CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 1 of 9
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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to student achievement; amending s. 2
1002.394, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 3
by the act; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; deleting 4
provisions providing for the award of a certificate of 5
completion to certain students; conforming provisions 6
to changes made by the act; amending ss. 1003.433 and 7
1007.263, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 8
by the act; creating the Music -based Supplemental 9
Content to Accelerate Learner Engagement and Success 10
Pilot Program within the Department of Education for a 11
specified purpose; providing for participation in the 12
pilot program; providing school district duties; 13
requiring the Commissioner of Educ ation to select 14
school districts for participation in the pilot 15
program, subject to legislative appropriation; 16
requiring the University of Florida's College of 17
Education to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot 18
program; providing requirements for such ev aluation; 19
requiring such college to provide progress monitoring 20
updates to the department and the Legislature and a 21
comprehensive report to the Governor, the Legislature, 22
and a certain center by a specified date; providing 23
for expiration of the pilot progr am; providing an 24
effective date. 25
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 2 of 9
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
26
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27
28
Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1002.394, Florida 29
Statutes, is amended to read: 30
1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. — 31
(16) TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.—A student with a 32
disability who is determined eligible pursuant to paragraph 33
(3)(b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 34
age and who has not received a high school diploma or 35
certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 36
her private school's transition -to-work program. A transition -37
to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 38
skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 39
(a) To offer a transition -to-work program, a parti cipating 40
private school must: 41
1. Develop a transition -to-work program plan, which must 42
include a written description of the academic instruction and 43
work skills training students will receive and the goals for 44
students in the program. 45
2. Submit the transition-to-work program plan to the 46
Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 47
3. Develop a personalized transition -to-work program plan 48
for each student enrolled in the program. The student's parent, 49
the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 50
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 3 of 9
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
plan. The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 51
Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 52
office. 53
4. Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 54
by the student's parent, the student, an d a representative of 55
the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 56
5. Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 57
student's job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 58
if necessary, provide support and guidance to the stude nt. 59
6. Provide to the parent and student a quarterly report 60
that documents and explains the student's progress and 61
performance in the program. 62
7. Maintain accurate attendance and performance records 63
for the student. 64
(b) A student enrolled in a transition -to-work program 65
must, at a minimum: 66
1. Receive 15 instructional hours at the private school's 67
physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 68
work skills training. 69
2. Participate in 10 hours of wor k at the student's 70
volunteer or paid work experience. 71
(c) To participate in a transition -to-work program, a 72
business must: 73
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 4 of 9
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
1. Maintain an accurate record of the student's 74
performance and hours worked and provide the information to the 75
private school. 76
2. Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 77
Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and paragraphs 78
(a) and (d) of subsection (8) of section 1003.4282, Florida 79
Statutes, are amended to read: 80
1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high sc hool 81
diploma.— 82
(5) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. — 83
(c) A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 84
required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 85
assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 86
shall be awarded a certificate of completion in a form 87
prescribed by the State Board of Education. However, a student 88
who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion may 89
elect to remain in high school either as a full -time student or 90
a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and receive 91
special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified 92
deficiencies. 93
(8) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. —Beginning with students 94
entering grade 9 in the 2014 -2015 school year, this subsection 95
applies to a student with a disability. 96
(a) A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 97
collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 98
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 5 of 9
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
during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 99
declare an intent for the student to graduate from hig h school 100
with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 101
completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 102
standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 103
section shall be awarded a certificate of completion. 104
(d) A student with a disability who receives a certificate 105
of completion and has an individual education plan that 106
prescribes special education, transition planning, transition 107
services, or related services through 21 years of age may 108
continue to receive the s pecified instruction and services. 109
110
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 111
120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this subsection, including 112
rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 113
described in this subsection to earn a sta ndard high school 114
diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 115
rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54. 116
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 117
1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 118
1003.433 Learning opportu nities for out-of-state and out-119
of-country transfer students and students needing additional 120
instruction to meet high school graduation requirements. — 121
(2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 122
standard high school diploma except for passage o f any must-pass 123
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 6 of 9
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
assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate 124
assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the following 125
learning opportunities: 126
(b) Upon receipt of a certificate of completion, Be 127
allowed to take the College Placement Test and be admitted to 128
developmental education or credit courses at a Florida College 129
System institution, as appropriate. 130
Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida 131
Statutes, is amended to read: 132
1007.263 Florida College System instituti ons; admissions 133
of students.—Each Florida College System institution board of 134
trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 135
students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of 136
Education. These rules shall include the following: 137
(4) A student who has earned the required 24 credits under 138
s. 1003.4282, or the required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), 139
for the standard high school diploma except for passage of any 140
must-pass assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an 141
alternate assessment by the end of grade 12 been awarded a 142
certificate of completion under s. 1003.4282 is eligible to 143
enroll in certificate career education programs. 144
145
Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 146
students about developmental educa tion options for improving 147
their communication or computation skills that are essential to 148
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 7 of 9
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
performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 149
in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 150
adult secondary education, or privat e provider instruction. 151
Section 5. (1) Beginning in the 2024 -2025 school year, 152
the Music-based Supplemental Content to Accelerate Learner 153
Engagement and Success (mSCALES) Pilot Program is created within 154
the Department of Education for a period of 2 sc hool years. The 155
purpose of the pilot program is to assist school districts that 156
participated in the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive 157
Program in using music -based supplemental materials through the 158
Muzology digital learning system to support the cu rriculum for 159
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational 160
courses for middle school students. 161
(2) The pilot program shall be open to the Alachua, 162
Marion, and Miami-Dade school districts. In order for a school 163
district to participate in t he pilot program, the district 164
school superintendent must annually certify to the department, 165
in a format prescribed by the department, that each 166
participating middle school class: 167
(a) Includes students who participated in the Early 168
Childhood Music Educa tion Incentive Program. 169
(b) Uses music-based supplemental materials through the 170
Muzology digital learning system at least twice a week in STEM 171
educational courses. 172
(c) Is taught by certified mathematics teachers. 173
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 8 of 9
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
(d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 174
1003.03, Florida Statutes. 175
(3)(a) The Commissioner of Education shall select school 176
districts for participation in the pilot program, subject to 177
legislative appropriation. Selected school districts shal l 178
annually receive $6 per full -time equivalent student 179
participating in the pilot program. 180
(b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot 181
program, a selected school district must annually certify to the 182
department, in a format prescribed by t he department, that each 183
participating middle school class meets the requirements of 184
subsection (2). If a selected school district fails to provide 185
the annual certification for a fiscal year, the school district 186
must return all funds received through the p ilot program for 187
that fiscal year. 188
(4)(a) The University of Florida's College of Education 189
shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by 190
measuring the academic performance of participating students and 191
the success of the pilot program. The eva luation must include, 192
but is not limited to, a quantitative analysis of the 193
achievement of participating students and a qualitative 194
evaluation of participating students. 195
(b) The University of Florida's College of Education shall 196
provide: 197
CS/HB 537 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0537-01-c1
Page 9 of 9
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
1. Progress monitoring updates to the department and the 198
Legislature. 199
2. A comprehensive report on the results and efficacy of 200
the pilot program to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 201
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the University 202
of South Florida's Florida Center for Partnerships in Arts -203
Integrated Teaching (PAInT) by June 30, 2026. 204
(5) This section expires June 30, 2026. 205
Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 206