ARTICULATION AND ACCESS

F.S. Ch. 1007
in effect

F.S. 1007.01 Articulation; legislative intent; purpose; role of the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors; Articulation Coordinating Committee.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate articulation and seamless integration of the Early Learning-20 education system by building, sustaining, and strengthening relationships among Early Learning-20 public organizations, between public and private organizations, and between the education system as a whole and Florida’s communities. The purpose of building, sustaining, and strengthening these relationships is to provide for the efficient and effective progression and transfer of students within the education system and to allow students to proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. The Legislature further intends that articulation policies and budget actions be implemented consistently in the practices of the Department of Education and postsecondary educational institutions and expressed in the collaborative policy efforts of the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors. (2) To improve and facilitate articulation systemwide, the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall collaboratively establish and adopt policies with input from statewide K-20 advisory groups established by the Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor of the State University System and shall recommend the policies to the Legislature. The policies shall relate to: (a) The alignment between the exit requirements of one education system and the admissions requirements of another education system into which students typically transfer. (b) The identification of common courses, the level of courses, institutional participation in a statewide course numbering system, and the transferability of credits among such institutions. (c) Identification of courses that meet general education or common degree program prerequisite requirements at public postsecondary educational institutions. (d) Dual enrollment course equivalencies. (e) Articulation agreements. (3) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Chancellor of the State University System, shall establish the Articulation Coordinating Committee, which shall make recommendations related to statewide articulation policies and issues regarding access, quality, and reporting of data maintained by the educational data warehouse, established pursuant to ss. 1001.10 and 1008.31, to the Higher Education Coordination Council, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Governors. The committee shall consist of two members each representing the State University System, the Florida College System, public career and technical education, K-12 education, and nonpublic postsecondary education and one member representing students. The chair shall be elected from the membership. The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide administrative support for the committee. The committee shall: (a) Monitor the alignment between the exit requirements of one education system and the admissions requirements of another education system into which students typically transfer and make recommendations for improvement. (b) Propose guidelines for interinstitutional agreements between and among public schools, career and technical education centers, Florida College System institutions, state universities, and nonpublic postsecondary institutions. (c) Annually recommend dual enrollment course and high school subject area equivalencies for approval by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors. (d) Annually review the statewide articulation agreement pursuant to s. 1007.23 and make recommendations for revisions. (e) Annually review the statewide course numbering system, the levels of courses, and the application of transfer credit requirements among public and nonpublic institutions participating in the statewide course numbering system and identify instances of student transfer and admissions difficulties. (f) Annually publish a list of courses that meet common general education and common degree program prerequisite requirements at public postsecondary institutions identified pursuant to s. 1007.25. (g) Foster timely collection and reporting of statewide education data to improve the Early Learning-20 education performance accountability system pursuant to ss. 1001.10 and 1008.31, including, but not limited to, data quality, accessibility, and protection of student records. (h) Recommend roles and responsibilities of public education entities in interfacing with the single, statewide computer-assisted student advising system established pursuant to s. 1006.73.

F.S. 1007.02 Students with disabilities; definition.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term “student with a disability” means a student who is documented as having an intellectual disability; a hearing impairment, including deafness; a speech or language impairment; a visual impairment, including blindness; an emotional or behavioral disability; an orthopedic or other health impairment; an autism spectrum disorder; a traumatic brain injury; or a specific learning disability, including, but not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or developmental aphasia.

F.S. 1007.22 Articulation; postsecondary institution coordination and collaboration.

(1) The university boards of trustees, Florida College System institution boards of trustees, and district school boards are encouraged to establish intrainstitutional and interinstitutional programs to maximize articulation. Programs may include upper-division-level courses offered at the Florida College System institution, distance learning, transfer agreements that facilitate the transfer of credits between public and nonpublic postsecondary institutions, and the concurrent enrollment of students at a Florida College System institution and a state university to enable students to take any level of baccalaureate degree coursework. (2) The levels of postsecondary education shall collaborate in further developing and providing articulated programs in which students can proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. Time-shortened educational programs, as well as the use of acceleration mechanisms, shall include, but not be limited to, the International Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate of Education, credit by examination or demonstration of competency, advanced placement, early admissions, and dual enrollment. (3) Public postsecondary educational institutions serving the same students in a geographic and service area are encouraged to establish appropriate interinstitutional mechanisms to achieve cooperative planning and delivery of academic programs and related services, share a high-cost instructional facility and equipment, coordinate credit and noncredit outreach activities, have access to each other’s library and media holdings and services, and provide cooperative campus activities and consultative relationships for the discussion and resolution of interinstitutional issues and problems which discourage student access or transfer. (4) Public postsecondary education institutions are encouraged to include independent colleges and universities and industries within their service areas in mutual planning of a comprehensive, complementary, cost-effective array of undergraduate and beginning graduate programs of study to serve that geographic area.

F.S. 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.

(1) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The agreement must preserve Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation, facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit across and among Florida’s educational entities, and reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing: (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary education; (b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from Florida College System institutions and state universities; (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program graduates from Florida College System institutions or career centers; (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate in applied science degree graduates from Florida College System institutions; (e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including nationally standardized examinations through which students may earn credit; (f) General education requirements and statewide course numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and (g) Articulation among programs in nursing. (2)(a) The articulation agreement must specifically provide that every associate in arts graduate of a Florida College System institution shall have met all general education requirements and must be granted admission to the upper division of a: 1. State university, except for a limited access or teacher certification program or a major program requiring an audition. 2. Florida College System institution if it offers baccalaureate degree programs, except for a limited access or teacher certification program or a major program requiring an audition. (b) Florida College System institution associate in arts graduates shall receive priority for admission to the upper division of a Florida College System institution or to a state university over out-of-state students. Orientation programs, catalogs, and student handbooks provided to freshman enrollees and transfer students at Florida College System institutions and state universities must include an explanation of this provision of the articulation agreement. (3) To facilitate seamless transfer of credits, reduce excess credit hours, and ensure students take the courses needed for their future careers, the articulation agreement must establish three mathematics pathways for students by aligning mathematics courses to programs, meta-majors, and careers. A representative committee consisting of State University System faculty, faculty of career centers established under s. 1001.44, and Florida College System institution faculty shall collaborate to identify the three mathematics pathways and the mathematics course sequence within each pathway which align to the mathematics skills needed for success in the corresponding academic programs and careers. (4) To improve articulation and reduce excess credit hours, beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution in 2013-2014 and thereafter, the articulation agreement must require each student who is seeking an associate in arts degree to indicate a baccalaureate degree program offered by an institution of interest by the time the student earns 30 semester hours. The institution in which the student is enrolled shall inform the student of the prerequisites for the baccalaureate degree program offered by an institution of interest. (5) The articulation agreement must guarantee the statewide articulation of appropriate workforce development programs and courses between school districts and Florida College System institutions and specifically provide that every applied technology diploma graduate must be granted the same amount of credit upon admission to an associate in science degree or associate in applied science degree program unless it is a limited access program. Preference for admission must be given to graduates who are residents of Florida. (6) The articulation agreement must guarantee the statewide articulation of appropriate courses within associate in science degree programs to baccalaureate degree programs. Courses within an associate in applied science degree program may articulate into a baccalaureate degree program on an individual or block basis as authorized in local interinstitutional articulation agreements. (7) The articulation agreement must guarantee the articulation of 9 credit hours toward a postsecondary degree in early childhood education for programs approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors which: (a) Award a child development associate credential issued by the National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional Recognition or award a credential approved under s. 1002.55(3)(c)1.b. or s. 402.305(3)(c) as being equivalent to the child development associate credential; and (b) Include training in emergent literacy which meets or exceeds the minimum standards for training courses for prekindergarten instructors of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in s. 1002.59. (8) By the 2019-2020 academic year, to strengthen Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation and improve student retention and on-time graduation, each Florida College System institution shall execute at least one “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreement with one or more state universities, and each state university shall execute at least one such agreement with one or more Florida College System institutions to establish “2+2” targeted pathway programs. The agreement must provide students who graduate with an associate in arts degree and who meet specified requirements guaranteed access to the state university and a degree program at that university, in accordance with the terms of the “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreement. (a) To participate in a “2+2” targeted pathway program, a student must: 1. Enroll in the program before completing 30 credit hours, including, but not limited to, college credits earned through articulated acceleration mechanisms pursuant to s. 1007.27; 2. Complete an associate in arts degree; and 3. Meet the university’s transfer requirements. (b) A state university that executes a “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreement must meet the following requirements in order to implement a “2+2” targeted pathway program in collaboration with its partner Florida College System institution: 1. Establish a 4-year, on-time graduation plan for a baccalaureate degree program, including, but not limited to, a plan for students to complete associate in arts degree programs, general education courses, common prerequisite courses, and elective courses; 2. Advise students enrolled in the program about the university’s transfer and degree program requirements; and 3. Provide students who meet the requirements under this paragraph with access to academic advisors and campus events and with guaranteed admittance to the state university and a degree program of the state university, in accordance with the terms of the agreement. (c) To assist the state universities and Florida College System institutions with implementing the “2+2” targeted pathway programs effectively, the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall collaborate to eliminate barriers in executing “2+2” targeted pathway articulation agreements. (9) The articulation agreement must specifically provide for a reverse transfer agreement for Florida College System associate in arts degree-seeking students who transfer to a state university before earning an associate in arts degree. Students must be awarded an associate in arts degree by the Florida College System institution upon completion of degree requirements at the state university if the student earned more than 30 credit hours toward the associate in arts degree from the Florida College System institution. State universities must identify each student who has completed requirements for the associate in arts degree and, upon consent of the student, transfer credits earned at the state university back to the Florida College System institution so that the associate in arts degree may be awarded by the Florida College System institution.

F.S. 1007.24 Statewide course numbering system.

