), F.S.
4
Section 1003.4282(1)(a), F.S.
5
Id.
6
Section 1002.3105(6), F.S.
7
Section 1003.4282(3)(a)-(g), F.S.
8
Section 1003.4282(4), F.S.
9
Section 1003.4282(3) and s. 1003.4282(6)(a), F.S.
10
Section 1003.4282(3)(a), F.S. Students and adults who have not yet earned their required passing score on the Grade 10
FSA ELA Assessment, may meet this testing requirement to qualify for a high school diploma by earning a concordant
passing score on the SAT or ACT. Rule 6A-1.09422(8)(a)2., F.A.C.
11
Section 1003.4282(3)(b)1. and (9)(d)2., F.S. Students and adults who have not yet earned their required passing score on
the Algebra 1 EOC assessment, may meet this testing requirement to qualify for a high school diploma by earning a
comparative passing score on the Math section of the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
(PSAT/NMSQT), the SAT or the ACT or on the Geometry EOC assessment. Rule 6A-1.09422(8)(b)2., F.A.C.
12
Section 1003.4282(6)(c), F.S. BILL: SB 1068 Page 3
Workforce Education Programs
Florida aims to deliver a quality workforce education through a network of public providers,
which include Florida public school districts, district technical colleges and centers, and Florida
colleges.
13
The vision of Florida’s adult education system is to hold learners at the center and
deliver outcomes that promote full participation in the workforce, resulting in high-quality
credentials of value and close equity and achievement gaps.
14
Workforce education programs
include:
15
Adult general education programs.
16
Career certificate programs.
Applied technology diploma programs.
Continuing workforce education courses.
Degree career education programs.
Apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs.
Florida College System (FCS) institutions and school districts may conduct workforce education
programs; however, only a FCS institution may award college credit for an associate in applied
science (AAS) or an associate in science (AS) degree.
17
If an AAS or an AS degree program
includes an occupational completion point
18
that confers a certificate or an applied technology
diploma, a school district career center can operate that portion of the program.
19
Certificate of Completion - Admission to Postsecondary Education
Florida College System Programs
A student who has been awarded a certificate of completion is eligible to enroll in certificate
career education programs at an FCS institution.
20
A certificate career education program is
defined as a course of study that leads to at least one occupational completion point.
21
The
program may also confer credit that may articulate with a diploma or career degree education
program, if authorized by rules of the SBE.
22
13
Florida Department of Education, Career, Technical & Adult Education, https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-
edu/funding-opportunities/WIOAGrants.stml (last visited Jan. 26, 2022).
14
Florida Department of Education, Putting Florida’s Adult Learners First: Adult Education & Family Literacy Act 2021-
2023 Grant Competition, https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/funding-opportunities/WIOAGrants.stml (last
visited Jan. 26, 2022).
15
Section 1011.80(1), F.S.
16
Adult general education programs are comprehensive instructional programs designed to improve the employability of the
state’s workforce through adult basic education, adult secondary education, English for Speakers of Other Languages, applied
academics for adult education instruction, and instruction for adults with disabilities. Section 1004.02(3), F.S. See Sections
1004.02(1), (2), (4), (6), and (23), F.S.
17
Section 1011.80(2), F.S.
18
See S. 1004.02(21), F.S. An occupational completion point means the occupational competencies that qualify a person to
enter an occupation that is linked to a career and technical program.
19
Section 1011.80(2), F.S.
20
Section 1007.263(4), F.S.
21
An occupational completion point means the occupational competencies that qualify a person to enter an occupation that is
linked to a career and technical program. Section 1004.02(20), F.S. See also Section 1004.02(21), F.S.
22
Section 1004.02(20), F.S. BILL: SB 1068 Page 4
During the 2019-2020 school year, 13 FCS institutions offered adult general education programs
enrolling 23,640 students, and 26 FCS institutions offered career certificate programs enrolling
20,757 students.
23
School District Programs
A district school board may operate a career center as part of the district school system.
24
A
career center is an educational institution which offers terminal courses of a technical nature, as
well as courses for adults and out-of-school youth.
25
A center operates under the control of the
district school board where it is located and each center is directed by a director who is
responsible to the district school superintendent.
26
In addition to career centers, Florida law allows for the operation of charter technical centers.
Charter technical career centers are publicly-funded schools or technical centers operated under a
charter granted by a district school board, FCS board of trustees, or a consortium comprised of
one or more of each.
27
A sponsoring consortium must include the school district in which the
facility is located.
28
There is only one charter technical center
29
operating in Florida, Lake
Technical College, sponsored by the Lake County school board.
30
Current law does not expressly state that a student who has been awarded a certificate of
completion is eligible to enroll in programs at a district career center or charter technical center.
Although not expressly provided in law, Florida’s career centers generally allow a student who
has been awarded a certificate of completion to be eligible to enroll in programs at the
institution.
31
Including Lake Technical College, there are 51 career centers operating in 32 school districts in
Florida.
32
During the 2019-2020 school year, 55 school districts offered adult general education
programs enrolling 126,668 students, and 39 school districts offered career certificate programs
enrolling of 43,245 students.
33
23
Florida Department of Education, 2019-2020 Career and Adult Education Quick Facts (2020), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/1920quickfacts.pdf.
24
Section 1001.44(1), F.S.
25
Section 1001.44(3)(a), F.S.
26
Section 1001.44(3)(a), F.S.
27
Section 1002.34(3)(a)-(b), F.S.
28
Section 1002.34(3)(a) and (11), F.S.
29
Florida Department of Education, Career and Adult Education, District Postsecondary Institutions Map (Sept. 25, 2019),
available at, http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5398/urlt/DistPSInstMap.pdf.
30
Florida Department of Education, Charter Technical Centers Annual Report 2019-2020 (2020), at 5, available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/charterreview20.pdf.
31
Email, Florida Association for Career and Technical Education (Jan. 26, 2022). Admission to a program may be limited to
a student with a high school diploma or equivalent to meet program licensure requirements or training partner specified
requirements.
32
Florida Department of Education, Career & Adult Education District Postsecondary Institutions,
https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/dist-ps-instit.stml (last visited Jan. 26, 2022).
33
Florida Department of Education, 2019-2020 Career and Adult Education Quick Facts (2020), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/1920quickfacts.pdf. BILL: SB 1068 Page 5
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 1068 requires that before the award of a certificate of completion, a student must be advised
of his or her educational options, to include workforce and adult general education programs. In
addition, the bill:
Provides that a student who is awarded a Florida high school certificate of completion is
eligible to enroll in programs offered at a school district career center and charter technical
career center.
Requires a charter technical career center to identify workforce education programs available
to a student who has been awarded a certificate of completion.
Such provisions may offer additional opportunities for students to continue their education and
expand employment opportunities.
The bill takes effect on of July 1, 2022.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None.
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
The bill allows students earning a certificate of completion to enroll in programs offered
in career centers to continue their education and expand employment opportunities. BILL: SB 1068 Page 6
C. Government Sector Impact:
None.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill substantially amends sections 1011.44, 1002.34, and 1003.4282 of the Florida Statutes.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.