PCS for HB 1401 (2023) — An act relating to articulation agreements
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- 2023 3247 Postsecondary Education Workforce Subcommittee Proposed Committee Bills Pcbs Fn
Summary
A proposed committee substitute, PCS for HB 1401, in the Florida House of Representatives for 2023, styled as a bill relating to articulation agreements. It amends ss. 1007.23, 1007.24 and 1007.25, Florida Statutes, requiring the Articulation Coordinating Committee to convene workgroups that develop statewide "2+2" associate in science to baccalaureate degree articulation agreements, and requiring state universities and Florida College System institutions to adopt such agreements by specified dates. It directs the Department of Education, with the Board of Governors, to recommend improvements to the statewide course numbering system by July 1, 2024 and to review the Common Prerequisite Manual and redevelop its database. The bill runs 13 pages and states that it takes effect July 1, 2023.
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“PCS for HB 1401 (2023) — An act relating to articulation agreements.”
Original at www.flhouse.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-3247-postsecondary-education-workforce-subcommittee-proposed-committee-bills-pcbs-fn-pcs-for-hb-1401/
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
PCS FOR HB 1401 2023
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to articulation agreements; amending
3 s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the Articulation
4 Coordinating Committee to convene a workgroup by a
5 specified date to develop specified articulation
6 agreements; providing requirements for the workgroups;
7 requiring state universities and Florida College
8 System institutions to adopt specified articulation
9 agreements by a specified date; amending s. 1007.24 ,
10 F.S.; requiring Florida College System institutions to
11 award transfer credit for certain courses; revising
12 the application of transfer course credit; requiring
13 the Department of Education and the Board of Governors
14 to make recommendations to improve the statewide
15 course numbering system; amending s. 1007.25, F.S.;
16 requiring a review of the Common Prerequisite Manual;
17 providing for the scope and deadlines for such review;
18 requiring the redevelopment of the Common Prerequisite
19 Manual database; requiring state universities and
20 Florida College System institutions to provide access
21 to such database; providing requirements for an
22 associate in arts specialized transfer degree;
23 requiring the State Board of Education to establish
24 criteria for the review and approval of new
25 specialized transfer degrees; requiring the Division
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26 of Florida Colleges to review proposals and, in the
27 event of deficiencies, to provide certain written
28 notice to the Florida College System institution;
29 providing requirements for the approval process;
30 providing that, upon approval of a new associate in
31 arts specialized transfer degree, Florida College
32 System institutions may offer the degree and shall
33 report certain data; requiring the State Board of
34 Education to adopt rules; conforming a provision to
35 changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
36
37 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39 Section 1. Present subsections (8) and (9) of section
40 1007.23, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (9)
41 and (10), a new subsection (8) is added to that section, and
42 subsection (6) of that section is amended, to read:
43 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
44 (6) The articulation agreement must guarantee the statewide
45 articulation of appropriate courses within associate in science
46 degree programs to baccalaureate degree programs. Courses within
47 an associate in applied science degree program may articulate
48 into a baccalaureate degree program on an individual or block
49 basis as authorized in local interinstitutional artic ulation
50 agreements.
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51 (a) No later than September 1, 2024, the Articulation
52 Coordinating Committee shall convene a workgroup composed of
53 faculty from the State University System, Florida College System
54 institutions, and district career centers to facilitate the
55 seamless transfer of the associate in science degree and reduce
56 time to credential completion. The workgroup shall develop a
57 minimum of four statewide "2+2" associate in science programs to
58 baccalaureate degree articulation agreements in high-demand
59 fields that articulate the associate in science degree into a
60 related baccalaureate degree. These agreements must be developed
61 for programs that are widely offered at Florida College System
62 institutions and most state universities and must guarantee the
63 transfer, acceptance, and credit application of the full
64 associate in science degree toward the baccalaureate degree
65 program requirements. The workgroup shall develop
66 recommendations for the inclusion of up to 24 credit hours of
67 general education courses in the "2+2" associate in science
68 degree, the demonstration of competency in a foreign language
69 pursuant to s. 1007.262, and the acceptance of general education
70 and program-specific courses as transfer course credits. The
71 workgroup shall provide its proposed articulation agreements to
72 the Articulation Coordinating Committee for consideration by
73 March 1, 2025. If approved, the Articulation Coordinating
74 Committee will submit the agreements to the Board of Governors
75 and State Board of Education for consideration of approval. If
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76 approved by the Board of Governors and State Board of Education,
77 respectively, state universities and Florida College System
78 institutions must accept and apply articulated credit as
79 stipulated in the final articulation agreements.
80 (b) In addition to awarding credit in accordance with the
81 statewide "2+2" associate in science programs to baccalaureate
82 degree articulation agreements developed pursuant to paragraph
83 (a), each state university shall, by the start of the 2025 -2026
84 academic year, adopt a minimum of one local "2+2" associate in
85 science programs to baccalaureate degree articulation agreement
86 with one or more Florida College System institutions. The
87 agreements must guarantee the transfer, acceptance, and credit
88 application of the full associate in science degree program of
89 study toward the baccalaureate degree program requirements. By
90 August 1, 2025, each state university must submit the local
91 "2+2" associate in science programs to baccalaureate degree
92 articulation agreement to the Department of Education.
