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 Rules
BILL: CS/SB 196
INTRODUCER: Commerce and Tourism Committee and Senator Jones and others
SUBJECT: Guidance Services on Academic and Career Planning
DATE: April 4, 2023
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Brick Bouck ED Favorable
2. Baird McKay CM Fav/CS
3. Brick Twogood RC Favorable
Please see Section IX. for Additional Information:
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE - Substantial Changes
I. Summary:
CS/SB 196 adds requirements to notify parents and students of career and academic planning
options and work-based learning opportunities and pathways. The bill:
Requires a middle grade student’s personalized academic and career plan to be developed in
consultation with a certified school counselor, and include information on the career and
technical education graduation pathway option and work-based learning opportunities.
Expands the required annual school district parental notification on high school acceleration
options to include information on career and academic planning options as well as
foundational and soft-skill credentialing programs.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.
II. Present Situation:
Middle Grades Career Planning
Students are required to complete a career and education planning course during grades 6, 7, or
8.
1
The required course may be implemented as a stand-alone course or integrated into another
course or courses and must:
2
Be internet-based.
1
Section 1003.4156(1)(e), F.S.
2
Id.
REVISED: BILL: CS/SB 196 Page 2
Emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and employability skills.
Include information from the Department of Economic Opportunity’s economic security
report and other state career planning resources.
Result in a personalized academic and career plan for the student that may be revised as the
student progresses. The plan is required to inform students of:
o High school graduation requirements.
o Requirements for each scholarship in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
o State college and university admission requirements.
o Available opportunities to earn college credit in high school.
3
The Department of Education (DOE) outlines the eight course standards of the career and
education planning course which requires a student to:
4
Describe the influences that societal, economic, and technological changes have on
employment trends and future training.
Develop skills to locate, evaluate, and interpret career information.
Identify and demonstrate processes for making short- and long-term goals.
Demonstrate employability skills such as working in a group, problem-solving and
organizational skills, and the importance of entrepreneurship.
Understand the relationship between educational achievement and career
choices/postsecondary options.
Identify a career cluster and related pathways through an interest assessment that match
career and education goals.
Develop a career and education plan that includes short and long-term goals, high school
program of study, and postsecondary and career goals.
Demonstrate knowledge of technology and its application in career fields/clusters.
For the 2022-2023 school year, the DOE identified 80 approved middle grades courses for career
and education planning.
5
In addition, the DOE publishes a Career Cruiser document, providing
resources such as classroom activities, guided worksheets, and additional resources to assist
teachers in career and education course planning.
6
3
Section 1003.4156(1)(e), F.S. To include Advanced Placement courses, the International Baccalaureate Program, the
Advanced International Certificate of Education Program, dual enrollment, including career dual enrollment and career
education courses, including career-themed courses, preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and course sequences
that lead to industry certifications.
4
Florida Department of Education, Career & Education Planning Course Standards, available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/3/urlt/ceplanningcoursecompetencies.pdf (last visited March 17, 2023).
5
Florida Department of Education, Approved Middle School Courses for Career & Education Planning 2021-2022 School
Year (Aug. 9, 2022), available at https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7746/urlt/MGCEPC2223.pdf (last visited March
17, 2023).
6
Florida Department of Education, Career Exploration Resources: Career Cruiser, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7534/urlt/cruiser.pdf (last visited March 17, 2023). BILL: CS/SB 196 Page 3
Notification of Student Acceleration Options
At the beginning of each school year, a district school board is required to notify parents of
students entering high school or already enrolled in high school of the opportunity and benefits
of courses in:
7
Advanced Placement (AP).
International Baccalaureate (IB).
Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE).
Dual enrollment.
The Florida Virtual School.
Additionally, each high school is required to advise each student of courses through which the
student could earn college credit, including AP, IB, AICE, dual enrollment, early admission, and
career academy courses and courses that lead to industry certification, as well as the availability
of course offerings through virtual instruction.
8
Students and their parents must also be advised
of early graduation options.
9
Certified School Counselors
School counselors are considered instructional personnel within Florida’s public school system.
10
To be employed as a school counselor, a person must be certified as required by law and State
Board of Education rule.
11
In the 2021-2022 school year, there were 6,465 certified school counselors working in Florida
school districts, serving 2,833,179 students. Each of the 67 school districts reported at least one
school counselor on staff.
12
On average, there was one school counselor for every 438 students.
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
CS/SB 196 adds requirements to notify parents and students of career and academic planning
options and work-based learning opportunities and pathways.
Middle Grades Career Planning
The bill requires a middle grade student’s personalized academic and career plan to include
information on the career and technical education graduation pathway option
13
and work-based
learning opportunities, including internships and preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
7
Section 1003.02(1)(i), F.S.
8
Section 1003.4295(1), F.S.
9
Id.
10
Section 1012.01(2)(b), F.S.
11
Section 1012.55(1)(b), F.S.
12
The Florida Department of Education, Staff in Florida's Public Schools, District Reports: Full-Time Staff 2021-22, Survey
2, available at https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/data-sys/edu-info-accountability-services/pk-12-public-school-data-
pubs-reports/staff.stml; and The Florida Department of Education, Membership in Florida Public Schools, Survey 2, 2021-
2022, available at https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/data-sys/edu-info-accountability-services/pk-12-public-school-data-
pubs-reports/archive.stml (last visited March 17, 2023).
13
Section 1003.4282(10), F.S. BILL: CS/SB 196 Page 4
Additionally, the bill requires the student’s plan to be developed in consultation with a certified
school counselor.
Notification of Student Acceleration Options
The bill expands the required annual school district parental notification on high school
acceleration options to include notification to students, and requires such notification to be in a
language that is understandable to students and parents. The bill adds to the information required
to be included in the notification to include:
Career and professional academies.
Career-themed courses.
The career and technical education pathway option to earn a standard high school diploma.
Work-based learning opportunities, including internships and apprenticeship and
preapprenticeship programs.
Florida Ready to Work career readiness credentials for the state of Florida for both
foundational academic skills (math, reading, digital literacy) and soft-skills (communication,
teamwork, etc.).
14
The contact information of a certified school counselor who can advise the student on the
acceleration, academic, and career planning options.
The additional notifications required in the bill may increase student awareness of and
participation in career and academic planning options and work-based learning opportunities and
pathways.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.
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.
14
Section 445.06 F.S. establishes the Florida Ready to Work Credential Program that is housed under the Department of
Economic Opportunity. BILL: CS/SB 196 Page 5
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None.
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
None.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill substantially amends the following sections of the Florida Statutes: 1003.02 and
1003.4156.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Substantial Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
CS by Commerce and Tourism on March 20, 2023:
The CS adds foundational and soft skill credentialing programs under the Florida Ready
to Work program to the list of acceleration, academic, and career planning options that
must be provided to high school students and their parents.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.