Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 490
       
       
        
       By Senator Bullard
       
       
       
       
       
       39-00418-16                                            2016490__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to student discipline; creating s.
    3         1006.01, F.S.; defining terms; amending s. 1006.07,
    4         F.S.; revising the duties of the district school
    5         boards relating to student discipline and school
    6         safety; requiring school districts to adopt standards
    7         for intervention, rather than a code of student
    8         conduct, which standards include specified
    9         requirements; requiring a school district to
   10         meaningfully involve the community in creating and
   11         applying certain policies; requiring a school district
   12         to fund and support the implementation of school-based
   13         restorative justice practices; requiring a school
   14         district to hire staff members to improve the school
   15         climate and safety; requiring a school district to
   16         annually survey parents, students, and teachers
   17         regarding school safety and discipline issues;
   18         amending s. 1006.12, F.S.; revising the qualifications
   19         of a school resource officer and a school safety
   20         officer; authorizing a school resource officer and a
   21         school safety officer to arrest a student only for
   22         certain violations of law; requiring a school resource
   23         officer and a school safety officer to immediately
   24         notify the principal or the principal’s designee if
   25         the officer arrests a student in a school-related
   26         incident; prohibiting an officer from arresting or
   27         referring a student to the criminal justice system or
   28         juvenile justice system for petty acts of misconduct;
   29         providing an exception; requiring written
   30         documentation of an arrest or referral to the criminal
   31         justice system or juvenile justice system; requiring
   32         each law enforcement agency that serves a school
   33         district to enter into a cooperative agreement with
   34         the district school board, ensure the training of
   35         school resource officers and school safety officers as
   36         specified, and develop minimum qualifications for the
   37         selection of such officers; amending s. 1006.13, F.S.;
   38         requiring each district school board to adopt a policy
   39         on referrals to the criminal justice system or the
   40         juvenile justice system, rather than a policy of zero
   41         tolerance for crime and victimization; revising and
   42         providing requirements for a policy on referrals to
   43         the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
   44         system; providing that a school’s authority and
   45         discretion to use other disciplinary consequences and
   46         interventions is not limited by specified provisions;
   47         conforming terminology; requiring each district school
   48         board, in collaboration with students, educators,
   49         parents, and stakeholders, to enter into cooperative
   50         agreements with a county sheriff’s office and a local
   51         police department for specified purposes; revising the
   52         requirements for these agreements; requiring each
   53         school district to annually review the cost,
   54         effectiveness, and necessity of its school safety
   55         programs and to submit findings to the Department of
   56         Education; requiring a school district to arrange and
   57         pay for transportation for a student in certain
   58         circumstances; requiring, rather than encouraging, a
   59         school district to use alternatives to expulsion or
   60         referral to a law enforcement agency unless the use of
   61         such alternatives poses a threat to school safety;
   62         requiring each school district to submit to the
   63         department its policies and agreements by a specified
   64         date each year; requiring the department to develop by
   65         a specified date a model policy for referrals to the
   66         criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
   67         system; requiring the Commissioner of Education to
   68         report by a specified date each year to the Governor
   69         and the Legislature on the implementation of policies
   70         on referrals to the criminal justice system or the
   71         juvenile justice system; amending ss. 1002.20,
   72         1002.23, 1002.33, 1003.02, 1003.32, 1003.53, 1003.57,
   73         1006.09, 1006.10, 1006.147, 1006.15, 1007.271, and
   74         1012.98, F.S.; conforming cross-references and
   75         provisions to changes made by the act; providing an
   76         effective date.
   77          
   78  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   79  
   80         Section 1. Section 1006.01, Florida Statutes, is created to
   81  read:
   82         1006.01 Definitions.—As used in part I of this chapter, the
   83  term:
   84         (1) “Exclusionary consequence” means a consequence of a
   85  student’s serious breach of the standards for intervention, as
   86  provided in s. 1006.07(2), which results in the student being
   87  barred from attending school.
   88         (2) “Exclusionary discipline” means a disciplinary,
   89  punitive practice that removes a student from instruction time
   90  in his or her regular classrooms and may include in-school
   91  suspension during class time, out-of-school suspension, transfer
   92  to an alternative school, or expulsion. Absences due to
   93  exclusionary discipline are considered excused absences.
   94         (3) “Restorative circle” means a common space where at
   95  least one individual guides a discussion in which each
   96  participant has an equal opportunity to speak and in which
   97  participants take turns speaking about a topic and using a
   98  talking piece, a physical object that is used to assist
   99  communication between participants.
  100         (4) “Restorative group conferencing” means an intervention
  101  in which a facilitator leads the individuals who were involved
  102  in an incident, whether they were harmed or caused the harm, as
  103  well as their families or other supporters, in a face-to-face
  104  process designed to address the harm, resolve any conflict, and
  105  prevent recurrence of the harm based on the ideas of restorative
  106  justice practices and mutual accountability.
  107         (5) “Restorative justice” means an intervening approach to
  108  justice which addresses root causes of harm that is a result of
  109  unjust behavior and which emphasizes repair of the harm and
  110  giving equal attention to accountability, growth, community
  111  safety, the harmed student’s needs, and the student offender’s
  112  needs.
  113         Section 2. Section 1006.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  114  read:
  115         1006.07 District school board duties relating to student
  116  discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall
  117  provide for the proper accounting for all students;, for the
  118  attendance and control of students at school; for the creation
  119  of a safe and effective learning environment, regardless of the
  120  student’s race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual
  121  orientation, or gender identity;, and for the proper attention
  122  to health, safety, and other matters relating to the welfare of
  123  students, including the use of:
  124         (1) INTERVENTIONS FOR AND DISCIPLINE CONTROL OF STUDENTS.
  125  Each school district shall:
  126         (a) Adopt rules for the control, discipline, in-school
  127  suspension, suspension, and expulsion of students and decide all
  128  cases recommended for expulsion. Suspension hearings are exempt
  129  exempted from the provisions of chapter 120. Expulsion hearings
  130  are shall be governed by ss. 120.569 and 120.57(2) and are
  131  exempt from s. 286.011. However, the student’s parent must be
  132  given notice of the provisions of s. 286.011 and may elect to
  133  have the hearing held in compliance with that section. The
  134  district school board may prohibit the use of corporal
  135  punishment, if the district school board adopts or has adopted a
  136  written program of alternative control or discipline. In order
  137  to fulfill the paramount duty of this state to make adequate
  138  provisions for the education of all children residing within its
  139  borders in accordance with s. 1, Art. IX of the State
  140  Constitution, the district school board shall make every effort
  141  to reduce exclusionary discipline for minor misbehavior.
  142         (b) Require each student at the time of initial
  143  registration for school in the school district to note previous
  144  school expulsions, arrests resulting in a charge, and juvenile
  145  justice actions the student has had, and have the authority as
  146  the district school board of a receiving school district to
  147  honor the final order of expulsion or dismissal of a student by
  148  any in-state or out-of-state public district school board or
  149  private school, or lab school, for an act that which would have
  150  been grounds for expulsion according to the receiving district
  151  school board’s standards for intervention code of student
  152  conduct, in accordance with the following procedures:
  153         1. A final order of expulsion shall be recorded in the
  154  records of the receiving school district.
  155         2. The expelled student applying for admission to the
  156  receiving school district shall be advised of the final order of
  157  expulsion.
  158         3. The district school superintendent of the receiving
  159  school district may recommend to the district school board that
  160  the final order of expulsion be waived and the student be
  161  admitted to the school district, or that the final order of
  162  expulsion be honored and the student not be admitted to the
  163  school district. If the student is admitted by the district
  164  school board, with or without the recommendation of the district
  165  school superintendent, the student may be placed in an
  166  appropriate educational program at the direction of the district
  167  school board.
  168         (2) STANDARDS FOR INTERVENTION CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT.
  169  Each school district shall adopt clear standards for
  170  intervention, formerly known as a code of student conduct, which
  171  create a safe, supportive, and positive school climate and which
  172  address misbehavior with interventions and consequences aimed at
  173  understanding and addressing the causes of misbehavior,
  174  resolving conflicts, meeting students’ needs, and keeping
  175  students in school and teaching them to respond in age
  176  appropriate ways a code of student conduct for elementary
  177  schools and a code of student conduct for middle and high
  178  schools and distribute the appropriate code to all teachers,
  179  school personnel, students, and parents, at the beginning of
  180  every school year. The process for adopting standards for
  181  intervention must include meaningful involvement among parents,
  182  students, teachers, and the community. The standards for
  183  intervention must be organized and written in language that is
  184  understandable to students and parents and translated into all
  185  languages represented by the students and their parents;
  186  discussed at the beginning of every school year in student
  187  classes, school advisory council meetings, and parent and
  188  teacher association or organization meetings; made available at
  189  the beginning of every school year in the student handbook or
  190  similar publication distributed to all teachers, school
  191  personnel, students, and parents; and posted on the school
  192  district’s website. The standards for intervention must Each
  193  code shall be organized and written in language that is
  194  understandable to students and parents and shall be discussed at
  195  the beginning of every school year in student classes, school
  196  advisory council meetings, and parent and teacher association or
  197  organization meetings. Each code shall be based on the rules
  198  governing student conduct and discipline adopted by the district
  199  school board and shall be made available in the student handbook
  200  or similar publication. Each code shall include, but need is not
  201  be limited to, the following:
  202         (a) Consistent policies and specific grounds for
  203  disciplinary action, including in-school suspension, out-of
  204  school suspension, expulsion, interventions, supports, and any
  205  disciplinary action that may be imposed for the possession or
  206  use of alcohol on school property or while attending a school
  207  function or for the illegal use, sale, or possession of
  208  controlled substances as defined in chapter 893.
