Bill Text: FL H1183 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: High School Graduation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on PreK-12 Policy (EPC) [H1183 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-H1183-Introduced.html
HB 1183
1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to high school graduation; creating s.
31003.452, F.S.; establishing the Florida National Guard
4Youth Challenge Program for the purpose of training and
5mentoring certain high school dropouts; requiring that the
6Clay County School District, the Department of Juvenile
7Justice, the Department of Children and Family Services,
8and the Florida National Guard jointly administer the
9program; providing for the program to be located at Camp
10Blanding Military Reservation; requiring that certain core
11academic courses be taught; requiring that the program
12include occupational or technical studies and physical
13training or applied health studies; requiring that
14students be prepared to assume leadership roles and
15demonstrate the principles of followership; requiring that
16each student volunteer to benefit his or her community and
17work as an unpaid intern or paid employee in order to
18successfully complete the program; providing for a
19residential and postresidential component of the program;
20providing for mentorship; requiring that students pass all
21sections of the General Education Development test and
22both parts of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test;
23providing for funding the program; creating s. 1003.4282,
24F.S.; establishing the general education development exit
25option for the purpose of providing an alternative route
26to receiving a standard high school diploma for students
27who are enrolled in the Florida National Guard Youth
28Challenge Program or programs offered by or under contract
29with the Department of Juvenile Justice and approved by
30the Department of Education; specifying eligibility
31requirements for student participation; providing certain
32exemptions and requirements for successful completion of
33the GED exit option; requiring that a student's transcript
34identify certain information regarding the program;
35requiring that the Department of Education include the
36program in its calculation of the high school graduation
37rate; amending s. 1003.435, F.S.; providing that the
38Department of Education may authorize a school district to
39award high school equivalency diplomas; amending s.
401008.34, F.S.; revising provisions relating to the student
41assessment data used in determining school grades;
42providing that a school may earn additional points toward
43its grade if a significant percentage of the school's
44students are earning high school equivalency diplomas in
45lieu of standard diplomas; providing an effective date.
46
47Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
48
49 Section 1. Section 1003.452, Florida Statutes, is created
50to read:
51 1003.452 The Florida National Guard Youth Challenge
52Program.-
53 (1) PURPOSE.-The Florida National Guard Youth Challenge
54Program is created as a community-based program for the purpose
55of leading, training, and mentoring at-risk youths to become
56productive citizens in the future.
57 (2) ADMINISTRATION.-The program shall be jointly
58administered on a statewide basis by the Clay County School
59District, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of
60Children and Family Services, and the Florida National Guard.
61The program facilities shall be located at Camp Blanding
62Military Reservation.
63 (3) ELIGIBILITY.-High school dropouts who are between the
64ages of 16 years and 19 years, who have not been convicted of a
65felony, and who are drug free are eligible to participate in the
66program.
67 (4) PROGRAM DURATION.-
68 (a) The program shall consist of at least a 22-week
69residential component during which each student must raise his
70or her mathematics, science, and reading scores.
71 (b) After the residential component of the program, each
72student shall be assigned a case manager and a highly trained
73mentor for a period of at least 12 months.
74 (5) CORE ACADEMICS.-Each core academic course shall be
75taught in a traditional classroom setting by computer-assisted
76instructors or shall be taught virtually. The core academic
77courses must include, at a minimum:
78 (a) Mathematics;
79 (b) Communications;
80 (c) Science;
81 (d) Social studies; and
82 (e) Literature.
83 (6) OCCUPATIONAL OR TECHNICAL STUDIES.-The program must
84also include occupational or technical studies taught in
85cooperation with a technical training center or college that
86awards occupational or technical certificates.
87 (7) PHYSICAL TRAINING OR APPLIED HEALTH STUDIES.-The
88program must also include physical training or applied health
89studies.
90 (8) LEADERSHIP ROLES.-Students shall be prepared to assume
91leadership roles and demonstrate the principles of good
92followership and the value of collaborative effort.
93 (9) VOLUNTEERISM.-In addition to the program's academic
94requirements, each student shall be required to volunteer his or
95her service for the benefit of the student's community.
