Bill Text: FL S1316 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Civic Education
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education [S1316 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S1316-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Civic Education
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education [S1316 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S1316-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1316
By Senator Brandes
24-01527-19 20191316__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to civic education; providing a short
3 title; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the
4 requirements for a standard high school diploma to
5 include a specified course; providing requirements for
6 such course; creating s. 1003.4321, F.S.; establishing
7 the Florida Seal of Civic Engagement Program;
8 providing the purpose of the program; requiring the
9 State Board of Education to establish criteria for
10 awarding the seal; providing requirements for such
11 criteria; providing duties of the Commissioner of
12 Education and school districts; prohibiting a school
13 district or the Department of Education from charging
14 a fee for the seal; requiring the state board to adopt
15 rules; amending s. 1003.497, F.S.; providing that a
16 nonpartisan civic literacy project may be included in
17 service-learning programs, activities, or policies;
18 creating s. 1003.4971, F.S.; authorizing certain
19 students to complete a nonpartisan civic literacy
20 project; requiring the state board to develop the
21 minimum criteria for such project and a process to
22 confirm completion; providing requirements for such
23 criteria and for nonpartisan civic literacy projects;
24 prohibiting a student from receiving remuneration for
25 specified purposes; authorizing the hours devoted to
26 such project to be used for specified purposes;
27 authorizing a school to integrate a nonpartisan civic
28 literacy project into a service-learning program or
29 activity; requiring the state board to adopt rules;
30 creating s. 1003.632, F.S.; providing a purpose;
31 requiring the state board to annually designate public
32 schools that meet specified criteria as Democracy
33 Schools; requiring the state board to establish the
34 criteria for designation as a Democracy School;
35 providing requirements for such criteria; requiring
36 the state board to adopt rules; amending s. 1007.25,
37 F.S.; providing that earning the Seal of Civic
38 Engagement demonstrates competency in civic literacy
39 for specified purposes; providing membership
40 requirements for a specified faculty committee;
41 amending s. 1008.34, F.S.; revising school grade
42 components to include students who complete a
43 specified course with a grade of “B” or higher;
44 providing a weighted calculation for schools
45 designated as a Democracy School; providing an
46 effective date.
47
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
49
50 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
51 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
52 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
53 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
54 REQUIREMENTS.—
55 (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn
56 one credit in United States History; one credit in World
57 History; one-half credit in economics, which must include
58 financial literacy; and one-half credit in United States
59 Government or, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the
60 2020-2021 school year, one-half credit in United States
61 Government and Civic Engagement. The United States History EOC
62 assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course
63 grade. The one-half credit in United States Government and Civic
64 Engagement must include an individual or group nonpartisan civic
65 literacy project pursuant to s. 1003.4971 as a laboratory
66 component. The state board shall approve and identify in the
67 Course Code Directory the United States Government and Civic
68 Engagement course. Such course may be offered as a semester
69 course or a year-long course.
70 Section 2. Section 1003.4321, Florida Statutes, is created
71 to read:
72 1003.4321 Florida Seal of Civic Engagement Program.—
73 (1) The Florida Seal of Civic Engagement Program is
74 established to recognize each high school graduate who has
75 attained a high level of community involvement and academic
76 achievement in civics.
77 (2) The purpose of the Florida Seal of Civic Engagement
78 Program is to encourage students to understand the basic
79 principles of American democracy and to foster a sense of
80 citizenship and community involvement.
81 (3) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the Seal of
82 Civic Engagement shall be awarded to a high school student who
83 earns a standard high school diploma and who meets the
84 requirements established by the State Board of Education. In
85 establishing the criteria for awarding the Seal of Civic
86 Engagement, the state board shall include all of the following:
87 (a) Completion of the United States Government and Civic
88 Engagement course with a grade of “B” or higher.
89 (b) Community service or extracurricular activities that
90 are related to civic engagement.
91 (c) Additional academic achievement in courses that include
92 the study of civics and the United States Government.
93 (4) The Commissioner of Education shall:
94 (a) Prepare and provide to each school district an
95 appropriate insignia to affix to a student’s diploma indicating
96 that the student has been awarded the Seal of Civic Engagement.
97 (b) Provide information necessary for school districts to
98 successfully implement the program.
