The State of Florida requires communication, computation, and civic literacy skills of all baccalaureate graduating students from the State University System and Florida College System.
Civic Literacy
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a Florida College System or State University System Institution in 2018-19 and thereafter to complete a course or an assessment to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The amendment also requires the Chairs of the State Board of Education and Board of Governors to appoint a faculty committee to develop a new civic literacy course or revise an existing U.S. History or U.S. Government course to include the civic literacy content. The committee would also establish course competencies and identify outcomes that include, at minimum, the following:
- An understanding of the basic principles of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government.
- An understanding of the U.S. Constitution.
- Knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-governance.
- An understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases and their impact on law and society.
In 2021, the Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a Florida College System or State University System institution in 2021-22 and thereafter to complete a course and an assessment to demonstrate competency in civic literacy.
The amendment also adds a requirement that high school students taking U.S. Government must take a civic literacy assessment and that high school students who pass the civic literacy assessment will be exempt from the civic literacy competency assessment requirement upon matriculating to postsecondary.
Civic Literacy Requirements by Student Population
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Student Population
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Civic Literacy Competency Requirement
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Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to Fall 2018
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None
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Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS in the catalog year 2018-19.
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Complete a course or exam
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Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS in the catalog year 2021-22.
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Complete both a course and exam
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* High School students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school, which will be in place beginning Fall 2021, are exempt from the postsecondary exam requirement. They must still take the course. Accelerated mechanisms may fulfill the requirements (see below).
Options to Complete Civic Literacy Requirement by Population
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Option
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Score
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Meets Course Competency
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Meets Exam Competency
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Courses
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Transfer of POS 2041 if taken after Fall of 2018
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Passing Grade
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X
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|
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AMH 2020 if taken after Fall of 2018
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Passing Grade
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X
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|
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Accelerated Mechanisms
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Advanced Placement Government & Politics
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3
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X
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X
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Advanced Placement U.S. History
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4
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X
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X
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CLEP American Government Exam
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50
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X
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X
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IB History: History of America
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5-7
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X
|
|
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AICE History, US History, c. 1840-1990
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A-E
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X
|
|
|
Additional Assessments
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test
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60 out of 100
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X
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Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE)
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48 out of 80
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X
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Communication and Computation Skills
In compliance with the Florida Board of Governors Regulation 6.017, all students receiving a baccalaureate degree from Florida Polytechnic University must meet the following requirements:
- Six (6) semester hours of English Composition coursework. Students awarded college credit in English Composition courses based on their demonstration of writing skills through dual enrollment, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate instruction shall be considered to have satisfied this requirement to the extent of the college credit awarded.
- Completion of an additional six semester hours of coursework in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level English language writing skills through multiple assignments. Each institution shall designate the courses that fulfill the writing requirements of this section. Students awarded college credit in one of these courses based on their demonstration of writing skills through dual enrollment, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate instruction shall be considered to have satisfied this requirement to the extent of the college credit awarded.
- Six (6) semester hours of mathematics coursework at the level of college algebra or higher. Applied logic, statistics and other such computation coursework that may not be offered by a mathematics department may be used to fulfil three (3) of the six (6) hours required by this section. Students awarded college credit based on their demonstration of mathematics skills at the level of college algebra or higher through dual enrollment, advanced placement or international baccalaureate instruction shall be considered to have satisfied this requirement to the extent of the college credit awarded.
All mathematics courses offered by Florida Polytechnic University fulfill the above requirements for Computation Skills.
Florida Polytechnic University has designated certain courses as “writing-intensive” (W) for the purpose of meeting communication requirements. Courses meeting writing-intensive requirements include a statement in their course descriptions to that effect. Students should complete ENC 1101 - English Composition 1: Expository and Argumentative Writing prior to additional writing-intensive courses.
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