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June 2013 6A-14.064 College Credit Dual Enrollment.    (1) To be eligible to receive college credit through dual enrollment:    (a) Students must meet the grade point average (GPA) requirements, as specified in Section 1007.271, F.S., for the degree or certificate program selected. Procedures for determining exceptions to the GPA requirements on an individual student basis must be noted in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement as required by Section 1007.235, F.S. (b) Students must satisfy the college preparatory testing requirements of Section 1008.30(4)(a), F.S. and Rule 6A-10.0315, F.A.C., which is hereby incorporated by reference.  Students who have been identified as deficient in basic competencies in one of the areas of reading, writing or mathematics, as determined by scores on a postsecondary readiness assessment identified in Rule 6A-10.0315, F.A.C., shall not be permitted to enroll in college credit courses in curriculum areas precluded by the deficiency. Students may enroll in college credit courses that are not precluded by the deficiency; however, students may not earn more than twelve (12) college credit hours prior to the correction of all deficiencies. Exceptions to the twelve (12) college credit hour limitation may be granted by the postsecondary institution provided that the dual enrollment student is concurrently enrolled in a secondary course(s) in the basic competency area(s) for which they have been deemed deficient by the postsecondary readiness assessment. In addition, the secondary student that has accumulated twelve (12) college credit hours and has not yet demonstrated proficiency in the basic competency areas of reading, writing and mathematics must be advised in writing by the school district of the requirements for associate degree completion and state university admission, including information about future financial aid eligibility and the potential costs of accumulating excessive college credit, as outlined in Section 1009.286, F.S.    (c) For joint dual enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as authorized in Section 1007.272, F.S., students must comply with the add/drop policies and deadlines of the postsecondary institution. A student who elects to enroll in an AP course that is jointly offered with a dual enrollment course may not earn postsecondary credit for that course through dual enrollment.    (d) In order to remain eligible for college credit coursework, students must maintain the high school grade point average required for initial eligibility unless otherwise noted in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.    (e) Participation of exceptional student education (ESE) students must be in accordance with statutory eligibility requirements and with the procedural guidelines and district-college responsibilities delineated in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.    (f) Districts and colleges may agree to extend dual enrollment participation in Student Life Skills (designated as SLS course prefix in the Statewide Course Numbering System) courses to students who do not meet the statutory eligibility requirements, if alternate eligibility requirements are delineated in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.    (g) In order to be considered a full-time dual enrollment early admission student, the student must enroll in a minimum of twelve (12) college credit hours but may not be required to enroll in more than fifteen (15) college credit hours.    (2) The following requirements shall apply to faculty providing instruction in college credit dual enrollment courses:    (a) All full-time or adjunct faculty teaching dual enrollment courses must meet Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, 2010 Edition, section 3.7.1, for postsecondary instructors in the course and discipline, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The document may be accessed at http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2010principlesofacreditation.pdf. These criteria apply to all faculty teaching postsecondary courses regardless of the physical location of the course being taught. The postsecondary institution awarding credit shall ensure faculty teaching dual enrollment courses meet these qualifications.    (b) Postsecondary transcripts of all full-time or adjunct faculty teaching dual enrollment courses must be filed with the postsecondary institution, regardless of who employs or pays the faculty member’s salary. For dual enrollment courses taught on high school campuses, the faculty transcripts must be submitted to the postsecondary institution for filing.    (c) The postsecondary institution shall provide all full-time and adjunct faculty teaching dual enrollment courses with a copy of the current faculty or adjunct faculty handbook. Faculty shall adhere to the professional guidelines, rules, and expectations therein. Any exceptions to such requirements must be noted in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.    (d) The postsecondary institution shall provide all full-time and adjunct faculty teaching dual enrollment courses with a current student handbook detailing information that includes, but is not limited to, add/drop and withdrawal policies, student code of conduct, grading policies, and critical dates. Faculty shall adhere to the guidelines, rules, and expectations therein that apply to faculty. Any exceptions to such requirements must be noted in the District Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.    (e) The postsecondary institution shall provide all adjunct faculty teaching dual enrollment courses with a full-time faculty contact or liaison in the same discipline.

