STORAGE NAME: h1111.SAS
DATE: 3/7/2025
1
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL ANALYSIS
This bill analysis was prepared by nonpartisan committee staff and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
BILL #: HB 1111
TITLE: Certificates of Completion
SPONSOR(S): Valdés
COMPANION BILL: SB 1698 (Fine)
LINKED BILLS: None
RELATED BILLS: None
Committee References
Student Academic Success
PreK-12 Budget
Education & Employment
SUMMARY
Effect of the Bill:
The bill deletes all provisions of the education code related to the certificate of completion, thereby removing it as
an option for students who meet graduation credit requirements but fail to pass standardized assessments or
maintain the GPA required to graduate.
Fiscal or Economic Impact:
None
JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
ANALYSIS
EFFECT OF THE BILL:
The bill deletes all the provisions of the education code related to the certificate of completion, thereby removing
the certificate as an option for students that have sufficient high school credits but fail to meet the standardized
assessment or GPA requirements for graduation with a standard high school diploma. However, the bill maintains
the provision that permits a student that fails to pass the required assessments or achieve a 2.0 GPA to remain in
high school either as a full-time or part-time student for up to one additional year and receive special instruction
designed to remedy his or her identified deficiencies. (Sections 1-3)
Additionally, while the bill removes the certificate of completion as a pathway to admission into a career certificate
program at a Florida College System institution, it adds that students who have earned the credits required to
graduate but fail to meet standardized assessment requirements are eligible for admission to such programs.
(Sections 4)
The effective date of the bill is July 1, 2025 (Section 5).
RELEVANT INFORMATION
SUBJECT OVERVIEW:
Requirements for Standard High School Diploma
Florida law establishes academic requirements for earning a standard high school diploma to include five options:
24-credit program;
1
18-credit Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) option;
2
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway option;
3
1
Section 1003.4282(1)(a), F.S.
2
Section 1002.3105(5), F.S.
3
Section 1003.4282(10), F.S. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
2
an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum;
4 or
an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) curriculum.
5
The 24 credits required for a standard high school diploma include:
6
four credits in English Language Arts (ELA);
four credits in mathematics;
three credits in science;
three credits in social studies;
one credit in fine or performing arts, speech, and debate, or practical arts;
one credit in physical education;
one-half credit in personal financial literacy; and
seven and one-half credits in electives.
In addition to successful completion of the required courses, a student must earn a cumulative grade point average
(GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
7 and must pass the following required statewide standardized assessments:
grade 10 ELA assessment or earn a concordant score on the SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test
(CLT);
8 and
Algebra I end-of-course (EOC) assessment or, earn a comparative score on the Math section of the
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), the SAT, the ACT, the
CLT, or the Geometry EOC assessment.
9
The 18-credit ACCEL option requirements are similar to those of the 24-credit option, with the following
exceptions:
three elective credits instead of eight;
a physical education credit is not required; and
a one-half credit in personal finance is not required.
10
Certificate of Completion
A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the required 18 credits through the ACCEL options graduation
pathway, but fails to pass the required statewide assessments or achieve a 2.0 GPA must be awarded a certificate of
completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education (SBE). However, a student who is otherwise
entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in high school either as a full-time or part-time student
for up to one additional year and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified deficiencies.
11
During the transition planning process,
12 a parent of a student with a disability must declare an intention for the
student to graduate from high school with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of completion. A
certificate of completion must be awarded to a student with a disability who does not satisfy the standard high
school diploma requirements.
13 A student with a disability who receives a certificate of completion may continue to
4
Section 1003.4282(1)(a), F.S.
5
Id.
6
Section 1003.4282(3)(a)-(h), F.S.
7
Section 1003.4282(5)(a), F.S.
8
Section 1003.4282(3)(a), F.S.; Rule 6A-1.09422(8)(a)2., F.A.C. Beginning with students who entered grade 9 in the 2018-2019
school year, students and adults who have not earned the required passing score on the Grade 10 FSA ELA assessment, may meet the
testing requirement to earn a high school diploma by earning a specified concordant score.
9
Section 1003.4282(3)(b), F.S.; Rule 6A-1.09422(8)(b)2., F.A.C. Beginning with students who entered grade 9 in the 2018-2019
school year, students and adults who have not earned the required passing score on the Algebra 1 EOC assessment, may meet the
testing requirements to earn a high school diploma by earning a specified comparative score.
10
Section 1002.3105, F.S.
11
Section 1003.4282(6)(c), F.S.
12
Section 1003.5716(1), F.S. An individualized education plan (IEP) team must identify the need for transition services before a
student with a disability enters high school to ensure quality planning for postsecondary education and career opportunities. The plan
must be ready for implementation by the first day of the student’s first year in high school. Id.
13
Section 1003.4282(9)(a), F.S. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
3
receive Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) until their 22
nd birthday, or, until the end of the school semester
or year in which the student turns 22.
14
Certificate of Completion- Admission to Postsecondary Education
Current law requires a student who has been awarded a certificate of completion to be eligible to enroll in
certificate career education programs at a Florida College System institution.
15 A certificate career education
program is defined as a course of study that leads to at least one occupational completion point. The program may
also confer credit that may articulate with a diploma or career degree education program, if authorized by rules of
the SBE.
16 However, students who earned a certificate of completion are generally not eligible for admission into a
state university as they are not considered to have earned a standard high school diploma or its equivalent.
17
RECENT LEGISLATION:
YEAR BILL # HOUSE SPONSOR(S) SENATE SPONSOR OTHER INFORMATION
2024 CS/CS/HB 537 Valdés The bill passed the House
unanimously on February 29,
2024, and was later amended
by the Senate to remove
provisions related to
certificates of completion.
BILL HISTORY
COMMITTEE REFERENCE ACTION DATE
STAFF
DIRECTOR/
POLICY CHIEF
ANALYSIS
PREPARED BY
Student Academic Success
Subcommittee
Sanchez Blank
PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
Education & Employment
Committee
14
Paul O. Burns, EdD., High School Graduation and Completion Options, presentation before the Education Quality Subcommittee
(Feb. 8, 2023).
15
Section 1007.263(4), F.S.
16
Section 1004.02(20), F.S.; see also Section 1004.02(21), F.S. An occupational completion point means the occupational
competencies that qualify a person to enter an occupation that is linked to a career and technical program.
17
See Section 1007.263(2)(a); see also Florida Department of Education, Standard Diploma Requirements (2020), at 2,
available at https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7764/urlt/StandardDiplomaRequirements.pdf.