(1) In order for a student to be promoted to high school from a school that includes middle grades 6, 7, and 8, the student must successfully complete the following courses:

(a) Three middle grades or higher courses in English Language Arts (ELA).

(b) Three middle grades or higher courses in mathematics. Each school that includes middle grades must offer at least one high school level mathematics course for which students may earn high school credit. Successful completion of a high school level Algebra I or Geometry course is not contingent upon the student’s performance on the statewide, standardized end-of-course (EOC) assessment. To earn high school credit for Algebra I, a middle grades student must take the statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC assessment and pass the course, and in addition, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter, a student’s performance on the Algebra I EOC assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade. To earn high school credit for a Geometry course, a middle grades student must take the statewide, standardized Geometry EOC assessment, which constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade, and earn a passing grade in the course.

(c) Three middle grades or higher courses in social studies. One of these courses must be at least a one-semester civics education course that includes the roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local governments; the structures and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government; and the meaning and significance of historic documents, such as the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States. All instructional materials for the civics education course must be reviewed and approved by the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with organizations that may include, but are not limited to, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, the Bill of Rights Institute, Hillsdale College, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, iCivics, and the Constitutional Sources Project, and with educators, school administrators, postsecondary education representatives, elected officials, business and industry leaders, parents, and the public. Any errors and inaccuracies the commissioner identifies in state-adopted materials must be corrected pursuant to s. 1006.35. After consulting with such entities and individuals, the commissioner shall review the current state-approved civics education course instructional materials and the test specifications for the statewide, standardized EOC assessment in civics education and shall make recommendations for improvements to the materials and test specifications by December 31, 2019. By December 31, 2020, the department shall complete a review of the statewide civics education course standards. Each student’s performance on the statewide, standardized EOC assessment in civics education required under s. 1008.22 constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade. A middle grades student who transfers into the state’s public school system from out of country, out of state, a private school, or a home education program after the beginning of the second term of grade 8 is not required to meet the civics education requirement for promotion from the middle grades if the student’s transcript documents passage of three courses in social studies or two year-long courses in social studies that include coverage of civics education.

(d) Three middle grades or higher courses in science. Successful completion of a high school level Biology I course is not contingent upon the student’s performance on the statewide, standardized EOC assessment required under s. 1008.22. However, beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, to earn high school credit for a Biology I course, a middle grades student must take the statewide, standardized Biology I EOC assessment, which constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade, and earn a passing grade in the course.

(e) One course in career and education planning to be completed in grades 6, 7, or 8, which may be taught by any member of the instructional staff. The course must be Internet-based, customizable to each student, and include research-based assessments to assist students in determining educational and career options and goals. In addition, the course must result in a completed personalized academic and career plan for the student that may be revised as the student progresses through middle school and high school; must emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and employability skills; and must include information from the Department of Economic Opportunity’s economic security report under s. 445.07. The required personalized academic and career plan must inform students of high school graduation requirements, including a detailed explanation of the requirements for earning a high school diploma designation under s. 1003.4285; the requirements for each scholarship in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; state university and Florida College System institution admission requirements; available opportunities to earn college credit in high school, including Advanced Placement courses; the International Baccalaureate Program; the Advanced International Certificate of Education Program; dual enrollment, including career dual enrollment; and career education courses, including career-themed courses, preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and course sequences that lead to industry certification pursuant to s. 1003.492 or s. 1008.44. The course may be implemented as a stand-alone course or integrated into another course or courses.

(2) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section and may enforce this section pursuant to s. 1008.32.

History.—s. 21, ch. 2006-74; s. 179, ch. 2008-4; s. 2, ch. 2010-22; s. 3, ch. 2010-48; s. 33, ch. 2011-5; s. 16, ch. 2011-175; s. 7, ch. 2012-134; s. 7, ch. 2012-191; s. 13, ch. 2013-27; s. 37, ch. 2014-39; s. 3, ch. 2015-6; s. 2, ch. 2017-55; s. 60, ch. 2017-116; s. 13, ch. 2019-119; s. 1, ch. 2019-150.