HEF was very involved in legislation that passed during the 2012 and 2013 Legislative sessions in an effort to protect the rights of home educated and private school students to participate in the dual enrollment program. We were assured that the legislation would not affect non-public school students, but it has. Last year state colleges limited the number of classes all students were allowed to take. This year, although the Legislature removed the language that gave the State Colleges the authority to limit classes based on capacity, some colleges are still limiting courses. Implementing Legislation is a multi-phase process After a bill passes, the Governor has to decide whether he will sign a bill into law or not. If he does, then the new law goes to the Department which is responsible for overseeing the law. After each Session, the Department of Education either passes an Administrative Rule, which is just as binding as a statute, or issues a Memorandum and a Frequently Asked Question document to interpret the new law. The HEF Legislative Update was sent out after the education bills that would affect our students were signed by the Governor. However, HEF has been in communication with the Division of State Colleges to express our concerns and seek clarification on the new laws. HEF was not allowed to review the draft document on dual enrollment until the DOE Memorandum and FAQ were made public. There are some answers in the FAQ document which are not favorable to private schools. Additionally, the FAQ fails to address some of the issues which need clarification. The next phase of the process is a review of the Laws, Rules and Memorandums by each state college in order to update their individual dual enrollment policies. HEF is working with home education parents, the DOE and legislative staff to try to gain clarity on the legislative intent of the new laws. We are also trying to review the new state college policies to see if they comply with the intent of the laws. HEF has posted the DOE Memorandum and the FAQ documents on the flhef.org website under the dual enrollment link. This document may be of help to you in negotiating a new dual enrollment articulation agreement. HEF suggests that home education leaders contact the state college in your area to get involved in the policy development stage in order to gain as much ground as possible. Home education leaders/parents need to have a separate articulation agreement which addresses our students rather than an extension of the district articulation agreement. Discounted Books Many home education parents have found college textbooks through sources other than the college bookstores. Google the ISPN of the book and often the book can be found at a discount from Amazon, Alibris, Chegg or Barnes and Nobles. Some companies, like Chegg, rent books. Occasionally, books can be found online in pdf form. These resources can often save quite a bit on the cost of college textbooks. New Dual Enrollment Document Links DOE Dual Enrollment FAQ Dual Enrollment FAC (Florida Administrative Code) Rule 6A-14.064 Dual Enrollment DOE Memo 6-25-13

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Now Available: Week Three of Economics 101… “Understanding Demand” View the Week Three Lecture Reminder: You must be registered for Economics 101 in order to view previous lectures and access other course material. Overview: In the third lecture of Hillsdale’s “Economics 101” online course, Dr. Gary Wolfram explains the concept of Demand, the measure of how much of a good service or service people are willing and able to buy at various prices. This lesson will be applied in future weeks, to determine how demand and supply interact to determine the prices that efficiently allocate goods and services in a market economy. About the Lecturer: Gary Wolfram is the William E. Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy and Director of Economics at Hillsdale College, and President of Hillsdale Policy Group, a consulting firm specializing in taxation and policy analysis.  His recent book is titled A Capitalist Manifesto: Understanding the Market Economy and Defending Liberty. Professor Wolfram graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and has taught at several colleges and universities, including Mount Holyoke College, The University of Michigan, and Washington State University. He has contributed to national publications such as Human Events, American Spectator, and National Review. He was named Hillsdale College’s Professor of the Year for 2004 and received the Emily Daugherty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2011.

Home school Mom, Julie Kleffel and daughter attended the press conference with Brenda Dickinson/HEF where Gov. Scott highlighted the new Florida law providing services to kids with special needs. Governor Rick Scott signed the Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) into law on June 20, 2014. This new law will provide parents of children with certain disabilities the opportunity to create a customized learning plan by choosing the program, services and therapies that best fit the needs of their child. HEF is very excited about this law since Brenda Dickinson, your lobbyist, has been working for almost a decade to obtain state assistance for parents who have chosen to educate their special-needs child at home. This law does not cover all learning differences, but it is a start. There are details that still must be worked out, but the administrators of this program are making great progress and will begin taking applications in mid-July. The funds will most likely be available in mid-October, but parents need to begin the application process as soon as possible since the funds set aside by the Legislature will be given to parents on a first come, first served basis. Student Eligibility The PLSA will serve Florida students in grades K-12 who have an IEP or a diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist for one of the following disabilities: Autism Cerebral Palsy Down Syndrome Prader-Willi Syndrome Intellectual disability Spina bifida Williams syndrome OR A “high-risk child” in kindergarten, age 3-5, with a developmental delay in cognition, language, or physical development. The parent must register the child for attendance purposes in a private, parochial, religious, or denominational school or a home education program. Public school students and students receiving another state scholarship program are not eligible. Scholarship Amount The scholarship will vary according to student’s grade and disability, as well as the county in which the student resides since the amount is based on a formula tied to the school district funding. The amount could be as much as $10,000 per child. Approved ExpendituresThe funds can be used for: Instructional materials, including digital devices, digital periphery devices, and assistive technology devices that allow a student to access instruction or instructional content. Curriculum which is a complete course of study for a particular content area or grade level, including any required supplemental materials Specialized services by approved providers that are selected by the parent including, but are not limited to: Applied behavior analysis Speech-language Occupational therapy Physical therapy Listening and spoken language for the deaf or hard of hearing Tuition or fees associated with enrollment in approved private schools, private tutoring programs, private virtual education programs, FLVS, district virtual programs, Massive Open Online Courses or postsecondary educational institutions. Fees for norm-referenced, AP exams, industry certifications, SAT, ACT and other assessments. Contracted services provided by a school district Contributions to Florida Pre-paid College Program. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Participation will be limited to the $18.4 million set aside for the program in the budget. Please help us make this email go viral so that parents who are currently home educating their children with disabilities will be first in line.  Urge your home school friends to sign up for the HEF newsletter www.flhef.org for updates. Urge parents whose children meet the eligibility qualifications to go to our new website: Special Needs Kids at Home www.specialneedskidsathome.com and register.  HEF will notify those signed up on this website immediately when the application process is in place so that these parents can be first in line for the program.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is a summary of the issues that are of interest to home education and private school parents from the 2014 Legislative Session. You may read the full text of the bill at the links provided in this document. NOTE: The issues are listed below by their Bill Number. The text of these bills has not yet been incorporated into Florida Statutes; therefore you can only view the language in the bills.[/vc_column_text] CS/CS/SB 850 Education[vc_column_text] Personal Learning Scholarship Account Program (PLSA) See the Bill here (creates a new section of law s. 1002.385 F.S.) The PLSA provides funding for the parent of a child with certain disabilities to help better meet the individual educational needs of the child in a home education program or private school. See our website on the PLSA:  www.specialneedskidsathome.com Program Requirements: A Parent must register the child for attendance purposes in parochial, religious, denominational, private school or in a home education program. To be eligible for the PLSA, a student must be a Florida resident in grades K-12, who has an IEP or a diagnosis from a licensed physician, which includes an osteopathic physician or psychologist, for one of the following disabilities: autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Spina bifida, Prader-Willi syndrome, Intellectual disability, Williams syndrome or a “high-risk child” in kindergarten, age 3-5, with a developmental delay in cognition, language, or physical development. The funds can be used for: Specialized services by approved providers that are selected by the parent including, but are not limited to: Applied behavior analysis Speech-language Occupational therapy Physical therapy Listening and spoken language for the deaf or hard of hearing Instructional materials, including digital devices, digital periphery devices, and assistive technology devices that allow a student to access instruction or instructional content Curriculum which is a complete course of study for a particular content area or grade level, including any required supplemental materials Tuition or fees associated with enrollment in approved private schools, private tutoring programs, private virtual education programs, FLVS, district virtual programs, Massive Open Online Courses or postsecondary educational institutions Fees for norm-referenced, AP exams, industry certifications, SAT, ACT and other assessments Contracted services provided by a school district Contributions to Florida Pre-paid College Program Scholarship amount is based on a Level III matrix, and may vary from county to county by grade and disability, but is approximately $10,000. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. So go to the www.specialneedskidsathome.com and sign up for updates on the application process. This section does not expand the regulatory authority of this state, its officers, or any school district to impose additional regulation on participating private schools, nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions, and private providers beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce requirements expressly set forth in this section. CAPE Digital Tool Certifications (amends s. 1003.4203 F. S.) The Legislature recognizes the need for students to have specific computer skills to be successful in academic work, as well as in the marketplace after graduation. Therefore, they are requiring school districts to make certain certifications available to students starting in elementary school.  Employers will know that a student has mastered certain skills if he or she has earned an Industry Certification. Having one or more of these certifications will make students more attractive to employers.  Home school and private school parents need to look at how their students can earn these certifications. The law states:  “CAPE Digital Tool Certificates shall be identified by DOE and made available to school districts by June 15 of each year.  The certificate shall be made available to all public elementary and middle grade students. Targeted skills to be mastered for the CAPE Digital Tool Certifications are word processing; spreadsheets; presentations, including sound, motion, and color presentations; digital arts; cybersecurity; and coding.  These are skills are necessary for student’s academic work and skills in the workplace.” NOTE:  Home education and private school students in grades 6-12 will have access to these CAPE Digital Tool Certifications at FLVS for the 2014-15 school year. Adobe Certified Associate Certification – Foundations of Web Design & User interface Design Microsoft Office Specialist Certificate – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Photoshop Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Illustrator Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) InDesign Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Dreamweaver Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Flash Cisco CCNET/CCNA CompTIA A+ Essentials CompTIA Network+ Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Bundle Certification (3 out of 6) Microsoft Office Master – Bundle Certification (4 out of 6) Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – Security Fundamentals Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – Networking Fundamentals Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – Windows OS Fundamentals Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – Windows Server Admin Fundamentals Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 7 Programmer Oracle Database 11g:  Administration I and SQL Fundamentals Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) – Database 11g: Advanced PL/SQL [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column] HB 5101 Education Funding [vc_column_text] Computer science and technology instruction See the Bill here (New section of law s. 1007.2616 FS) This law, like HB 850, requires public schools to offer courses in computer science and technology. It allows public schools to substitute one or more credits in computer science or technology-related industry certifications for math or science courses. These are to be identified by the Commissioner of Education. The bill, which is now law, states: “(1) 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, instruction to develop students’ computer usage and digital literacy skills in middle school, and courses in computer science, computer coding, and computer programming in high school, including earning related industry certifications. (2) 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. (3) High