Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 By Senator Calatayud 38-01831A-23 20231168__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to certificates of completion; 3 amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; prohibiting the award of 4 certificates of completion after a specified date; 5 requiring certain students to remain in high school to 6 receive special instruction to remedy certain 7 deficiencies beginning on a specified date; amending 8 ss. 1002.394, 1003.433, and 1007.263, F.S.; conforming 9 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 10 effective date. 11 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 14 Section 1.Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) and paragraphs 15 (a) and (d) of subsection (9) of section 1003.4282, Florida 16 Statutes, are amended to read: 17 1003.4282Requirements for a standard high school diploma. 18 (6)AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. 19 (c)1.A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 20 required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 21 assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 22 before July 1, 2023, shall be awarded a certificate of 23 completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 24 However, a student who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of 25 completion may elect to remain in high school either as a full 26 time student or a part-time student for up to 1 additional year 27 and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her 28 identified deficiencies. This subparagraph expires on July 1, 29 2023. 30 2.Beginning July 1, 2023, a student who earns the required 31 24 credits, or the required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), 32 but fails to pass the statewide assessments required under s. 33 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA shall elect to remain in high 34 school either as a full-time student or a part-time student for 35 up to 1 additional year and receive special instruction designed 36 to remedy his or her identified deficiencies. 37 (9)STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.Beginning with students 38 entering grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year, this subsection 39 applies to a student with a disability. 40 (a)A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 41 collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 42 during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 43 declare an intent for the student to graduate from high school 44 with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 45 completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 46 standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 47 section shall be awarded a certificate of completion. 48 (d)A student with a disability who received receives a 49 certificate of completion before July 1, 2023, and has an 50 individual education plan that prescribes special education, 51 transition planning, transition services, or related services 52 through 21 years of age may continue to receive the specified 53 instruction and services. 54 55 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 56 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this subsection, including 57 rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 58 described in this subsection to earn a standard high school 59 diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 60 rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54. 61 Section 2.Subsection (16) of section 1002.394, Florida 62 Statutes, is amended to read: 63 1002.394The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. 64 (16)TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.A student with a 65 disability who is determined eligible pursuant to paragraph 66 (3)(b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 67 age and who has not received a high school diploma or 68 certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 69 her private schools transition-to-work program. A transition 70 to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 71 skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 72 (a)To offer a transition-to-work program, a participating 73 private school must: 74 1.Develop a transition-to-work program plan, which must 75 include a written description of the academic instruction and 76 work skills training students will receive and the goals for 77 students in the program. 78 2.Submit the transition-to-work program plan to the Office 79 of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 80 3.Develop a personalized transition-to-work program plan 81 for each student enrolled in the program. The students parent, 82 the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 83 plan. The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 84 Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 85 office. 86 4.Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 87 by the students parent, the student, and a representative of 88 the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 89 5.Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 90 students job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 91 if necessary, provide support and guidance to the student. 92 6.Provide to the parent and student a quarterly report 93 that documents and explains the students progress and 94 performance in the program. 95 7.Maintain accurate attendance and performance records for 96 the student. 97 (b)A student enrolled in a transition-to-work program 98 must, at a minimum: 99 1.Receive 15 instructional hours at the private schools 100 physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 101 work skills training. 102 2.Participate in 10 hours of work at the students 103 volunteer or paid work experience. 104 (c)To participate in a transition-to-work program, a 105 business must: 106 1.Maintain an accurate record of the students performance 107 and hours worked and provide the information to the private 108 school. 109 2.Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 110 Section 3.Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 111 1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 112 1003.433Learning opportunities for out-of-state and out 113 of-country transfer students and students needing additional 114 instruction to meet high school graduation requirements. 115 (2)Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 116 standard high school diploma except for passage of any must-pass 117 assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate 118 assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the following 119 learning opportunities: 120 (b)For students who earned Upon receipt of a certificate 121 of completion before July 1, 2023, be allowed to take the 122 College Placement Test and be admitted to developmental 123 education or credit courses at a Florida College System 124 institution, as appropriate. 125 Section 4.Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida 126 Statutes, is amended to read: 127 1007.263Florida College System institutions; admissions of 128 students.Each Florida College System institution board of 129 trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 130 students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of 131 Education. These rules shall include the following: 132 (4)A student who has been awarded a certificate of 133 completion under s. 1003.4282 before July 1, 2023, is eligible 134 to enroll in certificate career education programs. 135 136 Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 137 students about developmental education options for improving 138 their communication or computation skills that are essential to 139 performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 140 in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 141 adult secondary education, or private provider instruction. 142 Section 5.This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.