  209         (b) Procedures to be followed for acts requiring
  210  discipline, including corporal punishment.
  211         (c) A discipline chart or matrix indicating that a student
  212  is not subject to exclusionary discipline for unexcused
  213  tardiness, lateness, absence, or truancy; for violation of the
  214  school dress code or rules regarding school uniforms; or for
  215  behavior infractions that do not endanger the physical safety of
  216  other students or staff members, including, but not limited to,
  217  insubordination, defiance, disobedience, disrespect, or minor
  218  classroom disruptions. The discipline chart or matrix must also:
  219         1. Provide guidance on appropriate interventions and
  220  consequences to be applied to behaviors or behavior categories
  221  as provided in subparagraph 2. The school district may define
  222  specific interventions and provide a list of interventions that
  223  must be used and documented before exclusionary discipline is
  224  considered unless a behavior poses a serious threat to school
  225  safety. The interventions may include, but are not limited to:
  226         a. Having a private conversation with the student about his
  227  or her behavior and underlying issues that may have precipitated
  228  the behavior.
  229         b. Providing an opportunity for the student’s anger, fear,
  230  or anxiety to subside.
  231         c. Providing restorative justice practices using a
  232  schoolwide approach of informal and formal techniques to foster
  233  a sense of school community and to manage conflict by repairing
  234  harm and restoring positive relationships.
  235         d. Providing reflective activities, such as requiring the
  236  student to write an essay about his or her behavior.
  237         e. Participating in skill building and conflict resolution
  238  activities, such as social-emotional cognitive skill building,
  239  restorative circles, and restorative group conferencing.
  240         f. Revoking student privileges.
  241         g. Referring a student to a school counselor or social
  242  worker.
  243         h. Speaking to a student’s parent.
  244         i. Referring a student to intervention outside the school
  245  setting.
  246         j. Ordering in-school detention or in-school suspension
  247  during lunch, after school, or on the weekends.
  248         2. Outlining specific behaviors or behavior categories.
  249  Each behavior or behavior category must include clear maximum
  250  consequences to prevent inappropriate exclusionary consequences
  251  for minor misbehavior and petty acts of misconduct and set clear
  252  requirements that must be satisfied before the school imposes
  253  exclusionary discipline. The chart or matrix must show that
  254  exclusionary discipline is a last resort to be used only in
  255  cases of serious misconduct when in-school interventions and
  256  consequences that do not lead to exclusionary consequences are
  257  insufficient. The following behaviors, which must be accompanied
  258  by appropriate intervention services, such as substance abuse
  259  counseling, anger management counseling, or restorative justice
  260  practices, may result in exclusionary discipline and in
  261  notification of a law enforcement agency if the behavior is a
  262  felony or a serious threat to school safety:
  263         a. Illegal sale of a controlled substance, as defined in
  264  chapter 893, by a student on school property or in attendance at
  265  a school function.
  266         b. Violation of the district school board’s sexual
  267  harassment policy.
  268         c. Possession, display, transmission, use, or sale of a
  269  firearm or weapon, as defined in s. 790.001 or 18 U.S.C. s. 921,
  270  or an object that is used as, or is intended to function as, a
  271  weapon, while on school property or in attendance at a school
  272  function.
  273         d. Making a threat or intimidation using any pointed or
  274  sharp object or the use of any substance or object as a weapon
  275  with the threat or intent to inflict bodily harm.
  276         e. Making a threat or a false report, as provided in ss.
  277  790.162 and 790.163, respectively.
  278         f. Homicide.
  279         g. Sexual battery.
  280         h. Armed robbery.
  281         i. Aggravated battery.
  282         j. Battery or aggravated battery on a teacher, other school
  283  personnel, or district school board personnel.
  284         k. Kidnapping.
  285         l. Arson.
  286         (d) A glossary of clearly defined terms and behaviors.
  287         (e) An explanation of the responsibilities, dignity, and
  288  rights of and respect for students, including, but not limited
  289  to, a student’s right not to be discriminated against based on
  290  race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or
  291  gender identity; a student’s right to participate in student
  292  publications, school programs, and school activities; and a
  293  student’s right to exercise free speech, to assemble, and to
  294  maintain privacy.
  295         (f) An explanation of the school’s dress code or rules
  296  regarding school uniforms and notice that students have the
  297  right to dress in accordance with their stated gender within the
  298  constraints of the school’s dress code.
  299         (g) Notice that violation of transportation policies of a
  300  district school board by a student, including disruptive
  301  behavior on a school bus or at a school bus stop, is grounds for
  302  disciplinary action by the school.
  303         (h) Notice that a student who is determined to have brought
  304  a weapon or firearm, as defined in s. 790.001 or 18 U.S.C. s.
  305  921, to school, to a school function, or onto school-sponsored
  306  transportation, or to have possessed a weapon or firearm at
  307  school, will be expelled from the student’s regular school for
  308  at least 1 full year and referred to the criminal justice system
  309  or juvenile justice system; and notice that a district school
  310  superintendent may consider the requirement of 1-year expulsion
  311  on a case-by-case basis and may request the district school
  312  board to modify the requirement by assigning the student to a
  313  disciplinary program or second chance school if:
  314         1. The request for modification is in writing; and
  315         2. The modification is determined to be in the best
  316  interest of the student and the school district.
  317         (i) Notice that a student who is determined to have made a
  318  threat or false report, as provided in ss. 790.162 and 790.163,
  319  respectively, involving the school’s or school personnel’s
  320  property, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity
  321  may be expelled from the student’s regular school for at least 1
  322  full year, with continuing educational services, and referred to
  323  the criminal justice system or juvenile justice system. A
  324  district school superintendent may consider the requirement of a
  325  1-year expulsion on a case-by-case basis and may request the
  326  district school board to modify the requirement by assigning the
  327  student to a disciplinary program or second chance school if:
  328         1. The request for modification is in writing; and
  329         2. The modification is determined to be in the best
  330  interest of the student and the school district.
  331         (j) A clear and complete explanation of due process rights
  332  afforded to a student, including a student with a disability,
  333  and the types of exclusionary discipline to which a student may
  334  be subjected.
  335         (c)An explanation of the responsibilities and rights of
  336  students with regard to attendance, respect for persons and
  337  property, knowledge and observation of rules of conduct, the
  338  right to learn, free speech and student publications, assembly,
  339  privacy, and participation in school programs and activities.
  340         (d)1. An explanation of the responsibilities of each
  341  student with regard to appropriate dress, respect for self and
  342  others, and the role that appropriate dress and respect for self
  343  and others has on an orderly learning environment. Each district
  344  school board shall adopt a dress code policy that prohibits a
  345  student, while on the grounds of a public school during the
  346  regular school day, from wearing clothing that exposes underwear
  347  or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner or that disrupts
  348  the orderly learning environment.
  349         2. Any student who violates the dress policy described in
  350  subparagraph 1. is subject to the following disciplinary
  351  actions:
  352         a. For a first offense, a student shall be given a verbal
  353  warning and the school principal shall call the student’s parent
  354  or guardian.
  355         b. For a second offense, the student is ineligible to
  356  participate in any extracurricular activity for a period of time
  357  not to exceed 5 days and the school principal shall meet with
  358  the student’s parent or guardian.
  359         c. For a third or subsequent offense, a student shall
  360  receive an in-school suspension pursuant to s. 1003.01(5) for a
  361  period not to exceed 3 days, the student is ineligible to
  362  participate in any extracurricular activity for a period not to
  363  exceed 30 days, and the school principal shall call the
  364  student’s parent or guardian and send the parent or guardian a
  365  written letter regarding the student’s in-school suspension and
  366  ineligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.
  367         (e) Notice that illegal use, possession, or sale of
  368  controlled substances, as defined in chapter 893, by any student
  369  while the student is upon school property or in attendance at a
  370  school function is grounds for disciplinary action by the school
  371  and may also result in criminal penalties being imposed.
  372         (f) Notice that use of a wireless communications device
  373  includes the possibility of the imposition of disciplinary
  374  action by the school or criminal penalties if the device is used
  375  in a criminal act. A student may possess a wireless
  376  communications device while the student is on school property or
  377  in attendance at a school function. Each district school board
  378  shall adopt rules governing the use of a wireless communications
  379  device by a student while the student is on school property or
  380  in attendance at a school function.
  381         (g) Notice that the possession of a firearm or weapon as
  382  defined in chapter 790 by any student while the student is on
  383  school property or in attendance at a school function is grounds
  384  for disciplinary action and may also result in criminal
  385  prosecution. Simulating a firearm or weapon while playing or
  386  wearing clothing or accessories that depict a firearm or weapon
  387  or express an opinion regarding a right guaranteed by the Second
  388  Amendment to the United States Constitution is not grounds for
  389  disciplinary action or referral to the criminal justice or
  390  juvenile justice system under this section or s. 1006.13.
  391  Simulating a firearm or weapon while playing includes, but is
  392  not limited to:
  393         1. Brandishing a partially consumed pastry or other food
  394  item to simulate a firearm or weapon.
  395         2. Possessing a toy firearm or weapon that is 2 inches or
  396  less in overall length.
  397         3. Possessing a toy firearm or weapon made of plastic snap
  398  together building blocks.
  399         4. Using a finger or hand to simulate a firearm or weapon.
