FL
Florida House Bill H0445

Florida 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0445 Compare Versions

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1010 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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1414 A bill to be entitled 1
1515 An act relating to certificates of completion; 2
16-amending s. 1002.45, F.S.; conforming a cross -3
17-reference; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; requiring 4
18-school districts to notify students entitled to a 5
19-certificate of completion and their parents of 6
20-specified education options; providing notification 7
21-requirements; requiring the State Board of Education 8
22-to adopt rules for specified purposes; amending s. 9
23-1011.62, F.S.; providing additional funding through 10
24-the Florida Education Finance Program to school 11
25-districts for certain students who earn a standard 12
26-high school diploma; providing requirements for such 13
27-funding; providing an effective date. 14
28- 15
29-Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
30- 17
31- Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 18
32-1002.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 19
33- 1002.45 Virtual instruction programs. — 20
34- (6) VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM AND VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL 21
35-FUNDING.— 22
36- (b) Students enrolled in a virtual instruction program 23
37-shall be funded in the Florida Education Finance Program as 24
38-provided in the General Appropriations Act. The calculation to 25
16+amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; prohibiting the award of 3
17+certificates of completion after a specified date; 4
18+amending ss. 1002.394, 1003.433, and 1007.263, F.S.; 5
19+conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 6
20+providing an effective date. 7
21+ 8
22+Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9
23+ 10
24+ Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) and paragraphs 11
25+(a) and (d) of subsection (9) of section 1003.4282, Florida 12
26+Statutes, are amended to read: 13
27+ 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 14
28+diploma.— 15
29+ (6) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. — 16
30+ (c)1. A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 17
31+required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 18
32+assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 19
33+before July 1, 2023, shall be awarded a certificate of 20
34+completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 21
35+However, a student who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of 22
36+completion may elect to remain in high school either as a full -23
37+time student or a part -time student for up to 1 additional year 24
38+and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her 25
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4747 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51-determine the amount of funds for each student through the 26
52-Florida Education Finance Program shall include the sum of the 27
53-base Florida Education Finance Program pursuant to s. 28
54-1011.62(1)(t) s. 1011.62(1)(s) and all categorical programs 29
55-except for the categorical programs established pursuant to ss. 30
56-1011.62(1)(f), (7), and (13); 1011.68; 1011.685; and 1012.71. 31
57-Students residing outside of the school district reporting the 32
58-full-time equivalent virtual student shall be funded from state 33
59-funds only. 34
60- Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section 35
61-1003.4282, Florida St atutes, is amended to read: 36
62- 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 37
63-diploma.— 38
64- (6) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. — 39
65- (c) A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 40
66-required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 41
67-assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 42
68-shall be awarded a certificate of completion in a form 43
69-prescribed by the State Board of Education. However, a student 44
70-who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion may 45
71-elect to remain in high school either as a full -time student or 46
72-a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and receive 47
73-special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified 48
74-deficiencies. 49
75- 1. The school district must notify each student entitled 50
51+identified deficiencies. This subparagraph expires on July 1, 26
52+2023. 27
53+ 2. Beginning July 1, 2023, a student who earns the 28
54+required 24 credits, or the required 18 credits under s. 29
55+1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the statewide assessments 30
56+required under s. 1008.22(3) or a chieve a 2.0 GPA may elect to 31
57+remain in high school either as a full -time student or a part -32
58+time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special 33
59+instruction designed to remedy his or her identified 34
60+deficiencies. 35
61+ (9) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. —Beginning with students 36
62+entering grade 9 in the 2014 -2015 school year, this subsection 37
63+applies to a student with a disability. 38
64+ (a) A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 39
65+collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 40
66+during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 41
67+declare an intent for the student to graduate from high school 42
68+with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 43
69+completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 44
70+standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 45
71+section shall be awarded a certificate of completion . 46
72+ (d) A student with a disability who received receives a 47
73+certificate of completion before July 1, 2023, and has an 48
74+individual education plan that prescribe s special education, 49
75+transition planning, transition services, or related services 50
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8484 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88-to a certificate of completion and his or her parents, in 51
89-writing, of the option for the student to remain in high school 52
90-for up to 1 additional year to receive special instruction to 53
91-remedy his or her identified deficiencies and graduate with a 54
92-standard high school diploma. The notification must include the 55
93-contact information of a certified school counselor who can 56
94-advise the student and his or her parents on this option. 57
95- 2. If the student elects to be awarded a certificate of 58
96-completion and declines the additi onal year of instruction, the 59
97-student's certified school counselor or other school personnel 60
98-shall inform the student of opportunities to continue his or her 61
99-education through eligible postsecondary, workforce, and adult 62
100-education programs. 63
101- 3. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to 64
102-monitor compliance with the requirements of this paragraph. 65
103- Section 3. Paragraphs (q) through (t) of subsection (1) of 66
104-section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 67
105-paragraphs (r) through (u), and a new paragraph (q) is added to 68
106-that subsection, to read: 69