99 (5) Each school district shall:
100 (a) Maintain appropriate records to identify students who
101 have met the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic
102 Engagement.
103 (b) Provide the commissioner with the number of students
104 who have met the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic
105 Engagement.
106 (c) Affix the appropriate insignia to the student’s diploma
107 and indicate on the student’s transcript that the student has
108 earned the Seal of Civic Engagement.
109 (6) A school district or the Department of Education may
110 not charge a fee for the Seal of Civic Engagement.
111 (7) The state board shall adopt rules to implement this
112 section. Such rules must, at a minimum, include all of the
113 following:
114 (a) The requirements a student must meet to be awarded the
115 Seal of Civic Engagement.
116 (b) A process to confirm a student’s successful completion
117 of the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic Engagement.
118 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 1003.497, Florida
119 Statutes, is amended to read:
120 1003.497 Service learning.—
121 (1) The Department of Education shall encourage school
122 districts to initiate, adopt, expand, and institutionalize
123 service-learning programs, activities, and policies in
124 kindergarten through grade 12, including nonpartisan civic
125 literacy projects under s. 1003.4971. Service learning refers to
126 a student-centered, research-based teaching and learning
127 strategy that engages students in meaningful service activities
128 in their schools or communities. Service-learning activities are
129 directly tied to academic curricula, standards, and course,
130 district, or state assessments. Service-learning activities
131 foster academic achievement, character development, civic
132 engagement, and career exploration and enable students to apply
133 curriculum content, skills, and behaviors taught in the
134 classroom.
135 Section 4. Section 1003.4971, Florida Statutes, is created
136 to read:
137 1003.4971 Nonpartisan Civic Literacy Projects.—
138 (1) Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2020
139 2021 school year, students shall complete a nonpartisan civic
140 literacy project as the laboratory component of the United
141 States Government and Civic Engagement course offered under s.
142 1003.4282. The State Board of Education shall develop the
143 minimum criteria for a nonpartisan civic literacy project and a
144 process for a district school board to confirm a student’s
145 completion of the project. The criteria for nonpartisan civic
146 literacy projects must, at a minimum, require a student to:
147 (a) Identify a civic issue that impacts his or her
148 community.
149 (b) Rigorously research the issue from multiple
150 perspectives and develop a plan for his or her personal
151 involvement in addressing the issue.
152 (c) Create a portfolio to evaluate and reflect upon his or
153 her experience and the outcomes of his or her involvement.
154 (2)(a) A nonpartisan civic literacy project must be
155 nonpartisan in nature and focus on addressing at least one
156 community issue.
157 (b) A nonpartisan civic literacy project must promote a
158 student’s ability to consider differing points of view and
159 engage in civil discourse with individuals who hold an opposing
160 opinion.
161 (c) A student may not receive remuneration for his or her
162 work relating to the nonpartisan civic literacy project.
163 (d) The hours that a high school student devotes to a
164 nonpartisan civic literacy project may be counted toward meeting
165 community service requirements for high school graduation and
166 community service requirements for participation in the Florida
167 Bright Futures Scholarship Program. School districts are
168 encouraged to include and accept nonpartisan civic literacy
169 project activities and hours in requirements for academic
170 awards, especially those awards that currently include community
171 service as a criterion or selection factor.
172 (3) The state board shall adopt rules to administer this
173 section.
174 Section 5. Section 1003.632, Florida Statutes, is created
175 to read:
176 1003.632 Democracy Schools.—The purpose of this section is
177 to recognize each public school in the state that demonstrates a
178 commitment to integrating high-quality civic learning, including
179 civic-engagement skills, into its academic curricula.
180 (1) The State Board of Education shall annually designate
181 each public school in the state that provides students with
182 high-quality civic learning, including civic-engagement skills,
183 as a Democracy School.
184 (2) The state board shall establish the criteria for
185 designation as a Democracy School. The criteria must include all
186 of the following:
187 (a) Offering the United States Government and Civic
188 Engagement course as a year-long course.
189 (b) The extent to which strategies to develop high-quality
190 civic learning, including civic-engagement skills, are
191 integrated into the classroom using best instructional
192 practices.
193 (c) The scope of integration of high-quality civic
194 learning, including civic-engagement skills, across the school’s
195 curricula.
196 (d) The extent to which school administrators and
197 instructional personnel have made high-quality civic learning,
198 including civic-engagement skills, an instructional priority.