schools may provide students opportunities to take computer science courses to satisfy high school graduation requirements, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) High school computer science courses of sufficient rigor, as identified by the commissioner, such that one credit in computer science and the earning of related industry certifications constitute the equivalent of up to one credit of the mathematics requirement, with the exception of Algebra I or higher-level mathematics, or up to one credit of the science requirement, with the exception of Biology I or higher-level science, for high school graduation. Computer science courses and technology-related industry certifications that are identified as eligible for meeting mathematics or science requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the Course Code Directory. (b) High school computer technology courses in 3D rapid prototype printing of sufficient rigor, as identified by the commissioner, such that one or more credits in such courses and related industry certifications earned may satisfy up to two credits of mathematics required for high school graduation with the exception of Algebra I. Computer technology courses in 3D rapid prototype printing and related industry certifications that are identified as eligible for meeting mathematics requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the Course Code Directory.” NOTE: Home education and private school students will have access to some of these courses in FLVS or through dual enrollment in a state college. Some school districts, which establish digital classrooms may allow home educated students to take the class on a part-time basis at their zoned public school. Florida National Merit Scholar Incentive Program (New section of law s. 1009.893 FS.) The Legislature created a new scholarship for National Merit Scholars and National Achievement Scholars who attend a Florida public or independent postsecondary educational institution. This new scholarship will fully pay the cost of attendance (COA) that is not covered by Bright Futures or a National Merit Scholarship. The COA is the total amount of cost to attend college full-time each year, and may include but is not limited to: tuition & fees; on-campus room & board; books; supplies; travel; and miscellaneous expenses. The DOE Office of Student Financial Aid Fact Sheet on this new scholarship can be located at: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/factsheets/FIS.pdf The Guide to the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) National Merit Scholarship site Statewide Internet-based Catalog of Postsecondary Distance Learning Courses (revises s.1006.735 F.S.) The Florida Legislature created The Complete Florida Plus Program which will be a complete online catalog of postsecondary distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by public postsecondary education institutions designed to assist in the coordination and collaboration of articulation and access. It will be developed and managed by the University of West Florida. The Complete Florida Plus Program will include “a streamlined online admissions application process, which shall be used by all postsecondary institutions, for undergraduate transient students currently enrolled and pursuing a degree at a public postsecondary education institution who enroll in a course offered by a public postsecondary education institution that is not the student’s degree-granting institution”. Dual Enrollment During the 2013 Session, the Legislature required district schools to pay the tuition for public school students taking dual enrollment courses. The law did not require private schools to pay tuition for private school students, but the DOE issued a FAQ interpreting the 2013 legislative changes, which utilized a loophole in the law authorizing state colleges to charge private schools tuition for dual enrolment courses. In June, 2013, HEF began meeting with House staff, DOE staff, and several key legislators to discuss the intent of the legislation addressed in the DOE FAQ. The House agreed to include clarifying language in the appropriation bill, and Sen. Stargel filed a bill to provide state funding to state colleges for home education and private school student’s dual enrollment tuition. However, that bill was never heard in a single committee. It is regrettable that after 10 months of meetings and work to get language in bills to clarify that private schools do not have to pay tuition for their students taking dual enrollment that the Senate, in the two days of the Session, refused to agree to the clarifying language which was in the House Conforming Bill. This is the clarifying language that HEF tried to get into statute: “A student, regardless of the student’s enrollment in a public or private school or home education program, who meets the eligibility requirements of this section and who chooses to participate in dual enrollment programs is exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.” HEF will continue to work with the Legislature in the future to get the language into law.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column] HB 7031 Education[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Uniform Transfer of High School Credits (Changes s.1003.4282(8) F.S.) In 2014 the Uniform Transfer of High School Credit policy was changed. Transfer students will now only be required to take two state assessments to validate credit from a private school or home education program to earn a standard high school diploma. Below is the language from the new statute. “Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, if a student transfers to a Florida public high school from out of country, out of state, a private school, or a home education program and the student’s transcript shows a credit in Algebra I, the student must pass the statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC assessment in order to earn a standard high school diploma unless the student earned a comparative score, passed a statewide assessment in Algebra I administered by the transferring entity, or passed the statewide mathematics assessment the transferring entity uses to satisfy the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 U.S.C. s. 6301. If a student’s transcript shows a credit in high school reading or English Language Arts II or III, in order to earn a standard high school diploma, the student must take and pass the statewide, standardized grade 10 Reading assessment or, when implemented, the grade 10 ELA assessment, or earn a concordant score. If a transfer student’s transcript shows a final course grade and course credit in Algebra I, Geometry, Biology I, or United States History, the transferring course final grade and credit shall be honored without the student taking the requisite statewide, standardized EOC assessment and without the assessment results constituting 30 percent of the student’s final course grade.