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Although, Nicole was an outstanding athlete and had swim scholarship offers, she wanted to become proficient in Chinese and study accounting. Her dad’s research led them to the Language Flagship Program offered at the University of Mississippi. Nicole’s FLVS teacher encouraged her to apply to the Language Flagship program, giving her an excellent recommendation. After Ole Miss conducted a phone interview to determine her proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, Nicole was told that her spoken Mandarin (tone) was better than most public or private school students that entered their program. As a result, Nicole was awarded scholarships to study Mandarin Chinese. The students in the Ole Miss Chinese program will spend three summers, as well as their fifth year, in China studying in an immersion program to gain proficiency in the language and learn the culture. At the end of each academic year, Nicole will have to pass a proficiency test to remain in the program. If she has a superior rating on her final exam, she may be offered a job with the CIA or FBI and potentially many other global companies. Nicole’s younger sister is currently taking Latin at FLVS to get a good foundation, but plans to finish her language requirement through dual enrollment. She hopes to major in computer engineering and is currently taking FLVS AP Computer Science. Stay tuned for the next newsletter where we will explore the FLVS computer engineering program!

Florida State Colleges Ask For Diploma Validation In July, it was brought to the attention of HEF that some state college websites contained statements that would require home education students to validate their diploma by providing a transcript. However, home education students do not have to validate a diploma at Florida state colleges for admission or to receive federal financial aid. The Florida statute s.1007.263(2) Admission to associate degree programs is subject to minimum standards adopted by the State Board of Education and shall require…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. After making a few calls, Brenda Dickinson discovered that the statement resulted from a misunderstanding of a Memo from the Florida Department of Education, Division of State Colleges, sent to all state colleges in May, 2011, clarifying the new guidelines for validating diplomas in the Federal Student Aid Handbook (FSAH) in order to identify and eliminate “diploma mills.” The Memo addressed validation of diplomas, but failed to mention that the Federal Student Aid Handbook on page 1-7 specifically excludes home educated students from having to validate a diploma for the purpose of receiving federal financial aid. Homeschooling Though homeschooled students are not considered to have a high school diploma or equivalent, they are eligible to receive FSA funds if their secondary school education was in a homeschool that state law treats as a home or private school. http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/1112FSAHbkVol1.html Even though the intent of the federal law, as interpreted in the FSAH, was to make sure that students from “diploma mills” did not receive federal aid, state colleges were trying to “kill two birds with one stone” by combining eligibility for admission to a Florida college with eligibility to receive federal financial aid. Brenda has been working with the Division of State Colleges to make the admission directors aware that home education students do not have to have a diploma for admission to a state college or for receiving federal financial aid. If your child encounters any problems with admissions to a state college, please contact HEF. NOTE: When filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/form (also required for Bright Futures Scholarships),be sure to mark on question #26, that your student was home schooled .

Will the foreign language courses taught in a home education program meet the requirement for admission to a Florida public university? No. A student is required to have successfully completed 2 years of language in a Florida high school or 2 semesters at a Florida college. The foreign language requirement must be met through courses taken in a public or private school, the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) or in a Florida college.* Some universities may accept a passing score on CLEP tests, however, you will need to check with the institution your child plans to attend. If the courses are taken through dual enrollment or after high school graduation, the 2 semesters will be counted as electives. *A Florida university may accept foreign language from an accredited out-of-state high school or college, however, before you register for the course be sure to check the requirement of the Florida university your child hopes to attend.

