Florida Department of Education
Adult General Education
Curriculum Framework

ADULT HIGH SCHOOL	
Program Title	Adult High School	
Program Number	9900010	
Course Number	9900010	
CIP Number	1532010500	
Grade Level	30, 31	
Program Length	Maximum 1300 hours	

PURPOSE

Adult General Education Program: The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) administers the Adult General Education (AGE) Program in accordance with the statutory framework outlined in the following state and federal laws: Section (s.) 1004.02, Florida Statutes (F.S.) s. 1004.93, F.S., and Title II of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA), also known as the federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).

As administered by the Florida Department of Education, AGE encompasses the following programs, services and activities:

•	Academic Skills Building (ASB) Program
•	Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program
•	Adult High School (AHS) Program
•	Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program
•	GED® Preparation Program
•	Integrated Education and Training (IET) Service Approach
•	Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) Service Approach
•	Two-Generation and Family Literacy Service Approaches
•	Workforce Preparation Activities

The AGE Program is designed to serve the following objectives:

•	Provide literacy instruction to adults to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency.
•	Facilitate adult learners to attain a secondary school diploma and progress to postsecondary education and training, including career pathways.
•	Empower parents to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to participate as full partners in the educational development of their children and to achieve sustainable economic opportunities for their families.
•	Deliver English language instruction to adult English language learners whose native language is other than English or who live in a family or community environment where a language other than English is the dominant language, to achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking and comprehension of the English language.

Adult High School Program: The purpose of the FDOE AHS program is to provide eligible individuals with high school courses and assessments approved by the FDOE that lead to a Standard State of Florida High School Diploma. In addition, the AHS program also serves to meet the intent of the Florida Legislature and Office of the Governor as formulated in Florida Statutes and the FDOE State Board Rules. 

Two Florida Statutes provide the underlying basis of the AHS program:

•	s. 1002.3105, F.S.– Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) options
•	s. 1003.4282, F.S. – Requirements for a Standard High School Diploma 

The following Florida Statues and State Board Rules also support the AHS program:

•	s. 1003.41, F.S. – State Academic Standards 
•	s. 1003.433, F.S. – Learning opportunities for out-of-state and out-of-country transfer students and students needing additional instruction to meet high school graduation requirements
•	s. 1004.02, F.S. – Definitions 
•	s. 1004.92, F.S. – Purpose and Responsibilities for Career Education 
•	s. 1004.93, F.S. – Adult General Education 
•	s. 1008.22, F.S. – Student Assessment Program for Public Schools
•	Rule 6A.020, F.A.C. – Granting High School Credits to Adults
•	Rule 6A.09941, F.A.C. – State Uniform Transfer of Students in Middle Grades and High School
•	Rule 6A-1.09422, F.A.C. – Statewide Standardized Assessment Program Requirements
•	Rule 6A-6.014, F.A.C. – General Requirements for Adult General Education Program

STUDENTS

Individuals eligible to enroll in the AHS program are those who meet the following criteria:

•	Are 16 years of age or older.
•	Are not enrolled in the K12 system.
•	Do not possess a Standard State of Florida High School Diploma.
•	Do not possess a high school diploma from another state.
•	Students with a Certificate of Completion from a Florida high school.

EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONING LEVELS

The term "Educational Functioning Level," as used in this curriculum framework, refers to the Adult Secondary Education literacy levels utilized to place students in Florida’s AHS Program. These levels are defined in the National Reporting System (NRS) Technical Assistance Guide and represent the skills students demonstrate in specific areas, as outlined by the NRS (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Subtitle B, Chapter IV, Part 462). 

Table 1: NRS ABE levels, Grade Equivalents and Credit Options

NRS ABE Levels	Grade Equivalent	ACCEL
18 Credits	CTE Career Pathways
18 Credits	Standard Diploma
24 Credits	
NRS ASE Level 5	11.0 – 11.9	0 – 9	0 – 9	0 – 12 	
NRS ASE Level 6	12.0 – 12.9	10 – 18	10 – 18	13 – 24 	
Completion	Above 12.9	More than 18	More than 18	More than 24	

PROGRAM LENGTH

The Florida Legislature provides funding to local agencies to provide instruction for a maximum of 1300 hours of per student per program year. Although it is allowable for local agencies to provide more than 1300 hours of instruction per program year, the additional hours are not eligible for funding.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

The AHS program provides the following three options to obtain a standard State of Florida High School Diploma:

•	18 Credits – Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning High School Diploma 
•	18 Credit – Career and Technical Pathway High School Diploma 
•	24 Credit – Standard State of Florida High School Diploma

The Florida Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T) Standards serve as the curriculum guide for AHS instructors. The B.E.S.T. Standards are posted on the following websites:

•	FDOE CPALMS
•	FDOE Course Code Directory

PLACEMENT INTO THE AHS PROGRAM

Placement: Local adult education agencies have several options for placing students in the AHS program:

•	Students who provide a transcript of high school credits that places them in ABE level 5 or 6 of the NRS may be placed into the program without taking a placement exam
•	Students who have withdrawn from a K-12 program prior to earning any high school credits are required to be assessed and placed in accordance with Rule 6A-6.014, F.A.C.
•	Students who report having earned high school credits but lack a transcript showing evidence of credits earned should be assessed and placed in accordance with Rule 6A-6.014, F.A.C.

Progression: Students show progression in the AHS program by earning credits that move them from NRS ABE level 5 (11th grade) to NRS ABE level 6 (12th grade). Students must complete all required statewide exams in accordance with State of Florida guidelines. Depending on the course, students may be required to complete an End of Course (EOC) exam. Students may also earn concordant or comparative scores in certain courses.

Completion: Students complete the AHS program and obtain a standard State of Florida High School Diploma by fulfilling the following criteria:

1.	Meet all state and local standards required for graduation.
2.	Maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average.
3.	Complete state exams in accordance with FDOE guidelines (not required if the student has met criteria #1).

ACCOMMODATIONS

Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Adult students with disabilities must self-identify, provide documentation and request such services. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in areas such as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF INSTRUCTORS IN ADULT HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Instructors of students enrolled in the AHS program are required to meet the certification requirements of the courses they teach. For certification requirements, see sections 3 and 5 of the Florida DOE Course Code Directory.