  400         5. Vocalizing an imaginary firearm or weapon.
  401         6. Drawing a picture, or possessing an image, of a firearm
  402  or weapon.
  403         7. Using a pencil, pen, or other writing or drawing utensil
  404  to simulate a firearm or weapon.
  405  
  406  However, a student may be subject to disciplinary action if
  407  simulating a firearm or weapon while playing substantially
  408  disrupts student learning, causes bodily harm to another person,
  409  or places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm. The
  410  severity of consequences imposed upon a student, including
  411  referral to the criminal justice or juvenile justice system,
  412  must be proportionate to the severity of the infraction and
  413  consistent with district school board policies for similar
  414  infractions. If a student is disciplined for such conduct, the
  415  school principal or his or her designee must call the student’s
  416  parent. Disciplinary action resulting from a student’s clothing
  417  or accessories shall be determined pursuant to paragraph (d)
  418  unless the wearing of the clothing or accessory causes a
  419  substantial disruption to student learning, in which case the
  420  infraction may be addressed in a manner that is consistent with
  421  district school board policies for similar infractions. This
  422  paragraph does not prohibit a public school from adopting a
  423  school uniform policy.
  424         (h) Notice that violence against any district school board
  425  personnel by a student is grounds for in-school suspension, out
  426  of-school suspension, expulsion, or imposition of other
  427  disciplinary action by the school and may also result in
  428  criminal penalties being imposed.
  429         (i) Notice that violation of district school board
  430  transportation policies, including disruptive behavior on a
  431  school bus or at a school bus stop, by a student is grounds for
  432  suspension of the student’s privilege of riding on a school bus
  433  and may be grounds for disciplinary action by the school and may
  434  also result in criminal penalties being imposed.
  435         (j) Notice that violation of the district school board’s
  436  sexual harassment policy by a student is grounds for in-school
  437  suspension, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or imposition
  438  of other disciplinary action by the school and may also result
  439  in criminal penalties being imposed.
  440         (k) Policies to be followed for the assignment of violent
  441  or disruptive students to an alternative educational program.
  442         (l) Notice that any student who is determined to have
  443  brought a firearm or weapon, as defined in chapter 790, to
  444  school, to any school function, or onto any school-sponsored
  445  transportation, or to have possessed a firearm at school, will
  446  be expelled, with or without continuing educational services,
  447  from the student’s regular school for a period of not less than
  448  1 full year and referred to the criminal justice or juvenile
  449  justice system. District school boards may assign the student to
  450  a disciplinary program or second chance school for the purpose
  451  of continuing educational services during the period of
  452  expulsion. District school superintendents may consider the 1
  453  year expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis and request
  454  the district school board to modify the requirement by assigning
  455  the student to a disciplinary program or second chance school if
  456  the request for modification is in writing and it is determined
  457  to be in the best interest of the student and the school system.
  458         (m) Notice that any student who is determined to have made
  459  a threat or false report, as defined by ss. 790.162 and 790.163,
  460  respectively, involving school or school personnel’s property,
  461  school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity will be
  462  expelled, with or without continuing educational services, from
  463  the student’s regular school for a period of not less than 1
  464  full year and referred for criminal prosecution. District school
  465  boards may assign the student to a disciplinary program or
  466  second chance school for the purpose of continuing educational
  467  services during the period of expulsion. District school
  468  superintendents may consider the 1-year expulsion requirement on
  469  a case-by-case basis and request the district school board to
  470  modify the requirement by assigning the student to a
  471  disciplinary program or second chance school if it is determined
  472  to be in the best interest of the student and the school system.
  473         (3) COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY CREATION STUDENT CRIME
  474  WATCH PROGRAM.—Each school district shall ensure the meaningful
  475  involvement of parents, students, teachers, and the community in
  476  creating and applying policies regarding student discipline and
  477  school safety By resolution of the district school board,
  478  implement a student crime watch program to promote
  479  responsibility among students and to assist in the control of
  480  criminal behavior within the schools.
  481         (4) EMERGENCY DRILLS AND; EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.—Each school
  482  district shall:
  483         (a) Formulate and prescribe policies and procedures for
  484  emergency drills and for actual emergencies, including, but not
  485  limited to, fires, natural disasters, and bomb threats, for all
  486  the public schools of the district which comprise grades K-12.
  487  District school board policies must shall include commonly used
  488  alarm system responses for specific types of emergencies and
  489  verification by each school that drills have been provided as
  490  required by law and fire protection codes. The emergency
  491  response agency that is responsible for notifying the school
  492  district for each type of emergency must be listed in the
  493  district’s emergency response policy.
  494         (b) Establish model emergency management and emergency
  495  preparedness procedures, including emergency notification
  496  procedures pursuant to paragraph (a), for the following life
  497  threatening emergencies:
  498         1. Weapon-use and hostage situations.
  499         2. Hazardous materials or toxic chemical spills.
  500         3. Weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes,
  501  and severe storms.
  502         4. Exposure as a result of a manmade emergency.
  503         (5) EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN DETENTION FACILITIES.—Each
  504  school district shall offer educational services to minors who
  505  have not graduated from high school and eligible students with
  506  disabilities under the age of 22 who have not graduated with a
  507  standard diploma or its equivalent who are detained in a county
  508  or municipal detention facility as defined in s. 951.23. These
  509  educational services must shall be based upon the estimated
  510  length of time the student will be in the facility and the
  511  student’s current level of functioning. A county sheriff or
  512  chief correctional officer, or his or her designee, shall notify
  513  the district school superintendent, superintendents or his or
  514  her designee when their designees shall be notified by the
  515  county sheriff or chief correctional officer, or his or her
  516  designee, upon the assignment of a student under the age of 21
  517  is assigned to the facility. A cooperative agreement with the
  518  district school board and applicable law enforcement units shall
  519  develop a cooperative agreement be developed to address the
  520  notification requirement and the provision of educational
  521  services to such these students.
  522         (6) SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES.—Each school
  523  district shall use the Safety and Security Best Practices
  524  developed by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
  525  Government Accountability to conduct a self-assessment of the
  526  school districts’ current safety and security practices. Based
  527  on these self-assessment findings, the district school
  528  superintendent shall provide recommendations to the district
  529  school board which identify strategies and activities that the
  530  district school board should implement in order to improve
  531  school safety and security. Annually Each district school board
  532  must annually receive the self-assessment results at a publicly
  533  noticed district school board meeting to provide the public an
  534  opportunity to hear the district school board members discuss
  535  and take action on the report findings. Each district school
  536  superintendent shall report the self-assessment results and
  537  school board action to the commissioner within 30 days after the
  538  district school board meeting.
  539         (7) RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES.—Each school district
  540  shall provide funding for, train school staff members on, and
  541  support the implementation of school-based restorative justice
  542  practices. Schools shall use these practices to foster a sense
  543  of school community and to resolve conflict by encouraging the
  544  reporting of harm and by restoring positive relationships. There
  545  are various ways to use these practices in the schools and in
  546  the juvenile justice system where students and educators work
  547  together to set academic goals, develop core values for the
  548  classroom, and resolve conflicts. Many types of restorative
  549  justice practices, such as restorative circles, may be used to
  550  promote a positive learning environment and to confront issues
  551  as they arise. Some common restorative circles that schools use
  552  for discipline may include, but need not be limited to:
  553         (a) Discipline circles that address the harm that occurred,
  554  repair the harm, and develop solutions to prevent recurrence of
  555  the harm among the parties involved.
  556         (b) Proactive behavior management circles that use role
  557  play to develop positive behavioral models for students.
  558         (8) SUPPORT STAFF.—Each school district shall provide
  559  funding to hire staff members to improve school climate and
  560  safety, such as social workers, counselors, and restorative
  561  justice coordinators, at the nationally recommended ratio of 250
  562  students to 1 counselor in order to reduce dependency on school
  563  safety officers, school resource officers, and other school
  564  resources.
  565         (9) SURVEYS.—Each school district shall annually survey
  566  parents, students, and teachers regarding school safety and
  567  disciplinary issues.
  568         Section 3. Section 1006.12, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  569  read:
  570         1006.12 School resource officers and school safety
  571  officers.—
  572         (1) A district school board boards may establish a school
  573  resource officer program programs, through a cooperative
  574  agreement with a law enforcement agency agencies or in
  575  accordance with subsection (2).
  576         (a) Each school resource officer must officers shall be a
  577  certified law enforcement officer officers, as defined in s.
  578  943.10(1), and have been who are employed for at least 2 years
  579  by a law enforcement agency as defined in s. 943.10(4). The
  580  powers and duties of a law enforcement officer shall continue
  581  throughout the employee’s tenure as a school resource officer.
  582         (b) A school resource officer officers shall abide by
  583  district school board policies and shall consult with and
  584  coordinate activities through the school principal, but is shall
  585  be responsible to the law enforcement agency in all matters
  586  relating to employment, subject to agreements between the a
  587  district school board and the a law enforcement agency. A school
  588  resource officer’s activities that conducted by the school
  589  resource officer which are part of the regular instructional
  590  program of the school are shall be under the direction of the
  591  school principal.
  592         (c) A school resource officer may arrest a student only for
  593  a violation of law which constitutes a serious threat to school
  594  safety and only after consultation with the school principal or
  595  the principal’s designee, documented attempts at intervention or
  596  in-school consequences, and pursuant to the standards for
  597  intervention and the cooperative agreement as described in ss.
