High school students will find it more difficult to graduate under a bill signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday.
The governor signed SB 4, which creates additional science and math requirements for students to graduate, while phasing out some of the FCAT exams in favor of end-of-course exams.
The new law would eventually require students to take geometry, two years of algebra, biology, chemistry or physics and an additional “rigorous” science course in order to graduate. Department of Education officials would also create and eventually implement end-of-course exams.
The bill enjoyed relatively widespread support in the Legislature and from the education community, though some groups noted there were a few aspects of the measure that still need to be worked out.
Some educators have worried that it could impact graduation rates because students now graduate without such high level courses and the Florida Education Association (FEA) has cautioned that teachers may need additional assistance. “Teachers are going to need some more training to handle the capacity of these courses and support these higher level teachers,” said Mark Pudlow, a spokesman for the FEA.
Source: News Service Florida
