CS for CS for SB 850 Summary

• Establishes early warning systems in middle schools (grades 6-8) to identify students exhibiting attendance problems, suspensions, course failures, or low assessment scores, requiring schools to convene child study teams and implement interventions when students show two or more warning indicators.

• Creates the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program for students with specific disabilities, providing state funding for educational services including specialized therapy, curriculum, tutoring, private school tuition, and postsecondary education expenses.

• Expands the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program eligibility to include students in foster care or out-of-home care regardless of income level, and increases scholarship amounts to 82 percent of unweighted FTE funding for participating private schools beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.

• Establishes collegiate high school programs requiring Florida College System institutions to partner with school districts so students in grades 11-12 can earn CAPE industry certifications and complete 30 college credit hours toward an associate or baccalaureate degree.

• Modifies requirements for students with disabilities to graduate with standard high school diplomas by allowing alternative pathways including portfolios, industry certifications, employment documentation, and mastery of academic and employment competencies, replacing the previous special diploma option.