96 (10) INTERNSHIPS OR EMPLOYMENT.-Each student must also
97successfully work as an unpaid intern or paid worker during the
9812-month, postresidential component of the program in order to
99successfully complete the program.
100 (11) MENTORSHIP.-Each student must be paired with an
101individual who, through his or her accomplishments, rank, or
102social posture, serves as a positive role model and mentor who
103will help guide the student on a successful path to productivity
104and social assimilation.
105 (12) TESTING REQUIREMENTS.-Students must also pass all
106five sections of the General Education Development (GED) test
107and pass both parts of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
108(FCAT).
109 (13) FUNDING.-The Department of Defense, through a
110cooperative agreement with the National Guard Bureau and the
111Florida National Guard, and in conjunction with the Department
112of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Family
113Services, shall provide for the costs associated with the
114program, including student housing, food, and clothing. The Clay
115County School District shall fund the instructional component of
116the program through funds provided in the Florida Education
117Finance Program.
118 Section 2. Section 1003.4282, Florida statutes, is created
119to read:
120 1003.4282 General education development exit option.-
121 (1) GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT EXIT OPTION.-The general
122education development (GED) exit option is a graduation strategy
123for students who are enrolled in the Florida National Guard
124Youth Challenge Program created in s. 1003.452 or programs
125offered by or under contract with the Department of Juvenile
126Justice and approved by the Department of Education.
127 (a) Eligibility.-To be eligible to participate in the GED
128exit option, a student must be enrolled in the Florida National
129Guard Youth Challenge Program or a selected program offered by
130or under contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice and
131approved by the Department of Education and must meet the
132following criteria:
133 1. Be enrolled in courses that meet high school graduation
134requirements.
135 2. Have been a drop-out student or currently be in the
136custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
137 3. Have earned acceptable scores on the official GED
138practice test administered under the student-testing conditions
139approved by the school district.
140 4. Have a student cumulative record that indicates that
141the GED exit option is the most appropriate educational program
142for the student.
143 (b) Exemption and requirements.-
144 1. A student who participates in the GED exit option shall
145be exempt from the minimum graduation requirements prescribed
146for the standard high school diploma, including the grade point
147average and credit requirements. For exceptional education
148students, this exemption shall be included in the individual
149education plan.
150 2. Upon entering the GED exit option, a student who has
151not previously met the requirements for promotion to grade 10
152shall be promoted to grade 10 to enable the student to take the
153grade 10 FCAT.
154 3. A student who does not meet the requirements for high
155school graduation in grade 12 and who chooses to return for a
15613th year of school in order to participate in the GED exit
157option is not required to continue classes upon meeting the GED
158exit option requirements for graduation. After completing the
159requirements of the GED exit option, a student shall be
160considered a high school graduate. If the school district or
161school to which the student returns for a 13th year has
162implemented a program that requires a vocational component for
163graduation, the student may be required to complete this
164requirement in addition to the GED exit option requirements in
165order to be considered a high school graduate.
166 (c) Successful completion.-
167 1. To successfully complete the GED exit option and
168receive a standard high school diploma, a student must pass the
169GED test and all sections of the grade 10 FCAT. A student must
170also complete any vocational components included in an approved
171school program.
172 2. A student who participates in the GED exit option may
173not graduate before his or her cohort group.
174 (d) Transcripts.-The transcript shall identify only the
175actual credits earned, the successful completion of the FCAT
176requirements, and the date on which the diploma is awarded.
177 (2) GRADUATION RATE.-A student who successfully completes
178the GED exit option and receives a standard high school diploma
179shall be included in the graduation rate calculated by the
180Department of Education.
181 Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 1003.435, Florida
182Statutes, is amended to read:
183 1003.435 High school equivalency diploma program.-
184 (2) The department may award high school equivalency
185diplomas or authorize a school district to award high school
186equivalency diplomas to candidates who meet the performance
187standards prescribed by the State Board of Education.
