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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 pr ovisions 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 s. 1003.482, F.S.; creating the 9
Music-based Supplemental Content to Accelerate Learner 10
Engagement and Success (mSCALES ) Pilot Program within 11
the Department of Education; providing the purpose of 12
the pilot program; providing requirements for the 13
pilot program; providing eligibility; authorizing 14
district school superintendents to contact the 15
department for their district to participate in the 16
pilot program; providing funding requirements, subject 17
to legislative appropriation; requiring participating 18
school districts to maintain eligibility; requiring 19
the College of Education at the University of Florida 20
to evaluate the pilot program's effectiveness and 21
annually share its findings with the department and 22
the Legislature; requiring the college to submit a 23
final report to specified entities by a specified 24
date; providing for expiration of the pilot program; 25
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providing an effectiv e date. 26
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 28
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Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1002.394, Florida 30
Statutes, is amended to read: 31
1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. — 32
(16) TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.—A student with a 33
disability who is determined eligible pursuant to paragraph 34
(3)(b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 35
age and who has not received a high school diploma or 36
certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 37
her private school's transition -to-work program. A transition -38
to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 39
skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 40
(a) To offer a transition -to-work program, a participating 41
private school must: 42
1. Develop a transition -to-work program plan, which must 43
include a written description of the academic instruction and 44
work skills training students will receive and the goals for 45
students in the program. 46
2. Submit the transition -to-work program plan to the 47
Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 48
3. Develop a personalized transition -to-work program plan 49
for each student enrolled in the program. The student's parent, 50
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the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 51
plan. The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 52
Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 53
office. 54
4. Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 55
by the student's parent, the student, and a representative of 56
the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 57
5. Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 58
student's job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 59
if necessary, provide support and guidance to the student. 60
6. Provide to the p arent and student a quarterly report 61
that documents and explains the student's progress and 62
performance in the program. 63
7. Maintain accurate attendance and performance records 64
for the student. 65
(b) A student enrolled in a transition -to-work program 66
must, at a minimum: 67
1. Receive 15 instructional hours at the private school's 68
physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 69
work skills training. 70
2. Participate in 10 hours of work at the student's 71
volunteer or paid work experience. 72
(c) To participate in a transition -to-work program, a 73
business must: 74
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1. Maintain an accurate record of the student's 75
performance and hours worked and provide the information to the 76
private school. 77
2. Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 78
Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and paragraphs 79
(a) and (d) of subsection (8) of section 1003.4282, Florida 80
Statutes, are amended to read: 81
1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 82
diploma.— 83
(5) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIP LOMA.— 84
(c) A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 85
required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 86
assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 87
shall be awarded a certificate of completion in a form 88
prescribed by the State Board of Education. However, a student 89
who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion may 90
elect to remain in high school either as a full -time student or 91
a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and receive 92
special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified 93
deficiencies. 94
(8) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. —Beginning with students 95
entering grade 9 in the 2014 -2015 school year, this subsection 96
applies to a student with a disability. 97
(a) A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 98
collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 99
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during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 100
declare an intent for the student to graduate from high school 101
with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 102
completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 103
standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 104
section shall be awarded a certificate of completion. 105
(d) A student with a disability who receives a certificate 106
of completion and has an individual education plan that 107
prescribes special education, transition planning, transition 108
services, or related services through 21 years of age may 109
continue to receive the specified instruction and services. 110
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The State Board of E ducation shall adopt rules under ss. 112
120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this subsection, including 113
rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 114
described in this subsection to earn a standard high school 115
diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 116
rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54. 117
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 118
1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 119
1003.433 Learning opportunities for out -of-state and out-120
of-country transfer stud ents and students needing additional 121
instruction to meet high school graduation requirements. — 122
(2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 123
standard high school diploma except for passage of any must -pass 124
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assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008 .22 or an alternate 125
assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the following 126
learning opportunities: 127
(b) Upon receipt of a certificate of completion, Be 128
allowed to take the College Placement Test and be admitted to 129
developmental education or cred it courses at a Florida College 130
System institution, as appropriate. 131
Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida 132
Statutes, is amended to read: 133
1007.263 Florida College System institutions; admissions 134
of students.—Each Florida College System institution board of 135
trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 136
students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of 137
Education. These rules shall include the following: 138
(4) A student who has earned the required 24 credits under 139
s. 1003.4282, or the required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), 140
for the standard high school diploma except for passage of any 141
must-pass assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an 142
alternate assessment by the end of grade 12 been awarded a 143
certificate of completion under s. 1003.4282 is eligible to 144
enroll in certificate career education programs. 145
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Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 147
students about developmental education options for improving 148
their communication or comput ation skills that are essential to 149
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performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 150
in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 151
adult secondary education, or private provider instruction. 152
Section 5. Section 1003.482, Florida Statutes, is created 153
to read: 154
1003.482 mSCALES Pilot Program. — 155
(1)(a) The Music-based Supplemental Content to Accelerate 156
Learner Engagement and Success (mSCALES) Pilot Program is 157
created within the Department of Education. The purpose of the 158
pilot program is to assist districts in adopting music -based 159
supplemental materials that support STEM courses for middle 160
school students. 161
(b) The music-based supplemental materials must be used by 162
teachers who are certified to teach mathematics pursuant to s. 163
1012.55(1)(c). The supplemental materials must be used at a 164
minimum twice per week to supplement mathematics instruction. 165
(c) Classes that use the supplemental materials are 166
subject to the class size requirements of s. 1003.03. 167
(d) The school districts in Alachua, Marion, and Miami -168
Dade Counties are eligible to participate in the pilot program. 169
District school superintendents may contact the Department of 170
Education, in a format prescribed by the department, for their 171
district to participate in the pilot program. Subject to 172
legislative appropriation, the department may approve a school 173
district to participate in the pilot program if sufficient 174
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funding is available. 175
(e) Participating school districts shall receive $6 per 176
student. Eligible middle sc hools must be in the same attendance 177
zone as an elementary school that participated in the Early 178
Childhood Music Education Incentive Program. 179
(f) To maintain eligibility for the pilot program, a 180
participating school district must annually certify to the 181
department, in a format prescribed by the department, that each 182
participating middle school within the district meets the 183
requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c). 184
(2)(a) The College of Education at the University of 185
Florida shall continuously evaluate the program's effectiveness. 186
The College of Education must annually share the findings of its 187
evaluations with the department and the Legislature. 188
(b) The College of Education at the University of Florida 189
shall prepare a comprehensive final report of the pr ogram's 190
overall effectiveness. The report must be presented, no later 191
than October 1, 2026, to the department, the Legislature, and 192
the Florida Center for Partnerships in Arts -Integrated Teaching. 193
(3) This section expires June 30, 2026. 194
Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 195