May 2012 Dear District Administrator for Home Education Programs: The recent signing of HB1403 necessitated some changes to interscholastic athletic eligibility as it relates to Home Educated Students.  Please assist us by sharing the following information with students who are registering with your district as a home educated student in the event the student is interested in participating in interscholastic athletics. HB1403 Update on 1st Day of Practice / Registering Intent to Participate – HB1403 references first day of the sports season as it relates to eligibility.  This day is defined as first day of practice for the sport’s season.  As a result of this statutory requirement, the date for “registering intent” for home educated students is the first day of practice for each sport’s season. The following table provides the deadline dates for the corresponding sport.Season Sport Start Date Fall Football August 6, 2012 Fall Girls Volleyball August 6, 2012 Fall Golf August 6, 2012 Fall Swimming and Diving August 6, 2012 Fall Bowling August 13, 2012 Fall Cross Country August 13, 2012 Winter Competitive Cheerleading September 4, 2012 Winter Girls Soccer October 8, 2012 Winter Boys Soccer October 15, 2012 Winter Girls Basketball October 22, 2012 Winter Wrestling October 22, 2012 Winter Boys Basketball October 29, 2012 Winter Girls Weightlifting November 12, 2012 Spring Baseball January 14, 2013 Spring Track and Field (1A/2A) January 14, 2013 Spring Track and Field (3A/4A) January 21, 2013 Spring Lacrosse January 28, 2013 Spring Water Polo January 28, 2013 Spring Boys Weightlifting February 4, 2013 Spring Boys Volleyball February 11, 2013 Spring Flag Football February 18, 2013 Spring Softball TBD Spring Tennis TBD FHSAA has provided an FAQ regarding home educated students who intend to participate in interscholastic athletics.  You may download the FAQ from the following link: http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2010/09/14/node-107/home_ed.pdf.  The form used for “registering intent” to participate is currently being updated. HB1403 Update on Eligibility / Investigations / Penalties Assessed to Coaches / Due Process – HB1403 modifies some areas of eligibility and compliance.  FHSAA Staff is currently drafting language for Board approval to comply with the newly adopted statute, effective July 1, 2012.  This new language impacting eligibility, investigations, penalties assessed to coaches and due process will be published, with clarifications, prior to July 1, 2012. We do understand that from time-to-time, you may receive inquiries regarding athletic eligibility.  In those instances, please feel free to contact this office or direct the parent/student to contact this office directly at eligibility@fhsaa.org. Sincerely, M. Denarvise Thornton, Jr. Associate Executive Director “Showing the Way: Mentorship. Education. Service.”

Here is a snap shot in time of the way the new laws will affect you. BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CHANGES Online Document 1. University of Florida Spring/Summer Pilot Program The bill clarifies that students enrolled in the Spring/Summer University of Florida pilot program who are eligible for a Bright Futures scholarship are eligible to receive the scholarship award during the summer term. The student may not receive a Bright Futures Scholarship for more than two semesters in any Fiscal Year. 2. Excess Credit Hour Surcharge The bill requires students who entered into a state university or college for the first time in the 2009-2010 or 2010-11 academic year and who maintain continuous enrollment to pay 50 percent of tuition for excess credit hours above 120 percent of the credit hours required for their degree. For the 2011-12 academic year students will be required to pay an excess hour surcharge equal to 100% of the tuition rate for each credit hour in excess of 115 percent of the credit hours required for their degree. For the academic year of 2012-13 and thereafter, students will be required to pay an excess hour surcharge equal to 100 percent of the tuition rate for each credit hour in excess of 110 percent of the credit hours required for their degree. Students enrolling in courses beyond those required for their degree will be assessed these increased fees in an effort to encourage them to complete the necessary degree requirements in a timely manner. NOTE: The state is trying to strongly encourage students to declare a degree program by the completion of 30 credit hours to avoid taking excess hours which do not count toward a degree. The disincentive for taking excess credit hours is to charge the student the full cost of the credit hours. Currently, the State of Florida pays a substantial portion of the cost of tuition and a Florida resident pays only a portion of the actual cost. The new law will be phased in over the next couple of years in an effort to avoid penalizing those already in the system. Students that exceed the specified maximum number of credit hours will be required to pay a surcharge on top of all the other normal tuition and fees for Florida residents. The surcharge in the 2011-12 academic year at the 50% rate was $103.32 per credit hour. Hours taken prior to graduation from high school are not calculated in this number. 3. Length of Time to Accept Initial Bright Future’s Scholarship Award The bill shortens the length of time that a student is eligible to accept an initial Bright Futures Scholarship award from 3 years to 2 years after high school graduation for a student graduating from high school in the 2012-13 academic year and thereafter. A student graduating from high school in the 2012-13 academic year is eligible to accept a renewal award for 5 years following high school graduation. For a student who enlists in the United States Armed Forces immediately after completion of high school, the 2-year eligibility period for his or her initial award and the 5-year renewal period shall begin upon the date of separation from active duty. For a student who is receiving a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship award and discontinues his or her education to enlist in the United States Armed Forces, the remainder of his or her 5-year renewal period shall commence upon the date of separation from active duty. If a course of study is not completed after 5 academic years, an exception of 1 year to the renewal timeframe may be granted due to a verifiable illness or other documented emergency pursuant to s.1009.40(1)(b)4 F.S. 4. Annual Submission of the FAFSA The bill clarifies that students are required to annually submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for initial award eligibility as well as renewal award eligibility. 