Florida Senate - 2015 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1474
Ì784632+Î784632
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/31/2015 .
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The Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 (Legg) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (8) is added to section 1001.41,
6 Florida Statutes, to read:
7 1001.41 General powers of district school board.—The
8 district school board, after considering recommendations
9 submitted by the district school superintendent, shall exercise
10 the following general powers:
11 (8) Adopt a strategic plan consistent with the school
12 board’s mission and long-term goals.
13 Section 2. Subsection (6) and paragraphs (a) and (b) of
14 subsection (18) of section 1001.42, Florida Statutes, are
15 amended to read:
16 1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
17 district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
18 powers and perform all duties listed below:
19 (6) STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL
20 PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, AND SCHOOL OFFICERS
21 ADMINISTRATORS.—Adopt policies establishing standards of ethical
22 conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators.
23 The policies must require all instructional personnel,
24 administrative personnel and school administrators, and school
25 officers, as defined in s. 1012.01, to complete training on the
26 standards; establish the duty of instructional personnel,
27 administrative personnel, and school officers administrators to
28 report, and procedures for reporting, alleged misconduct by
29 other instructional or administrative personnel and school
30 officers school administrators which affects the health, safety,
31 or welfare of a student; and include an explanation of the
32 liability protections provided under ss. 39.203 and 768.095. A
33 district school board, or any of its employees, may not enter
34 into a confidentiality agreement regarding terminated or
35 dismissed instructional or administrative personnel or school
36 officers administrators, or personnel, or administrators, or
37 school officers who resign in lieu of termination, based in
38 whole or in part on misconduct that affects the health, safety,
39 or welfare of a student, and may not provide instructional or
40 administrative personnel or school officers administrators with
41 employment references or discuss the personnel’s or school
42 officers’ administrators’ performance with prospective employers
43 in another educational setting, without disclosing the
44 personnel’s or school officers’ administrators’ misconduct. Any
45 part of an agreement or contract that has the purpose or effect
46 of concealing misconduct by instructional or administrative
47 personnel or school officers administrators which affects the
48 health, safety, or welfare of a student is void, is contrary to
49 public policy, and may not be enforced.
50 (18) IMPLEMENT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
51 Maintain a system of school improvement and education
52 accountability as provided by statute and State Board of
53 Education rule. This system of school improvement and education
54 accountability shall be consistent with, and implemented
55 through, the district’s continuing system of planning and
56 budgeting required by this section and ss. 1008.385, 1010.01,
57 and 1011.01. This system of school improvement and education
58 accountability shall comply with the provisions of ss. 1008.33,
59 1008.34, 1008.345, and 1008.385 and include the following:
60 (a) School improvement plans.—
61 1. The district school board shall annually approve and
62 require implementation of a new, amended, or continuation school
63 improvement plan for each school in the district. If a school
64 has a significant gap in achievement on statewide, standardized
65 assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22 by one or more
66 student subgroups, as defined in the federal Elementary and
67 Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. s.
68 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II); has not significantly increased the
69 percentage of students passing statewide, standardized
70 assessments; has not significantly increased the percentage of
71 students demonstrating Learning Gains, as defined in s. 1008.34
72 and as calculated under s. 1008.34(3)(b), who passed statewide,
73 standardized assessments; or has significantly lower graduation
74 rates for a subgroup when compared to the state’s graduation
75 rate, that school’s improvement plan shall include strategies
76 for improving these results. The state board shall adopt rules
77 establishing thresholds and for determining compliance with this
78 subparagraph.
79 2. A school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall
80 include annually in its school improvement plan information and
81 data on the school’s early warning system required under
82 paragraph (b), including a list of the early warning indicators
83 used in the system, the number of students identified by the
84 system as exhibiting two or more early warning indicators, the
85 number of students by grade level that exhibit each early
86 warning indicator, and a description of all intervention
87 strategies employed by the school to improve the academic
88 performance of students identified by the early warning system.
89 In addition, a school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8
90 shall describe in its school improvement plan the strategies
91 used by the school to implement and evaluate the instructional
92 practices for middle grades emphasized by the district’s
93 professional development system pursuant to s. 1012.98(4)(b)9.
