Articulation; legislative intent; purpose; role of the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors; Articulation Coordinating Committee.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate articulation and seamless integration of the Early Learning-20 education system by building, sustaining, and strengthening relationships among Early Learning-20 public organizations, between public and private organizations, and between the education system as a whole and Florida’s communities. The purpose of building, sustaining, and strengthening these relationships is to provide for the efficient and effective progression and transfer of students within the education system and to allow students to proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. The Legislature further intends that articulation policies and budget actions be implemented consistently in the practices of the Department of Education and postsecondary educational institutions and expressed in the collaborative policy efforts of the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors.

(2) To improve and facilitate articulation systemwide, the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall collaboratively establish and adopt policies with input from statewide K-20 advisory groups established by the Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor of the State University System and shall recommend the policies to the Legislature. The policies shall relate to:

(a) The alignment between the exit requirements of one education system and the admissions requirements of another education system into which students typically transfer.

(b) The identification of common courses, the level of courses, institutional participation in a statewide course numbering system, and the transferability of credits among such institutions.

(c) Identification of courses that meet general education or common degree program prerequisite requirements at public postsecondary educational institutions.

(d) Dual enrollment course equivalencies.

(e) Articulation agreements.

(3) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Chancellor of the State University System, shall establish the Articulation Coordinating Committee, which shall make recommendations related to statewide articulation policies and issues regarding access, quality, and reporting of data maintained by the educational data warehouse, established pursuant to ss. 1001.10 and 1008.31, to the Higher Education Coordination Council, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Governors. The committee shall consist of two members each representing the State University System, the Florida College System, public career and technical education, K-12 education, and nonpublic postsecondary education and one member representing students. The chair shall be elected from the membership. The Office of K-20 Articulation shall provide administrative support for the committee. The committee shall: