Florida Senate - 2019 CS for SB 1316
By the Committee on Education; and Senator Brandes
581-03237-19 20191316c1
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 amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; providing that earning the
31 Seal of Civic Engagement demonstrates competency in
32 civic literacy for specified purposes; providing
33 membership requirements for a specified faculty
34 committee; amending s. 1008.34, F.S.; revising school
35 grade components to include students who complete a
36 specified course with a grade of “B” or higher;
37 providing an effective date.
38
39 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
40
41 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
42 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
43 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
44 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
45 REQUIREMENTS.—
46 (d) Three credits in social studies.—A student must earn
47 one credit in United States History; one credit in World
48 History; one-half credit in economics, which must include
49 financial literacy; and one-half credit in United States
50 Government or, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the
51 2020-2021 school year, one-half credit in United States
52 Government and Civic Engagement. The United States History EOC
53 assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course
54 grade. The one-half credit in United States Government and Civic
55 Engagement must include an individual or group nonpartisan civic
56 literacy project pursuant to s. 1003.4971 as a laboratory
57 component. The state board shall approve and identify in the
58 Course Code Directory the United States Government and Civic
59 Engagement course. Such course may be offered as a semester
60 course or a year-long course.
61 Section 2. Section 1003.4321, Florida Statutes, is created
62 to read:
63 1003.4321 Florida Seal of Civic Engagement Program.—
64 (1) The Florida Seal of Civic Engagement Program is
65 established to recognize each high school graduate who has
66 attained a high level of community involvement and academic
67 achievement in civics.
68 (2) The purpose of the Florida Seal of Civic Engagement
69 Program is to encourage students to understand the basic
70 principles of American democracy and to foster a sense of
71 citizenship and community involvement.
72 (3) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the Seal of
73 Civic Engagement shall be awarded to a high school student who
74 earns a standard high school diploma and who meets the
75 requirements established by the State Board of Education. In
76 establishing the criteria for awarding the Seal of Civic
77 Engagement, the state board shall include all of the following:
78 (a) Completion of the United States Government and Civic
79 Engagement course with a grade of “B” or higher.
80 (b) Community service or extracurricular activities that
81 are related to civic engagement.
82 (c) Additional academic achievement in courses that include
83 the study of civics and the United States Government.
84 (4) The Commissioner of Education shall:
85 (a) Prepare and provide to each school district an
86 appropriate insignia to affix to a student’s diploma indicating
87 that the student has been awarded the Seal of Civic Engagement.
88 (b) Provide information necessary for school districts to
89 successfully implement the program.
90 (5) Each school district shall:
91 (a) Maintain appropriate records to identify students who
92 have met the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic
93 Engagement.
94 (b) Provide the commissioner with the number of students
95 who have met the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic
96 Engagement.
97 (c) Affix the appropriate insignia to the student’s diploma
98 and indicate on the student’s transcript that the student has
99 earned the Seal of Civic Engagement.
100 (6) A school district or the Department of Education may
101 not charge a fee for the Seal of Civic Engagement.
102 (7) The state board shall adopt rules to implement this
103 section. Such rules must, at a minimum, include all of the
104 following:
105 (a) The requirements a student must meet to be awarded the
106 Seal of Civic Engagement.
107 (b) A process to confirm a student’s successful completion
108 of the requirements to receive the Seal of Civic Engagement.
109 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 1003.497, Florida
110 Statutes, is amended to read:
111 1003.497 Service learning.—
112 (1) The Department of Education shall encourage school
113 districts to initiate, adopt, expand, and institutionalize
114 service-learning programs, activities, and policies in
115 kindergarten through grade 12, including nonpartisan civic
116 literacy projects under s. 1003.4971. Service learning refers to
117 a student-centered, research-based teaching and learning
118 strategy that engages students in meaningful service activities
119 in their schools or communities. Service-learning activities are
120 directly tied to academic curricula, standards, and course,
121 district, or state assessments. Service-learning activities
122 foster academic achievement, character development, civic
123 engagement, and career exploration and enable students to apply
124 curriculum content, skills, and behaviors taught in the
125 classroom.
126 Section 4. Section 1003.4971, Florida Statutes, is created
127 to read:
128 1003.4971 Nonpartisan Civic Literacy Projects.—
129 (1) Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2020
130 2021 school year, students shall complete a nonpartisan civic
131 literacy project as the laboratory component of the United
132 States Government and Civic Engagement course offered under s.
133 1003.4282. The State Board of Education shall develop the
134 minimum criteria for a nonpartisan civic literacy project and a
135 process for a district school board to confirm a student’s
136 completion of the project. The criteria for nonpartisan civic
137 literacy projects must, at a minimum, require a student to:
138 (a) Identify a civic issue that impacts his or her
139 community.
140 (b) Rigorously research the issue from multiple
141 perspectives and develop a plan for his or her personal
142 involvement in addressing the issue.