94 (b) Early warning system.—
95 1. A school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 shall
96 implement an early warning system to identify students in grades
97 6, 7, and 8 who need additional support to improve academic
98 performance and stay engaged in school. The early warning system
99 must include the following early warning indicators:
100 a. Attendance below 90 percent, regardless of whether
101 absence is excused or a result of out-of-school suspension.
102 b. One or more suspensions, whether in school or out of
103 school.
104 c. Course failure in English Language Arts or mathematics.
105 d. A Level 1 score on the statewide, standardized
106 assessments in English Language Arts or mathematics.
107
108 A school district may identify additional early warning
109 indicators for use in a school’s early warning system.
110 2. A school-based team responsible for implementing the
111 requirements of this paragraph shall monitor the data from the
112 early warning system in subparagraph (a)2. When a student
113 exhibits two or more early warning indicators, the team must the
114 school’s child study team under s. 1003.02 or a school-based
115 team formed for the purpose of implementing the requirements of
116 this paragraph shall convene to determine appropriate
117 intervention strategies for the student unless the student is
118 already being served by an intervention program. The school
119 shall provide at least 10 days’ written notice of the meeting to
120 the student’s parent, indicating the meeting’s purpose, time,
121 and location, and provide the parent the opportunity to
122 participate. Data and information relating to the indicators
123 must be used to inform any intervention strategies provided to a
124 student identified under this paragraph.
125 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
126 1001.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
127 1001.43 Supplemental powers and duties of district school
128 board.—The district school board may exercise the following
129 supplemental powers and duties as authorized by this code or
130 State Board of Education rule.
131 (1) STUDENT MANAGEMENT.—The district school board may adopt
132 programs and policies to ensure the safety and welfare of
133 individuals, the student body, and school personnel, which
134 programs and policies may:
135 (b) Require that the attire uniforms to be worn by the
136 student body conform to a standard student attire policy that
137 prohibits certain types or styles of clothing and requires solid
138 colored clothing and fabrics for pants, skirts, shorts, or
139 similar clothing and short or long sleeved shirts with collars.
140 The policy may authorize a small logo but may not authorize a
141 motto or slogan. The purpose of a standard student attire policy
142 is to provide a safe environment that fosters learning and
143 improves school safety and discipline by:
144 1. Encouraging students to express their individuality
145 through personality and academic achievements, rather than
146 outward appearance.
147 2. Enabling students to focus on academics, rather than
148 fashion, because they are able to project a neat, serious, and
149 studious image.
150 3. Minimizing disciplinary problems because students are
151 not distracted by clothing.
152 4. Reducing the time needed to correct dress code
153 violations through a readily available inventory of compliant
154 attire.
155 5. Minimizing visible differences and eliminating social
156 pressures to wear brand name clothing or “gang colors,” thereby
157 easing financial pressures on parents and enhancing school
158 safety.
159 6. Creating a sense of school pride and belonging.
160
161 A district school board may implement a standard student attire
162 policy as part of an overall program to foster and promote
163 desirable school operating conditions and a safe and supportive
164 educational environment. A standard student attire policy must
165 allow a parent to opt his or her student out of the policy for
166 religious purposes or by reason of a disability. A district
167 school board that implements a districtwide standard student
168 attire policy for all students in at least kindergarten through
169 eighth grade is immune from civil liability resulting from
170 adoption of the policy in accordance with this paragraph, or
171 impose other dress-related requirements, if the district school
172 board finds that those requirements are necessary for the safety
173 or welfare of the student body or school personnel. However,
174 Students may wear sunglasses, hats, or other sun-protective wear
175 while outdoors during school hours, such as when students are at
176 recess.
177 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
178
179 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
180 And the title is amended as follows:
181 Delete everything before the enacting clause
182 and insert:
183 A bill to be entitled
184 An act relating to district school boards; amending s.
185 1001.41, F.S.; requiring district school boards to
186 adopt a strategic plan; amending s. 1001.42, F.S.;
187 revising provisions relating to standards of ethical
188 conduct to apply to administrative personnel and
189 school officers; requiring a school to monitor and
190 evaluate its instructional practices and intervention
191 strategies relating to the early warning system;
192 amending s. 1001.43, F.S.; authorizing district school
193 boards to adopt a standard student attire policy;
194 establishing criteria for and the purpose of the
195 policy; providing immunity from civil liability for
196 district school boards that implement a standard
197 student attire policy under certain conditions;
198 providing an effective date.