5. Bright Futures award per credit hour or credit hour equivalent for the 2012-2013 academic year shall be as follows:Florida Academic Scholars4-Year Institutions$1002-Year Institutions$ 61Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges$ 69Career/Technical Centers$ 50Medallion Scholars4-Year Institutions$ 752-Year Institutions$ 61Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges$ 51Career/Technical Centers$ 38Gold Seal Vocational ScholarsCareer Certificate Program$ 38Applied Technology Diploma Program$ 38Technical Degree Education Program$ 47Academic Top Scholars$ 43 6. Home Education Community Service hours. Language which was inadvertently left out of the bill last year to give DOE the authority to approve Bright Futures Community Service hours for the Medallion Scholarship Award was included this year. Last year it was only added to the Academic Bright Futures Scholarship. However, DOE continued to approve Community Service hours for home educated students for the 2011-12 academic year as they had in the past, but now they have explicit legal authority to do it. The process for reporting BF Community Service hours requires home education students to submit the hours through the student’s home education contact at the school district where he or she is registered as a home-educated student for approval by the FDOE. You can find the specific requirements of the Bright Futures home education community service hours on the DOE Office of Student Financial Assistance website: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/homepac.htm Back to top DUAL ENROLMENT CHANGES For the 2012-13 academic year the Legislature gave state and community colleges the authority to raise tuition 5% Some state and community colleges are reporting that dual enrollment courses for home education students will be limited for the 2012-13 academic year. There is nothing in the new law that requires them to limit home education students. However, the law does require that colleges have a home education articulation agreement. Each college has their own Board of Trustees and the Boards may be trying to make the articulation agreements for home education students the same as for public and private school students. The articulation agreements are negotiated documents, therefore, home education leaders in the service areas of each community/state college need to work with the Board staff to set policies that better suit the needs of home educated students. The reason that school districts limit the dual enrollment courses for public school students in their articulation agreements is that the school district does not want to give up the funding for those students. That is not true of home education students. HEF in the past has worked to educate the staff at FLDOE about the needs of home education students. Currently, HEF is encouraging FLDOE to develop a technical assistance paper to inform the Florida college officials about the laws and federal regulations pertaining to home educated students. However, it is also important for home education leaders to educate their college officials about the rights and laws pertaining to home education students. This is essential part of maintaining our freedoms. Back to top ACCELERATION OPTIONS (House Bill 7059) House Bill 7059 Online The new language is underlined: Requires each postsecondary institution to enter into a home education articulation agreement with each home education student seeking enrollment in a dual enrollment course and [with] the student’s parent. The home education articulation agreement shall include, at a minimum: 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. The initial and continued eligibility requirements for home education student participation, not to exceed those required of other dually enrolled students. The student’s responsibilities for providing his or her own instructional materials and transportation. A copy of the statement on transfer guarantees developed by the Department of Education under subsection (15). (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. VOLUNTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN (House Bill 5101) House Bill 5101 Online Requires providers and schools to implement pre and post assessments for students in the voluntary prekindergarten program. Back to top FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (House Bill 859) House Bill 859 Online Removes prior public school enrollment requirement for students entering grades 1-5. Allows private schools to offer & administer statewide assessments at the private school at no cost to the school and provides the conditions for administration. Authorizes DOE to make site visits at any time to a private school that has received a notice of noncompliance or a notice or proposed action within the previous 2 years. HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS (House Bill 1403) House Bill 1403 Online Requires the FHSAA to adopt bylaws relating to transfers. The bylaws shall allow the student to be eligible in the school to which the student has transferred during the school year if the transfer is made by a deadline established by the FHSAA, which may not be prior to the date authorized for the beginning of practice for the sport. These transfers shall be allowed pursuant to the district school board policies in the case of transfer to a public school or pursuant to the private school policies in the case of transfer to a private school. Substantial change for home education student athletes HB 1403 mandates that students be allowed to transfer during the school year. At this time, it is unclear how this will affect home education students, but the FHSAA has attempted to treat home education students equal to students in public and private schools. However, the transfer provision will be difficult to create equity since home education students don’t actually attend the school. The new law has also prompted a change in the FHSAA definition of “season.” Prior to the passage of HB 1403, HEF had argued that the “Craig Dickinson Law” did not define season and that when the law was passed in 1996, the FHSAA by-laws did not define “season” as first day of practice. However, the new mid-year transfer provision creates a challenge for the FHSAA in attempting to curb recruiting. Additionally, the new law establishes the deadline for eligibility to participate in a sport following a transfer as the “beginning of practice” for the sport. Therefore, to be consistent, the new deadline to register a home education student’s intent to participate in a sport will be prior to the beginning of practice, not the first game. Here is the FHSAA’s interpretation of the new law as it relates to home education students: “HB1403 references first day of the sports season as it relates to eligibility. This day is defined as first day of practice for the sport’s season. As a result of this statutory requirement, the date for “registering intent” for home educated students is the first day of practice for each sport’s season.” See the entire letter to the District Administrators at: www.flhef.org These portions of the bill will be of interest to Home Education Cooperatives and Non-traditional private schools: Mandates that the FHSAA may not deny or discourage interscholastic competition between its member schools and non-FHSAA member Florida schools, including members of another athletic governing organization, and may not take any retributory or discriminatory action against any of its member schools that participate in interscholastic competition with non-FHSAA member Florida schools. Prohibits the FHSAA from unreasonably withholding its approval of an application to become an affiliate member of the National Federation of State High School Associations submitted by any other organization that governs interscholastic athletic competition in this state Requires the FHSAA to adopt bylaws relating to recruiting violations and sanctions of the school, coaches or adult representatives. Penalties may require the coach to reimburse the school for assessed fines and/or may suspend a coach from participating in or attending a school sponsored athletic activity. Establishes certain requirements and prohibitions relating to investigations; determinations of eligibility; provides requirements relating to appeals. Back to top POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION (House Bill 7135) House Bill 7135 Online Beginning with students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2014-2015 and thereafter, shall only be required to complete 30 semester credit hours (rather than the previously required 36 credit hours) in general education courses in the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences and demonstration of competency in a foreign language pursuant to s.1007.262 F.S.. Comment: Prior to this change, some students were having difficulties in completely all their pre-requisites because they were only allowed to take 24 hours of electives. They will not be able to take 30 credit hours of electives. 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. DIGITAL LEARNING (House Bill 7063) House Bill 7063 Online Nothing in this bill impacts home educated students, but we will keep working to open grades K-5 to part-time enrollment just as home educated students now have in FLVS in grades 6 -12. FLORIDA VIRTUAL CAMPUS (House Bill 5201) House Bill 5201 Online Establishes Florida Virtual Campus at the postsecondary level to provide access to online student & library support services & to serve as statewide resource & clearinghouse for technology-based public postsecondary education distance learning courses & degree programs.

Don’t miss this opportunity to receive American Majority Training for FREE. Normally, you would have to pay to attend training like this. However, because this is such an important election, this training is being offered by the Lakeland 912 Project online to all. Make this great training course part of your home school civics and American Government. The American Majority is the leading developer of the nation’s new 21st century grassroots political infrastructure. The organization uses its cutting edge training curriculum to empower individuals and organizations with the most effective tools to promote liberty through limited government. American Majority trains thousands of activists and candidates each year in communities across the country to be catalysts for authentic change in government. Read more about it at: http://www.meetup.com/lakeland912/events/76821122/ Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 7:00 pm and

The contest aims to engage Florida’s high school students grades 9-12 on the importance of financial literacy while learning about investing and proper financial planning. SUBMISSION DEADLINE 11/30/12 More Info>>

One of the new Buzz words in education is STEM. What is STEM? It is an acronym which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  Get a better understanding from: http://www.iseek.org/careers/stemskills.html Why should home educators be concerned about STEM? The highest paying jobs in the future will be in the STEM fields.  A great website to educate yourself about STEM Careers is: http://www.iseek.org/careers See what careers are in demand, view salaries and take an assessment . Why are employers seeking graduates in the STEM fields? Students who have majored in the STEM subjects have acquired the ability to solve problems, to think analytically and logically, and the ability to work independently, as well as in teams. How do you get your students interested in STEM? Start them young in activities, projects and competitions to trigger their curiosity.  Understanding mathematics needs to begin with concrete activities which give the child an understanding of numbers, sequencing and groupings.  Engage them in number games and word problems. What are some STEM competitions open to home educators? FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics competition for children from age 6 to 18. 4-H is part of the County Extension Office and offers many science and technology projects and competitions (even a robotics project.) (Note: There are other competitions such as VEX but these may not be feasible for home educated students.) What is FIRST? What is FIRST? See the YouTube video What are the Levels of Competition? http://www.usfirst.org/ Junior FIRST LEGO League, (Jr.FLL)   (ages 6 – 9) It captures young children’s inherent curiosity and directs them toward discovering the wonders of science and technology. This program features a real-world scientific concept to be explored through research, teamwork, construction, and imagination. FIRST LEGO League (FLL), (ages 6 – 14) It immerses children in real-world science and technology challenges. Teams design their own solution to a current scientific question or problem and build autonomous LEGO robots that perform a series of missions. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) (High School Students) This is a robotics competition that allows students to compete head to head using a sports model. FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)  (ages 14 – 18) Dubbed a varsity Sport for the Mind,™  it combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real world” engineering as a student can get. Professional Mentors volunteer their time and talents to guide each team. Will these competitions provide all the coursework a student needs? No. Students will still need to study math and science as independent subjects, but using competition as a motivator makes them understand its application and love it.  In addition to math and science, the competition requires them to read, research, write and make presentations. It sparks their curiosity, imagination and creativity. It helps them to understand how STEM are used in the real world and it gives them hands-on experience in the fields. What are some great resources for courses, curriculum and support? To name a just a few: FLVS offers free math, science and technology courses for students in grades 6 -12.  Florida certified teachers are there to teach, tutor and support your online learning.  See the Catalog of Courses here. The FLVS offers a computer programming class as well as an AP Computer Science course read about it in the April 2012 HEF newsletter. Kahn Academy www.khanacademy.org  offers a free library of 3800 videos covering K-12 math, science topics such as biology, chemistry, and physics, and even reaches into the humanities with playlists on finance and history. Each video is a digestible chunk, approximately 10 minutes long, and especially purposed for viewing on the computer. Mr. D’s Math http://www.mrdmath.com  offers Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and Geometry digital textbook series, online courses, tutoring and co-ops for home educated students for a fee. Local groups that focus on STEM activities Tampa Bay area: Class Source of Tampa, Inc. www.class-source.com Trinity Homeschool Academy Learning is for Everyone http://www.teamducttape.comWinter Haven Campus of Polk State College Fall Enrichment Classes on Robotics and FIRST competition teams. Engineering classes are being offered during the spring semester. Contact Brenda Bracewell at bbracewell@polk.edu to find out if classes will open in the Fall of 2013. Miami Area: Equip Education www.equipeducation.org West Palm Beach area: PBC Homeschoolers, Inc. Contact Cheryl Trzasko 561-798-3842 chavivah@yahoo.com Yahoo Group Port Orange area: FAITH Homeschool Group Contact Reesa Dukeman for more information rdukeman@cfl.rr.com Panama City area: Science and Discovery Center of Northwest Florida FIRST Competitions If you are interested in starting a team in your area, you might want to see a FIRST Competition in your area. These events generally start around 9:00 am and end between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. They are open to the public and most are free. Click here for complete details (be sure to check the box to the right, then choose FL) Here are the list of upcoming Tournaments in Florida: Junior First Lego LeagueLocal EventJacksonville Country Day SchoolJacksonville, FL  USA20-Apr-2012Local EventLEGOLAND, FLWinter Haven, FL  USA10-Feb-2013 First Lego League (Qualifying Tournaments)1/19/2013Last Chance QTDavidson Middle School1/19/2013Razzma Taz Bot TournamentBoynton Beach, Florida1/19/2013Robotic Explorers Qualifying TournamentWestside Elementary School1/19/2013 Roosevelt QualifierRoosevelt Elementary School1/19/2012 Saturn QualifierSaturn Elem School1/19/2013 Thrasher 2Thrasher Horne Conference Center First Tech ChallengeMeetPolk State College Student CenterWinter Haven, FL  USA19-Jan-2013MeetMAST AcademyMiami, FL  USA19-Jan-2013 Meet ChampionshipMariner High SchoolCape Coral, FL  USA19-Jan-2013Meet ChampionshipSeminole High SchoolSeminole, FL  USA26-Jan-2013Meet ChampionshipHagerty High SchoolOviedo, FL  USA27-Jan-2013Meet ChampionshipCocoa Beach High SchoolCocoa Beach , FL  USA02-Feb-2013Meet ChampionshipTERRA Environmental Research InstituteMiami, FL  USA02-Feb-2013Meet ChampionshipJesuit High SchoolTampa, FL  USA02-Feb-2013Championship TournamentEmbry Riddle ICI CenterDaytona Beach, FL  USA02-Mar-2013 First Robotics CompetitionRegionalUniversity of Central Florida ArenaOrlando, FL  USA07-Mar – 09-Mar-2013RegionalGreat Fort Lauderdale & Broward County Convention CenterFort Lauderdale, FL  USA28-Mar – 30-Mar-2013

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37242551/can-homeschoolers-do-well-in-college/ Homeschooled Students Excel in College: http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000017.asp Home-Schooled Teens Ripe for College: www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college Homeschooled Students Well-Prepared for College, Study Finds: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/homeschooled-students-wel_n_1562425.html 15 Key Facts about Homeschool Kids in College http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/12/15-key-facts-about-homeschool-kids-in.html Want to Tell the State to Stick It? Homeschool Your Kids: http://www.forbes.com/sites/billflax/2013/01/22/want-to-tell-the-state-to-stick-it-homeschool-your-kids/ Home Is Where the School Is: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/578270/posts National Homeschooling Report: www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/ Colleges That Admit Homeschoolers: http://learninfreedom.org/colleges_4_hmsc.html

Home Educators’ Day at the Capitol “It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.” Samuel Adams Are you part of that minority? Are you ready to ensure your homeschooling rights are protected? Are you brave enough to set the brush fires in your legislator’s minds? Join other home educators in the Historical Senate Chambers of the Old Capitol Building for a day of history and government and let your voice be heard. Date: March 11, 2013 – 9:30 to 12:00 and 1:30 to 4:00 The day’s highlights include: A tour of the Viva Florida 500 Exhibit by the Honorable Jeff Atwater and his associates. Space is limited in the Old Capitol. It is available on a first come first serve basis. So be sure to sign up quickly at HERE to ensure that your seat is reserved. If you want to come and the Old Capitol is full, other historical sites are available for you to tour.

