6A-6.0200. Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Program

(1) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish requirements for the Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE) Program, which is designed to provide students with alternative pathways to graduation and postsecondary education, with a focus on career readiness and skills development.

(2) Definitions.

(a) “Adult secondary education program” means the GED Preparation Program and Adult High School program frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A.6.0571, F.A.C.

(b) “Career and technical education coursework” means postsecondary career certificate or applied technology diploma courses which are offered as part of a career education program.

(c) “Career education program” means an applied technology diploma program as defined in s. 1004.02(7), F.S., or a career certificate program as defined in s. 1004.02(20), F.S., with adopted frameworks approved by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-6.0571, F.A.C.

(d) “Concurrent enrollment” means enrollment of a student in an adult secondary education program and career education program in the same academic term,

(e) “Institution” means a school district career center established under s. 1001.44, F.S., a charter technical career center established under s. 1002.34, F.S., or a Florida College System institution identified in s. 1000.21, F.S. The Department will publish a list of these institutions.

(f) “Master Credentials List” means the list of non-degree programs for school districts and Florida College System institutions adopted by the Credentials Review Committee and CareerSource Florida and transmitted to the Department in accordance with s. 445.004, F.S., and adopted by the State Board of Education Rule in 6A-6.0576, F.A.C.

(g) “Withdrawn from high school” means that student has voluntarily withdrawn from all public and private secondary education and is not currently enrolled in a public school, private school or home education program.

(3) Institutional Procedures for Operation of the GATE program.  School districts and Florida College System institutions offering the GATE program must maintain written policies and procedures for its operation. These written procedures must include the following:

(a) A student application with attestations and documentation required to determine student eligibility to participate;

(b) Enrollment agreement form signed by the student attesting to their knowledge of the statutory requirements;

(c) Process for review and verification of student eligibility;

(d) Identification of and process for student selection of a CTE program including notification regarding programs in which GATE students may not be eligible due to age or other requirements;

(e) Process for awarding extensions on the three-year enrollment limit in s. 1004.933(4)(b), F.S., due to extenuating circumstances;

(f) Partnership agreements; and,

(g) Communications plan for notification of parents, local workforce boards and other stakeholders of the program availability.

(4) Partnerships for offering the GATE program between district or Florida College System adult education providers and postsecondary career education providers. School districts without eligible institutions identified in subsection (2) may partner with eligible institutions to provide the career education program component. Scholarship funds associated with the GATE participation waiver of tuition and fees shall be provided to the eligible institutions under subsection (2). Both the adult secondary education and career education providers must provide the respective waivers for tuition and other fees. The partnership agreement should address how scholarship funds received by the postsecondary career education provider will be disbursed to the school district adult secondary education provider.

(5) Program notification. Eligible school districts and Florida College System institutions seeking to offer the GATE program must submit a program notification to the Division of Career and Adult Education and receive approval prior to offering the program.  Form FGATE-01, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE) Program Summary (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17061) (effective October 2024) is hereby incorporated by reference and must be utilized for program notification.  The form must be accompanied by the district or college’s written policies and procedures for program operation, as identified in subsection (3). Upon approval of the proposed GATE program, an institution is eligible to enroll students in compliance with the requirement in s.1004.933, F.S.

(6) Enrollment requirements. A student must be concurrently enrolled in an adult secondary education program and the career education program in each term of enrollment, unless the student has completed their high school equivalency or adult high school diploma. A career education program must be on the Master Credentials List, valid at the time of the student’s enrollment in the GATE program. If a career education program is removed from the Master Credentials List after the student’s initial enrollment, the student may continue enrollment in that program until completion, subject the enrollment limitations in the statute.

(a) If the district or Florida College System institution does not have enrollment in the summer reporting term for adult education, a student may maintain enrollment in their career education program during that term and enroll in the next term for the adult secondary education program.

(b) If a student terminates their enrollment or is withdrawn for non-attendance from the adult secondary education program without completion of the diploma by the end of the term, their participation in the GATE program is also terminated. However, the district or college may determine whether extraordinary circumstances occurred which required the student’s withdrawal for non-attendance and may allow for re-entry into the GATE program based upon their review.

(7) Reporting requirements for school districts and Florida College System institutions.

(a) For the 2024-25 reporting year, school districts and Florida College System institutions are required to report the following information in a supplemental format as specified by the Department:

1. Student participation in the GATE program including courses taken for the adult secondary and career education programs;

2. Student completion of the high school equivalency diploma or adult high school diploma;

3. Student completion of the career education program selected as part of the GATE program enrollment; and,

4. Industry certifications earned by students as a result of GATE program participation.

(b) Beginning with the 2025-26 reporting year, school districts and Florida College System institutions are required to report GATE program participation, enrollment, and completion data as specified in the database manual reporting manual, in accordance with Rules 6A-1.0014 Comprehensive Management Information System and 6A-1.0015 K-20 Data Warehouse, F.A.C.

(c) For school districts with partnerships identified in subsection (4), the secondary education program must report GATE program participation and the postsecondary career education must be reported by the eligible institution.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1004.933(7) FS. Law Implemented 1004.933, 1011.805, 1011.8041 FS. History–New 10-29-24.