Kimber Civita

The 2025-2026 Curriculum Framework for the Florida Department of Education's Welding Technology program provides a structured sequence of courses. The program is designed to deliver coherent and rigorous content, technical skill proficiency, and competency-based applied learning. Key areas include planning, management, technical and product skills, underlying principles of technology, labor issues, and health, safety, and environmental concerns. The framework aims to prepare students for further education and employment in the welding industry within the manufacturing career cluster.

The workshop included discussion on instruction materials for math adoption, waiting for the state to approve their list. There were petitions for some books that have been mentioned at the other meetings during public comment. The board members also discussed the review committee for the math adoptions process and a court case from Collier County.

The workshop included discussions on the 2425 instructional calendar, covering start dates, professional learning days, holidays, and optional days for teachers. There were questions about including a second page detailing holidays, the color-coding of the calendar, and the length of Christmas break. The board also discussed hurricane makeup days, graduation dates, and the possibility of releasing the schedule earlier in the fall. Additionally, there was a presentation on the internal school account audit, highlighting schools with zero findings and those with only one finding. The audit revealed no instances of non-compliance or material weaknesses, but recommendations were made to improve internal controls, such as timely purchase orders and check deposit procedures.

The meeting included a presentation by Sebastian Elementary School's bucket drummers and recognition of Christine Burr for receiving the 2019 Florida Career Pathways Best Practice Award. The board also recognized Student Services Week and highlighted Datony Freeman's journey to success. During the citizen input portion, concerns were raised about stagnant academic progress and school safety, including instances of unsecured access points at schools.

The workshop addressed an amendment to the 2019-2020 dual enrollment agreement with Indian River State College, allowing students with a 3.0 unweighted GPA to enroll in a Student Success course without the PERT, SAT, or ACT due to COVID-19 disruptions. Also discussed was an amendment to the 2019-2020 student progression plan, incorporating waivers of testing requirements and adjustments to graduation and promotion criteria due to COVID-19. The board considered an amended semester grade chart, deciding not to have semester exams and to use a modified grading scale. There was also a discussion on the NCAA's recognition of plus grades.