The purpose and effects of this rule are: 1) modification of testing requirements; 2) modification of the calculation of the 0.3 FTE; 3) and to amend documents incorporated by reference. The documents being amended are the ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-6.0576CAPE Industry Certification Funding List

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose and effects of this rule are: 1) modification of testing requirements; 2) modification of the calculation of the 0.3 FTE; 3) and to amend documents incorporated by reference. The documents being amended are the 2024-25 Industry Certification list, 2024-25 Secondary Career and Technical Education Program to Industry Certification Linkage List and 2024-25 Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs and Associated Courses with Dual Enrollment Course Substitutions.

SUMMARY: District and Florida College System Postsecondary Industry Certification.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: The rule is not expected to have any adverse impact on economic growth or business competitiveness, increase regulatory costs, or any other factor set forth in s. 120.541(2), F.S., and will not require legislative ratification. This is based on the nature of the rule and prior experience amending the incorporated documents.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1003.491(5)(d), 1003.4203(8), 1008.44(1), 1011.62(1), F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1003.4203, 1003.491, 1003.492, 1003.493, 1003.4935, 1008.44, 1011.62(1), F.S.

A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: January 15, 2025, 9:00 a.m. CST

PLACE: Destin High School, 4325 Commons Dr. W., Destin, FL 32541.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Tara Goodman, Vice Chancellor, Division of Career and Adult Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Room 744, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400, [phone], [e-mail].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

6A-6.0576 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List

(1) No change.

(2) Definitions. The following definitions must be used in this rule and incorporated documents:

(a) through (g) No change.

(h) “Career and Technical Education Program Concentrator” or “CTE Concentrator” means a student who has completed at least three course sequences in a career and technical program identified on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs and Associated Courses with Dual Enrollment Course Substitutions List. Each approved career dual enrollment course counts as a course sequence in a program.

(i) “CTE Pathway Completer” means a student who is a CTE Concentrator in a program who has earned an industry certification related to the program of concentration as identified on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Program to Certification Linkage List.

(h) through (l) renumbered (j) through (n) No change.

(3) through (9) No change.

(10) Conditions for Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) calculation and reporting for industry certifications and CAPE digital tool certificates.

(a) through (b) No change.

(c) To report successful attainment of certifications and certificates on the Funding List, the following test administration procedures for all examinations associated with earning the industry certification must be followed:

1. through 6. No change.

7. School districts may only administer written exams for items on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List which have a testing time limit established by the certifying agency.

(d) through (f) No change.

(11) Conditions for FEFP calculation of the 0.3 FTE for Career Pathways Completion.

(a) The Department of Education and school districts shall use the following program and industry certification documents for the calculation of the 0.3 FTE for each student who is a CTE Pathway Completer completes three (3) or more courses in a single career and technical education program or program of study and earns a related industry certification:

1. through 2. No change.

(b) No change.

(c) For student records reported as specified in paragraph (11)(b), for the 2024-25 FEFP calculation, the Department shall calculate an additional FTE membership for each student who completed three (3) course sequences in the courses program list identified on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs list and Associated Courses with Dual Enrollment Course Substitutions and earned at least one (1) certification linked to the program on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Program to Industry Certification Linkage List. A student must have satisfied the requirements for a course upon completion of a course sequence. A certification may be used to satisfy the requirements for one career and technical education program or program of study. The district(s) where the students completed the minimum credits required for district in which the student was enrolled at the time of completing the third course or more shall generate the funding; funds shall be pro-rated among districts if more than one district awarded credit toward the third or more course requirement during the academic year. The school district superintendent will be provided with a list of students who meet the criteria for CTE Pathway Concentrators based on data reported by the districts on the data reporting formats in paragraph (11)(b) as of October 31, 2024.  If the district identifies additional students not included in the department’s calculation file, the district may submit those records for the department’s review and consideration in the calculation. The department will notify superintendents of any additional students who meet the eligibility criteria for the calculation.

(d) For the 2025-26 FEFP calculation, school districts shall report 0.3 FTE for each program in which a student satisfied the criteria for a CTE Pathway Completer. This additional FTE shall be reported in the student database formats. To report a student with 0.3 FTE, the following conditions must be met:

1. A student must not have generated funding for the district in a program of concentration in the 2024-25 FEFP in the Department’s calculation from paragraph (11)(c). Once a program generates funding for a student, it may not be reported for funding again.

2. A student must have satisfied the requirements to be a CTE Concentrator in a program identified on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs and Associated Courses with Dual Enrollment Course Substitutions.

3. A student must have completed an industry certification related to the CTE program of concentration as approved on the Secondary Career and Technical Education Program to Certification Linkage List.

4. For students who are CTE Concentrators in more than one program, a certification may only be used once to satisfy the requirements for a CTE Pathway Completer.

5. The district’s identification of CTE Pathway Completers must be based upon records included on the reporting formats identified in paragraph (11)(b). The district must maintain detailed course and industry certification records that support their calculation of the CTE Pathway Completers, which may be requested by the Department for program auditing purposes.

(e) Beginning with the 2026-27 FEFP, school districts will report student level CTE Program Concentrators and related industry certifications to the Department for use in this calculation.

(12) through (18) No change.

(19) The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. Copies may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, or at the websites listed below.

(a) 2024-25 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List (https://www.flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16943), effective February 2025 September 2024.

(b) through (h) No change.

(i) 2024-25 Secondary Career and Technical Education Program to Industry Certification Linkage List, Updated (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16945), effective February 2025 September 2024.

(j) 2024-25 Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs and Associated Courses with Dual Enrollment Course Substitutions, Updated (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16946), effective February 2025 September 2024.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1003.4203(8), 1003.491(5)(d), 1008.44(1), 1011.62(1) FS. Law Implemented 1003.4203, 1003.491, 1003.492, 1003.493, 1003.4935, 1011.80, 1011.81, 1008.44, 1011.62(1) FS. History‒New 9-20-22, Amended 5-23-23, 9-26-23, 7-2-24, 9-24-24,

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Tara Goodman, Vice Chancellor, Division of Career and Adult Education

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr.

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: December 18, 2024

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: October 28, 2024