  598  1006.07 and 1006.13, respectively. If a school resource officer
  599  arrests a student in a school-related incident, the officer
  600  shall immediately notify the principal or the principal’s
  601  designee. A school resource officer may not arrest or otherwise
  602  refer a student to the criminal justice system or the juvenile
  603  justice system for a petty act of misconduct unless it is
  604  determined that the failure to do so would endanger the physical
  605  safety of other students or staff at the school. Such
  606  determination must be documented in a written report to the
  607  principal or the principal’s designee which includes a
  608  description of the behavior at issue and an explanation of why
  609  an arrest or referral was necessary.
  610         (2)(a) Each school safety officer must officers shall be a
  611  law enforcement officer officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1),
  612  certified under the provisions of chapter 943 and have been
  613  employed for at least 2 years by either a law enforcement agency
  614  or by the district school board. If the officer is employed by
  615  the district school board, the district school board is the
  616  employing agency for purposes of chapter 943, and must comply
  617  with the provisions of that chapter.
  618         (b) A district school board may commission one or more
  619  school safety officers for the protection and safety of school
  620  personnel, property, and students within the school district.
  621  The district school superintendent may recommend and the
  622  district school board may appoint one or more school safety
  623  officers.
  624         (c) A school safety officer may has and shall exercise the
  625  power to make arrests for violations of law on district school
  626  board property and to arrest persons, whether on or off such
  627  property, who violate any law on such property under the same
  628  conditions that deputy sheriffs are authorized to make arrests.
  629  A school safety officer may arrest a student only for a
  630  violation of law which constitutes a serious threat to school
  631  safety and only after consultation with the school principal or
  632  the principal’s designee, documented attempts at intervention or
  633  in-school consequences, and pursuant to the standards for
  634  intervention and the cooperative agreement as described in ss.
  635  1006.07 and 1006.13, respectively. If a school safety officer
  636  arrests a student in a school-related incident, the officer
  637  shall immediately notify the principal or the principal’s
  638  designee. A school safety officer may not arrest or otherwise
  639  refer a student to the criminal justice system or the juvenile
  640  justice system for a petty act of misconduct unless it is
  641  determined that the failure to do so would endanger the physical
  642  safety of other students or staff at the school. Such
  643  determination must be documented in a written report to the
  644  principal or the principal’s designee which includes a
  645  description of the behavior at issue and an explanation of why
  646  an arrest or referral was necessary A school safety officer has
  647  the authority to carry weapons when performing his or her
  648  official duties.
  649         (d) A district school board may enter into mutual aid
  650  agreements with one or more law enforcement agencies as provided
  651  in chapter 23. A school safety officer’s salary may be paid
  652  jointly by the district school board and the law enforcement
  653  agency, as mutually agreed to.
  654         (3) Each law enforcement agency serving a school district
  655  shall do all of the following:
  656         (a) Enter into a cooperative agreement with the district
  657  school board pursuant to s. 1006.13.
  658         (b) Ensure that each school resource officer and school
  659  safety officer is trained to use appropriate and positive
  660  interactions with students in different stages of mental,
  661  emotional, and physical development and to implement the range
  662  of interventions and school-based consequences that should be
  663  used to avoid an arrest. Training must include, but is not
  664  limited to, the following:
  665         1. Child and adolescent development and psychology;
  666         2. Teaching students to respond in age-appropriate ways;
  667         3. Cultural differences and unconscious bias;
  668         4. Restorative justice practices;
  669         5. Rights of students with disabilities and appropriate
  670  responses to their behaviors;
  671         6. Practices that improve the school climate; and
  672         7. The creation of safe environments for lesbian, gay,
  673  bisexual, and transgender students.
  674         (c) Establish the following minimum qualifications for the
  675  selection of school resource officers and school safety
  676  officers:
  677         1. Proficiency in verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
  678  that include public speaking;
  679         2. Knowledge and experience in matters involving cultural
  680  diversity and sensitivity;
  681         3. Training in best practices for working with students as
  682  specified in paragraph (b);
  683         4. Commitment to serving as a positive role model for
  684  students;
  685         5. Passion for and desire to interact positively with
  686  students; and
  687         6. An employment record with no history of excessive force
  688  or racial bias.
  689         Section 4. Section 1006.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  690  read:
  691         1006.13 Policy on referrals to the criminal justice system
  692  or the juvenile justice system of zero tolerance for crime and
  693  victimization.—
  694         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote a safe
  695  and supportive learning environment in schools, to protect
  696  students and staff from conduct that poses a serious threat to
  697  school safety, and to encourage schools to use alternatives to
  698  expulsion or referral to law enforcement agencies by addressing
  699  disruptive behavior through restitution, civil citation, teen
  700  court, neighborhood restorative justice, or similar programs.
  701  The Legislature finds that referrals to the criminal justice
  702  system or the juvenile justice system zero-tolerance policies
  703  are not intended to be rigorously applied to petty acts of
  704  misconduct and misdemeanors, including, but not limited to,
  705  minor fights or disturbances. The Legislature finds that zero
  706  tolerance policies on referrals to the criminal justice system
  707  or the juvenile justice system must apply equally to all
  708  students regardless of their economic status, race, or
  709  disability.
  710         (2) Each district school board shall adopt a policy on
  711  referrals to the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
  712  system which of zero tolerance that:
  713         (a) Clearly limits the role of law enforcement intervention
  714  to serious threats to school safety and delineates clear roles
  715  in which school principals and their designees, under the
  716  constraints of the standards for intervention as described in s.
  717  1006.07 and other district policies, are the final decision
  718  makers on disciplinary consequences, including referrals to law
  719  enforcement agencies.
  720         (b) Defines criteria for reporting to a law enforcement
  721  agency any act that occurs whenever or wherever students are
  722  within the jurisdiction of the district school board and that
  723  poses a serious threat to school safety. An act that does not
  724  pose a serious threat to school safety must be handled within
  725  the school’s disciplinary system.
  726         (c)(b) Defines acts that pose a serious threat to school
  727  safety, including, but not limited to, those acts or behaviors
  728  specified in s. 1006.07(2)(c)2.
  729         (d)(c) Defines petty acts of misconduct, including, but not
  730  limited to, behavior that could amount to the misdemeanor
  731  criminal charge of disorderly conduct, disturbing a school
  732  function, loitering, simple assault or battery, affray, theft of
  733  less than $300, trespassing, vandalism of less than $1,000,
  734  criminal mischief, and other behavior that does not pose a
  735  serious threat to school safety.
  736         (e) Specifies that students may not be arrested or
  737  otherwise referred to the criminal justice system or the
  738  juvenile justice system for petty acts of misconduct unless it
  739  is determined that the failure to do so would endanger the
  740  physical safety of other students or staff at the school. Such
  741  determination must be documented in a written report that
  742  includes a description of the behavior at issue and an
  743  explanation of why an arrest or referral was necessary.
  744         (f)(d) Minimizes the victimization of students, staff, or
  745  volunteers, including taking all steps necessary to protect the
  746  victim of any violent crime from any further victimization.
  747         (g)(e) Establishes a procedure that provides each student
  748  with the opportunity for a review of the disciplinary action
  749  imposed pursuant to s. 1006.07.
  750         (h) Establishes data-sharing protocols so that each school
  751  district receives, at least twice a year, a report on the number
  752  of school-based arrests of students. All data must be
  753  disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, school, offense, and
  754  the name of the law enforcement officer involved and match the
  755  school district’s records on grade, disability, and status as a
  756  limited English proficient student.
  757         (3) This section does not limit a school’s authority and
  758  discretion under law to use other disciplinary consequences and
  759  interventions as appropriate to address school-based incidents.
  760         (4)(3)The policy on referrals to the criminal justice
  761  system or the juvenile justice system Zero-tolerance policies
  762  must require a student who is students found to have committed
  763  one of the following offenses to be expelled, with or without
  764  continuing educational services, from the student’s regular
  765  school for a period of not less than 1 full year, and to be
  766  referred to the criminal justice system or juvenile justice
  767  system:.
  768         (a) Bringing a firearm or weapon, as defined in s. 790.001
  769  or 18 U.S.C. s. 921 chapter 790, to school, to any school
  770  function, or onto any school-sponsored transportation or
  771  possessing a firearm at school.
  772         (b) Making a threat or false report, as provided in defined
  773  by ss. 790.162 and 790.163, respectively, involving school or
  774  school personnel’s property, school transportation, or a school
  775  sponsored activity.
  776  
  777  A district school board boards may assign the student to a
  778  disciplinary program for the purpose of continuing educational
  779  services during the period of expulsion. A district school
  780  superintendent superintendents may consider the 1-year expulsion
  781  requirement on a case-by-case basis and request the district
  782  school board to modify the requirement by assigning the student
  783  to a disciplinary program or second chance school if the request
  784  for modification is in writing and it is determined to be in the
  785  best interest of the student and the school system. If a student
  786  committing any of the offenses in this subsection is a student
  787  who has a disability, the district school board shall comply
  788  with applicable State Board of Education rules.
  789         (5)(4)(a) Each district school board, in collaboration with
  790  students, educators, parents, and stakeholders, shall enter into
  791  cooperative agreements with the county sheriff’s office and
  792  local police department specifying guidelines for ensuring that
  793  acts that pose a serious threat to school safety, whether
  794  committed by a student or adult, are reported to a law
  795  enforcement agency. Such agreements must:
  796         (a)(b)The agreements must Include the role of school
  797  safety officers and school resource officers, if applicable, in
  798  handling reported incidents that pose a serious threat to school
  799  safety and, circumstances in which school officials may handle
  800  incidents without filing a report with a law enforcement agency,
  801  and a procedure for ensuring that school personnel properly
  802  report appropriate delinquent acts and crimes.