(1) The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, shall develop, coordinate, and maintain a statewide course numbering system for postsecondary and dual enrollment education in school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions that will improve program planning, increase communication among all delivery systems, and facilitate student acceleration and the transfer of students and credits between public school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic educational institutions. The continuing maintenance of the system shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate faculty committees representing public and participating nonpublic educational institutions. (2) The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the Chancellor of the State University System, shall appoint faculty committees representing faculties of participating institutions to recommend a single level for each course, including postsecondary career education courses, included in the statewide course numbering system. (a) Any course designated as an upper-division-level course must be characterized by a need for advanced academic preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to achieve without significant prior coursework. (b) A course that is offered as part of an associate in science degree program and as an upper-division course for a baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and upper division. (c) A course designated as lower-division may be offered by any Florida College System institution. (3) The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the State Board of Education the levels for the courses. The State Board of Education, with input from the Board of Governors, shall approve the levels for the courses. (4) The statewide course numbering system must be maintained electronically and regularly updated by the department and include the courses at the recommended levels, course numbers, course titles, credits awarded, and other identifiable information by institution and academic year, as required by state board rule. (5) The registration process at each state university and Florida College System institution must include the courses at their designated levels, statewide course numbers, course titles, credits awarded, and other identifiable information, as required by state board rule. (6) Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and are either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education grant or have been issued a regular license pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions for institutional participation in the system. The department shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem, and staff and clerical support time. Such fee schedule may differentiate between the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made within 360 days after submission of the required materials and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new courses to be included, and may delay review of courses submitted after that date until the next year’s cycle. Any college that currently participates in the system, and that participated in the system prior to July 1, 1986, shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit college or university that is eligible to participate in the statewide course numbering system shall not be required to pay the costs associated with participation in the system. No college or school shall record student transcripts or document courses offered by the college or school in accordance with this subsection unless the college or school is actually participating in the system pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education. Any college or school deemed to be in violation of this section shall be subject to the provisions of s. 1005.38. (7) Any student who transfers among postsecondary institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty committees representing school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution, including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The Department of Education shall ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are comparable to those required by the accrediting association of the receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native students. (8) Participating postsecondary institutions receiving transfer course credit must accept and apply general education courses and credit in accordance with this section, s. 1007.25, and other provisions of law, including credit earned through dual enrollment, course equivalencies, and other acceleration mechanisms, as first satisfying general education core course credit requirements and other general education subject area course credit requirements before applying the course credit as elective credit. (9) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that provide for the collection of course information from participating institutions, identifiable information required for each course, and the conduct of regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations. At a minimum, rules must address all of the following: (a) Required institutional reporting formats, timelines, and procedures for the timely and uniform collection and publication of course data information. (b) Regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations to the commissioner for the alignment or realignment of courses, course numbers, course titles, designated levels, credits awarded, and other identifiable information for the purpose of facilitating credit transfer and acceptance for substantially similar courses at receiving institutions. (c) Regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations to the commissioner for the classification or reclassification of courses as satisfying general education, general education core, prerequisite, substitution, equivalency, civic literacy, or other course types, pursuant to s. 1007.25, consistent with subject area, course content, programmatic, and other requirements outlined in rule. (d) Purges of courses that are listed in the statewide course numbering system but have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5 years. These rules must include waiver provisions that allow course continuation if an institution has reasonable cause for having not offered a course within the 5-year limit and an expectation that the course will be offered again within the following 5 years.

F.S. 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites; other degree requirements.

(1) The department shall identify the degree programs offered by public postsecondary educational institutions. (2) The department shall identify postsecondary career education programs offered by Florida College System institutions and district school boards. The department shall also identify career courses designated as college credit courses applicable toward a career education diploma or degree. Such courses must be identified within the statewide course numbering system. (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors statewide general education core course options for inclusion in the statewide course numbering system established under s. 1007.24. Faculty committees shall, by July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every 4 years thereafter, review and submit recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the removal, alignment, realignment, or addition of general education core courses that satisfy the requirements of this subsection. (a) General education core course options shall consist of a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five-course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as necessary for a subject area. (b) Each general education core course option must contain high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully complete the course. (c) General education core courses may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities. (d) General education core courses must meet the following standards: 1. Communication courses must afford students the ability to communicate effectively, including the ability to write clearly and engage in public speaking. 2. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music, and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western canon. 3. Social science courses must afford students an understanding of the basic social and behavioral science concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and past and present social, political, and economic issues. 4. Natural science courses must afford students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena. 5. Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by applying such models and methods in problem solving. (e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified core course in each subject area as part of the general education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must complete at least one identified core course in each subject area as part of the general education course requirements before a degree is awarded. (f) All public postsecondary educational institutions shall offer at least one general education core course in each of the identified subject areas and accept courses as meeting general education core course requirements upon transfer, regardless of whether the receiving institution offers the identical general education core courses. The remaining general education course requirements shall be identified by each institution as approved in accordance with this section and listed in the statewide course numbering system. (g) A public postsecondary educational institution may not require a student to complete an additional course to meet a subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the student with a course that has since been removed as a general education core course. (h) The general education core course options shall be adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in regulation by the Board of Governors. (4) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly appoint faculty committees to identify the competencies within the general education core courses which demonstrate career readiness and will result in the award of a verifiable and interoperable nationally recognized digital credential. All public postsecondary educational institutions shall grant and accept the identified digital credential. Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2022-2023 and thereafter, each student must be able to distinguish in the institution’s or university’s catalog which general education core courses are linked to earning a digital credential. (5)(a) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in the 2018-2019 school year and thereafter, each student must demonstrate competency in civic literacy. Students must have the option to demonstrate competency either through successful completion of a civic literacy course or by achieving a passing score on an assessment. The State Board of Education must adopt in rule and the Board of Governors must adopt in regulation at least one existing assessment that measures competencies consistent with the required course competencies outlined in subparagraph (b)2. (b) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in the 2021-2022 school year and thereafter, each student must demonstrate competency in civic literacy by achieving a passing score on an assessment and by successfully completing a civic literacy course. Credits earned for such courses via articulated acceleration mechanisms in s. 1007.27 will count toward the civic literacy competency requirement. The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall adopt by rule and regulation, respectively, approved assessments that address the competencies in subparagraph 2. and courses that meet the requirements in subparagraph 1. The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair of the Board of Governors, or their respective designees, shall jointly appoint a faculty committee to: 1. Develop one or more new courses in civic literacy or revise an existing general education core course in American History or American Government to include, at a minimum, opportunities to engage synchronously in political discussions and civil debates with multiple points of view and to master the ability to synthesize information that informs civic decisionmaking. 2. Establish course competencies and identify outcomes that include, at a minimum, an understanding of the basic principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government, an understanding of the United States Constitution, knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-governance, and an understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases and their impact on law and society. (6) The department shall identify those courses offered by universities and accepted for credit toward a degree. The department shall identify courses designated as either general education or required as a prerequisite for a degree and the digital credentials that may be earned through the general education core courses. The courses shall be identified by their statewide course numbers. (7) The department shall identify common prerequisite courses and course substitutions for degree programs across all institutions. Common degree program prerequisites shall be offered and accepted by all state universities and Florida College System institutions, except in cases approved by the State Board of Education for Florida College System institutions and the Board of Governors for state universities. The department shall develop a centralized database containing the list of courses and course substitutions that meet the prerequisite requirements for each baccalaureate degree program. (8) The universities and Florida College System institutions shall work with their school districts to ensure that high school curricula coordinate with the general education curricula and to prepare students for college-level work. General education curricula for associate in arts programs shall be identified by each institution and include 36 semester hours in the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. (9)(a) An associate in arts degree must require no more than 60 semester hours of college credit and include 36 semester hours of general education coursework. Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in the 2014-2015 academic year and thereafter, coursework for an associate in arts degree must include demonstration of competency in a foreign language pursuant to s. 1007.262. Except for developmental education required pursuant to s. 1008.30, all required coursework must count toward the associate in arts degree or the baccalaureate degree. (b) An associate in arts specialized transfer degree must include 36 semester hours of general education coursework and require 60 semester hours or more of college credit. Specialized transfer degrees are designed for Florida College System institution students who need supplemental lower-level coursework in preparation for transfer to another institution. The State Board of Education shall establish criteria for the review and approval of new specialized transfer degrees. The approval process must require: 1. A Florida College System institution to submit a notice of its intent to propose a new associate in arts specialized degree program to the Division of Florida Colleges. The notice must include the recommended credit hours, the rationale for the specialization, the demand for students entering the field, and the coursework being proposed to be included beyond the 60 semester hours required for the general transfer degree, if applicable. Notices of intent may be submitted by a Florida College System institution at any time. 2. The Division of Florida Colleges to forward the notice of intent within 10 business days after receipt to all Florida College System institutions and to the Chancellor of the State University System, who shall forward the notice to all state universities. State universities and Florida College System institutions shall have 60 days after receipt of the notice to submit comments to the proposed associate in arts specialized transfer degree. 3. After the submission of comments pursuant to subparagraph 2., the requesting Florida College System institution to submit a proposal that, at a minimum, includes: a. Evidence that the coursework for the associate in arts specialized transfer degree includes demonstration of competency in a foreign language pursuant to s. 1007.262 and demonstration of civic literacy competency as provided in subsection (5). b. Demonstration that all required coursework will count toward the associate in arts degree or the baccalaureate degree. c. An analysis of demand and unmet need for students entering the specialized field of study at the baccalaureate level. d. Justification for the program length if it exceeds 60 credit hours, including references to the common prerequisite manual or other requirements for the baccalaureate degree. This includes documentation of alignment between the exit requirements of a Florida College System institution and the admissions requirements of a baccalaureate program at a state university to which students would typically transfer. e. Articulation agreements for graduates of the associate in arts specialized transfer degree. f. Responses to the comments received under subparagraph 2. (c) The Division of Florida Colleges shall review the proposal and, within 30 days after receipt, shall provide written notification to the Florida College System institution of any deficiencies and provide the institution with an opportunity to correct the deficiencies. Within 45 days after receipt of a completed proposal by the Division of Florida Colleges, the Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or disapproval of the new specialized transfer degree to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider the recommendation at its next meeting. (d) Upon approval of an associate in arts specialized transfer degree by the State Board of Education, a Florida College System institution may offer the degree and shall report data on student and program performance in a manner prescribed by the Department of Education. (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to prescribe format and content requirements and submission procedures for notices of intent, proposals, and compliance reviews under this subsection. (10) A baccalaureate degree program shall require no more than 120 semester hours of college credit and include 36 semester hours of general education coursework, unless prior approval has been granted by the Board of Governors for baccalaureate degree programs offered by state universities and by the State Board of Education for baccalaureate degree programs offered by Florida College System institutions. (11) Courses that provide instruction in student life skills, including career planning and exploration, or similar instruction, and fulfill the requirements for a degree in subsection (9) or subsection (10) or a degree from a technical degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13), may use state career planning resources and provide students with the opportunity to create a digital résumé. (12) A student who received an associate in arts degree may continue to earn additional credits at a Florida College System institution. The university must provide credit toward the student’s baccalaureate degree for an additional Florida College System institution course if, according to the statewide course numbering, the Florida College System institution course is a course listed in the university catalog as required for the degree or as prerequisite to a course required for the degree. Of the courses required for the degree, at least half of the credit hours required for the degree must be achievable through courses designated as lower division, except in degree programs approved by the State Board of Education for programs offered by Florida College System institutions and by the Board of Governors for programs offered by state universities. (13) Students at state universities may request an associate in arts certificate if they have successfully completed the minimum requirements for the degree of associate in arts. The university must grant the student an associate in arts degree if the student has successfully completed minimum requirements for the associate in arts degree, as determined by the state university. The university must notify students of the criteria and process for requesting an associate in arts certificate during orientation. Additional notification must be provided to each student enrolled at the university upon completion of the requirements for an associate in arts degree. Beginning with students enrolled at the university in the 2018-2019 academic year and thereafter, the university must also notify any student who has not graduated from the university of the option and process to request an associate in arts certificate if that student has completed the requirements for an associate in arts degree but has not reenrolled at the university in the subsequent fall semester and thereafter. (14) The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing both Florida College System institution and public school faculties to recommend to the commissioner for approval by the State Board of Education a standard program length and appropriate occupational completion points for each postsecondary career certificate program, diploma, and degree offered by a school district or a Florida College System institution.

