Senate Bill 1168 (2023) — Certificates of completion
SB 1168
Florida Bills
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 By Senator Calatayud 38-01831A-23 20231168__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to certificates of completion; 2 amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; prohibiting the award of 3 certificates of completion after a specified date; 4 requiring certain students to remain in high school to 5 receive special instruction to remedy certain 6 deficiencies beginning on a specified date; amending 7 ss. 1002.394, 1003.433, and 1007.263, F.S.; conforming 8 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 9 effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13
Section 1. Paragraph (
c) of subsection (6) and paragraphs 14 (
a) and (
d) of subsection (9) of
section 1003.4282, Florida 15 Statutes, are amended to read: 16 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.— 17
(6) AWARD OF A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.— 18 (c)1.
A student who earns the required 24 credits, or the 19 required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), but fails to pass the 20 assessments required under s. 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA 21 before July 1, 2023, shall be awarded a certificate of 22 completion in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 23 However, a student who is otherwise entitled to a certificate of 24 completion may elect to remain in high school either as a full-25 time student or a part-time student for up to 1 additional year 26 and receive special instruction designed to remedy his or her 27 identified deficiencies.
This subparagraph expires on July 1, 28 2023. 29
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 38-01831A-23 20231168__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 2. Beginning July 1, 2023, a student who earns the required 30 24 credits, or the required 18 credits under s. 1002.3105(5), 31 but fails to pass the statewide assessments required under s. 32 1008.22(3) or achieve a 2.0 GPA shall elect to remain in high 33 school either as a full-time student or a part-time student for 34 up to 1 additional year and receive special instruction designed 35 to remedy his or her identified deficiencies. 36
(9) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.—Beginning with students 37 entering grade 9 in the 2014-2015 school year, this subsection 38 applies to a student with a disability. 39 (
a) A parent of the student with a disability shall, in 40 collaboration with the individual education plan (IEP) team 41 during the transition planning process pursuant to s. 1003.5716, 42 declare an intent for the student to graduate from high school 43 with either a standard high school diploma or a certificate of 44 completion. A student with a disability who does not satisfy the 45 standard high school diploma requirements pursuant to this 46
section shall be awarded a certificate of completion. 47 (
d) A student with a disability who received receives a 48 certificate of completion before July 1, 2023, and has an 49 individual education plan that prescribes special education, 50 transition planning, transition services, or related services 51 through 21 years of age may continue to receive the specified 52 instruction and services. 53 54 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 55 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this subsection, including 56 rules that establish the minimum requirements for students 57 described in this subsection to earn a standard high school 58
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 38-01831A-23 20231168__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. diploma. The State Board of Education shall adopt emergency 59 rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54. 60
Section 2. Subsection (16) of
section 1002.394, Florida 61 Statutes, is amended to read: 62 1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program.— 63
(16) TRANSITION-TO-WORK PROGRAM.—A student with a 64 disability who is determined eligible pursuant to paragraph 65 (3)(
b) who is at least 17 years, but not older than 22 years of 66 age and who has not received a high school diploma or 67 certificate of completion is eligible for enrollment in his or 68 her private school’s transition-to-work program. A transition-69 to-work program shall consist of academic instruction, work 70 skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience. 71 (
a) To offer a transition-to-work program, a participating 72 private school must: 73 1. Develop a transition-to-work program plan, which must 74 include a written description of the academic instruction and 75 work skills training students will receive and the goals for 76 students in the program. 77 2. Submit the transition-to-work program plan to the Office 78 of Independent Education and Parental Choice. 79 3. Develop a personalized transition-to-work program plan 80 for each student enrolled in the program. The student’s parent, 81 the student, and the school principal must sign the personalized 82 plan.
The personalized plan must be submitted to the Office of 83 Independent Education and Parental Choice upon request by the 84 office. 85 4. Provide a release of liability form that must be signed 86 by the student’s parent, the student, and a representative of 87
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 38-01831A-23 20231168__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the business offering the volunteer or paid work experience. 88 5. Assign a case manager or job coach to visit the 89 student’s job site on a weekly basis to observe the student and, 90 if necessary, provide support and guidance to the student. 91 6. Provide to the parent and student a quarterly report 92 that documents and explains the student’s progress and 93 performance in the program. 94 7. Maintain accurate attendance and performance records for 95 the student. 96 (
b) A student enrolled in a transition-to-work program 97 must, at a minimum: 98 1. Receive 15 instructional hours at the private school’s 99 physical facility, which must include academic instruction and 100 work skills training. 101 2. Participate in 10 hours of work at the student’s 102 volunteer or paid work experience. 103 (
c) To participate in a transition-to-work program, a 104 business must: 105 1. Maintain an accurate record of the student’s performance 106 and hours worked and provide the information to the private 107 school. 108 2. Comply with all state and federal child labor laws. 109
Section 3. Paragraph (
b) of subsection (2) of
section 110 1003.433, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 111 1003.433 Learning opportunities for out-of-state and out-112 of-country transfer students and students needing additional 113 instruction to meet high school graduation requirements.— 114
(2) Students who earn the required 24 credits for the 115 standard high school diploma except for passage of any must-pass 116
Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1168 38-01831A-23 20231168__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. assessment under s. 1003.4282 or s. 1008.22 or an alternate 117 assessment by the end of grade 12 must be provided the following 118 learning opportunities: 119 (
b) For students who earned Upon receipt of a certificate 120 of completion before July 1, 2023, be allowed to take the 121 College Placement Test and be admitted to developmental 122 education or credit courses at a Florida College System 123 institution, as appropriate. 124
Section 4. Subsection (4) of
section 1007.263, Florida 125 Statutes, is amended to read: 126 1007.263 Florida College System institutions; admissions of 127 students.—Each Florida College System institution board of 128 trustees is authorized to adopt rules governing admissions of 129 students subject to this
section and rules of the State Board of 130 Education. These rules shall include the following: 131
(4) A student who has been awarded a certificate of 132 completion under s. 1003.4282 before July 1, 2023, is eligible 133 to enroll in certificate career education programs. 134 135 Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify 136 students about developmental education options for improving 137 their communication or computation skills that are essential to 138 performing college-level work, including tutoring, extended time 139 in gateway courses, free online courses, adult basic education, 140 adult secondary education, or private provider instruction. 141