FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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Dr. Eric J. Smith
Commissioner of Education
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Chairman
Members
PETER BOULWARE
DR. AKSHAY DESAI
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
MEMORANDUM
CONTACT INFORMATION
TO:
District Superintendents
Sara Marchessault
District Assistant Superintendents
(850) 245-0831
District Secondary Curriculum Staff
Sara.Marchessault@fldoe.org
District Purchasing Directors
DPS: 2009-004
District Guidance Supervisors
District Workforce Education Contacts
High School Principals
High School Guidance Counselors
FROM:
Dr. Frances Haithcock
DATE:
January 15, 2009
SUBJECT:
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NEW HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA DESIGNATIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Section 1003.4285, Florida Statutes, requires the following four new designations be included on the
standard high school diploma beginning with the 2008-09 school year, as applicable:
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Major Area of Interest, pursuant to completion of credits as provided in section 1003.428,
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Florida Statutes
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Completion of four or more accelerated college credit courses in Advanced Placement (AP),
International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), or
dual enrollment if the student is eligible for college credit pursuant to sections 1007.27 or
1007.271, Florida Statutes
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Career education certification in accordance with section 1003.431, Florida Statutes
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Florida Ready to Work Credential in accordance with section 1004.99, Florida Statutes
DR. FRANCES HAITHCOCK
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CHANCELLOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
District Superintendents, et al.
January 15, 2009
Page Two
Rule 6A-1.0995, Florida Administrative Code,
Form of High School Diplomas and Certificates of
Completion
, was recently amended by the State Board of Education as prompted by the new section of
statute described above. It requires districts to determine what each designation will look like and where
it will be placed provided that the following criteria are met:
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Designations must be in the form of a stamp, sticker, seal, or text,
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There may be no more than four state designations, and
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District-determined seals must be placed below designations.
The following list of questions and answers has been compiled from feedback received from districts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
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Must a student complete all four Major Area of Interest (MAI) credits in the same MAI to
receive the designation?
Yes, a student must complete all four MAI credits in the MAI to receive the designation;
otherwise, all students would receive the designation since it is a graduation requirement.
2.
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Do MAI designations have to be on the diplomas for the graduating class of 2008-09?
No, MAI designations do not need to be on diplomas for the graduating class of 2008-09.
Because MAI requirements took effect beginning with the freshman class of 2007-08, the first
year that MAI designations will be needed on the diploma is 2010-11.
3.
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Can a student who is eligible for recognition in, for example, both AP and dual enrollment
coursework receive more than one designation for accelerated college credit on his/her diploma?
No. The rule states that only one designation for any of the accelerated college credit options
met may be included on the diploma.
4.
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Does the accelerated college credit designation require completion of courses or passage of
exams at the end of the courses?
Yes. Students in AP, IB, or AICE courses must complete the courses and pass the exams at the
level indicated in the Articulation Coordinating Committee
Credit-by-Exam Equivalencies
list
(available from the Department’s Web site at
http://www.fldoe.org/articulation/pdf/2007_ACC-CBE.pdf).
Students in dual enrollment courses must complete the course with a grade of C or better.
5.
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Since the scores for AP, IB, and AICE exams are not received by schools until after graduation
and career education certification and Ready to Work Credential results may not come in before
graduation, how will these eligible students receive their designation?
This will vary by district and possibly by school; however, one approach is for students to return
to the school with their diplomas when scores have arrived and have a designated staff member
affix the state designations.
District Superintendents, et al.
January 15, 2009
Page Three
6.
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A diploma designation for a career education certification in accordance with section 1003.431,
Florida Statutes, is required. Is this the same as industry certification as referenced in sections
1003.492(2) and 1011.62(1)(o), Florida Statutes?
No. The current requirements in section 1003.431, Florida Statutes, for career education
certification are not the same as the requirements for industry certification. The career education
certification requirements include the following:
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Completion of the requirements for high school graduation.
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A passing score on the college entry-level placement test or an equivalent test identified
by the Department of Education.
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A comprehensive program of study in career education including:
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Completion of academic courses with a designation from the Department of
Education of level two or above.
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Attainment of at least one occupational completion point in an industry-certified
career education program or completion of at least two courses in a technology
education program.
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Completion of a one-credit course addressing workplace readiness skills.
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Participation in work-based learning experiences, as defined in rule by the State
Board of Education.
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Participation in a capstone activity that includes a project related to a career.
7.
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Can students receiving a special diploma, certificate of completion, or special certification of
completion, who are eligible for these designations, have these designations placed on their
special diploma or certificate?
No. The statute is titled
Standard high school diploma designations
and states “By the 2008-
2009 school year, each standard high school diploma shall include, as applicable….” Therefore,
the provision of these designations only applies to a standard high school diploma.
8.
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Can designations be placed on the back of the diploma?
No, the state designations must be placed on the front of the diploma above any district-
determined seals.
9.
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Must these designations be identified in the student database and/or on the student's transcript that
is sent to postsecondary institutions?
Information contained in the district’s student data base and on a student’s transcript is sufficient
for the postsecondary institution to determine whether the student has met each of the four
designations except for the Ready to Work Credential. An item to indicate the completion of the
Ready to Work Credential will be added to the database and the transcript in the future.
District Superintendents, et al.
January 15, 2009
Page Four
10.
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Which designations will go on the student transcript?
With the addition in the future of the Ready to Work Credential, all information necessary for the
determination of whether a student meets the criteria for these designations will be available on a
student’s transcript. Some analysis of individual course work will be necessary to make the
determination.
11.
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Can designations in the form of stickers be mailed to students?
Mailing stickers to be affixed to the diploma is not prohibited but the district should consider
how to assure security of the designations if this option is used.
12.
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Can a seventh semester “snapshot” of the student records be used to determine whether students
meet any of these designations and to grant designations?
Some students may already qualify for one or more of the state designations by the completion of
the seventh semester of high school, but other students will complete the qualifications only after
completing all requirements for a standard diploma. A district must allow for determining the
status of each student’s qualifications for each designation through the student’s completion of
high school.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Sara Marchessault in the Bureau of School
Improvement at (850) 245-0426 or Sara.Marchessault@fldoe.org.