“ [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column] CS/CS/SB 188 Education Data Privacy[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]See the Bill here Limitations on collection of information and disclosure of confidential and exempt student records (creates new section 1002.222 FS) The Legislature this Session placed further restrictions on what data public schools can collect on their students. The law states: “A public school may not collect, obtain, or retain information on the political affiliation, voting history, religious affiliation, or biometric information of a student or a parent or sibling of the student. For the purpose of this subsection, the term “biometric information” means information collected from the electronic measurement or evaluation of any physical or behavioral characteristics that are attributable to a single person, including fingerprint characteristics, hand characteristics, eye characteristics, vocal characteristics, and any other physical characteristics used for the purpose of electronically identifying that person with a high degree of certainty. Examples of biometric information include, but are not limited to, a fingerprint or hand scan, a retina or iris scan, a voice print, or a facial geometry scan.” However, until the end of the 2014-15 school year, school districts using a palm scanner system to identify students for breakfast and lunch programs in public schools will be allowed to continue using the scanner. Florida Student Identification Numbers (Revises s.1008.386 FS) New law requires the Florida Department of Education to create a statewide process for assigning all students a Florida Student Identification Number that is not a social security number (SSN), thereby phasing out the use of SSNs for student identification. This is the revised language: “(1) When a student enrolls in a public school in this state, the district school board shall request that the student provide his or her social security number and shall indicate whether the student identification number assigned to the student is a social security number. A student satisfies this requirement by presenting his or her social security card or a copy of the card to a school enrollment official. However, a student is not required to provide his or her social security number as a condition for enrollment or graduation. The Commissioner of Education shall assist school districts with assignment of student identification numbers to avoid duplication of any student identification number. (2) The department shall establish a process for assigning a Florida student identification number to each student in the state, at which time a school district may not use social security numbers as student identification numbers in its management information systems.” NOTE: The provision stating that a student is not required to provide a social security card as a condition for enrollment became law as of July 1, 2014. However, the management information system which will assign and use Florida student identification numbers will not be compliant this school year. Therefore, it is unclear at this time whether DOE will require a SSN for home educated students enrolling in the FLVS to be provided for the 2014-15 school year. A SSN may be required in order for FLVS to be paid for the courses taken by home education and private school students. Private school and home education students taking dual enrollment courses may also have to provide a SSN to the state college. Parents of students applying for a Personal Learning Scholarship Account will be required to give the SSN of the student. HEF met with the DOE staff charged with implementing the new PLSA and brought the SSN exemption language to their attention. DOE decided that until the DOE computer system is able to assign Florida Student ID numbers to all students, social security numbers of PLSA recipients will be required so that DOE can cross-check data to verify that the student is not receiving another scholarship from the state.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column] HB 5001 General Appropriation Act (Budget)[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Legislature determined the amount for FRAG and Bright Future Scholarship to be as follows: Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG) FRAG is a state grant awarded to eligible Florida students to offset the cost of tuition and fees at qualified Florida private colleges. The amount of the grant is set by the Legislature each year. FRAG for the 2014-15 academic year is $3000. Bright Futures Scholarships Bright Futures award per credit hour or credit hour equivalent for the 2014-2015 academic year shall be as follows:Academic Scholars4-Year Institutions$1032-Year Institutions$63Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges$71Career/Technical Centers$52Medallion Scholars4-Year Institutions$772-Year Institutions$63Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges$53Career/Technical Centers$39Gold Seal Vocational ScholarsCareer Certificate Program$39Applied Technology Diploma Program$39Technical Degree Education Program$48 The additional stipend for Top Scholars shall be $44 per credit hour.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Florida Career Pathways Download {paypaldgbutton itemid=54c976feb63e6} *** these are pdf files*** If the download removes .pdf at the end of the file name, add it to the file name or choose to open with acrobat reader Florida Career Pathways – Polk County Download {paypaldgbutton itemid=54c977853b408}

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The issues of Medicaid expansion, water conservation and land acquisition dominated the 2015 Regular Session and Special Session making them the most contentious Sessions in many years.  The complexity of the issues and the lack of cooperation from the federal government made it almost impossible to prepare a budget.  During the last week of Session the two Chambers were $4 billion apart on the health care budget, making it difficult to bridge the gap.  Negotiations came to a halt. As a result, the House adjourned early leaving the Senate in Session during regular Session.  Since most bills have some kind of fiscal impact, legislators struggled to get their bills passed.  The early adjournment of the House created much more chaos than normal during the closing days. A few issues of importance to home educators were resolved during the Special Session, but not as many as we had hoped for. CS/HB 7013 — Adoption and Foster Care The bill requires the Department of Children and Families to prioritize the educational stability of foster children and include homeschooling as one of several educational options. SB 874 – Dual Enrollment died on the Calendar Even though Sen. Stargel was tireless in her effort to clarify that private school students could not be charged for dual enrollment, no change occurred this Session.  Her bill would have treated private school students like home education students, requiring the colleges to have an articulation agreement with the student.  However, this would not have removed the provision in the law that allows a state college to have an articulation agreement with a private school. Therefore, the House did not believe it would fix the issue.  The House wanted specific language which prohibited state colleges from charging private schools and private school students. HEF believes that neither of these approaches will fix the issue because if state colleges are not allowed to charge private schools or private school students, they will continue to limit the number of courses private school and home education students can take. It is already happening in some colleges. Private schools and home education parents need to put a full court press on their Representatives and Senators beginning in August to pay the tuition for dual enrollment courses taken by private school and home education students.  