  803         (b)(c)Clarify that Zero-tolerance policies do not require
  804  the reporting of petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors may
  805  not be reported to a law enforcement agency, including, but not
  806  limited to, disorderly conduct, disturbing disrupting a school
  807  function, loitering, simple assault or battery, affray, theft of
  808  less than $300, trespassing, and vandalism of less than $1,000,
  809  criminal mischief, and other misdemeanors that do not pose a
  810  serious threat to school safety.
  811         (c)(d)Clarify the role of the school principal in ensuring
  812  shall ensure that all school personnel are properly informed of
  813  as to their responsibilities regarding crime reporting, that
  814  appropriate delinquent acts and crimes are properly reported,
  815  and that actions taken in cases with special circumstances are
  816  properly taken and documented.
  817         (d)Specify training for each school resource officer and
  818  school safety officer on school grounds to foster appropriate
  819  and positive interactions with students in different stages of
  820  mental, emotional, and physical development and to implement the
  821  range of interventions and school-based consequences that should
  822  be used to avoid an arrest. Training must include, but is not
  823  limited to, the following:
  824         1. Child and adolescent development and psychology;
  825         2. Teaching students to respond in age-appropriate ways;
  826         3. Cultural differences and unconscious bias;
  827         4. Restorative justice practices;
  828         5. Rights of students with disabilities and appropriate
  829  responses to their behaviors;
  830         6. Practices that improve the school climate; and
  831         7. The creation of safe environments for lesbian, gay,
  832  bisexual, and transgender students.
  833         (e) Include clear guidelines for selecting school resource
  834  officers and school safety officers, who must meet the following
  835  minimum qualifications:
  836         1. Proficiency in verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
  837  that include public speaking;
  838         2. Knowledge and experience in matters involving cultural
  839  diversity and sensitivity;
  840         3. Training in best practices for working with students as
  841  specified in paragraph (d);
  842         4. Commitment to serving as a positive role model for
  843  students;
  844         5. Passion for and desire to interact positively with
  845  students; and
  846         6.  An employment record with no history of excessive force
  847  or racial bias.
  848         (f) Require a school district to annually review the cost
  849  and effectiveness of its school safety programs, including the
  850  use of school safety officers, school resource officers, and
  851  other security measures, to report its findings to the
  852  Department of Education by August 1 of each school year, and to
  853  use these findings to reevaluate and improve school safety
  854  programs.
  855         (6)(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each
  856  district school board shall adopt rules providing that a any
  857  student found to have committed an any offense in s. 784.081(1),
  858  (2), or (3) shall be expelled or placed in an alternative school
  859  setting or other program, as appropriate. Upon being charged
  860  with the offense, and pending disposition, the student shall be
  861  removed from the classroom immediately and placed in an
  862  alternative school setting pending disposition.
  863         (7)(a)(6)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law
  864  prohibiting the disclosure of the identity of a minor, if a
  865  whenever any student who is attending a public school is
  866  adjudicated guilty of or delinquent for, or is found to have
  867  committed, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, or
  868  pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony violation of:
  869         1. Chapter 782, relating to homicide;
  870         2. Chapter 784, relating to assault, battery, and culpable
  871  negligence;
  872         3. Chapter 787, relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment,
  873  luring or enticing a child, and custody offenses;
  874         4. Chapter 794, relating to sexual battery;
  875         5. Chapter 800, relating to lewdness and indecent exposure;
  876         6. Chapter 827, relating to abuse of children;
  877         7. Section 812.13, relating to robbery;
  878         8. Section 812.131, relating to robbery by sudden
  879  snatching;
  880         9. Section 812.133, relating to carjacking; or
  881         10. Section 812.135, relating to home-invasion robbery,
  882  
  883  and, before or at the time of such adjudication, withholding of
  884  adjudication, or plea, the student offender was attending a
  885  school attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of the
  886  offense, the Department of Juvenile Justice shall notify the
  887  appropriate district school board of the adjudication or plea,
  888  the requirements of in this paragraph, and whether the student
  889  offender is prohibited from attending that school or riding on a
  890  school bus if whenever the victim or a sibling of the victim is
  891  attending the same school or riding on the same school bus,
  892  except as provided pursuant to a written disposition order under
  893  s. 985.455(2). Upon receipt of such notice, the district school
  894  board shall take appropriate action to effectuate the provisions
  895  in paragraph (b).
  896         (b) Each district school board shall adopt a cooperative
  897  agreement with the Department of Juvenile Justice which
  898  establishes guidelines for ensuring that a any no contact order
  899  entered by a court is reported and enforced and that all of the
  900  necessary steps are taken to protect the victim of the offense.
  901  Any student offender described in paragraph (a), who is not
  902  exempt exempted as provided in paragraph (a), may not attend the
  903  any school attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of
  904  the offense or ride on a school bus on which the victim or a
  905  sibling of the victim is riding. The district school board shall
  906  allow the student offender shall be permitted by the district
  907  school board to attend another school within the district in
  908  which the student offender resides, only if the other school is
  909  not attended by the victim or sibling of the victim. Another
  910  district school board may allow of the offense; or the student
  911  offender may be permitted by another district school board to
  912  attend a school in that district if the student offender is
  913  unable to attend any school in the district in which the student
  914  offender resides.
  915         (c) If the student offender is unable to attend any other
  916  school in the district in which the student offender resides and
  917  is prohibited from attending a school in another school
  918  district, the district school board in the school district in
  919  which the student offender resides shall take every reasonable
  920  precaution to keep the student offender separated from the
  921  victim while on school grounds or on school transportation. The
  922  steps to be taken by a district school board to keep the student
  923  offender separated from the victim must include, but are not
  924  limited to, in-school suspension of the student offender and the
  925  scheduling of classes, lunch, or other school activities of the
  926  victim and the student offender so as not to coincide.
  927         (d) The student offender, or the parents of the student
  928  offender if the student offender is a juvenile, shall arrange
  929  and pay for transportation associated with or required by the
  930  student’s offender’s attending another school or that would be
  931  required as a consequence of the prohibition against riding on a
  932  school bus on which the victim or a sibling of the victim is
  933  riding. If the student is experiencing homelessness as described
  934  in s. 1003.01(12) or belongs to a family whose income does not
  935  exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level, the school
  936  district shall arrange and pay for the transportation. However,
  937  The student offender or the parents of the student offender may
  938  not be charged for existing modes of transportation which that
  939  can be used by the student offender at no additional cost to the
  940  district school board.
  941         (8)(7) Any disciplinary or prosecutorial action taken
  942  against a student who violates the a zero-tolerance policy on
  943  referrals to the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
  944  system must be based on the particular circumstances of the
  945  student’s misconduct.
  946         (9)(8)A school district shall districts are encouraged to
  947  use alternatives to expulsion or referral to a law enforcement
  948  agency agencies unless the use of such alternatives will pose a
  949  threat to school safety. By August 1 of each year, a school
  950  district shall provide to the department all policies and
  951  agreements adopted or implemented pursuant to this section.
  952         (10) To assist a school district in developing policies
  953  that ensure students are not arrested or otherwise referred to
  954  the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice system for
  955  petty acts of misconduct, the department shall, by March 1,
  956  2017, in collaboration with students, educators, parents, and
  957  stakeholders, develop and provide to each school district a
  958  model policy.
  959         (11) On or before January 1 of each year, the Commissioner
  960  of Education shall report to the Governor, the President of the
  961  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the
  962  implementation of this section. The report must include data
  963  regarding school-based arrests and referrals of students to law
  964  enforcement agencies.
  965         Section 5. Subsection (5) of section 1002.20, Florida
  966  Statutes, is amended to read:
  967         1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
  968  school students must receive accurate and timely information
  969  regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
  970  of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
  971  students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
  972  rights including, but not limited to, the following:
  973         (5) SAFETY.—In accordance with the provisions of s.
  974  1006.13(7) s. 1006.13(6), students who have been victims of
  975  certain felony offenses by other students, as well as the
  976  siblings of the student victims, have the right to be kept
  977  separated from the student offender both at school and during
  978  school transportation.
  979         Section 6. Subsection (5) of section 1002.23, Florida
  980  Statutes, is amended to read:
  981         1002.23 Family and School Partnership for Student
  982  Achievement Act.—
  983         (5) Each school district shall develop and disseminate a
  984  parent guide to successful student achievement, consistent with
  985  the guidelines of the Department of Education, which addresses
  986  what parents need to know about their child’s educational
  987  progress and how parents can help their child to succeed in
  988  school. The guide must:
  989         (a) Be understandable to students and parents;
  990         (b) Be distributed to all parents, students, and school
  991  personnel at the beginning of each school year;
  992         (c) Be discussed at the beginning of each school year in
  993  meetings of students, parents, and teachers;
  994         (d) Include information concerning services, opportunities,
  995  choices, academic standards, and student assessment; and
  996         (e) Provide information on the importance of student health
  997  and available immunizations and vaccinations, including, but not
  998  limited to:
  999         1. A recommended immunization schedule in accordance with
 1000  United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 1001  recommendations.
 1002         2. Detailed information regarding the causes, symptoms, and
 1003  transmission of meningococcal disease and the availability,
 1004  effectiveness, known contraindications, and appropriate age for
 1005  the administration of any required or recommended vaccine
 1006  against meningococcal disease, in accordance with the
 1007  recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
 1008  Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and
 1009  Prevention.
 1010  
 1011  The parent guide described in this subsection may be included as
 1012  a part of the standards for intervention under s. 1006.07 code
 1013  of student conduct that is required in s. 1006.07(2).