F.S. 1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms.

(1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that a variety of articulated acceleration mechanisms be available for secondary and postsecondary students attending public educational institutions. It is intended that articulated acceleration serve to shorten the time necessary for a student to complete the requirements associated with the conference of a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree, broaden the scope of curricular options available to students, or increase the depth of study available for a particular subject. Articulated acceleration mechanisms shall include, but are not limited to, dual enrollment and early admission as provided for in s. 1007.271, credit by examination, the College Board Advanced Placement Program, the International Baccalaureate Program, and the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program. Credit earned through the Florida Virtual School shall provide additional opportunities for early graduation and acceleration. Students of Florida public secondary schools enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed authorized users of the state-funded electronic library resources that are licensed for Florida College System institutions and state universities by the Florida Postsecondary Academic Library Network. Verification of eligibility shall be in accordance with rules established by the State Board of Education and regulations established by the Board of Governors and processes implemented by Florida College System institutions and state universities. (b) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall identify Florida College System institutions, state universities, and national consortia to develop courses that align with s. 1007.25 for students in secondary education and provide the training required under s. 1007.35(6). (2)(a) The Department of Education shall annually identify and publish the minimum scores, maximum credit, and course or courses for which credit is to be awarded for each course developed under paragraph (1)(b), College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject examination, College Board Advanced Placement Program examination, Advanced International Certificate of Education examination, International Baccalaureate examination, Excelsior College subject examination, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) subject standardized test, and Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT). (b) The department may partner with an independent third-party testing or assessment organization to develop assessments that measure competencies consistent with the required course competencies identified by the Articulation Coordinating Committee for general education core courses under paragraph (1)(b). Postsecondary credit shall be limited to students who achieve a minimum score as established in this subsection. (c) The department shall use student performance data in subsequent postsecondary courses to determine the appropriate examination scores and courses for which credit is to be granted. Minimum scores may vary by subject area based on available performance data. In addition, the department shall identify such courses in the general education core curriculum of each state university and Florida College System institution. (d) The department may join or establish a national consortium as an alternative method to develop and implement advanced placement courses that align with s. 1007.25. (3) Each Florida College System institution and state university must award credit for specific courses for which competency has been demonstrated by successful passage of one of the examinations in subsection (2) unless the award of credit duplicates credit already awarded. Florida College System institutions and state universities may not exempt students from courses without the award of credit if competencies have been so demonstrated. (4) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide articulated acceleration mechanisms for students who are in home education programs, as defined in s. 1002.01, consistent with the educational opportunities available to public and private secondary school students. Home education students may participate in dual enrollment, career dual enrollment, early admission, and credit by examination. Credit earned by home education students through dual enrollment shall apply toward the completion of a home education program that meets the requirements of s. 1002.41. (5) Advanced courses include enrollment of an eligible secondary student in a course offered through the Advanced Placement Program administered by the College Board or a course that prepares students for assessments developed under paragraph (2)(b). Postsecondary credit for an advanced course or advanced placement course shall be limited to students who score a minimum of 3, on a 5-point scale, on the corresponding Advanced Placement Examination or at least the minimum score on an assessment identified in subsection (2). The specific courses for which students receive such credit shall be identified in the statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1). Students of Florida public secondary schools enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examination regardless of whether or not the student achieves a passing score on the examination. (6) Credit by examination shall be the program through which secondary and postsecondary students generate postsecondary credit based on the receipt of a specified minimum score on nationally standardized general or subject-area examinations. For the purpose of statewide application, such examinations and the corresponding minimum scores required for an award of credit shall be delineated by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors in the statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1). The maximum credit generated by a student pursuant to this subsection shall be mitigated by any related postsecondary credit earned by the student prior to the administration of the examination. This subsection shall not preclude Florida College System institutions and universities from awarding credit by examination based on student performance on examinations developed within and recognized by the individual postsecondary institutions. (7) The International Baccalaureate Program shall be the curriculum in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in a program of studies offered through the International Baccalaureate Program administered by the International Baccalaureate Office. The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall specify in the statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1) the cutoff scores and International Baccalaureate Examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit at Florida College System institutions and universities. Any changes to the articulation agreement, which have the effect of raising the required cutoff score or of changing the International Baccalaureate Examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall only apply to students taking International Baccalaureate Examinations after such changes are adopted by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors. The specific course for which a student may receive such credit shall be specified in the statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1). Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examinations regardless of whether or not the student achieves a passing score on the examination. (8) The Advanced International Certificate of Education Program and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-AICE) Program shall be the curricula in which eligible secondary students are enrolled in programs of study offered through the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (pre-AICE) Program administered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall specify in the statewide articulation agreement required by s. 1007.23(1) the cutoff scores and Advanced International Certificate of Education examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit at Florida College System institutions and universities. Any changes to the cutoff scores, which changes have the effect of raising the required cutoff score or of changing the Advanced International Certification of Education examinations which will be used to grant postsecondary credit, shall apply to students taking Advanced International Certificate of Education examinations after such changes are adopted by the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors. The specific course for which a student may receive such credit shall be determined by the Florida College System institution or university that accepts the student for admission. Students enrolled in either program of study pursuant to this subsection shall be exempt from the payment of any fees for administration of the examinations regardless of whether the student achieves a passing score on the examination. (9) The department, in consultation with the Board of Governors, shall issue a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2024, on the alignment between acceleration mechanisms available to secondary students and student success at the postsecondary level. At a minimum, the report must explain how: (a) Acceleration mechanisms align to secondary completion and rates of success. (b) Bonuses provided to classroom teachers for the completion or passage of acceleration courses by students impact school quality and performance. (c) Acceleration mechanisms align to postsecondary completion rates. (d) Acceleration course offerings align with general education core courses and reduce the amount of time needed for students to complete a postsecondary degree. (e) To improve acceptance of postsecondary credit earned through acceleration courses through agreements with other states.

F.S. 1007.33 Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.