If our students were enrolled in public schools, the State would have to pay the tuition for non-public school students, which would cost the state a lot less than if the students were enrolled full-time in public schools. SB 1480 – FHSAA bills died HEF worked very hard to ensure that this bill and the House Bill 7137 did not have any negative effects on the current representation that private schools have in the FHSAA governance.  There were sections that would have removed language that HEF has used numerous times to enforce the rights of home educated students to participate in extra-curricular activities. We were able to get these sections fixed. HEF is also concerned that if the Legislature can regulate this private, non-profit corporation, which they did not create and have never funded, what will keep them from doing the same to other private . organizations.  The bill along with many others died. HB 747 – Bright Futures passed, then reconsidered and died. The language in this bill would have equalized the Medallion Bright Futures Scholarship for all students — public, private and home educated students. This was the strangest political move I have seen in my 30 years at the Capitol.  The bill actually passed, but the bill sponsor immediately called it back on reconsideration letting it die on the Special Order Calendar. HB 7037 / SB 1552 — School Choice (FLVS – Grades 2-5) This bill would have allowed FLVS to offer grades 2-5 to home educated students.  When legislation passed that required school districts to provide virtual education programs to public school students, FLVS was also allowed to offer courses in grades K-5 on a full-time or part-time basis.  However the eligibility language was tied to another statute which stated that a student could enter into virtual education in kindergarten or first grade, but had to be enrolled full-time in a public school to enter in grades 2-5.  Therefore, FLVS is prohibited from offering part-time enrollment to home education students in grades 2-5. While some parents are not interested in their younger children participating in FLVS, several home education parents use the program in kindergarten and first grade, then are unable to continue.  There are also some courses which home education parents may want to access on a part-time basis, but cannot.  HEF is hoping to get that changed and will need your help.  Even though at this time home educators may not want to participate, there may be a time when you or someone you know may need or want to participate. HEF wants to ensure that this option will be available to all home educators. SB 602 – Personal Learning Scholarship Account (PLSA) Died on the Calendar during regular Session but some expansion was included in the Special Session (see below.) HB 7069 Education Accountability became law on 4-14-15. It changes the district school start date to no earlier than Aug. 10. It removes the requirement for public schools to administer the PERT prior to the beginning of grade 12.  (This could affect private school and home education students since state colleges may begin charging for administering the PERT. Students can use a concordant score on the SAT and ACT in place of the PERT for dual enrollment and admission now, so that might be the best option.  How this plays out remains to be seen.) It also requires school districts to administer the statewide, standardized and approved EOC assessment in Algebra I and II, Geometry, Biology I, US History and Civics as the final cumulative exam. (It is not clear how this will affect the Transfer of Credit Rule for a private school or home education student who transfers into a public school after 9th grade.) It requires an independent entity to confirm the validity of the state assessments.  The Common Core opponents have worked hard to make sure that students are not assessed on the basis of common core standards.  While this provision may not stop the use of a common core assessment, it will certainly delay it and require that the assessment measures the Florida Standards.  Some states are beginning to back away from Common Core Standards. Special Session and the Budget SB 2502- A Bright Future Scholarship Approved Volunteer Hours were expanded in the Budget Implementing Bill For the 2015-16 year volunteer service work may include, but is not limited to, a business or government internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization, or activity on behalf of a candidate for public office.  This provision will expire July 1, 2016. The good news here is that if Sen. Lee wants this to be a permanent change, he will have to bring the bill back in the 2016 Session.  This will give HEF another opportunity to include the language which equalizes the Medallion test scores for all students, but home education parents will need to help HEF work this bill. SB 2502-A Personal Learning Scholarship Program (PLSA) was expanded in the Budget Implementing Bill. The bill expands the list of eligible disabilities to include autism spectrum disorder and muscular dystrophy. The bill extends the ages to include 3 and 4 year olds. The bill allows the funds to be used for tuition and fees for part-time tutoring services provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate pursuant to s. 1012.56, a person who holds an adjunct teaching certificate pursuant to s. 1012.57, or a person who has demonstrated a mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to s.1012.56(5). Bright Futures Scholarships BF award per credit hour or credit hour equivalent for the 2015-2016 academic year shall be as follows: Academic Scholars 4-Year Institutions…………………………………….$103 2-Year Institutions…………………………………….$ 63 Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges…….$ 71 Career/Technical Centers…………………………….$ 52 Medallion Scholars 4-Year Institutions………………………………………$ 77 2-Year Institutions………………………………………$ 63 Upper-Division Programs at Florida Colleges………$ 53 Career/Technical Centers………………………………$ 39 Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Career Certificate Program…………………………..$ 39 Applied Technology Diploma Program…………….$ 39 Technical Degree Education Program……………..$ 48 The additional stipend for Top Scholars shall be $44 per credit hour. Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG) FRAG is $3000 tuition assistance for the 2015-16 academic year. Other issues of interest to home educators: Attendance reform was introduced by the House, but never taken up in the Senate.  This bill was pushed by HEF to clarify the way the attendance statutes are written. Although the sections are clear, if read together, taken separately led to the prosecution of parents whose children were enrolled in a non-traditional private school in 2011.  HEF has been working to make these statutes crystal clear so this will not happen to other parents who have their children enrolled in a non-traditional private school. Conservative School Board bill would have allowed conservative school board members who embrace school choice to join an organization other than the one that only recognizes public schools.  This is of importance to home education parents because we have to register our home education programs with the school district.  Occasionally, some district contacts attempt to add regulation to home education programs because they do not understand their limited administrative role.  Since superintendents work for school boards, it would be helpful to have school board members that embrace school choice.  Also, school board members often run for higher offices, such as legislative offices, when they complete their term on the school board.  It would be helpful to those members for home education parents to get involved in those school board races.