The Home Education Foundation (HEF) is excited to announce that SB 1108 and HB 465 have been filed for the 2013 legislative session. The House and Senate companion bills contain language which will provide special education services for home educated students. In June 2008, the Department of Education received a request from a local school district regarding whether they could provide services for home education students. The DOE responded that IDEA (federal law) does not require public schools to provide special education services to home education students. While a few school districts continued to provide services, many began to deny home education students the services they had previously provided. HEF tried to get a bill introduced during the 2009 session to clarify that school districts could continue providing services. The legislative staff reviewed the language and said clarification was unnecessary since the districts could report the student and receive state funding. However, DOE would not clarify the funding issue with the districts and some districts were not sure they could legally serve home educated students. Over the next couple of years, HEF worked with legislative staff on a case by case basis to obtain services for home education students. During the summer of 2012, Brenda met with the Foundation for Florida’s Future to request that language be included in their disabilities bill to clarify in law the way districts could provide services to home education students. The Foundation graciously agreed to help. SB 1108 and HB 465 will ensure that home education parents will receive some services for their children with disabilities. In December 2012, a home education mother contacted HEF to ask for help in obtaining speech and language services for her youngest son, who had recently been denied services by the school district. All three of her sons have had severe speech problems. Her older two sons did receive speech and language services from the district prior to 2008. Now, one of her older sons, because he was able to receive the professional services he needed, is now participating on a debate team. This is the kind of success story HEF wants every child to have.

The legislative session which ended May 3 was unbelievable. Every issue that HEF has worked on over the past 20 years was under attack. There were bills to change Bright Futures Scholarships, Florida Virtual School, Transfer of Credit, early learning, common core, dual enrollment, the FHSAA and extracurricular activities, all of which were major issues for home educators. I also had language in a bill to try to clarify in statute that school districts had to provide special education services to home education students. Most of the issues had a very positive ending, but not without hours of work on your behalf. Below is a brief summary of the issues. Dual Enrollment Dual enrollment was limited during the 2012-13 academic year as a result of the Legislature passing a law in 2012 which gave state colleges the authority to limit dual enrollment courses for public school students based on capacity. It was not suppose to affect private school and home education students, but the state colleges decided to exercise their authority to limit courses equally for all students. The only way to correct the problem was to convince the legislators to remove the language added in 2012 which gave state colleges the authority to limit courses. This whole battle was over money. Prior to the 2013 legislation both the school district and the state college were reporting public school dual enrollment students for state funding. The amount of state funding that colleges receive per course covers only about 50% of the cost. State colleges rely on tuition to cover the remainder of the cost per course. Since state law does not allow colleges to charge tuition for dual enrollment, colleges are forced to absorb the lost tuition for dual enrollment students. The 2012 legislation prohibited school districts from restricting access to dual enrollment courses for public school students and gave state colleges the authority to limit courses based on capacity. Following the Session, state colleges seized the opportunity to demand more money to pay the cost of dual enrollment by limiting the number of dual enrollment courses for all students and forcing the discussion. The 2013 legislation removes the authority for state colleges to limit the number of courses based on capacity and requires the school district to pay the college tuition for public school students that take courses on the college campus. This is fair since the money goes to the institution that provides the instruction. Theoretically, for home education and private school students, dual enrollment should return to the way it was prior to 2012. It may require a little education of Florida colleges, but private and home education students should be able to take as many courses as they can handle without paying tuition or fees*. As stated above, school districts will be required to pay the college tuition for public school students that take dual enrollment courses on the college campus, but home education and private school students will not be required to pay for their tuition under dual enrollment. However, we now have an issue with access to the CPT and PERT which will have to be worked out over the next few months. I will update you when I have worked out some solution. Presently, at some Florida colleges, home education and private school students must take the SAT or ACT in order to qualify for dual enrollment. HEF is working with the Department of Education Division of State Colleges to try to ensure that the Technical Assistance Memo that will be sent out to colleges