(1)(a) The Legislature recognizes that public and private postsecondary educational institutions play an essential role in improving the quality of life and economic well-being of the state and its residents. The Legislature also recognizes that economic development needs and the educational needs of place-bound, nontraditional students have increased the demand for local access to baccalaureate degree programs. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to further expand access to baccalaureate degree programs through the use of Florida College System institutions. (b) For purposes of this section, the term “district” refers to the county or counties served by a Florida College System institution pursuant to s. 1000.21(5). (2) Any Florida College System institution that offers one or more baccalaureate degree programs must: (a) Maintain as its primary mission: 1. Responsibility for responding to community needs for postsecondary academic education and career degree education as prescribed in s. 1004.65(5). 2. The provision of associate degrees that provide access to a university. (b) Maintain an open-door admission policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education programs. (c) Continue to provide outreach to underserved populations. (d) Continue to provide remedial education. (e) Comply with all provisions of the statewide articulation agreement which relate to 2-year and 4-year public degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1007.23. (f) Not award graduate credit. (g) Not participate in intercollegiate athletics beyond the 2-year level. (3) A Florida College System institution may not terminate its associate in arts or associate in science degree programs as a result of being authorized to offer one or more baccalaureate degree programs. The Legislature intends that the primary responsibility of a Florida College System institution, including a Florida College System institution that offers baccalaureate degree programs, continues to be the provision of associate degrees that provide access to a university. (4) A Florida College System institution may: (a) Offer specified baccalaureate degree programs through formal agreements between the Florida College System institution and other regionally accredited postsecondary educational institutions pursuant to s. 1007.22. (b) Offer baccalaureate degree programs that were authorized by law before July 1, 2009. (c) Establish a first or subsequent baccalaureate degree program for purposes of meeting district, regional, or statewide workforce needs if approved by the State Board of Education under this section. (5) The approval process for baccalaureate degree programs shall require: (a) Each Florida College System institution to submit a notice of its intent to propose a baccalaureate degree program to the Division of Florida Colleges at least 100 days before the submission of its proposal under paragraph (d). The notice must include a brief description of the program, the workforce demand and unmet need for graduates of the program to include evidence from entities independent of the institution, the geographic region to be served, and an estimated timeframe for implementation. Notices of intent may be submitted by a Florida College System institution at any time throughout the year. The notice must also include evidence that the Florida College System institution engaged in need, demand, and impact discussions with the state university and other regionally accredited postsecondary education providers in its service district. (b) The Division of Florida Colleges to forward the notice of intent within 10 business days after receiving such notice to the Chancellor of the State University System, the President of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, and the Executive Director of the Commission for Independent Education. State universities shall have 60 days following receipt of the notice by the Chancellor of the State University System to submit objections to the proposed new program or submit an alternative proposal to offer the baccalaureate degree program. If a proposal from a state university is not received within the 60-day period, the State Board of Education shall provide regionally accredited private colleges and universities 30 days to submit objections to the proposed new program or submit an alternative proposal. Objections or alternative proposals shall be submitted to the Division of Florida Colleges and must be considered by the State Board of Education in making its decision to approve or deny a Florida College System institution’s proposal. (c) An alternative proposal submitted by a state university or private college or university to adequately address: 1. The extent to which the workforce demand and unmet need described in the notice of intent will be met. 2. The extent to which students will be able to complete the degree in the geographic region proposed to be served by the Florida College System institution. 3. The level of financial commitment of the college or university to the development, implementation, and maintenance of the specified degree program, including timelines. 4. The extent to which faculty at both the Florida College System institution and the college or university will collaborate in the development and offering of the curriculum. 5. The ability of the Florida College System institution and the college or university to develop and approve the curriculum for the specified degree program within 6 months after an agreement between the Florida College System institution and the college or university is signed. 6. The extent to which the student may incur additional costs above what the student would expect to incur if the program were offered by the Florida College System institution. (d) Each proposal submitted by a Florida College System institution to, at a minimum, include: 1. A description of the planning process and timeline for implementation. 2. An analysis of workforce demand and unmet need for graduates of the program on a district, regional, or statewide basis, as appropriate, including evidence from entities independent of the institution. 3. Identification of the facilities, equipment, and library and academic resources that will be used to deliver the program. 4. The program cost analysis of creating a new baccalaureate degree when compared to alternative proposals and other program delivery options. 5. The program’s admission requirements, academic content, curriculum, faculty credentials, student-to-teacher ratios, and accreditation plan. 6. The program’s enrollment projections and funding requirements. 7. A plan of action if the program is terminated. (e) The Division of Florida Colleges to review the proposal, notify the Florida College System institution of any deficiencies in writing within 30 days following receipt of the proposal, and provide the Florida College System institution with an opportunity to correct the deficiencies. Within 45 days following receipt of a completed proposal by the Division of Florida Colleges, the Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or disapproval of the proposal to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider such recommendation, the proposal, and any objections or alternative proposals at its next meeting. If the State Board of Education disapproves the Florida College System institution’s proposal, it shall provide the Florida College System institution with written reasons for that determination. (f) The Florida College System institution to obtain from an accrediting agency or association recognized by the database created and maintained by the United States Department of Education accreditation as a baccalaureate-degree-granting institution if approved by the State Board of Education to offer its first baccalaureate degree program. (g) The Florida College System institution to notify an accrediting agency or association recognized by the database created and maintained by the United States Department of Education of subsequent degree programs that are approved by the State Board of Education and to comply with the association’s required substantive change protocols for accreditation purposes. (h) The Florida College System institution to annually, and upon request of the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, the Chancellor of the Florida College System, or the Legislature, report its status using the following performance and compliance indicators: 1. Obtaining and maintaining appropriate accreditation from an accrediting agency or association recognized by the database created and maintained by the United States Department of Education; 2. Maintaining qualified faculty and institutional resources; 3. Maintaining enrollment in previously approved programs; 4. Managing fiscal resources appropriately; 5. Complying with the primary mission and responsibility requirements in subsections (2) and (3); and 6. Other indicators of success, including program completions, placements, and surveys of graduates and employers. The State Board of Education, upon review of the performance and compliance indicators, may require a Florida College System institution’s board of trustees to modify or terminate a baccalaureate degree program authorized under this section. (6) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to prescribe format and content requirements and submission procedures for notices of intent, proposals, alternative proposals, and compliance reviews under subsection (5).

F.S. 1007.34 College reach-out program.

(1) There is established a college reach-out program to increase the number of low-income educationally disadvantaged students in grades 6-12 who, upon high school graduation, are admitted to and successfully complete postsecondary education. Participants should be students who otherwise would be unlikely to seek admission to a Florida College System institution, state university, or independent postsecondary institution without special support and recruitment efforts. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that provide for the following: (a) Definition of “low-income educationally disadvantaged student.” (b) Specific criteria and guidelines for selection of college reach-out participants. (2) In developing the definition for “low-income educationally disadvantaged student,” the State Board of Education shall include such factors as: the family’s taxable income; family receipt of temporary cash assistance in the preceding year; family receipt of public assistance in the preceding year; the student’s cumulative grade point average; the student’s promotion and attendance patterns; the student’s performance on state standardized tests; the student’s enrollment in mathematics and science courses; and the student’s participation in a dropout prevention program. (3) To participate in the college reach-out program, a postsecondary educational institution may submit a proposal to the Department of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider the proposals and determine which proposals to implement as programs that will strengthen the educational motivation and preparation of low-income educationally disadvantaged students. (4) Postsecondary educational institutions that participate in the program must provide procedures for continuous contact with students from the point at which they are selected for participation until they enroll in a postsecondary educational institution. These procedures must assist students in selecting courses required for graduation from high school and admission to a postsecondary educational institution and ensure that students continue to participate in program activities. Institutions that participate must provide on-campus academic and advisory activities during summer vacation and provide opportunities for interacting with college and university students as mentors, tutors, or role models. Proposals submitted by universities and consortia involving universities must provide students with an opportunity to live on campus. (5) In selecting proposals for approval, the State Board of Education shall give preference to: (a) Proposals submitted jointly by two or more eligible postsecondary educational institutions. (b) A program that will use institutional, federal, or private resources to supplement state appropriations. (c) An applicant that has demonstrated success in conducting similar programs. (d) A program that includes innovative approaches, provides a great variety of activities, and includes a large percentage of low-income educationally disadvantaged minority students in the college reach-out program. (e) An applicant that demonstrates commitment to the program by proposing to match the grant funds at least one-to-one in cash or services, with cash being the preferred match. (f) An applicant that demonstrates an interest in cultural diversity and that addresses the unmet regional needs of varying communities. (6) A participating postsecondary educational institution is encouraged to use its resources to meet program objectives. A participating postsecondary educational institution must establish an advisory committee composed of high school and middle school personnel, as well as community leaders, to provide advice and assistance in implementing its program. (7) A proposal must contain the following information: (a) A statement of purpose that includes a description of the need for, and the results expected from, the proposed program. (b) An identification of the service area that names the schools to be served, provides community and school demographics, and sets forth the postsecondary enrollment rates of high school graduates within the area. (c) An identification of existing programs for enhancing the academic performance of minority and low-income educationally disadvantaged students for enrollment in postsecondary education. (d) A description of the proposed program that describes criteria to be used to identify schools for participation in the program. At least 60 percent of the students recruited in any one year must be in grades 6-9. (e) A description of the program activities that must support the following goals: 1. Motivate students to pursue a postsecondary education. 2. Enhance students’ basic learning skills and performance. 3. Strengthen students’ and parents’ understanding of the benefits of postsecondary education. 4. Foster academic, personal, and career development through supplemental instruction. (f) An evaluation component that provides for the collection, maintenance, retrieval, and analysis of the data required by this paragraph. The data must be used to assess the extent to which programs have accomplished specific objectives and achieved the goals of the college reach-out program. The Department of Education shall develop specifications and procedures for the collection and transmission of the data. The annual project evaluation component must contain: 1. The student identification number and social security number, if available; the name of the public school attended; gender; ethnicity; grade level; and grade point average of each participant at the time of entry into the program. 2. The grade point average, grade, and promotion status of each of the participants in the program at the end of the academic year and any suspension or expulsion of a participant, if applicable. 3. The number and percentage of high school participants who satisfactorily complete 2 sequential years of a foreign language and Level 2 and 3 mathematics and science courses. 4. The number and percentage of participants eligible for high school graduation who receive a standard high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma, pursuant to s. 1003.435. 5. The number and percentage of 12th grade participants who are accepted for enrollment and who enroll in a postsecondary educational institution. 6. The number of participants who receive scholarships, grant aid, and work-study awards. 7. The number and percentage of participants who enroll in a public postsecondary educational institution and who fail to achieve a passing score, as defined in State Board of Education rule, on college placement tests pursuant to s. 1008.30. 8. The number and percentage of participants who enroll in a postsecondary educational institution and have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale by the end of the second semester. 9. The number of disabled students participating in the project and the nature of their disabilities. (8) Proposals must be funded competitively in accordance with the following methodology: (a) The funds appropriated must be distributed to projects on the basis of minimum standards that include: 1. A summer residency program of at least 1 week in duration. 2. A minimum number of hours of academic instructional and developmental activities, career counseling, and personal counseling. (b) Subject to legislative appropriations, continuation projects that satisfy the minimum requirements should have their funds increased each year by the same percentage as the rate of inflation. Projects funded for 3 consecutive years should have a cumulative institutional cash match of not less than 50 percent of the total cost of the project over the 3-year period. Any college reach-out program project operating for 3 years which does not provide the minimum 50-percent institutional cash match must not be considered for continued funding. (9) The Commissioner of Education shall appoint an advisory council to review the proposals and recommend to the State Board of Education an order of priority for funding the proposals. (10) On or before February 15 of each year, each participating institution shall submit to the Department of Education an interim report containing program expenditures and participant information as required in State Board of Education rules. (11) On or before November 1 of each year, postsecondary educational institutions participating in the program shall submit to the Department of Education an end-of-the-year report on the effectiveness of their participation in the program. The end-of-the-year report must include, without limitation: (a) A copy of the certificate-of-expenditures form showing expenditures by category, state grant funds, and institutional matching in cash and in-kind services. (b) A listing of students participating in the program by grade level, gender, and race. (c) A statement of how the program addresses the four program goals identified in paragraph (7)(e). (d) A brief description and analysis of program characteristics and activities critical to program success. (e) A description of the cooperation received from other units or organizations. (f) An explanation of the program’s outcomes, including data related to student performance on the measures provided for in paragraph (7)(f). (12) By February 15 of each year, the Department of Education shall submit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Commissioner of Education, and the Governor a report that evaluates the effectiveness of the college reach-out program. To the extent feasible, the performance of college reach-out program participants must be compared to the performance of comparable cohorts of students in public school and postsecondary education. (13) Funding for the college reach-out program shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act.

F.S. 1007.35 Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement.