 1014         Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
 1015  1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1016         1002.33 Charter schools.—
 1017         (7) CHARTER.—The major issues involving the operation of a
 1018  charter school shall be considered in advance and written into
 1019  the charter. The charter shall be signed by the governing board
 1020  of the charter school and the sponsor, following a public
 1021  hearing to ensure community input.
 1022         (a) The charter shall address and criteria for approval of
 1023  the charter shall be based on:
 1024         1. The school’s mission, the students to be served, and the
 1025  ages and grades to be included.
 1026         2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods
 1027  to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be
 1028  employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate
 1029  technologies needed to improve educational and administrative
 1030  performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical,
 1031  and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and
 1032  professional standards.
 1033         a. The charter shall ensure that reading is a primary focus
 1034  of the curriculum and that resources are provided to identify
 1035  and provide specialized instruction for students who are reading
 1036  below grade level. The curriculum and instructional strategies
 1037  for reading must be consistent with the Next Generation Sunshine
 1038  State Standards and grounded in scientifically based reading
 1039  research.
 1040         b. In order to provide students with access to diverse
 1041  instructional delivery models, to facilitate the integration of
 1042  technology within traditional classroom instruction, and to
 1043  provide students with the skills they need to compete in the
 1044  21st century economy, the Legislature encourages instructional
 1045  methods for blended learning courses consisting of both
 1046  traditional classroom and online instructional techniques.
 1047  Charter schools may implement blended learning courses which
 1048  combine traditional classroom instruction and virtual
 1049  instruction. Students in a blended learning course must be full
 1050  time students of the charter school and receive the online
 1051  instruction in a classroom setting at the charter school.
 1052  Instructional personnel certified pursuant to s. 1012.55 who
 1053  provide virtual instruction for blended learning courses may be
 1054  employees of the charter school or may be under contract to
 1055  provide instructional services to charter school students. At a
 1056  minimum, such instructional personnel must hold an active state
 1057  or school district adjunct certification under s. 1012.57 for
 1058  the subject area of the blended learning course. The funding and
 1059  performance accountability requirements for blended learning
 1060  courses are the same as those for traditional courses.
 1061         3. The current incoming baseline standard of student
 1062  academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
 1063  method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in
 1064  this subparagraph shall include a detailed description of:
 1065         a. How the baseline student academic achievement levels and
 1066  prior rates of academic progress will be established.
 1067         b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of
 1068  academic progress achieved by these same students while
 1069  attending the charter school.
 1070         c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress will
 1071  be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
 1072  closely comparable student populations.
 1073  
 1074  The district school board is required to provide academic
 1075  student performance data to charter schools for each of their
 1076  students coming from the district school system, as well as
 1077  rates of academic progress of comparable student populations in
 1078  the district school system.
 1079         4. The methods used to identify the educational strengths
 1080  and needs of students and how well educational goals and
 1081  performance standards are met by students attending the charter
 1082  school. The methods shall provide a means for the charter school
 1083  to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing
 1084  student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and
 1085  efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in
 1086  charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the
 1087  statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22.
 1088         5. In secondary charter schools, a method for determining
 1089  that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation in
 1090  s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282.
 1091         6. A method for resolving conflicts between the governing
 1092  board of the charter school and the sponsor.
 1093         7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
 1094  including the school’s standards for intervention code of
 1095  student conduct.
 1096         8. The ways by which the school will achieve a
 1097  racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
 1098  within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
 1099  same school district.
 1100         9. The financial and administrative management of the
 1101  school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional
 1102  experience or competence of those individuals or organizations
 1103  applying to operate the charter school or those hired or
 1104  retained to perform such professional services and the
 1105  description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the
 1106  policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter
 1107  school. A description of internal audit procedures and
 1108  establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are
 1109  properly managed must be included. Both public sector and
 1110  private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in
 1111  such a consideration.
 1112         10. The asset and liability projections required in the
 1113  application which are incorporated into the charter and shall be
 1114  compared with information provided in the annual report of the
 1115  charter school.
 1116         11. A description of procedures that identify various risks
 1117  and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the impact of
 1118  losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of students and
 1119  staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect others from
 1120  violent or disruptive student behavior; and the manner in which
 1121  the school will be insured, including whether or not the school
 1122  will be required to have liability insurance, and, if so, the
 1123  terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of coverage.
 1124         12. The term of the charter which shall provide for
 1125  cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
 1126  made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
 1127  charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
 1128  achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a
 1129  charter shall be for 4 or 5 years. In order to facilitate access
 1130  to long-term financial resources for charter school
 1131  construction, charter schools that are operated by a
 1132  municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
 1133  eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the
 1134  district school board. A charter lab school is eligible for a
 1135  charter for a term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate
 1136  access to long-term financial resources for charter school
 1137  construction, charter schools that are operated by a private,
 1138  not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for
 1139  up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the district
 1140  school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
 1141  review and may be terminated during the term of the charter, but
 1142  only according to the provisions set forth in subsection (8).
 1143         13. The facilities to be used and their location. The
 1144  sponsor may not require a charter school to have a certificate
 1145  of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy for such a
 1146  facility earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of
 1147  school.
 1148         14. The qualifications to be required of the teachers and
 1149  the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and
 1150  retain qualified staff to achieve best value.
 1151         15. The governance structure of the school, including the
 1152  status of the charter school as a public or private employer as
 1153  required in paragraph (12)(i).
 1154         16. A timetable for implementing the charter which
 1155  addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
 1156  date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this
 1157  timetable.
 1158         17. In the case of an existing public school that is being
 1159  converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
 1160  current students who choose not to attend the charter school and
 1161  for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter
 1162  school after conversion in accordance with the existing
 1163  collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in
 1164  the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However,
 1165  alternative arrangements shall not be required for current
 1166  teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except
 1167  as authorized by the employment policies of the state university
 1168  which grants the charter to the lab school.
 1169         18. Full disclosure of the identity of all relatives
 1170  employed by the charter school who are related to the charter
 1171  school owner, president, chairperson of the governing board of
 1172  directors, superintendent, governing board member, principal,
 1173  assistant principal, or any other person employed by the charter
 1174  school who has equivalent decisionmaking authority. For the
 1175  purpose of this subparagraph, the term “relative” means father,
 1176  mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first
 1177  cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in
 1178  law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
 1179  stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother,
 1180  stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
 1181         19. Implementation of the activities authorized under s.
 1182  1002.331 by the charter school when it satisfies the eligibility
 1183  requirements for a high-performing charter school. A high
 1184  performing charter school shall notify its sponsor in writing by
 1185  March 1 if it intends to increase enrollment or expand grade
 1186  levels the following school year. The written notice shall
 1187  specify the amount of the enrollment increase and the grade
 1188  levels that will be added, as applicable.
 1189         Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
 1190  1003.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1191         1003.02 District school board operation and control of
 1192  public K-12 education within the school district.—As provided in
 1193  part II of chapter 1001, district school boards are
 1194  constitutionally and statutorily charged with the operation and
 1195  control of public K-12 education within their school district.
 1196  The district school boards must establish, organize, and operate
 1197  their public K-12 schools and educational programs, employees,
 1198  and facilities. Their responsibilities include staff
 1199  development, public K-12 school student education including
 1200  education for exceptional students and students in juvenile
 1201  justice programs, special programs, adult education programs,
 1202  and career education programs. Additionally, district school
 1203  boards must:
 1204         (1) Provide for the proper accounting for all students of
 1205  school age, for the attendance and control of students at
 1206  school, and for proper attention to health, safety, and other
 1207  matters relating to the welfare of students in the following
 1208  areas:
 1209         (c) Control of students.—
 1210         1. Adopt rules for the control, attendance, discipline, in
 1211  school suspension, suspension, and expulsion of students and
 1212  decide all cases recommended for expulsion.
 1213         2. Maintain standards for intervention a code of student
 1214  conduct as provided in chapter 1006.
 1215         Section 9. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1003.32,
 1216  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1217         1003.32 Authority of teacher; responsibility for control of
 1218  students; district school board and principal duties.—Subject to
 1219  law and to the rules of the district school board, each teacher
 1220  or other member of the staff of any school shall have such
 1221  authority for the control and discipline of students as may be
 1222  assigned to him or her by the principal or the principal’s
 1223  designated representative and shall keep good order in the
 1224  classroom and in other places in which he or she is assigned to
 1225  be in charge of students.
 1226         (1) In accordance with this section and within the
 1227  framework of the district school board’s standards for
 1228  intervention code of student conduct, teachers and other
 1229  instructional personnel shall have the authority to undertake
 1230  any of the following actions in managing student behavior and
 1231  ensuring the safety of all students in their classes and school
 1232  and their opportunity to learn in an orderly and disciplined
 1233  classroom:
 1234         (a) Establish classroom rules of conduct.
 1235         (b) Establish and implement consequences, designed to
 1236  change behavior, for infractions of classroom rules.
 1237         (c) Have disobedient, disrespectful, violent, abusive,
 1238  uncontrollable, or disruptive students removed from the
 1239  classroom for behavior management intervention.
 1240         (d) Have violent, abusive, uncontrollable, or disruptive
 1241  students directed for information or assistance from appropriate
 1242  school or district school board personnel.
 1243         (e) Assist in enforcing school rules on school property,
 1244  during school-sponsored transportation, and during school
 1245  sponsored activities.
 1246         (f) Request and receive information as to the disposition
 1247  of any referrals to the administration for violation of
 1248  classroom or school rules.
 1249         (g) Request and receive immediate assistance in classroom
 1250  management if a student becomes uncontrollable or in case of
 1251  emergency.
 1252         (h) Request and receive training and other assistance to
 1253  improve skills in classroom management, violence prevention,
 1254  conflict resolution, and related areas.
 1255         (i) Press charges if there is a reason to believe that a
 1256  crime has been committed on school property, during school
 1257  sponsored transportation, or during school-sponsored activities.
 1258         (j) Use reasonable force, according to standards adopted by
 1259  the State Board of Education, to protect himself or herself or
 1260  others from injury.
 1261         (k) Use corporal punishment according to school board
 1262  policy and at least the following procedures, if a teacher feels
 1263  that corporal punishment is necessary:
 1264         1. The use of corporal punishment shall be approved in
 1265  principle by the principal before it is used, but approval is
 1266  not necessary for each specific instance in which it is used.
 1267  The principal shall prepare guidelines for administering such
 1268  punishment which identify the types of punishable offenses, the
 1269  conditions under which the punishment shall be administered, and
 1270  the specific personnel on the school staff authorized to
 1271  administer the punishment.
 1272         2. A teacher or principal may administer corporal
 1273  punishment only in the presence of another adult who is informed
 1274  beforehand, and in the student’s presence, of the reason for the
 1275  punishment.
 1276         3. A teacher or principal who has administered punishment
 1277  shall, upon request, provide the student’s parent with a written
 1278  explanation of the reason for the punishment and the name of the
 1279  other adult who was present.
 1280         (3) A teacher may send a student to the principal’s office
 1281  to maintain effective discipline in the classroom and may
 1282  recommend an appropriate consequence consistent with the
 1283  standards for intervention student code of conduct under s.
 1284  1006.07. The principal shall respond by employing the teacher’s
 1285  recommended consequence or a more serious disciplinary action if
 1286  the student’s history of disruptive behavior warrants it. If the
 1287  principal determines that a lesser disciplinary action is
 1288  appropriate, the principal should consult with the teacher
 1289  before prior to taking disciplinary action.
 1290         Section 10. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of
 1291  section 1003.53, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1292         1003.53 Dropout prevention and academic intervention.—
 1293         (1)
 1294         (c) A student shall be identified as being eligible to
 1295  receive services funded through the dropout prevention and
 1296  academic intervention program based upon one of the following
 1297  criteria:
 1298         1. The student is academically unsuccessful as evidenced by
 1299  low test scores, retention, failing grades, low grade point
 1300  average, falling behind in earning credits, or not meeting the
 1301  state or district proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, or
 1302  writing.
 1303         2. The student has a pattern of excessive absenteeism or
 1304  has been identified as a habitual truant.
 1305         3. The student has a history of disruptive behavior in
 1306  school or has committed an offense that warrants out-of-school
 1307  suspension or expulsion from school according to the district
 1308  school board’s standards for intervention code of student
 1309  conduct. For the purposes of this program, “disruptive behavior”
 1310  is behavior that:
 1311         a. Interferes with the student’s own learning or the
 1312  educational process of others and requires attention and
 1313  assistance beyond that which the traditional program can provide
 1314  or results in frequent conflicts of a disruptive nature while
 1315  the student is under the jurisdiction of the school either in or
 1316  out of the classroom; or
 1317         b. Severely threatens the general welfare of students or
 1318  others with whom the student comes into contact.
 1319         4. The student is identified by a school’s early warning
 1320  system pursuant to s. 1001.42(18)(b).
 1321         (d)1. “Second chance schools” means district school board
 1322  programs provided through cooperative agreements between the
 1323  Department of Juvenile Justice, private providers, state or
 1324  local law enforcement agencies, or other state agencies for
 1325  students who have been disruptive or violent or who have
 1326  committed serious offenses. As partnership programs, second
 1327  chance schools are eligible for waivers by the Commissioner of
 1328  Education from State Board of Education rules that prevent the
 1329  provision of appropriate educational services to violent,
 1330  severely disruptive, or delinquent students in small
 1331  nontraditional settings or in court-adjudicated settings.
 1332         2. District school boards seeking to enter into a
 1333  partnership with a private entity or public entity to operate a
 1334  second chance school for disruptive students may apply to the
 1335  Department of Education for startup grants. These grants must be
 1336  available for 1 year and must be used to offset the startup
 1337  costs for implementing such programs off public school campuses.
 1338  General operating funds must be generated through the
 1339  appropriate programs of the Florida Education Finance Program.
 1340  Grants approved under this program shall be for the full
 1341  operation of the school by a private nonprofit or for-profit
 1342  provider or the public entity. This program must operate under
 1343  rules adopted by the State Board of Education and be implemented
 1344  to the extent funded by the Legislature.
 1345         3. A student enrolled in a sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth,
 1346  or tenth grade class may be assigned to a second chance school
 1347  if the student meets the following criteria:
 1348         a. The student is a habitual truant as defined in s.
 1349  1003.01.
 1350         b. The student’s excessive absences have detrimentally
 1351  affected the student’s academic progress and the student may
 1352  have unique needs that a traditional school setting may not
 1353  meet.
 1354         c. The student’s high incidences of truancy have been
 1355  directly linked to a lack of motivation.
 1356         d. The student has been identified as at risk of dropping
 1357  out of school.
 1358         4. A student who is habitually truant may be assigned to a
 1359  second chance school only if the case staffing committee,
 1360  established pursuant to s. 984.12, determines that such
 1361  placement could be beneficial to the student and the criteria
 1362  included in subparagraph 3. are met.
 1363         5. A student may be assigned to a second chance school if
 1364  the district school board in which the student resides has a
 1365  second chance school and if the student meets one of the
 1366  following criteria:
 1367         a. The student habitually exhibits disruptive behavior in
 1368  violation of the standards for intervention code of student
 1369  conduct adopted by the district school board.
 1370         b. The student interferes with the student’s own learning
 1371  or the educational process of others and requires attention and
 1372  assistance beyond that which the traditional program can
 1373  provide, or, while the student is under the jurisdiction of the
 1374  school either in or out of the classroom, frequent conflicts of
 1375  a disruptive nature occur.
 1376         c. The student has committed a serious offense which
 1377  warrants suspension or expulsion from school according to the
 1378  district school board’s standards for intervention code of
 1379  student conduct. For the purposes of this program, “serious
 1380  offense” is behavior which:
 1381         (I) Threatens the general welfare of students or others
 1382  with whom the student comes into contact;
 1383         (II) Includes violence;
 1384         (III) Includes possession of weapons or drugs; or
 1385         (IV) Is harassment or verbal abuse of school personnel or
 1386  other students.
 1387         6. Prior to assignment of students to second chance
 1388  schools, district school boards are encouraged to use
 1389  alternative programs, such as in-school suspension, which
 1390  provide instruction and counseling leading to improved student
 1391  behavior, a reduction in the incidence of truancy, and the
 1392  development of more effective interpersonal skills.
 1393         7. Students assigned to second chance schools must be
 1394  evaluated by the district school board’s child study team before
 1395  placement in a second chance school. The study team shall ensure
 1396  that students are not eligible for placement in a program for
 1397  emotionally disturbed children.
 1398         8. Students who exhibit academic and social progress and
 1399  who wish to return to a traditional school shall complete a
 1400  character development and law education program and demonstrate
 1401  preparedness to reenter the regular school setting prior to
 1402  reentering a traditional school.
 1403         Section 11. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
 1404  1003.57, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1405         1003.57 Exceptional students instruction.—
 1406         (1)
 1407         (h) School personnel may consider any unique circumstances
 1408  on a case-by-case basis when determining whether a change in
 1409  placement is appropriate for a student who has a disability and
 1410  violates a district school board’s standards for intervention
 1411  code of student conduct. School personnel may remove and place
 1412  such student in an interim alternative educational setting for
 1413  not more than 45 school days, without regard to whether the
 1414  behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the student’s
 1415  disability, if the student:
 1416         1. Carries a weapon to or possesses a weapon at school, on
 1417  school premises, or at a school function under the jurisdiction
 1418  of the school district;
 1419         2. Knowingly possesses or uses illegal drugs, or sells or
 1420  solicits the sale of a controlled substance, while at school, on
 1421  school premises, or at a school function under the jurisdiction
 1422  of the school district; or
 1423         3. Has inflicted serious bodily injury upon another person
 1424  while at school, on school premises, or at a school function
 1425  under the jurisdiction of the school district.
 1426         Section 12. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection
 1427  (4) of section 1006.09, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
 1428         1006.09 Duties of school principal relating to student
 1429  discipline and school safety.—
 1430         (1)
 1431         (c) The principal or the principal’s designee may recommend
 1432  to the district school superintendent the expulsion of any
 1433  student who has committed a serious breach of conduct,
 1434  including, but not limited to, willful disobedience, open
 1435  defiance of authority of a member of his or her staff, violence
 1436  against persons or property, or any other act which
 1437  substantially disrupts the orderly conduct of the school. A
 1438  recommendation of expulsion or assignment to a second chance
 1439  school may also be made for any student found to have
 1440  intentionally made false accusations that jeopardize the
 1441  professional reputation, employment, or professional
 1442  certification of a teacher or other member of the school staff,
 1443  according to the district school board’s standards for
 1444  intervention board code of student conduct. Any recommendation
 1445  of expulsion must shall include a detailed report by the
 1446  principal or the principal’s designated representative on the
 1447  alternative measures taken prior to the recommendation of
 1448  expulsion.