107- 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools. —If the annual 70
108-allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each 71
109-district for operation of schools is not determined in the 72
110-annual appropriations act o r the substantive bill implementing 73
111-the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as 74
112-follows: 75
88+through 21 years of age may continue to receive the specified 51
89+instruction and services. 52
90+ 53
91+The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 54
92+120.536(1) and 120.54 to im plement this subsection, including 55
93+rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 56
94+described in this subsection to earn a standard high school 57
95+diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 58
96+rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.5 4. 59
97+ Section 2. Subsection (16) of section 1002.394, Florida 60
98+Statutes, is amended to read: 61
99+ 1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. — 62
100+ (16) TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.—A student with a 63
101+disability who is determined eligible pursuant to parag raph 64
102+(3)(b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 65
103+age and who has not received a high school diploma or 66
104+certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 67
105+her private school's transition -to-work program. A transition -68
106+to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 69
107+skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 70
108+ (a) To offer a transition -to-work program, a participating 71
109+private school must: 72
110+ 1. Develop a transition -to-work program plan, which must 73
111+include a written description of the academic instruction and 74
112+work skills training students will receive and the goals for 75
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121121 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125- (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR 76
126-OPERATION.—The following procedure shall be followed in 77
127-determining the annual allocation to each district for 78
128-operation: 79
129- (q) Calculation of additional full -time equivalent 80
130-membership based on the award of standard high school diplomas 81
131-to students eligible for a certificate of completion. —A value of 82
132-0.5 full-time equivalent student membership shall be calculated 83
133-for each student who is entitled to a certificate of completion 84
134-who elects to remain in high school for up to 1 additional year 85
135-pursuant to s. 1003.4282(6)(c) and is awarded a standard high 86
136-school diploma. Such value shall be added to the total full -time 87
137-equivalent student membership in basic programs for grades 9 88
138-through 12 in the subsequent fiscal year. Each school district 89
139-shall allocate the funds received from the bonus FTE funding 90
140-under this paragraph to the schools whose students generate the 91
141-funds. Funds shall be expended solely for the payment of special 92
142-instruction and support services to students eligible for a 93
143-certificate of completion who elect to remain in high school for 94
144-up to 1 additional year pursuant to s. 1003.4282(6)(c). 95
145- Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 96
125+students in the program. 76
126+ 2. Submit the transition -to-work program plan to the 77
127+Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 78
128+ 3. Develop a personalized transition -to-work program plan 79
129+for each student enrolled in the program. The student's parent, 80
130+the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 81
131+plan. The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 82
132+Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 83
133+office. 84
134+ 4. Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 85
135+by the student's parent, the student, and a representative of 86
136+the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 87
137+ 5. Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 88
138+student's job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 89
139+if necessary, provide support and guidance to the student. 90
140+ 6. Provide to the parent and student a quarterly report 91
141+that documents and explains the student's progress and 92
142+performance in the program. 93
143+ 7. Maintain accurate attendance and performance records 94
144+for the student. 95
145+ (b) A student enrolled in a transition -to-work program 96
146+must, at a minimum: 97
147+ 1. Receive 15 instructional hours at the private school's 98
148+physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 99
149+work skills training. 100
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158+F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162+ 2. Participate in 10 hours of work at the student's 101
163+volunteer or paid work experience. 102
164+ (c) To participate in a transition -to-work program, a 103
165+business must: 104
166+ 1. Maintain an accurate record of the student's 105
167+performance and hours worked and provide the information to the 106
168+private school. 107
169+ 2. Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 108
170+ Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 109
171+1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 110
172+ 1003.433 Learning opportunities for out -of-state and out-111
173+of-country transfer students and students needing additional 112
174+instruction to meet high school graduati on requirements.— 113
175+ (2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 114
176+standard high school diploma except for passage of any must -pass 115
177+assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate 116
178+assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the fo llowing 117
179+learning opportunities: 118
180+ (b) For students who earned Upon receipt of a certificate 119
181+of completion before July 1, 2023, be allowed to take the 120
182+College Placement Test and be admitted to developmental 121
183+education or credit courses at a Florida College S ystem 122
184+institution, as appropriate. 123
185+ Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida 124
186+Statutes, is amended to read: 125
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195+F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199+ 1007.263 Florida College System institutions; admissions 126
200+of students.—Each Florida College System institution board of 127
201+trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 128
202+students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of 129
203+Education. These rules shall include the following: 130
204+ (4) A student who has been awarded a certificate of 131
205+completion under s. 1003.4282 before July 1, 2023, is eligible 132
206+to enroll in certificate career education programs. 133
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208+Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 135
209+students about developmental education options for improving 136
210+their communication or computation skills that are es sential to 137
211+performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 138
212+in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 139
213+adult secondary education, or private provider instruction. 140
214+ Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 141