(1) This section may be referred to by the popular name the “Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement Act.” (2)(a) The Legislature recognizes the importance of not only access to college but also success in college for all students. It is the intent of the Legislature that every student enrolled in a public secondary school has access to high-quality, rigorous academics, with a particular focus on access to advanced courses. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide assistance to all public secondary schools, with a primary focus on low-performing middle and high schools. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the partnership created in this section accomplish its mission primarily through strengthening the content knowledge of teachers and providing instructional resources, including materials and strategies, which enable teachers to provide instruction to students who have diverse learning styles. (3) There is created the Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement. The Department of Education may contract for operation of the partnership. (4) The mission of the partnership is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to postsecondary success and opportunity, with a particular focus on minority students and students who are underrepresented in postsecondary education. (5) Each public high school, including, but not limited to, schools and alternative sites and centers of the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall provide for the administration of the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), Classic Learning Test 10 (CLT10), or PreACT to all enrolled 10th grade students. However, a written notice must be provided to each parent which must include the opportunity to exempt his or her child from taking the PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT. (a) Test results will provide each high school with a database of student assessment data which certified school counselors will use to identify students who are prepared or who need additional work to be prepared to enroll and be successful in advanced high school courses. (b) Funding for the PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT for all 10th grade students is contingent upon annual funding in the General Appropriations Act. (c) Public school districts shall choose either the PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT for districtwide administration. (6) The partnership shall: (a) Provide teacher training and professional learning to enable teachers of advanced courses to have the necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to prepare students for success on assessments developed pursuant to s. 1007.27(2) and mastery of postsecondary general education core courses. (b) Provide to middle school teachers and administrators professional learning that will enable them to educate middle school students at the level necessary to prepare the students to enter high school ready to participate in advanced courses. (c) Provide teacher training and materials that are aligned with the state standards and are consistent with best theory and practice regarding multiple learning styles and research on learning, instructional strategies, instructional design, and classroom assessment. Curriculum materials must be based on current, accepted, and essential academic knowledge. (d) Provide assessment of individual strengths and weaknesses as related to potential success in advanced courses and readiness for college. (e) Provide college entrance exam preparation through a variety of means that may include, but are not limited to, training teachers to provide courses at schools; training community organizations to provide courses at community centers, faith-based organizations, and businesses; and providing online courses. (f) Consider ways to incorporate Florida College System institutions in the mission of preparing all students for postsecondary success. (g) Provide a plan for communication and coordination of efforts with the Florida Virtual School’s provision of online advanced courses. (h) Work with school districts to identify minority and underrepresented students for participation in advanced courses. (i) Work with school districts to provide information to students and parents that explains available opportunities for students to take advanced courses and that explains enrollment procedures that students must follow to enroll in such courses. Such information must also explain the value of such courses as they relate to: 1. Preparing the student for postsecondary level coursework. 2. Enabling the student to gain access to postsecondary education opportunities. 3. Qualifying for scholarships and other financial aid opportunities. (j) Provide information to students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, districts, Florida College System institutions, and state universities regarding the PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT administration, including, but not limited to: 1. Test administration dates and times. 2. That participation in the PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT is open to all 10th grade students. 3. The value of such tests in providing diagnostic feedback on student skills. 4. The value of student scores in predicting the probability of success on advanced course examinations. (k) Cooperate with the department to provide information to administrators, teachers, and counselors, whenever possible, about partnership activities, opportunities, and priorities. (l) Partner with the Florida College System institutions and state universities identified by the State Board of Education and Board of Governors pursuant to s. 1007.25(3) to develop advanced courses and provide teacher training. (7) By May 31 of each year, the Department of Education shall approve a plan of delivery of services for the subsequent academic year. (8)(a) By September 30 of each year, the partnership shall submit to the department a report that contains an evaluation of the effectiveness of the delivered services and activities. Activities and services must be evaluated on their effectiveness at raising student achievement and increasing the number of AP or other advanced course examinations in low-performing middle and high schools. Other indicators that must be addressed in the evaluation report include the number of middle and high school teachers trained; the effectiveness of the training; measures of postsecondary readiness of the students affected by the program; levels of participation in the 10th grade PSAT/NMSQT, CLT10, or PreACT testing; and measures of student, parent, and teacher awareness of and satisfaction with the services of the partnership. (b) The department shall contribute to the evaluation process by providing access, consistent with s. 119.071(5)(a), to student and teacher information necessary to match against databases containing teacher professional learning data and databases containing assessment data for the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, ACT, PreACT, CLT, CLT10, AP, and other appropriate measures. The department shall also provide student-level data on student progress from middle school through high school and into college and the workforce, if available, in order to support longitudinal studies. The partnership shall analyze and report student performance data in a manner that protects the rights of students and parents as required in 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g and s. 1002.22. (9)(a) Funding for the partnership shall be contingent upon annual funding in the General Appropriations Act. (b) The participating partner, if one is chosen, is required to match at least one-third of the allocation provided to the partnership in the General Appropriations Act in materials and services to the program. (10) Nothing in this section shall prohibit any organization from partnering with the state to improve the college readiness of students.

F.S. 1007.36 Inclusive Transition and Employment Management Program.

As authorized by and consistent with funding appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, the Inclusive Transition and Employment Management Program is created within the Department of Education for the purpose of providing young adults with disabilities who are between the ages of 16 years and 28 years with transitional skills, education, and on-the-job experience to allow them to acquire and retain permanent employment.

F.S. 1007.55 General education course principles, standards, and content.

(1) The Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that every undergraduate student of a Florida public postsecondary educational institution graduates as an informed citizen through participation in rigorous general education courses that promote and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional, historically accurate, and high-quality coursework. General education courses should provide broad foundational knowledge to help students develop intellectual skills and habits that enable them to become more effective and lifelong learners. Courses with a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory content are best suited as elective or specific program prerequisite credit, not general education credit. General education courses must: (a) Meet the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25; and (b) Whenever applicable, provide instruction on the historical background and philosophical foundation of Western civilization and this nation’s historical documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, and the Federalist Papers. (2) Public postsecondary educational institution boards of trustees and presidents are responsible for annually reviewing and approving, at a public meeting, general education course requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance with ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25 and this section, at their respective institutions. The following must be included for each listed general education course: (a) The general education distribution area; (b) The number of state universities that offer the course and the number of Florida College System institutions that offer the course; and (c) The course level. (3) Public postsecondary educational institutions must report courses meeting institutional general education subject requirements to the department by their statewide course number. (4) In performing its duties under ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25, by December 1, 2024, and each December 1 thereafter, the Articulation Coordinating Committee shall submit to the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors courses that have been approved by public postsecondary educational institutions as meeting general education requirements. The listing of general education courses must include the information in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (c). The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors must approve or reject the list of general education courses for each Florida College System institution and state university, respectively. (5) Public postsecondary educational institutions that fail to comply with the requirements of this section are not eligible to receive performance-based funding pursuant to s. 1001.66 or s. 1001.92. (6) A public postsecondary educational institution may not require a student to take an additional course to meet a subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the student with a course that has since been removed as a general education course. (7) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement this section.

F.S. 1007.233 Career pathways agreements.

(1) Each career center and Florida College System institution with overlapping service areas must annually submit to the Department of Education, on or before May 1, a regional career pathways agreement for each certificate program offered by the career center that is aligned with an associate degree offered by the Florida College System institution in the service area. Each career pathways agreement must guarantee college credit toward an aligned associate degree program for students who graduate from a career center with a career or technical certificate and meet specified requirements in accordance with the terms of the agreement. Regional agreements may not award less credit than the amount guaranteed through existing statewide articulation agreements. (2) Each career pathways agreement must outline certificate program completion requirements and any licenses or industry certifications that must be earned before enrolling in an associate degree program. Articulated college credit must be awarded in accordance with the agreement upon initial enrollment in the associate degree program.

F.S. 1007.262 Foreign language competence; equivalence determinations.

The Department of Education shall identify the competencies demonstrated by students upon the successful completion of 2 credits of sequential high school foreign language instruction. For the purpose of determining postsecondary equivalence, the department shall develop rules through which Florida College System institutions correlate such competencies to the competencies required of students in the colleges’ respective courses. Based on this correlation, each Florida College System institution shall identify the minimum number of postsecondary credits that students must earn in order to demonstrate a level of competence in a foreign language at least equivalent to that of students who have completed 2 credits of such instruction in high school. The department may also specify alternative means by which students can demonstrate equivalent foreign language competence, including means by which a student whose native language is not English may demonstrate proficiency in the native language. A student who demonstrates proficiency in a native language other than English is exempt from a requirement of completing foreign language courses at the secondary or Florida College System level.

F.S. 1007.263 Florida College System institutions; admissions of students.

Each Florida College System institution board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of students subject to this section and rules of the State Board of Education. These rules shall include the following: (1) Admissions counseling shall be provided to all students entering college or career credit programs. For students who are not otherwise exempt from testing under s. 1008.30, counseling must use the tests or alternative methods established by the State Board of Education under s. 1008.30 to measure achievement of college-level communication and computation competencies by students entering college credit programs. Counseling must measure achievement of basic skills for career education programs under s. 1004.91. Counseling includes providing developmental education options for students whose results, determined under s. 1008.30, indicate that they need to improve communication or computation skills that are essential to perform college-level work. (2) Admission to associate degree programs is subject to minimum standards adopted by the State Board of Education and shall require: (a) A standard high school diploma; a State of Florida high school equivalency diploma awarded under s. 1003.435(2); a high school equivalency diploma issued by another state which is recognized as equivalent by State Board of Education rule and is based on an assessment recognized by the United States Department of Education; previously demonstrated competency in college credit postsecondary coursework; or, in the case of a student who is home educated, a signed affidavit submitted by the student’s parent or legal guardian attesting that the student has completed a home education program pursuant to the requirements of s. 1002.41. Students who are enrolled in a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s. 1007.271 are exempt from this requirement. (b) A demonstrated level of achievement of college-level communication and computation skills. (c) Any other requirements established by the board of trustees. (3) Admission to other programs within the Florida College System institution shall include education requirements as established by the board of trustees. (4) A student who has earned the required 24 credits under s. 1003.4282, or the required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), for the standard high school diploma, except for passage of any must-pass assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate assessment by the end of grade 12, is eligible to enroll in certificate career education programs. (5) A student with a documented disability may be eligible for reasonable substitutions, as prescribed in ss. 1007.264 and 1007.265. Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify students about developmental education options for improving their communication or computation skills that are essential to performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, adult secondary education, or private provider instruction.