 1449         (4) When a student has been the victim of a violent crime
 1450  perpetrated by another student who attends the same school, the
 1451  school principal shall make full and effective use of the
 1452  provisions of subsection (2) and s. 1006.13(7) s. 1006.13(6). A
 1453  school principal who fails to comply with this subsection is
 1454  shall be ineligible for any portion of the performance pay or
 1455  the differentiated pay under s. 1012.22. However, if any party
 1456  responsible for notification fails to properly notify the
 1457  school, the school principal is shall be eligible for the
 1458  performance pay or differentiated pay.
 1459         Section 13. Subsection (2) of section 1006.10, Florida
 1460  Statutes, is amended to read:
 1461         1006.10 Authority of school bus drivers and district school
 1462  boards relating to student discipline and student safety on
 1463  school buses.—
 1464         (2) The district school board shall require a system of
 1465  progressive discipline of transported students for actions which
 1466  are prohibited by the standards for intervention code of student
 1467  conduct. Disciplinary actions, including suspension of students
 1468  from riding on district school board owned or contracted school
 1469  buses, shall be subject to district school board policies and
 1470  procedures and may be imposed by the principal or the
 1471  principal’s designee. The principal or the principal’s designee
 1472  may delegate any disciplinary authority to school bus drivers
 1473  except for suspension of students from riding the bus.
 1474         Section 14. Paragraph (n) of subsection (4) of section
 1475  1006.147, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1476         1006.147 Bullying and harassment prohibited.—
 1477         (4) Each school district shall adopt a policy prohibiting
 1478  bullying and harassment of a student or employee of a public K
 1479  12 educational institution. Each school district’s policy shall
 1480  be in substantial conformity with the Department of Education’s
 1481  model policy. The school district bullying and harassment policy
 1482  shall afford all students the same protection regardless of
 1483  their status under the law. The school district may establish
 1484  separate discrimination policies that include categories of
 1485  students. The school district shall involve students, parents,
 1486  teachers, administrators, school staff, school volunteers,
 1487  community representatives, and local law enforcement agencies in
 1488  the process of adopting the policy. The school district policy
 1489  must be implemented in a manner that is ongoing throughout the
 1490  school year and integrated with a school’s curriculum, a
 1491  school’s discipline policies, and other violence prevention
 1492  efforts. The school district policy must contain, at a minimum,
 1493  the following components:
 1494         (n) A procedure for publicizing the policy, which must
 1495  include its publication in the standards for intervention code
 1496  of student conduct required under s. 1006.07 s. 1006.07(2) and
 1497  in all employee handbooks.
 1498         Section 15. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
 1499  1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1500         1006.15 Student standards for participation in
 1501  interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular student
 1502  activities; regulation.—
 1503         (3)(a) To be eligible to participate in interscholastic
 1504  extracurricular student activities, a student must:
 1505         1. Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0
 1506  scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
 1507  cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
 1508  or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1002.3105(5) or
 1509  s. 1003.4282.
 1510         2. Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
 1511  performance contract between the student, the district school
 1512  board, the appropriate governing association, and the student’s
 1513  parents, if the student’s cumulative grade point average falls
 1514  below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses
 1515  required by s. 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282. At a minimum, the
 1516  contract must require that the student attend summer school, or
 1517  its graded equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and
 1518  11, as necessary.
 1519         3. Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on
 1520  a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
 1521  1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282 during his or her junior or senior
 1522  year.
 1523         4. Maintain satisfactory conduct, including adherence to
 1524  the school’s appropriate dress code and other standards for
 1525  intervention under s. 1006.07 codes of student conduct policies
 1526  described in s. 1006.07(2). If a student is convicted of, or is
 1527  found to have committed, a felony or a delinquent act that would
 1528  have been a felony if committed by an adult, regardless of
 1529  whether adjudication is withheld, the student’s participation in
 1530  interscholastic extracurricular activities is contingent upon
 1531  established and published district school board policy.
 1532         Section 16. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section
 1533  1007.271, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1534         1007.271 Dual enrollment programs.—
 1535         (5)
 1536         (b) Each president, or designee, of a postsecondary
 1537  institution offering a college credit dual enrollment course
 1538  must:
 1539         1. Provide a copy of the institution’s current faculty or
 1540  adjunct faculty handbook to all faculty members teaching a dual
 1541  enrollment course.
 1542         2. Provide to all faculty members teaching a dual
 1543  enrollment course a copy of the institution’s current student
 1544  handbook, which may include, but is not limited to, information
 1545  on registration policies, the standards for intervention student
 1546  code of conduct, grading policies, and critical dates.
 1547         3. Designate an individual or individuals to observe all
 1548  faculty members teaching a dual enrollment course, regardless of
 1549  the location of instruction.
 1550         4. Use the same criteria to evaluate faculty members
 1551  teaching a dual enrollment course as the criteria used to
 1552  evaluate all other faculty members.
 1553         5. Provide course plans and objectives to all faculty
 1554  members teaching a dual enrollment course.
 1555         Section 17. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
 1556  1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
 1557         1012.98 School Community Professional Development Act.—
 1558         (4) The Department of Education, school districts, schools,
 1559  Florida College System institutions, and state universities
 1560  share the responsibilities described in this section. These
 1561  responsibilities include the following:
 1562         (b) Each school district shall develop a professional
 1563  development system as specified in subsection (3). The system
 1564  shall be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher
 1565  educators of Florida College System institutions and state
 1566  universities, business and community representatives, and local
 1567  education foundations, consortia, and professional
 1568  organizations. The professional development system must:
 1569         1. Be approved by the department. All substantial revisions
 1570  to the system shall be submitted to the department for review
 1571  for continued approval.
 1572         2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and
 1573  instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous,
 1574  relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools
 1575  and districts, in developing and refining the professional
 1576  development system, shall also review and monitor school
 1577  discipline data; school environment surveys; assessments of
 1578  parental satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers,
 1579  managers, and administrative personnel; and other performance
 1580  indicators to identify school and student needs that can be met
 1581  by improved professional performance.
 1582         3. Provide inservice activities coupled with followup
 1583  support appropriate to accomplish district-level and school
 1584  level improvement goals and standards. The inservice activities
 1585  for instructional personnel shall focus on analysis of student
 1586  achievement data, ongoing formal and informal assessments of
 1587  student achievement, identification and use of enhanced and
 1588  differentiated instructional strategies that emphasize rigor,
 1589  relevance, and reading in the content areas, enhancement of
 1590  subject content expertise, integrated use of classroom
 1591  technology that enhances teaching and learning, classroom
 1592  management, parent involvement, and school safety.
 1593         4. Include a master plan for inservice activities, pursuant
 1594  to rules of the State Board of Education, for all district
 1595  employees from all fund sources. The master plan shall be
 1596  updated annually by September 1, must be based on input from
 1597  teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and must
 1598  use the latest available student achievement data and research
 1599  to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each district
 1600  inservice plan must be aligned to and support the school-based
 1601  inservice plans and school improvement plans pursuant to s.
 1602  1001.42(18). Each district inservice plan must provide a
 1603  description of the training that middle grades instructional
 1604  personnel and school administrators receive on the district’s
 1605  standards for intervention code of student conduct adopted
 1606  pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital instruction and
 1607  competency-based instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates
 1608  and CAPE industry certifications; classroom management; student
 1609  behavior and interaction; extended learning opportunities for
 1610  students; and instructional leadership. District plans must be
 1611  approved by the district school board annually in order to
 1612  ensure compliance with subsection (1) and to allow for
 1613  dissemination of research-based best practices to other
 1614  districts. District school boards must submit verification of
 1615  their approval to the Commissioner of Education no later than
 1616  October 1, annually. Each school principal may establish and
 1617  maintain an individual professional development plan for each
 1618  instructional employee assigned to the school as a seamless
 1619  component to the school improvement plans developed pursuant to
 1620  s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional development plan must
 1621  be related to specific performance data for the students to whom
 1622  the teacher is assigned, define the inservice objectives and
 1623  specific measurable improvements expected in student performance
 1624  as a result of the inservice activity, and include an evaluation
 1625  component that determines the effectiveness of the professional
 1626  development plan.
 1627         5. Include inservice activities for school administrative
 1628  personnel that address updated skills necessary for
 1629  instructional leadership and effective school management
 1630  pursuant to s. 1012.986.
 1631         6. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and
 1632  state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and
 1633  evaluation of local professional development programs.
 1634         7. Provide for delivery of professional development by
 1635  distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to
 1636  reach more educators at lower costs.
 1637         8. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and
 1638  effectiveness of professional development programs in order to
 1639  eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand
 1640  effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such
 1641  activities on the performance of participating educators and
 1642  their students’ achievement and behavior.
 1643         9. For middle grades, emphasize:
 1644         a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and
 1645  instruction.
 1646         b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to
 1647  the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41.
 1648         c. Use of small learning communities; problem-solving,
 1649  inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students;
 1650  strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based
 1651  instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based
 1652  instruction.
 1653  
 1654  Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 must include
 1655  in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a
 1656  description of the specific strategies used by the school to
 1657  implement each item listed in this subparagraph.
 1658         Section 18. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.