93 (8) To strengthen educator preparation programs in this state
94 and provide seamless pathways to continued educational
95 opportunities, by September 1, 2023, the Articulation
96 Coordinating Committee shall convene a workgroup responsible for
97 developing recommendations for seamless student transfer from
98 one educational level to the next in teacher preparation
99 programs for education paraprofessionals and individuals who
100 have earned the child development associate credential. The
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101 workgroup shall also develop recommendations for the seamless
102 transfer of teacher apprentices for the completion of their
103 baccalaureate degree.
104 (a) The workgroup must be composed of State University System
105 and Florida College System institution faculty and faculty of
106 district career centers established under s. 1001.44.
107 (b) The workgroup shall review existing statewide, regional,
108 and intrainstitutional agreements to identify seamless pathways
109 and course sequences through the attainment of baccalaureate
110 degree and develop a statewide articulation agreement that
111 includes articulated postsecondary credit for the child
112 development associate credential as specified in paragraph
113 (7)(a) and college-level training, experience, and education
114 acquired while serving as an education paraprofessional as
115 defined in s. 1012.01(2)(e), and a teacher apprentice to include
116 the award of credit toward a baccalaureate degree for experience
117 acquired in the teacher apprenticeship program.
118 (c) The workgroup shall provide its recommendation and pr oposed
119 articulation agreement to the Articulation Coordinating
120 Committee by March 1, 2024. If approved, the Articulation
121 Coordinating Committee will submit the agreement to the Board of
122 Governors and State Board of Education for consideration of
123 approval. If approved by the Board of Governors and State Board
124 of Education, respectively, state universities and Florida
125 College System institutions must accept and apply articulated
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126 credit as stipulated in the final articulation agreement .
127 Section 2. Subsection (8) of section 1007.24, Florida
128 Statutes, is amended, and Subsection (10) of that section is
129 created, to read:
130 1007.24 Statewide course numbering system.—
131 (8) Participating postsecondary institutions receiving
132 transfer course credit must accept and apply general education
133 courses and credit in accordance with this section, s. 1007.25,
134 and other provisions of law, including credit earned through
135 dual enrollment, course equivalencies, and other acceleration
136 mechanisms, as first satisfying general education core course
137 credit requirements and other general education subject area
138 course credit requirements, as appropriate before applying the
139 course credit as elective credit. Transfer course credit not
140 applied in satisfying general education requirements must be
141 applied as satisfying institutional and program-specified
142 requirements before it is applied as elective credit.
143 (10) The Department of Education, in conjunction with the
144 Board of Governors, shall provide recommendations on a process
145 to review and improve the statewide course numbering system. The
146 recommendations must include, but are not limited to,
147 identification of institutional usage of and compliance with the
148 existing statewide course numbering system, an analysis of the
149 extent to which courses have similar learning outcomes as other
150 courses, the involvement of discipline committees to modify or
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151 eliminate duplicative courses, a communication process to
152 regularly inform institutions of changes, and a cyclic review
153 process that comports to subsection (9). The recommendations
154 shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Education and the
155 Chancellor of the State University System by July 1, 2024.
156 Section 3. Subsections (7),(9), and (12) of section
157 1007.25, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
158 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites; other
159 degree requirements.—
160 (7)(a) The department shall identify common prerequisite
161 courses and course substitutions for degree programs across all
162 institutions. Common degree program prerequisites shall be
163 offered and accepted by all state universities and Florida
164 College System institutions, except in cases approved by the
165 State Board of Education for Florida College System institutions
166 and the Board of Governors for state universities. The
167 department shall develop a centralized database containing the
168 list of courses and course substitutions that meet the
169 prerequisite requirements for each baccalaureate degree program.
170 (b) The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Board
171 of Governors, shall undertake a review of the prerequisite
172 courses and course substitutions identified in paragraph (a),
173 collectively known as the Common Prerequisite Manual. Based on
174 the findings from the review, changes may be proposed to the
175 Common Prerequisite Manual through the Articulation Coordinating
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176 Committee to reduce duplication, improve students’ access to
177 baccalaureate degrees, and simplify admissions requirements. The
178 Florida Virtual Campus must provide the Department of Education
179 and Board of Governors a data file of all existing approved
180 common prerequisites by July 20, 2023, to inform this review.
181 The review, at a minimum, must examine the extent to which:
182 1. Courses identified as prerequisites for program admission
183 that also have course-level prerequisites requiring additional
184 coursework.
185 2. Common prerequisite courses and their alternatives are
186 widely available at Florida College System institutions and
187 state universities.
188 3. All prerequisites listed for a given degree program,
189 including those that are exceptions or additions, are necessary
190 for admission into the baccalaureate degree program, in
191 partnership with Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
192 discipline committees.
193 (c) The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Board
194 of Governors, shall develop a cyclical review process of the
195 Common Prerequisite Manual that involves CIP discipline
196 committee review.