concerning legislative changes will include clarification for home education and private school students in order to avoid having to clarify the issues at 28 different state colleges. *Caution: HEF recommends that you not enroll your child for a full load the first semester in order to determine how well they handle college course since this will affect their college GPA. The Florida Virtual School The Florida Virtual School has been a great option for home education students. Many take their foreign language, math or AP courses through FLVS. Private virtual curriculum vendors have been fighting to capture a corner of the home education market since 2000 when they began courting home educators. However, Florida Virtual is not just a curriculum online, which is true of many of the private vendors. It is a school with certified teachers, who teach Algebra, Chemistry and foreign languages. Parents are not required to teach or be a Learning Coach in the Classic FLVS program. Virtual education in Florida is very complex, but the bottom line is that most legislators do not understand the difference between digital curriculum and FLVS’s virtual interactive school. The Legislature wanted to significantly reduce the funding for all vendors, including FLVS, without recognizing the difference. With the help of home educators and students who had taken FLVS courses, we were able to convince the Legislature to increase the proposed funding. Another issue clarified during this Session is that home educated students taking FLVS courses only have to verify their Florida residency at the time of enrollment in a course. The Auditor General determined in a 2011 audit that FLVS needed to verify Florida residency for a home education student and/or his parent at the beginning and at the successful completion of each course in order for FLVS to receive funding. This would have been difficult and time intensive for both FLVS and home educators. However, language that was included in the conforming bill will severely limit public school students’ access to FLVS courses and this greatly concerns me. If FLVS is only serving home education and private school students, along with students in rural districts that cannot provide AP, various foreign languages and other non-core courses, the Legislature may decide to sell FLVS. Former Governor Jeb Bush has recommended that Florida sell FLVS to private investors. This would be a shame since Florida tax payers have built FLVS, no other virtual program comes close to providing the quality of FLVS courses and it is free to Florida students. Bright Futures Scholarships While there were several bills filed relative to Bright Futures Scholarships, the only change that was actually made was removing the eligibility requirement to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Bright Futures Scholarship Awards per credit hour (or credit hour equivalent) for the 2013-2014 academic year shall be as follows:Academic Scholars4-Year Institutions……………………………………….. 2-Year Institutions……………………………………….. Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges……. Career/Technical Centers……………………………….$110 $67 $76 $55Medallion Scholars4-Year Institutions……………………………………….. 2-Year Institutions……………………………………….. Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges……. Career/Technical Centers……………………………….$83 $67 $56 $42Gold Seal Vocational ScholarsCareer Certificate Program……………………………. Applied Technology Diploma Program……………… Technical Degree Education Program……………….$39 $39 $48 The additional stipend for Top Scholars shall be $47 per credit hour. Florida Resident Assess Grant (FRAG) (A supplement for students attending a private college or university.) Award at institutions that were qualified in 2010-11… $2500/ student Award at institutions that qualified after 2010-11……. $2071/ student Transfer of Credit After the 2012 Legislative Session, we found out that the Dept. of Education passed a new Transfer of Credit rule. The new rule requires any student that transfers into the public school system after 8th grade, who wants to receive credit in the course and earn a standard diploma, to pass Florida’s End of Course (EOC) assessments in Algebra 1, Geometry and Biology 1. The 2013 Legislature realized that all students may not go to college and began to focus on STEM careers. The Legislature created a pathway for graduation which would allow students to earn credits toward Industry Certifications. Therefore, the graduation requirements were revised in CS/CS/SB 1076 for a standard diploma. The Standard Diploma in a public school will require passage of only two End of Course exams. Included in the new law is a provision that specifies that any student, including a home education or a private school student, who transfers into a public school after 8th grade and wants to earn a standard high school diploma, must take and pass the Algebra 1 EOC and the 10th grade FCAT Reading or earn a concordant score on the SAT or ACT until an English Language Arts EOC is developed. During the Session, HEF contacted the Florida Director of AdvancED SACS to inquire about AdvancED SACS on this legislation. The Director informed me that they were watching the bill and that AdvancED SACS was working on a new Transfer of Credit policy. On June 6, 2013, I received the new Transfer of Credit policy from the Florida Director of AdvancED SACS. It does contain the language from the old policy but does not contain the requirement to take the two EOCs. The Department of Education will revise the 2012 Rule based on the new law created by SB 1076. HEF will have to make sure that the DOE revised the Transfer of Credit rule allowing home education and private school students to have their credits accepted on face value or through