Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 448
By
Senator Arrington
25-00892A-26 2026448__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to career and academic planning for
3 middle and high school students; amending s. 1001.43,
4 F.S.; requiring district school boards annually to
5 provide students and their parents with certain
6 information relating to career and technical education
7 programs beginning in a specified grade; requiring
8 middle schools to hold a career and academic planning
9 meeting for specified students and their parents;
10 requiring that certain information be included in the
11 meeting; amending s. 1003.4156, F.S.; revising the
12 information included in a student’s personalized
13 academic and career plan; requiring students in
14 specified grades annually to review the personalized
15 academic and career plan; requiring that such review
16 include a certain demonstration; providing an
17 effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Subsections (15) and (16) are added to section
22 1001.43, Florida Statutes, to read:
23 1001.43 Supplemental powers and duties of district school
24 board.—The district school board may exercise the following
25 supplemental powers and duties as authorized by this code or
26 State Board of Education rule.
27
(15)
PARENTAL NOTIFICATION OF STUDENT CAREER AND TECHNICAL
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EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS.—Before the end of grade 5 and each school
29
year thereafter, each student and his or her parent must be
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provided a list of schools within the school district which
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offer career and technical education programs and a description
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of each program.
33
(16)
CAREER AND ACADEMIC PLANNING MEETING.—Before course
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registration for students entering grade 9, each district school
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board shall require each middle school to hold a career and
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academic planning meeting for grade 8 students and their
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parents. The meeting must include the following information:
38
(a)
A list of schools within the school district which
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offer career and technical education programs and a description
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of each program.
41
(b)
Information relating to career and postsecondary
42
planning.
43
(c)
The eligibility requirements for federal and state
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grants and scholarships, including the requirements for each
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Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program award.
46
(d)
Information obtained from the Department of Commerce,
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local workforce boards, and CareerSource Florida, Inc., about
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career and academic jobs available in the region of the school
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district, including starting salaries.
50
(e)
Information relating to dual enrollment opportunities
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with public and private postsecondary educational institutions
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in the region for high school students, including admission
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requirements. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “region”
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means the Florida College System service area in which the
55
school district is located.
56
(f)
A demonstration of Florida’s online career planning and
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work-based learning coordination system and how to access the
58
student’s personalized academic and career plan.
59 Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
60 1003.4156, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 1003.4156 General requirements for middle grades promotion
;
62
student personalized academic and career plan requirements
.—
63 (1) In order for a student to be promoted to high school
64 from a school that includes middle grades 6, 7, and 8, the
65 student must successfully complete the following courses:
66 (e)
1.
One course in career and education planning to be
67 completed in grades 6, 7, or 8, which may be taught by any
68 member of the instructional staff. The course must be Internet
69 based, customizable to each student, and include research-based
70 assessments to assist students in determining educational and
71 career options and goals. In addition, the course must result in
72 a completed personalized academic and career plan for the
73 student, which must use, when available, Florida’s online career
74 planning and work-based learning coordination system. The course
75 must teach each student how to access and update the plan and
76 encourage the student to access and update the plan at least
77 annually as the student progresses through middle school and
78 high school. The personalized academic and career plan must
79 emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and employability
80 skills and must include information from the Department of
81 Commerce’s economic security report under s. 445.07 and other
82 state career planning resources. The required personalized
83 academic and career plan must inform students of high school
84 graduation requirements, including a detailed explanation of the
85 requirements for earning a high school diploma designation under
86 s. 1003.4285 and the career and technical education pathway to
87 earn a standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282(10); the
88 requirements for each scholarship in the Florida Bright Futures
89 Scholarship Program; state university and Florida College System
90 institution admission requirements; available opportunities to
91 earn college credit in high school, including Advanced Placement
92 courses; the International Baccalaureate Program; the Advanced
93 International Certificate of Education Program; dual enrollment,
94 including career dual enrollment;
career and technical education
95
programs available within the school district;
work-based
96 learning opportunities, including internships and
97 preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs; and career
98 education courses, including career-themed courses and course
99 sequences that lead to industry certification pursuant to s.
100 1003.492 or s. 1008.44. The course may be implemented as a
101 stand-alone course or integrated into another course or courses.
102
2.
Beginning when a student enters grade 9, the student’s
103
personalized academic and career plan must be reviewed annually
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and include a demonstration of the state’s online career
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planning and work-based learning coordination system.
106 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.