197 (d)1. To facilitate the use of the revisions to the Common
198 Prerequisite Manual under paragraphs (b) and (c), the
199 Commissioner and the Chancellor of the State University System
200 shall establish a process for designating an entity to redevelop
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201 the Common Prerequisite Manual database pursuant to s.
202 1006.73(3) with an interactive, student-friendly interface and
203 an administrative portal. The redevelopment of the database
204 shall follow industry standard project management protocols and
205 be guided by a steering committee. The steering committee shall
206 be comprised of representatives appointed by the Commissioner of
207 Education and the Chancellor of the State University System and
208 must include at least one representative each from the Office of
209 Articulation, the Division of Florida Colleges, and the Board of
210 Governors. The project steering committee will report regularly
211 to the Chancellor and Commissioner, who will have final approval
212 of the database and interfaces.
213 2. Florida College System and State University System
214 institutions must link to this database on their admissions and
215 program websites once it is available.
216 (9)(a) An associate in arts degree must shall require no more
217 than 60 semester hours of college credit and include 36 semester
218 hours of general education coursework. Beginning with students
219 initially entering a Florida College System institution or state
220 university in the 2014-2015 academic year and thereafter,
221 Coursework coursework for an associate in arts degree must shall
222 include demonstration of competency in a foreign language
223 pursuant to s. 1007.262. Except for developmental education
224 required pursuant to s. 1008.30, all required coursework must
225 shall count toward the associate in arts degree or the
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226 baccalaureate degree.
227 (b) An associate in arts specialized transfer degree must
228 include 36 semester hours of general education coursework and
229 require 60 semester hours or more of college credit. Specialized
230 transfer degrees are designed for Florida College System
231 institution students who need supplemental lower-level
232 coursework in preparation for transfer as provided under
233 subsection (7). The State Board of Education shall establish
234 criteria for the review and approval of new specialized transfer
235 degrees. The approval process must require:
236 1. Each Florida College System institution to submit a notice
237 of its intent to propose a new associate in arts specialized
238 degree program to the Division of Florida Colleges. The notice
239 must include the recommended credit hours, rationale for the
240 specialization, the demand for students entering the field, and
241 the coursework being proposed to be included beyond the 60
242 semester hours required or the general transfer degree, if
243 applicable. Notices of intent may be submitted by a Florida
244 College System institution at any time.
245 2. The Division of Florida Colleges to forward the notice of
246 intent within 10 business days after receipt to the Chancellor
247 of the State University System and all Florida College System
248 institutions. State universities and Florida College System
249 institutions have 60 days after receipt of the notice to submit
250 comments on the proposed associate in arts specialized transfer
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251 degree.
252 3. After the submission of comments pursuant to subparagraph
253 2., the requesting Florida College System institution to submit
254 a proposal that, at a minimum, includes:
255 a. Evidence that the coursework for the associate in arts
256 specialized transfer degree includes demonstration of competency
257 in foreign language as provided in s. 1007.262 and demonstration
258 of civic literacy competency as provided in subsection (5).
259 b. Demonstration that all required coursework will count
260 toward the associate in arts degree or the baccalaureate degree.
261 c. An analysis of demand and unmet need for students entering
262 the specialized field of study at the baccalaureate level.
263 d. Justification for the program length if it exceeds 60
264 credit hours, including references to the common prerequisit e
265 manual or other requirements for the baccalaureate degree. This
266 includes documentation of alignment between the exit
267 requirements of a Florida College System institution and the
268 admissions requirements of a baccalaureate degree program at a
269 state university to which students would typically transfer.
270 e. Articulation agreements for graduates of the associate in
271 arts specialized transfer degree.
272 f. Responses to comments received under subparagraph 2.
273 (c) The Division of Florida Colleges shall review the
274 proposal and, within 30 days after receipt, shall provide
275 written notification to the Florida College System institution
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276 of any deficiencies and provide it with an opportunity to
277 correct the deficiencies. Within 45 days following receipt of a
278 completed proposal by the Division of Florida Colleges, the
279 Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or
280 disapproval of the new specialized transfer degree to the State
281 Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider
282 the recommendation at its next meeting.
283 (d) Once the State Board of Education approves an associate
284 in arts specialized transfer degree, a Florida College System
285 institution may offer the degree and shall report data on
286 student and program performance in a manner prescribed by the
287 Department of Education.
288 (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, pursuant
289 to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, to prescribe format and content
290 requirements and submission procedures for notices of intent,
291 proposals, and compliance reviews under this subsection.
292 (12) A student who received an associate in arts degree for
293 successfully completing 60 semester credit hours may continue to
294 earn additional credits at a Florida College System institution.
295 The university must provide credit toward the student's
296 baccalaureate degree for an additional Florida College System
297 institution course if, according to the statewide course
298 numbering, the Florida College System institution course is a
299 course listed in the university catalog as required for the
300 degree or as prerequisite to a course required for the degree.
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301 Of the courses required for the degree, at least half of the
302 credit hours required for the degree must shall be achievable
303 through courses designated as lower division, except in degree
304 programs approved by the State Board of Education for programs
305 offered by Florida College System institutions and by the Board
306 of Governors for programs offered by state universities.
307 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
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