F.S. 1007.264 Persons with disabilities; admission to postsecondary educational institutions; substitute requirements; rules and regulations.

(1) A student with a disability who is otherwise eligible shall be eligible for reasonable substitution for any requirement for admission into a public postsecondary educational institution where documentation can be provided that the person’s failure to meet the admission requirement is related to the disability. (2) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors, shall adopt rules to implement this section for Florida College System institutions and shall develop substitute admission requirements where appropriate. (3) The Board of Governors, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall adopt regulations to implement this section for state universities and shall develop substitute admission requirements where appropriate.

F.S. 1007.265 Persons with disabilities; graduation, study program admission, and upper-division entry; substitute requirements; rules and regulations.

(1) A student with a disability in a public postsecondary educational institution shall be eligible for reasonable substitution for any requirement for graduation, for admission into a program of study, or for entry into the upper division where documentation can be provided that the person’s failure to meet the requirement is related to the disability and where failure to meet the graduation requirement or program admission requirement does not constitute a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program. (2) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors, shall adopt rules to implement this section for Florida College System institutions and shall develop substitute requirements where appropriate. (3) The Board of Governors, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall adopt regulations to implement this section for state universities and shall develop substitute requirements where appropriate.

F.S. 1007.271 Dual enrollment programs.

(1) The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree. A student who is enrolled in postsecondary instruction that is not creditable toward a high school diploma may not be classified as a dual enrollment student. (2) For the purpose of this section, an eligible secondary student is a student who is enrolled in any of grades 6 through 12 in a Florida public school or in a Florida private school that is in compliance with s. 1002.42(2) and provides a secondary curriculum pursuant to s. 1003.4282. Students who are eligible for dual enrollment pursuant to this section may enroll in dual enrollment courses conducted during school hours, after school hours, and during the summer term. However, if the student is projected to graduate from high school before the scheduled completion date of a postsecondary course, the student may not register for that course through dual enrollment. The student may apply to the postsecondary institution and pay the required registration, tuition, and fees if the student meets the postsecondary institution’s admissions requirements under s. 1007.263. Instructional time for dual enrollment may vary from 900 hours; however, the full-time equivalent student membership value shall be subject to the provisions in s. 1011.61(3). A student enrolled as a dual enrollment student is exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. Applied academics for adult education instruction, developmental education, and other forms of precollegiate instruction, as well as physical education courses that focus on the physical execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity, are ineligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment program. Recreation and leisure studies courses shall be evaluated individually in the same manner as physical education courses for potential inclusion in the program. (3) Student eligibility requirements for initial enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include a 3.0 unweighted high school grade point average and a demonstrated level of achievement of college-level communication and computation skills as provided under s. 1008.30(1) or (2). Student eligibility requirements for continued enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include the maintenance of a 3.0 unweighted high school grade point average and the minimum postsecondary grade point average established by the postsecondary institution. Regardless of meeting student eligibility requirements for continued enrollment, a student may lose the opportunity to participate in a dual enrollment course if the student is disruptive to the learning process such that the progress of other students or the efficient administration of the course is hindered. Student eligibility requirements for initial and continued enrollment in career certificate dual enrollment courses must include a 2.0 unweighted high school grade point average. Exceptions to the required grade point averages may be granted on an individual student basis if the educational entities agree and the terms of the agreement are contained within the dual enrollment articulation agreement established under subsection (21). Florida College System institution boards of trustees may establish additional initial student eligibility requirements, which shall be included in the dual enrollment articulation agreement, to ensure student readiness for postsecondary instruction. Additional requirements included in the agreement may not arbitrarily prohibit students who have demonstrated the ability to master advanced courses from participating in dual enrollment courses or limit the number of dual enrollment courses in which a student may enroll based solely upon enrollment by the student at an independent postsecondary institution. (4)(a) District school boards may not refuse to enter into a dual enrollment articulation agreement with a local Florida College System institution if that Florida College System institution has the capacity to offer dual enrollment courses. (b) District school boards must make reasonable efforts to enter into dual enrollment articulation agreements with a Florida College System institution that offers online dual enrollment courses. (5)(a) Each faculty member providing instruction in college credit dual enrollment courses must: 1. Meet the qualifications required by the entity accrediting the postsecondary institution offering the course. The qualifications apply to all faculty members regardless of the location of instruction. The postsecondary institution offering the course must require compliance with these qualifications. 2. Provide the institution offering the dual enrollment course a copy of his or her postsecondary transcript. 3. Provide a copy of the current syllabus for each course taught to the discipline chair or department chair of the postsecondary institution before the start of each term. The content of each syllabus must meet the same standards required for all college-level courses offered by that postsecondary institution. 4. Adhere to the professional rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the postsecondary institution’s faculty or adjunct faculty handbook. Any exceptions must be included in the dual enrollment articulation agreement. 5. Adhere to the rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the postsecondary institution’s student handbook which apply to faculty members. Any exceptions must be noted in the dual enrollment articulation agreement. (b) Each president, or designee, of a postsecondary institution offering a college credit dual enrollment course must: 1. Provide a copy of the institution’s current faculty or adjunct faculty handbook to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course. 2. Provide to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course a copy of the institution’s current student handbook, which may include, but is not limited to, information on registration policies, the student code of conduct, grading policies, and critical dates. 3. Designate an individual or individuals to observe all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course, regardless of the location of instruction. 4. Use the same criteria to evaluate faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course as the criteria used to evaluate all other faculty members. 5. Provide course plans and objectives to all faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course. (6) The following curriculum standards apply to college credit dual enrollment: (a) Dual enrollment courses taught on the high school campus must meet the same competencies required for courses taught on the postsecondary institution campus. To ensure equivalent rigor with courses taught on the postsecondary institution campus, the postsecondary institution offering the course is responsible for providing in a timely manner a comprehensive, cumulative end-of-course assessment or a series of assessments of all expected learning outcomes to the faculty member teaching the course. Completed, scored assessments must be returned to the postsecondary institution and held for 1 year. (b) Instructional materials used in dual enrollment courses must be the same as or comparable to those used in courses offered by the postsecondary institution with the same course prefix and number. The postsecondary institution must advise the school district of instructional materials requirements as soon as that information becomes available but no later than one term before a course is offered. (c) Course requirements, such as tests, papers, or other assignments, for dual enrollment students must be at the same level of rigor or depth as those for all nondual enrollment postsecondary students. All faculty members teaching dual enrollment courses must observe the procedures and deadlines of the postsecondary institution for the submission of grades. A postsecondary institution must advise each faculty member teaching a dual enrollment course of the institution’s grading guidelines before the faculty member begins teaching the course. (d) Dual enrollment courses taught on a high school campus may not be combined with any noncollege credit high school course. (7) Career dual enrollment shall be provided as a curricular option for secondary students to pursue in order to earn industry certifications adopted pursuant to s. 1008.44, which count as credits toward the high school diploma. Career dual enrollment shall be available for secondary students seeking a degree and industry certification through a career education program or course. Each career center established under s. 1001.44 shall enter into an agreement with each high school in any school district it serves. The agreement must be completed annually and submitted by the career center to the Department of Education by August 1. The agreement must: (a) Identify the courses and programs that are available to students through career dual enrollment and the clock hour credits that students will earn upon completion of each course and program. (b) Delineate the high school credit earned for the completion of each career dual enrollment course. (c) Identify any college credit articulation agreements associated with each clock hour program. (d) Describe how students and parents will be informed of career dual enrollment opportunities and related workforce demand, how students can apply to participate in a career dual enrollment program and register for courses through their high schools, and the postsecondary career education expectations for participating students. (e) Establish any additional eligibility requirements for participation and a process for determining eligibility and monitoring the progress of participating students. (f) Delineate costs incurred by each entity and determine how transportation will be provided for students who are unable to provide their own transportation and how students will be notified of such transportation. (g) Address scheduling changes that will increase access and student participation. (8) Each district school board shall inform all secondary students and their parents of dual enrollment as an educational option and mechanism for acceleration. Students and their parents shall be informed of student eligibility requirements, the option for taking dual enrollment courses beyond the regular school year, and the minimum academic credits required for graduation. District school boards shall annually assess the demand for dual enrollment and provide that information to each partnering postsecondary institution. Alternative grade calculation, weighting systems, and information regarding student education options that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are prohibited. (9) The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing public school, Florida College System institution, and university faculties to identify postsecondary courses that meet the high school graduation requirements of s. 1003.4282 and to establish the number of postsecondary semester credit hours of instruction and equivalent high school credits earned through dual enrollment pursuant to this section that are necessary to meet high school graduation requirements. Such equivalencies shall be determined solely on comparable course content and not on seat time traditionally allocated to such courses in high school. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the State Board of Education those postsecondary courses identified to meet high school graduation requirements, based on mastery of course outcomes, by their course numbers, and all high schools shall accept these postsecondary education courses toward meeting the requirements of s. 1003.4282. (10) Early admission is a form of dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll in a postsecondary institution on a full-time basis in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the associate or baccalaureate degree. A student must enroll in a minimum of 12 college credit hours per semester or the equivalent to participate in the early admission program; however, a student may not be required to enroll in more than 15 college credit hours per semester or the equivalent. Students enrolled pursuant to this subsection are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. (11) Career early admission is a form of career dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll full time in a career center or a Florida College System institution in postsecondary programs leading to industry certifications, as listed in the CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to s. 1008.44, which are creditable toward the high school diploma and the certificate or associate degree. Participation in the career early admission program is limited to students who have completed a minimum of 4 semesters of full-time secondary enrollment, including studies undertaken in the ninth grade. Students enrolled pursuant to this section are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. (12) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for any dual enrollment programs involving requirements for high school graduation. (13)(a) The dual enrollment program for a home education student, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities, consists of the enrollment of an eligible home education secondary student in a postsecondary course creditable toward an associate degree, a career certificate, or a baccalaureate degree. To participate in the dual enrollment program, an eligible home education secondary student must: 1. Provide proof of enrollment in a home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41. 2. Be responsible for his or her own transportation unless provided for in the articulation agreement. 3. Sign a home education articulation agreement pursuant to paragraph (b). (b) Each public postsecondary institution eligible to participate in the dual enrollment program pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(i) must enter into a home education articulation agreement with each home education student seeking enrollment in a dual enrollment course and the student’s parent. By August 1 of each year, the eligible postsecondary institution shall complete and submit the home education articulation agreement to the Department of Education. The home education articulation agreement must include, at a minimum: 1. A delineation of courses and programs available to dually enrolled home education students. Courses and programs may be added, revised, or deleted at any time by the postsecondary institution. Any course or program limitations may not exceed the limitations for other dually enrolled students. 2. The initial and continued eligibility requirements for home education student participation, not to exceed those required of other dually enrolled students. A high school grade point average may not be required for home education students who demonstrate achievement of college-level communication and computation skills as provided under s. 1008.30(1) or (2); however, home education student eligibility requirements for continued enrollment in dual enrollment courses must include the maintenance of the minimum postsecondary grade point average established by the postsecondary institution. 3. The student’s responsibilities for providing his or her own transportation. 4. A copy of the statement on transfer guarantees developed by the Department of Education under subsection (15). (14) The Department of Education shall approve any course for inclusion in the dual enrollment program that is age and developmentally appropriate and contained within the statewide course numbering system. However, developmental education and physical education and other courses that focus on the physical execution of a skill rather than the intellectual attributes of the activity, may not be so approved but must be evaluated individually for potential inclusion in the dual enrollment program. This subsection may not be construed to mean that an independent postsecondary institution eligible for inclusion in a dual enrollment or early admission program pursuant to s. 1011.62 must participate in the statewide course numbering system developed pursuant to s. 1007.24 to participate in a dual enrollment program. (15) The Department of Education shall develop a statement on transfer guarantees to inform students and their parents, prior to enrollment in a dual enrollment course, of the potential for the dual enrollment course to articulate as an elective or a general education course into a postsecondary education certificate or degree program. The statement shall be provided to each district school superintendent, who shall include the statement in the information provided to all secondary students and their parents as required pursuant to this subsection. The statement may also include additional information, including, but not limited to, dual enrollment options, guarantees, privileges, and responsibilities. (16) Students who meet the eligibility requirements of this section and who choose to participate in dual enrollment programs are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees. (17) Instructional materials assigned for use within dual enrollment courses shall be made available to dual enrollment students free of charge. A postsecondary institution may not require payment for instructional materials costs eligible for reimbursement under s. 1009.30. Instructional materials purchased by a district school board or Florida College System institution board of trustees on behalf of dual enrollment students shall be the property of the board against which the purchase is charged. (18) School districts and Florida College System institutions must weigh dual enrollment courses the same as advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced International Certificate of Education courses when grade point averages are calculated. Alternative grade calculation systems, alternative grade weighting systems, and information regarding student education options that discriminate against dual enrollment courses are prohibited. (19) The Commissioner of Education may approve dual enrollment agreements for limited course offerings that have statewide appeal. Such programs shall be limited to a single site with multiple county participation. (20) A postsecondary institution shall assign letter grades to each student enrolled in a dual enrollment course. The letter grade assigned by the postsecondary institution shall be posted to the student’s high school transcript by the school district. (21) Each district school superintendent and each public postsecondary institution president shall develop a comprehensive dual enrollment articulation agreement for the respective school district and postsecondary institution. The superintendent and president shall establish an articulation committee for the purpose of developing the agreement. Each state university president may designate a university representative to participate in the development of a dual enrollment articulation agreement. A dual enrollment articulation agreement shall be completed and submitted annually by the postsecondary institution to the Department of Education on or before August 1. The agreement must include, but is not limited to: (a) A ratification or modification of all existing articulation agreements. (b) A description of the process by which students and their parents are informed about opportunities for student participation in the dual enrollment program. (c) A delineation of courses and programs available to students eligible to participate in dual enrollment. (d) A description of the process by which students and their parents exercise options to participate in the dual enrollment program. (e) A list of any additional initial student eligibility requirements for participation in the dual enrollment program. (f) A delineation of the high school credit earned for the passage of each dual enrollment course. (g) A description of the process for informing students and their parents of college-level course expectations. (h) The policies and procedures, if any, for determining exceptions to the required grade point averages on an individual student basis. (i) The registration policies for dual enrollment courses as determined by the postsecondary institution. (j) Exceptions, if any, to the professional rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the faculty or adjunct faculty handbook for the postsecondary institution. (k) Exceptions, if any, to the rules, guidelines, and expectations stated in the student handbook of the postsecondary institution which apply to faculty members. (l) The responsibilities of the school district regarding the determination of student eligibility before participating in the dual enrollment program and the monitoring of student performance while participating in the dual enrollment program. (m) The responsibilities of the postsecondary institution regarding the transmission of student grades in dual enrollment courses to the school district. (n) A funding provision that delineates costs incurred by each entity. 1. School districts shall pay public postsecondary institutions the standard tuition rate per credit hour from funds provided in the Florida Education Finance Program when dual enrollment course instruction takes place on the postsecondary institution’s campus and the course is taken during the fall or spring term. When dual enrollment is provided on the high school site by postsecondary institution faculty, the school district shall reimburse the costs associated with the postsecondary institution’s proportion of salary and benefits to provide the instruction. When dual enrollment course instruction is provided on the high school site by school district faculty, the school district is not responsible for payment to the postsecondary institution. A postsecondary institution may enter into an agreement with the school district to authorize teachers to teach dual enrollment courses at the high school site or the postsecondary institution. A school district may not deny a student access to dual enrollment unless the student is ineligible to participate in the program subject to provisions specifically outlined in this section. 2. School districts shall pay for the cost of instructional materials for public high school students who are earning credit toward high school graduation under the dual enrollment program. 3. Subject to annual appropriation in the General Appropriations Act, a public postsecondary institution shall receive an amount of funding equivalent to the standard tuition rate per credit hour for each dual enrollment course taken by a student during the summer term. (o) Any institutional responsibilities for student transportation, if provided. (p) Any scheduling changes that are necessary to increase access and student participation. (22) The Department of Education shall develop an electronic submission system for dual enrollment articulation agreements and shall review, for compliance, each dual enrollment articulation agreement submitted pursuant to subsections (13), (21), and (24). The Commissioner of Education shall notify the district school superintendent and the Florida College System institution president if the dual enrollment articulation agreement does not comply with statutory requirements and shall submit any dual enrollment articulation agreement with unresolved issues of noncompliance to the State Board of Education. (23) District school boards and Florida College System institutions may enter into additional dual enrollment articulation agreements with state universities for the purposes of this section. School districts may also enter into dual enrollment articulation agreements with eligible independent colleges and universities pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(i). By August 1 of each year, the district school board and the Florida College System institution shall complete and submit the dual enrollment articulation agreement with the state university or an eligible independent college or university, as applicable, to the Department of Education. (24)(a) The dual enrollment program for a private school student consists of the enrollment of an eligible private school student in a postsecondary course creditable toward an associate degree, a career certificate, or a baccalaureate degree. In addition, a private school in which a student, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities, is enrolled must award credit toward high school completion for the postsecondary course under the dual enrollment program. To participate in the dual enrollment program, an eligible private school student must: 1. Provide proof of enrollment in a private school pursuant to subsection (2). 2. Be responsible for his or her own transportation unless provided for in the articulation agreement. 3. Sign a private school articulation agreement pursuant to paragraph (b). (b) Each public postsecondary institution eligible to participate in the dual enrollment program pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(i) must enter into a private school articulation agreement with each eligible private school in its geographic service area seeking to offer dual enrollment courses to its students, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities. By August 1 of each year, the eligible postsecondary institution shall complete and submit the private school articulation agreement to the Department of Education. The private school articulation agreement must include, at a minimum: 1. A delineation of courses and programs available to the private school student. The postsecondary institution may add, revise, or delete courses and programs at any time. 2. The initial and continued eligibility requirements for private school student participation, not to exceed those required of other dual enrollment students. 3. The student’s responsibilities for providing his or her own transportation. 4. A provision clarifying that the private school will award appropriate credit toward high school completion for the postsecondary course under the dual enrollment program. 5. A provision expressing that costs associated with tuition and fees, including registration, and laboratory fees, will not be passed along to the student. (25) For students with disabilities, a postsecondary institution eligible to participate in dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(i) shall include in its dual enrollment articulation agreement, services and resources that are available to students with disabilities who register in a dual enrollment course at the eligible institution and provide information regarding such services and resources to the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities. The Department of Education shall provide to the center the Internet website link to dual enrollment articulation agreements specific to students with disabilities. The center shall include in the information that it is responsible for disseminating to students with disabilities and their parents pursuant to s. 1004.6495, dual enrollment articulation agreements and opportunities for meaningful campus experience through dual enrollment.