The Home Education Foundation believes that it is too early to take any legislative action until all the facts are in. At this point, the authorities have Not determined how the child died. Not determined when the child died. Not determined who was involved in the death or murder of the child. HEF believes that these issues must be determined before considering making any change to any laws. Maybe changes need to be made within the Department of Children and Families and not to the law. The DCF Secretary is looking at the protocols and procedures that led to the death of Janiya. On October 22, before the Senate Committee Children, Families and Elder Affairs, Mike Carroll, the Secretary of the Department of Children and Families took full responsibility for the death of Janiya. He stated that her death was caused by a systemic failure. He made no reference to home education in his testimony. He did say that in almost all of the child death cases there are common risk factors which are drugs, alcohol, domestic violence and mental health. He said that DCF must have a better system for taking these factors into consideration when making a judgment call so that there is not as much discretion in handling the cases. The Information taken from ABC Action News states: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-sarasota-manatee/documents-from-2007-and-2013-point-to-violent-history-fear-of-mother-in-home-of-janiya-thomas “Two reports released on Thursday called “Initial Child in Home Safety Assessments” concluded the following in 2007 and 2013: The parent, caregiver or household member(s) have a history of violence or display current violent behaviors (e.g. battery, domestic violence, intimidation), AND the child may be in danger or harm as a result.” It is clear that even DCF knew the Thomas children were in imminent danger but did not remove her from the home. If DCF chose to leave the children in the home, they should have been conducting frequent home visits to ensure the safety of the children. Even children enrolled in public school have summer, holidays and week-ends off. Janiya could have died or been murdered during any one of those periods. It was DCF’s responsibility to ensure Janiya’s safety. Presently, there is a breakdown in the exchange of information with the four agencies responsible for the safety of children within their system.  Had the information on the Thomas family’s history with DCF been readily available to each of the agencies, Janiya may have been removed from the home in 2013 prior to enrolling her in home education. Janiya was still alive when DCF went to the home in response to a Hotline call of abuse in June 2014. Changing the home education law will not prevent death of children. This is not a matter of where Janiya received her education but rather whether or not she was left in an unsafe environment. The Superintendent only has the statutory authority to enforce attendance. DCF, however, has the responsibility and authority to protect children by removing them from an unsafe environment. The only thing a Superintendent or school district employee can do is report suspected child abuse to the DCF Hotline. If DCF fails to respond to these calls, the Superintendent has no power to do anything else. In almost every case in which a child has died, the parents had a history with DCF. What the Superintendent already can do. Superintendent has the authority to terminate a home education program. In Janiya’s case, the Superintendent should have terminated the home education program when the mother failed to turn in the annual evaluation for home education in August 2014 and required the mother to return the child to public school. The Superintendent already has the legal authority to terminate a home education program when the parents fail to comply with the statutory requirements. Superintendent is required to oversee the home education program of a student with a history of truancy. If the child has a history of truancy. The Superintendent has the authority and responsibility in law (s.1003.26 F.S.) to bring the parent before the school’s child study team. If the parent rejects all the other strategies offered by the child study team to resolve the truant behavior, the parent may choose to home educate the child. The parent would then be referred to the home education review committee, which is under the direction of a school district employee. The parent would then be required to bring in the portfolio once a month until the Committee determines that monthly review is no longer necessary because the parent is complying with the home education law. If the parent does not comply, the superintendent will terminate the home education program, require the child to be enrolled in public or private school within 3 days, and the parent cannot enroll the child in a home education program for 180 calendar days.If the parent refuses to comply with enrolling the child into public or private school, the Superintendent can refer the case to the DCF case staffing committee or refer the matter to the State Attorney for criminal charges against the parent for nonattendance/non-enrollment of the child and failure to meet the compulsory attendance laws. The Superintendent has no power to prosecute or enforce any criminal laws. The district can only report the suspected abuse to the DCF Hotline. Superintendent has the authority to review the portfolio of any home education student.Additionally, the home education program law allows the Superintendent to review the portfolio of any home education student with a 15 day written notice to the parent.  However, the school district does not receive funding to oversee a home education program and does not have the personnel to review every home education student’s portfolio. d abuse to the DCF Hotline. Because of privacy laws, information regarding Janiya Thomas’ family history with DCF may not have been available to the Superintendent.  