143 (c) Create a portfolio to evaluate and reflect upon his or
144 her experience and the outcomes of his or her involvement.
145 (2)(a) A nonpartisan civic literacy project must be
146 nonpartisan in nature and focus on addressing at least one
147 community issue.
148 (b) A nonpartisan civic literacy project must promote a
149 student’s ability to consider differing points of view and
150 engage in civil discourse with individuals who hold an opposing
151 opinion.
152 (c) A student may not receive remuneration for his or her
153 work relating to the nonpartisan civic literacy project.
154 (d) The hours that a high school student devotes to a
155 nonpartisan civic literacy project may be counted toward meeting
156 community service requirements for high school graduation and
157 community service requirements for participation in the Florida
158 Bright Futures Scholarship Program. School districts are
159 encouraged to include and accept nonpartisan civic literacy
160 project activities and hours in requirements for academic
161 awards, especially those awards that currently include community
162 service as a criterion or selection factor.
163 (3) The state board shall adopt rules to administer this
164 section.
165 Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 1007.25, Florida
166 Statutes, is amended to read:
167 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
168 other degree requirements.—
169 (4) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
170 College System institution or state university in the 2018-2019
171 school year and thereafter, each student must demonstrate
172 competency in civic literacy. Students must have the option to
173 demonstrate competency through successful completion of a civic
174 literacy course, or by achieving a passing score on an
175 assessment, or, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, by
176 earning the Seal of Civic Engagement pursuant to s. 1003.4321.
177 The State Board of Education must adopt in rule and the Board of
178 Governors must adopt in regulation at least one existing
179 assessment that measures competencies consistent with the
180 required course competencies outlined in paragraph (b). The
181 chair of the State Board of Education and the chair of the Board
182 of Governors, or their respective designees, shall jointly
183 appoint a faculty committee, representing faculty from public
184 postsecondary educational institutions located in counties of
185 varying size and demographic makeup, to:
186 (a) Develop a new course in civic literacy or revise an
187 existing general education core course in American History or
188 American Government to include civic literacy.
189 (b) Establish course competencies and identify outcomes
190 that include, at a minimum, an understanding of the basic
191 principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our
192 republican form of government, an understanding of the United
193 States Constitution, knowledge of the founding documents and how
194 they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of
195 self-governance, and an understanding of landmark Supreme Court
196 cases and their impact on law and society.
197 Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
198 1008.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
199 1008.34 School grading system; school report cards;
200 district grade.—
201 (3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.—
202 (b)1. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, a school’s
203 grade shall be based on the following components, each worth 100
204 points:
205 a. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
206 standardized assessments in English Language Arts under s.
207 1008.22(3).
208 b. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
209 standardized assessments in mathematics under s. 1008.22(3).
210 c. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
211 standardized assessments in science under s. 1008.22(3).
212 d. The percentage of eligible students passing statewide,
213 standardized assessments in social studies under s. 1008.22(3).
214 e. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning
215 Gains in English Language Arts as measured by statewide,
216 standardized assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
217 f. The percentage of eligible students who make Learning
218 Gains in mathematics as measured by statewide, standardized
219 assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
220 g. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25
221 percent in English Language Arts, as identified by prior year
222 performance on statewide, standardized assessments, who make
223 Learning Gains as measured by statewide, standardized English
224 Language Arts assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3).
225 h. The percentage of eligible students in the lowest 25
226 percent in mathematics, as identified by prior year performance
227 on statewide, standardized assessments, who make Learning Gains
228 as measured by statewide, standardized Mathematics assessments
229 administered under s. 1008.22(3).
230 i. For schools comprised of middle grades 6 through 8 or
231 grades 7 and 8, the percentage of eligible students passing high
232 school level statewide, standardized end-of-course assessments
233 or attaining national industry certifications identified in the
234 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to rules
235 adopted by the State Board of Education.
236
237 In calculating Learning Gains for the components listed in sub
238 subparagraphs e.-h., the State Board of Education shall require
239 that learning growth toward achievement levels 3, 4, and 5 is
240 demonstrated by students who scored below each of those levels
241 in the prior year. In calculating the components in sub
242 subparagraphs a.-d., the state board shall include the
243 performance of English language learners only if they have been
244 enrolled in a school in the United States for more than 2 years.
245 2. For a school comprised of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or
246 grades 10, 11, and 12, the school’s grade shall also be based on
247 the following components, each worth 100 points:
248 a. The 4-year high school graduation rate of the school as
249 defined by state board rule.
250 b. The percentage of students who were eligible to earn
251 college and career credit through College Board Advanced
252 Placement examinations, International Baccalaureate
253 examinations, dual enrollment courses, or Advanced International
254 Certificate of Education examinations; or who, at any time
255 during high school, earned national industry certification
256 identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List,
257 pursuant to rules adopted by the state board; or, beginning with
258 the 2020-2021 school year, who complete the United States
259 Government and Civic Engagement course with a grade of “B” or
260 higher.
261 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.