188 Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
1891008.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
190 1008.34 School grading system; school report cards;
191district grade.-
192 (3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.-
193 (c) Student assessment data used in determining school
194grades shall include:
195 1. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
196in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT.
197 2. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
198in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT and who have
199scored at or in the lowest 25th percentile of students in the
200school in reading, mathematics, or writing, unless these
201students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.
202 3. Effective with the 2005-2006 school year, the
203achievement scores and learning gains of eligible students
204attending alternative schools that provide dropout prevention
205and academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53. The
206term "eligible students" in this subparagraph does not include
207students attending an alternative school who are subject to
208district school board policies for expulsion for repeated or
209serious offenses, who are in dropout retrieval programs serving
210students who have officially been designated as dropouts, or who
211are in programs operated or contracted by the Department of
212Juvenile Justice. The student performance data for eligible
213students identified in this subparagraph shall be included in
214the calculation of the home school's grade. As used in this
215section and s. 1008.341, the term "home school" means the school
216to which the student would be assigned if the student were not
217assigned to an alternative school. If an alternative school
218chooses to be graded under this section, student performance
219data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall
220not be included in the home school's grade but shall be included
221only in the calculation of the alternative school's grade. A
222school district that fails to assign the FCAT scores of each of
223its students to his or her home school or to the alternative
224school that receives a grade shall forfeit Florida School
225Recognition Program funds for 1 fiscal year. School districts
226must require collaboration between the home school and the
227alternative school in order to promote student success. This
228collaboration must include an annual discussion between the
229principal of the alternative school and the principal of each
230student's home school concerning the most appropriate school
231assignment of the student.
232 4. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools
233comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10,
23411, and 12, the data listed in subparagraphs 1.-3. and the
235following data as the Department of Education determines such
236data are valid and available:
237 a. The high school graduation rate of the school as
238calculated by the Department of Education;
239 b. The participation rate of all eligible students
240enrolled in the school and enrolled in College Board Advanced
241Placement courses; International Baccalaureate courses; dual
242enrollment courses; Advanced International Certificate of
243Education courses; and courses or sequence of courses leading to
244industry certification, as determined by the Agency for
245Workforce Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a career and
246professional academy, as described in s. 1003.493;
247 c. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
248in the school in College Board Advanced Placement courses,
249International Baccalaureate courses, and Advanced International
250Certificate of Education courses;
251 d. Earning of college credit by all eligible students
252enrolled in the school in dual enrollment programs under s.
2531007.271;
254 e. Earning of an industry certification, as determined by
255the Agency for Workforce Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a
256career and professional academy, as described in s. 1003.493;
257 f. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
258in the school in reading, mathematics, and other subjects as
259measured by the SAT, the ACT, and the common placement test for
260postsecondary readiness;
261 g. The high school graduation rate of all eligible at-risk
262students enrolled in the school who scored at Level 2 or lower
263on the grade 8 FCAT Reading and Mathematics examinations;
264 h. The performance of the school's students on statewide
265standardized end-of-course assessments administered under s.
2661008.22; and
267 i. The growth or decline in the data components listed in
268sub-subparagraphs a.-h. from year to year.
269 j. Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, a school may
270earn additional points toward its grade if a significant
271percentage of the school's students are earning high school
272equivalency diplomas pursuant to ss. 1003.435 and 1003.4282 in
273lieu of standard diplomas pursuant to s. 1003.43.
274
275The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria
276for each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight
277to student achievement in reading. Schools designated with a
278grade of "C," making satisfactory progress, shall be required to
279demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in
280the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading,
281mathematics, or writing on the FCAT, unless these students are
282exhibiting satisfactory performance. Beginning with the 2009-
2832010 school year for schools comprised of high school grades 9,
28410, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, the criteria for
285school grades must also give added weight to the graduation rate
286of all eligible at-risk students, as defined in this paragraph.
287Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, in order for a high
288school to be designated as having a grade of "A," making
289excellent progress, the school must demonstrate that at-risk
290students, as defined in this paragraph, in the school are making
291adequate progress.
292 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 2, 2010.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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