If DCF and the other three agencies involved in the Thomas family case could not communicate the imminent danger for the children when they had complete access to the family’s case file, it is unlikely the Superintendent would have no way of knowing  to review the home education portfolio more frequently.  DCF knew Janiya was enrolled in a home education program, but that fact was not reported to the Superintendent and the annual evaluation was allowed to lag 4 months beyond the submission deadline. There was a serious breakdown in communication. The Superintendent cannot be held responsible for a child’s safety in the afternoons or evenings after school, during week-ends, holidays and summers. Sec. Carroll said that the child’s death was the result of a DCF systemic failure.  Home education was not the cause of her death, and one more report of abuse by the school district may not have saved this child’s life. The DCF reports in 2007 and 2013 stated that the Thomas children were in imminent danger.  Had those reports been acted upon, Janiya might be alive today.

On Wednesday afternoon, HB 793 passed out of the House and will be sent over to the Senate to be matched up with the Senate bill 520.  The passage of one of these bills will equalize the Medallion test scores for home education students with public and private school students.  All student will need to make an 1170 SAT or an ACT score of 26.  Home education students will no longer be required to make 1220 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT if the parent cannot document the 16 required courses in a public or private school. The bill also creates a new scholarship, the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars award.  This scholarship will allow a home education student who earns a minimum of 5 postsecondary credit hours through CAPE industry certifications which articulate for college credit and completes at least 30 hours of volunteer service work to qualify for this scholarship. The bill also expands the areas of community service to include work for a business or governmental internship, work for a nonprofit community service organization, or activities on behalf of a candidate for public office.  HEF is really excited about this expansion as it will help students learn about our government and get to know candidates and their values first hand. It also allows a student who is unable to accept an initial Bright Futures award immediately after completion of high school due to a full-time religious or service obligation lasting at least 18 months to begin the 2-years eligibility period for his or her initial award and the 5-year renewal period upon the completion of his or her religious or service obligation. This is a real victory for home education students.  Parents, please send an email or note of thanks to Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Marlene O’Toole for their great work. Sen. Tom Lee’s email:    lee.tom.web@flsenatel.gov Rep. Marlene O’Toole email:  marlene.otoole@myfloridahouse.gov

Became law 3-25-16 This bill expands the services and programs for students with disabilities in private schools and for home education students. The new law expands the John M. McKay Scholarship Program. It allows private schools to establish a transition-to-work program consisting of academic instruction, work skills training, and a volunteer or paid work experience for John M. McKay Scholarship Program students. It allows private school to receive funding for McKay Scholarship students who participate in the Transition-to-Work Program until the student reaches 22 years of age if the student has not received a high school diploma or a certificate of completion. The new law may provide special education services to home education students. Diagnostic and resource centers will now be required to provide testing and evaluation services to home education program students with suspected disabilities, in accordance with the provisions of s. 1006.03. School districts may now provide exceptional student education-related services, such as speech and language, to home education students with disabilities.  Some districts have been led to believe that providing those services are illegal under federal law.  This new law now clarifies that, under state law, districts can provide those services and instructs districts how to report the student for funding. The home education student would have to enroll in a public school class to receive the services, but would not lose his status as a home education student. Enrollment of the student on a part-time basis would allow the district to draw down state funding for those services. This law does not mandate services for a home education student who qualifies for the services, but the school districts can no longer claim that it is illegal for them to provide these services to a home education student. The new law also makes some changes to the dual enrollment law. Dual enrollment for students with unique abilities is addressed in the new law.  It requires state colleges to include, in the articulation agreement, services and resources available to students with disabilities and requires the college to report those services and resources to the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities. State colleges are now required to establish an articulation agreement with each eligible private school in its geographical service area and to submit that articulation agreement to the Department of Education by August 1 of each year.  Previously, state colleges were either refusing to establish an articulation agreement with a private school or the college was sending the private school an invoice at the end of each semester for the student’s tuition. This new law does not fix the problem for private schools, but it does require that each articulation agreement states upfront whether the private school will pay the standard tuition for courses taken by private school students or not. It will document what is happening statewide in dual enrollment for private school students.  Accurate data is needed to revisit this issue next Session.