by Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
Lawmakers altered online-class requirement for high school graduation. Now, you don’t need to take a class.. Florida students must pass one online course to earn a high school diploma, a rule that kicked in starting with the class of 2015 and has had its detractors (including students who said a virtual class wasn’t their academic cup of tea). The Florida Legislature, which put the rule in place, has altered it a few times since it was first adopted — and did so again in its session that wrapped up in March. Embedded in its multi-pronged education bill (HB 7029) are a few more ways for students to meet the online-class requirement, including not taking a so-called virtual class at all. The law says students can now pass certain tests and use those scores to meet the requirement, even if they don’t take an online class.