a validation process that was in Rule prior to last summer and is in the new AdvancED SACS policy. This will be an ongoing issue as the requirements for graduation from a public school continue to change. Early Learning Your first thought might be that Early Learning is not of interest to home educators. However, since the Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Constitutional amendment passed in 2004, a few of us have been fighting an army of advocates whose primary desire is to create a Division of Early Learning in the Department of Education for children birth through age four. They fought for years in various bills and in various ways to mandate that a quality child care rating system be created and that a 5-Star program have all state-certified teachers. If the Division had been created, then the DOE would advocate for all children from birth to 4. Hopefully, you can see how this issue would ultimately lead to requiring all parents to be state-certified teachers or institutionalizing their pre-K children. Thankfully, after having announced that there would be a Division of Early Learning at the DOE with a Chancellor, the House Education Committee changed its position and decided to keep it as an Office of Early Learning (OEL) with an Executive Director to administer the School Readiness Program (SRP) and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK). Both the SRP and VPK are really choice programs because children ages 0-5 are not required to attend school. Somehow, the Education Committee Chair, Rep. Marlene O’Toole, was very successful in getting all the advocates on board. However, when the bill went over to the Senate Education Committee, Chair John Legg, insisted that he wanted the OEL to be placed within the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, with an Executive Director for birth through 4 choice programs and a separate Executive Director for K-12 Choice programs. He would not budge and was willing to allow the bill to die if he did not get this one change to the House bill. Either placement would have been better than a Division of Early Learning, but the House finally agreed to give him the placement for the programs that he wanted and the bill passed. After 10 Sessions, the Office of Early Learning finally has a placement. This will most likely become a permanent placement. Even if federal programs with strings attached are accepted in order to receive funding, it won’t be as easy to expand to All children. It won’t be as bad as it would have been if The Race To The Top Early Learning grant had been administered under a Division of Early Learning. Home schooling parents without state certification can breathe easy for at least a few more years. Since the Session ended, the new Commissioner of Education, Dr. Toni Bennett, has made public that he wants to re-organize the Department of Education. HEF will have to keep an eye on what he plans to do. Special Education Services (ESE) for Home Education Students HEF has been working since June 2008 to make sure that home education students with disabilities receive the services that they deserve at a public school. See the history in the article on the HEF website: http://flhef.org/library/202-ese-for-home-educators It seemed that HEF had achieved that goal this Session. However, the language in SB 1108 would have made it mandatory for school districts to provide for home education students. The home education provision was in the bill until the final reading on the Senate Floor. It was amended out of the bill in order to get the rest of the bill passed. Senator Gardiner tried to keep it in the bill, but the House appropriation determined that the cost would be too great and he could not convince the House appropriation committee otherwise. After I found out that there was such a huge estimated cost attached to the bill in the House, I asked the DOE Office of Independent Education to survey the school districts to find out how many districts were already providing ESE serves to home educated students with disabilities. The House had just applied the same percentage to home education students as the percentage of public school students being served. Even though the result of that survey was that the percentage was much smaller than the House had estimated, they would not change their mind. The good thing is that we now have language that we can use to show the school districts how to apply for funding if they choose to serve home education students. HEF will try to get this language in another bill in another year. Hopefully, we can eventually get this language in law so that every child that needs extra help to reach his/her full potential can get those services at their public school. Here is the language that was in the bill. 1002.41 Home education programs.— (10) A school district shall provide exceptional student education-related services, as defined in State Board of Education rule, to a home education program student with a disability who is eligible for the services and who enrolls in a public school for the purpose of receiving those related services. The school district providing the services shall report each such student as a full-time equivalent student in a manner prescribed by the Department of Education, and funding shall be provided through the Florida Education Finance Program pursuant to s. 1011.62. There is much work left to do when the laws begin to be implemented. Some require Administrative Rules or DOE Memos. The FHSAA will also be reviewing their policies as a result of legislation that passed and bills that did not pass. HEF will be following all of these over the summer and fall to make sure your rights are protected. HEF will provide you with updates as they happen.