F.S. 1007.273 Early college program.

(1) Each Florida College System institution shall work with each district school board in its designated service area to establish one or more early college programs. As used in this section, the term “early college program” means a structured high school acceleration program in which a cohort of students is enrolled full time in postsecondary courses toward an associate degree. The early college program must prioritize courses applicable as general education core courses under s. 1007.25 for an associate degree or a baccalaureate degree. (2) Each district school board and its local Florida College System institution shall execute a contract to establish one or more early college programs at a mutually agreed upon location or locations. If the institution does not establish a program with a district school board in its designated service area, another Florida College System institution may execute a contract with that district school board to establish the program. The contract must be executed by January 1 of each school year for implementation of the program during the next school year. The contract must: (a) Identify the grade levels to be included in the early college program. (b) Describe the early college program, including the delineation of courses offered, including online course availability; the high school and college credits earned for each postsecondary course completed; student eligibility criteria; and the enrollment process and relevant deadlines. (c) Describe the methods, medium, and process by which students and their parents are annually informed about the availability of the early college program, the return on investment associated with participation in the program, and the information described in paragraphs (a) and (b). (d) Identify the delivery methods for instruction and the instructors for all courses. (e) Identify student advising services and progress monitoring mechanisms. (f) Establish a program review and reporting mechanism regarding student performance outcomes. (g) Describe the terms of funding arrangements to implement the early college program. (3) Each student participating in an early college program must enter into a student performance contract which must be signed by the student, the parent, and a representative of the school district and the applicable Florida College System institution, state university, or other institution participating pursuant to subsection (4). The performance contract must include the schedule of courses, by semester; student attendance requirements; and course grade requirements. (4) In addition to executing a contract with the local Florida College System institution under this section, a district school board may execute a contract to establish an early college program with a state university or an institution that is eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education Grant Program, that is a nonprofit independent college or university located and chartered in this state, and that is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to grant baccalaureate degrees. Such university or institution must meet the requirements specified under subsections (2) and (3). (5) A charter school may execute a contract directly with the local Florida College System institution or another institution as authorized under this section to establish an early college program at a mutually agreed upon location. (6) The early college program must be funded pursuant to ss. 1007.271 and 1011.62. The State Board of Education shall enforce compliance with this section by withholding the transfer of funds for the school districts and the Florida College System institutions in accordance with s. 1008.32.

