(1) Pursuant to ss. 1003.4203 and 1003.492, the Department of Education shall, at least annually, identify, under rules adopted by the State Board of Education, and the Commissioner of Education may at any time recommend adding the following certificates, certifications, and courses:

(a) CAPE industry certifications identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List that must be applied in the distribution of funding to school districts pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o). The CAPE Industry Certification Funding List shall incorporate by reference the industry certifications on the career pathways list approved for the Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars award. In addition, by August 1 of each year, the not-for-profit corporation established pursuant to s. 445.004 may annually select one industry certification, that does not articulate for college credit, for inclusion on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List for a period of 3 years unless otherwise approved by the curriculum review committee pursuant to s. 1003.491. Such industry certifications, if earned by a student, shall be eligible for additional full-time equivalent membership, pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o)1.

(b) No more than 30 CAPE Digital Tool certificates limited to the areas of word processing; spreadsheets; sound, motion, and color presentations; digital arts; cybersecurity; and coding pursuant to s. 1003.4203(3) that do not articulate for college credit. Such certificates shall be annually identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List and updated solely by the Chancellor of Career and Adult Education. The certificates shall be made available to students in elementary school and middle school grades and, if earned by a student, shall be eligible for additional full-time equivalent membership pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o)1.

(c) CAPE ESE Digital Tool certificates, workplace industry certifications, and OSHA industry certifications identified by the Chancellor of Career and Adult Education for students with disabilities pursuant to s. 1003.4203(2). Such certificates and certifications shall be identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List and, if earned by a student, be eligible for additional full-time equivalent membership pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o)1.

(d) CAPE Innovation Courses that combine academic and career performance outcomes with embedded industry certifications shall be annually approved by the Commissioner of Education and identified pursuant to s. 1003.4203(5)(a) and, if completed by a student, be eligible for additional full-time equivalent membership pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o)1.

(e) CAPE Acceleration Industry Certifications that articulate for 15 or more college credit hours pursuant to s. 1003.4203(5)(b) shall be annually approved by the Commissioner of Education and, if successfully completed, shall be eligible for additional full-time equivalent membership pursuant to s. 1011.62(1)(o)1. The approved industry certifications must be identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List.

(2) The State Board of Education shall approve, at least annually, the CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to this section. The Commissioner of Education shall recommend, at least annually, the CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List to the State Board of Education and may at any time recommend adding certifications. The Chancellor of the State University System, the Chancellor of the Florida College System, and the Chancellor of Career and Adult Education shall work with local workforce boards, other postsecondary institutions, businesses, and industry to identify, create, and recommend to the Commissioner of Education industry certifications to be placed on the funding list. The list shall be used to determine annual performance funding distributions to school districts or Florida College System institutions as specified in ss. 1011.80 and 1011.81, respectively. The chancellors shall review results of the economic security report of employment and earning outcomes produced annually pursuant to s. 445.07 when determining recommended certifications for the list, as well as other reports and indicators available regarding certification needs.

(3) In the case of rigorous industry certifications that have embedded prerequisite minimum age, grade level, diploma or degree, postgraduation period of work experience of at least 12 months, or other reasonable requirements that may limit the extent to which a student can complete all requirements of the certification recognized by industry for employment purposes, the Commissioner of Education shall differentiate content, instructional, and assessment requirements that, when provided by a public institution and satisfactorily attained by a student, indicate accomplishment of requirements necessary for funding pursuant to ss. 1011.62, 1011.80, and 1011.81, notwithstanding attainment of prerequisite requirements necessary for recognition by industry for employment purposes. The differentiated requirements established by the Commissioner of Education shall be included on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List at the time the certification is adopted.

(4)(a) CAPE industry certifications and CAPE Digital Tool certificates placed on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List must include the version of the certifications and certificates available at the time of the adoption and, without further review and approval, include the subsequent updates to the certifications and certificates on the approved list, unless the certifications and certificates are specifically removed from the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List by the Commissioner of Education.

(b) The Commissioner of Education may limit CAPE industry certifications and CAPE Digital Tool certificates to students in certain grades based on formal recommendations by providers of CAPE industry certifications and CAPE Digital Tool certificates.

(c) The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall review statewide articulation agreement proposals for industry certifications and make recommendations to the State Board of Education for approval. After an industry certification is adopted by the State Board of Education for inclusion on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List, the Chancellor of Career and Adult Education, within 90 days, must provide to the Articulation Coordinating Committee recommendations for articulation of postsecondary credit for related degrees for the approved certifications.

History.—s. 37, ch. 2013-27; s. 185, ch. 2014-17; s. 12, ch. 2014-184; s. 118, ch. 2015-2; s. 29, ch. 2019-119.