The Course Information System is designed to promote practical information in support of Sstandards-driven instruction. This system will be unsurpassed and will:

• be built around the Standards Information System to support the NGSSS
  
  

• replace the existing Course Code Directory (CCD), that is the official source for the Sunshine Course Numbering System (SCNS) and information on all courses, with a new web-based and database driven system
  
  

• provide tools for course building, submission, and approval resulting in an efficient and more effective process than the current paper-based process
  
  

• serve as the one-stop for all information related to courses including certifications and course descriptions along with their relation to the standards

The Course Information System is designed to comply with State Laws governing processing times, information, distribution, and maintenance.

Course Information System Components

The following are the key components of the Course Information System:

Course Code Directory (CCD)
The Course Code Directory (CCD) existed as a statewide electronic system since the 1980's. The current CCD State Board of Education Rule 6A-1.09441, FAC, requires The course code numbers are essential in the collection of information for use by decision-makers in a variety of ways. The previous CCD offered limited information and provided it using text output files that heavily utilized code and symbols rather than plain language. Furthermore, the previous CCD could only provide snapshot documents. The need to modernize the CCD has become vital to provide live access to course information. The CCD under development through the CPALMS project is an interactive database-driven website that allows searching and retrieving the most up-to-date information.

Course Descriptions
Course descriptions existed prior to CPALMS and were provided as PDF and Word documents. The course descriptions provide general descriptions and requirements for teaching each course, including a list of required benchmarks. The CPALMS course descriptions eliminate the need for maintaining separate documents by integrating the Course Code Directory with the Standards Information System . In addition, CPALMS provides new features, such as linking back and forth between courses and benchmarks. This module will also include Career and Technical Education courses and programs.

Helpful Links:

• Click on the following link to browse or search the courses: http://www.floridastandards.org/Courses/CourseDescriptionSearch.aspx
• Click on the following link to view an example of a course page: http://www.floridastandards.org/Courses/PublicPreviewCourse1.aspx

Electronic Course Request and Approval System
For many years, districts could request new courses to be added to the Course Code Directory using a paper form and manual process. The process forced the Department of Education to have a limited time window for course requests and was not fully efficient. The system will be built to enforce timely processing of the course requests and automatically publish the course into the Course Code Directory and Course Description modules. This new process will provide room for creating efficiencies through the approval process, and eliminating duplication of work. Furthermore, the new process will electronically check the course request for duplication and provide alternative options when the request is a close duplicate of existing courses.

Certifications
Provide an informational, database-driven, and public website to manage and disseminate certification options and connections to the Course Information System. This part includes the following modules:

• Certifications Database
  The Certifications Database will provide a list of all state and district issued certifications and endorsements that an educator can earn. This module will provide one page of information on every certification including: issue dates, subject information, instructional level, and courses that can be taught using this certification with links to each of the courses.
  
  

• Certifications and Courses
  Through data fusion in CPALMS, the Cour