199 (e) The extent to which the school supports
200 interdisciplinary, teacher-led professional learning communities
201 to support continuous improvement in instruction and student
202 achievement.
203 (3) The state board shall adopt rules to administer this
204 section.
205 Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 1007.25, Florida
206 Statutes, is amended to read:
207 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
208 other degree requirements.—
209 (4) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
210 College System institution or state university in the 2018-2019
211 school year and thereafter, each student must demonstrate
212 competency in civic literacy. Students must have the option to
213 demonstrate competency through successful completion of a civic
214 literacy course, or by achieving a passing score on an
215 assessment, or, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, by
216 earning the Seal of Civic Engagement pursuant to s. 1003.4321.
217 The State Board of Education must adopt in rule and the Board of
218 Governors must adopt in regulation at least one existing
219 assessment that measures competencies consistent with the
220 required course competencies outlined in paragraph (b). The
221 chair of the State Board of Education and the chair of the Board
222 of Governors, or their respective designees, shall jointly
223 appoint a faculty committee, representing faculty from public
224 postsecondary educational institutions located in counties of
225 varying size and demographic makeup, to:
226 (a) Develop a new course in civic literacy or revise an
227 existing general education core course in American History or
228 American Government to include civic literacy.
229 (b) Establish course competencies and identify outcomes
230 that include, at a minimum, an understanding of the basic
231 principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our
232 republican form of government, an understanding of the United
233 States Constitution, knowledge of the founding documents and how
234 they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of
235 self-governance, and an understanding of landmark Supreme Court
236 cases and their impact on law and society.
237 Section 7. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
238 1008.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
239 1008.34 School grading system; school report cards;
240 district grade.—
241 (3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.—
242 (b)1. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, a school’s
243 grade shall be based on the following components, each worth 100
244 points:
245 a. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
246 standardized assessments in English Language Arts under s.
247 1008.22(3).
248 b. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
249 standardized assessments in mathematics under s. 1008.22(3).
250 c. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
251 standardized assessments in science under s. 1008.22(3).
252 d. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
253 standardized assessments in social studies under s. 1008.22(3).
254 e. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning
255 Gains in English Language Arts as measured by statewide,
256 standardized assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
257 f. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning
258 Gains in mathematics as measured by statewide, standardized
259 assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
260 g. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25
261 percent in English Language Arts, as identified by prior year
262 performance on statewide, standardized assessments, who make
263 Learning Gains as measured by statewide, standardized English
264 Language Arts assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
265 h. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25
266 percent in mathematics, as identified by prior year performance
267 on statewide, standardized assessments, who make Learning Gains
268 as measured by statewide, standardized Mathematics assessments
269 administered under s. 1008.22(3).
270 i. For schools comprised of middle grades 6 through 8 or
271 grades 7 and 8, the percentage of eligible students passing high
272 school level statewide, standardized end-of-course assessments
273 or attaining national industry certifications identified in the
274 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to rules
275 adopted by the State Board of Education.
276
277 In calculating Learning Gains for the components listed in sub
278 subparagraphs e.-h., the State Board of Education shall require
279 that learning growth toward achievement levels 3, 4, and 5 is
280 demonstrated by students who scored below each of those levels
281 in the prior year. In calculating the components in sub
282 subparagraphs a.-d., the state board shall include the
283 performance of English language learners only if they have been
284 enrolled in a school in the United States for more than 2 years.
285 2. For a school comprised of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or
286 grades 10, 11, and 12, the school’s grade shall also be based on
287 the following components, each worth 100 points:
288 a. The 4-year high school graduation rate of the school as
289 defined by state board rule.
290 b. The percentage of students who were eligible to earn
291 college and career credit through College Board Advanced
292 Placement examinations, International Baccalaureate
293 examinations, dual enrollment courses, or Advanced International
294 Certificate of Education examinations; or who, at any time
295 during high school, earned national industry certification
296 identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List,
297 pursuant to rules adopted by the state board; or, beginning with
298 the 2020-2021 school year, who complete the United States
299 Government and Civic Engagement course with a grade of “B” or
300 higher. For a school that is designated as a Democracy School
301 pursuant to s. 1003.632, the percentage of students who
302 completed the United States Government and Civic Engagement
303 course with a grade of “B” or higher shall be multiplied by a
304 weight of 1.2 for purposes of this sub-subparagraph.
305 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