F.S. 1007.331 Site-determined associate in applied science and associate in science degree access.

(1) Any career center that offers one or more associate in applied science or associate in science degree programs must maintain an open-door admission policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education programs. (2) A career center may not terminate its existing programs as a result of being authorized to offer one or more associate in applied science or associate in science degree programs. (3) A career center may: (a) Offer associate in applied science or associate in science degree programs through formal agreements between the local Florida College System institution and other accredited postsecondary educational institutions pursuant to s. 1007.22. (b) Establish an associate in applied science or associate in science degree program for purposes of meeting district, regional, or statewide workforce needs if approved by the State Board of Education under this section, beginning July 1, 2024. (4) The approval process for associate in applied science or associate in science degree programs must require: (a) Each career center to submit a notice of its intent to propose an associate in applied science or associate in science degree program to the Division of Career and Adult Education at least 100 days before the submission of its proposal under paragraph (d). The notice must include a brief description of the program, the workforce demand and unmet need for graduates of the program to include evidence from entities independent of the institution, the geographic region to be served, and an estimated timeframe for implementation. Notices of intent may be submitted by a career center at any time throughout the year. The notice must also include evidence that the career center engaged in need, demand, and impact discussions with one or more Florida College System institutions and other accredited postsecondary education providers in its service district. (b) The Division of Career and Adult Education to forward the notice of intent to the Chancellor of the Florida College System within 10 business days after receiving such notice. State colleges shall have 60 days following receipt of the notice by the Chancellor of the Florida College System to submit objections to the proposed new program or submit an alternative proposal to offer the associate in applied science or associate in science degree program. Objections or alternative proposals must be submitted to the Division of Career and Adult Education and must be considered by the State Board of Education in making its decision to approve or deny a career center’s proposal. (c) An alternative proposal submitted by a Florida College System institution or private college to address all of the following: 1. The extent to which the workforce demand and unmet need described in the notice of intent will be met. 2. The extent to which students will be able to complete the degree in the geographic region proposed to be served by the career center. 3. The level of financial commitment of the Florida College System institution to the development, implementation, and maintenance of the specified degree program, including timelines. 4. The extent to which faculty at both the career center and the Florida College System institution will collaborate in the development and offering of the curriculum. 5. The ability of the career center and the Florida College System institution to develop and approve the curriculum for the specified degree program within 6 months after an agreement between the career center and Florida College System institution is signed. 6. The extent to which the student may incur additional costs above what the student would expect to incur if the program were offered by the career center. (d) Each proposal submitted by a career center to, at a minimum, include all of the following: 1. A description of the planning process and timeline for implementation. 2. An analysis of workforce demand and unmet need for graduates of the program on a district, regional, or statewide basis, as appropriate, including evidence from entities independent of the institution. 3. Identification of the facilities, equipment, and library and academic resources that will be used to deliver the program. 4. The program cost analysis of creating a new associate in applied science or associate in science degree when compared to alternative proposals and other program delivery options. 5. The program’s admission requirements, academic content, curriculum, faculty credentials, student-to-teacher ratios, and accreditation plan. 6. The program’s enrollment projections and funding requirements. 7. A plan of action if the program is terminated. (e) The Division of Career and Adult Education to review the proposal, notify the career center in writing of any deficiencies within 30 days following receipt of the proposal, and provide the career center with an opportunity to correct the deficiencies. Within 45 days following receipt of a completed proposal by the Division of Career and Adult Education, the Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or disapproval of the proposal to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider such recommendation, the proposal, and any objections or alternative proposals at its next meeting. If the State Board of Education rejects the career center’s proposal, it must provide the career center with written reasons for that determination. (f) The career center to obtain from the Council on Occupational Education accreditation as an associate in applied science or associate in science degree-granting institution if approved by the State Board of Education to offer its first associate in applied science or associate in science degree program. (g) The career center to notify the Council on Occupational Education of any subsequent degree programs that are approved by the State Board of Education and to comply with the council’s required substantive change protocols for accreditation purposes. (h) The career center to annually, and upon request of the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, the Chancellor of the Division of Career and Adult Education, or the Legislature, report its status using the following performance and compliance indicators: 1. Obtaining and maintaining Council on Occupational Education accreditation; 2. Maintaining qualified faculty and institutional resources; 3. Maintaining enrollment in previously approved programs; 4. Managing fiscal resources appropriately; 5. Complying with the primary mission and responsibility requirements in subsections (2) and (3); and 6. Other indicators of success, including program completions, placements, and surveys of graduates and employers. The State Board of Education may, upon review of the performance and compliance indicators, require a career center to modify or terminate an associate in applied science or associate in science degree program authorized under this section. (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to prescribe format and content requirements and submission procedures for notices of intent, proposals, alternative proposals, and compliance reviews under subsection (4).

F.S. 1007.2615 American Sign Language; findings; foreign-language credits authorized; teacher licensing.

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE. — (a) The Legislature finds that: 1. American Sign Language (ASL) is a fully developed visual-gestural language with distinct grammar, syntax, and symbols and is one of hundreds of signed languages of the world. 2. ASL is recognized as the language of the American deaf community and is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States and Canada. 3. The American deaf community is a group of citizens who are members of a unique culture who share ASL as their common language. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize ASL as the language of the American deaf community, to authorize public and independent schools to offer ASL as a course of study, and to accept secondary-school ASL credits as foreign-language credits. (2) AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE; FOREIGN-LANGUAGE CREDIT. — (a) American Sign Language is a visual-gestural system of communication used by many in the deaf community living in the United States and Canada. It is a complete and complex language that has its own syntax, rhetoric, and grammar and that is used to convey information and meaning through signs made with the hands, arms, facial gestures, and other body movements. (b) Any public or independent school may offer American Sign Language for foreign-language credit. Students taking American Sign Language for foreign-language credit must be advised by the school board prior to enrollment in such course that state universities and postsecondary institutions outside of Florida may not accept such credits as satisfying foreign-language requirements. (3) DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AND STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; LICENSING OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS; PLAN FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROVIDERS. — (a) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules establishing licensing/certification standards to be applied to teachers who teach American Sign Language (ASL) as part of a school curriculum. (b) An ASL teacher must be certified by the Department of Education. (c) The Commissioner of Education shall work with providers of postsecondary education, except for state universities, to develop and implement a plan to ensure that these institutions in this state will accept secondary school credits in ASL as credits in a foreign language and to encourage postsecondary institutions to offer ASL courses to students as a fulfillment of the requirement for studying a foreign language.

F.S. 1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.

(1) For the purposes of this section, the term “computer science” means the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, hardware and software designs, applications, and their impact on society, and includes computer coding and computer programming. (2)(a) Public schools shall provide students in grades K-12 opportunities for learning computer science, including, but not limited to, computer coding and computer programming. Such opportunities may include coding instruction in elementary school and middle school and instruction to develop students’ computer usage and digital literacy skills in middle school, and must include courses in computer science in middle school and high school, including earning-related industry certifications. Such courses must be integrated into each school district’s middle and high schools, including combination schools in which any of grades 6 through 12 are taught. (b) Computer science courses must be identified in the Course Code Directory and published on the Department of Education’s website no later than July 1, 2018. Additional computer science courses may be subsequently identified and posted on the department’s website. (3) The Florida Virtual School shall offer computer science courses identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b). If a school district does not offer an identified course, the district must provide students access to the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other means. (4)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a school district or a consortium of school districts may apply to the department, in a format prescribed by the department, for funding to deliver or facilitate training for classroom teachers to earn an educator certificate in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56, or training that leads to an industry certification associated with a course identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), or for professional learning for classroom teachers to provide instruction in computer science courses and content. Such funding shall only be used to provide training for classroom teachers, or to pay fees for examinations that lead to a credential, or to provide professional learning, pursuant to this paragraph. (b) Once the department has identified courses in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), the department shall establish a deadline for submitting applications. The department shall award funding to school districts in a manner that allows for an equitable distribution of funding statewide based on student population. (5) Elementary schools and middle schools may establish digital classrooms in which students are provided opportunities to improve digital literacy and competency; to learn digital skills, such as coding, multiple media presentation, and the manipulation of multiple digital graphic images; and to earn digital tool certificates and certifications pursuant to s. 1003.4203 and grade-appropriate, technology-related industry certifications. (6) High school students must be provided opportunities to take computer science courses and earn technology-related industry certifications to satisfy high school graduation requirements as provided in s. 1003.4282(3). Computer science courses and technology-related industry certifications that are identified as eligible for meeting mathematics or science requirements for high school graduation must be included in the Course Code Directory. (7) Subject to legislative appropriation, a classroom teacher who was evaluated as effective or highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the previous school year or who is newly hired by the district school board and has not been evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34 must receive a bonus as follows: (a) If the classroom teacher holds an educator certificate in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or if he or she has passed the computer science subject area examination and holds an adjunct certificate issued by a school district pursuant to s. 1012.57, he or she shall receive a bonus of $1,000 after each year the individual completes teaching a computer science course identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b) at a public middle, high, or combination school in the state, for up to 3 years. (b) If the classroom teacher holds an industry certification associated with a course identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), he or she shall receive a bonus of $500 after each year the individual completes teaching the identified course at a public middle, high, or combination school in the state, for up to 3 years. A school district shall report a qualifying classroom teacher to the department by a date and in a format established by the department. An eligible classroom teacher shall receive his or her bonus upon completion of the school year in which he or she taught the course. A teacher may not receive more than one bonus per year under this subsection. (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section.
Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter1007/AllFetched: 7/8/2026