Florida Senate - 2018 CS for SB 1056
By the Committee on Education; and Senator Passidomo
581-02140-18 20181056c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to computer science instruction;
3 amending s. 1007.2616, F.S.; providing a definition;
4 providing requirements for specified instruction
5 relating to computer science; requiring school
6 districts to provide computer science courses in a
7 specified number of schools by certain dates;
8 requiring certain computer science courses to be
9 included in the Course Code Directory and published on
10 the Department of Education’s website by a specified
11 date; providing that student enrollment in certain
12 courses offered by the Florida Virtual School meet
13 specified requirements; providing that a charter
14 school is not required to offer computer science
15 courses; providing that charter schools that offer
16 such courses may be used in meeting a school
17 district’s percentage thresholds; requiring the
18 Florida Virtual School to offer certain computer
19 science courses; requiring school districts to provide
20 access to computer science courses offered by the
21 Florida Virtual School or by other means under certain
22 circumstances; providing funds for school districts to
23 provide professional development for classroom
24 teachers; providing Department of Education
25 responsibilities for the distribution of such funds;
26 requiring high school students to be provided
27 opportunities to take certain courses to meet certain
28 graduation requirements; providing funds for bonuses
29 for certain classroom teachers; providing funding for
30 high-need technology grants for school districts;
31 requiring, rather than authorizing, the State Board of
32 Education to adopt rules; providing an effective date.
33
34 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36 Section 1. Section 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, is amended
37 to read:
38 1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.—
39 (1) For the purposes of this section, the term “computer
40 science” means the study of computers and algorithmic processes,
41 including their principles, hardware and software designs,
42 applications, and their impact on society, and includes computer
43 coding and computer programming.
44 (2)(a)(1) Public schools shall provide students in grades
45 K-12 opportunities for learning computer science, including, but
46 not limited to, computer coding and computer programming. Such
47 opportunities may include coding instruction in elementary
48 school and middle school and, instruction to develop students’
49 computer usage and digital literacy skills in middle school, and
50 must include courses in computer science, computer coding, and
51 computer programming in middle school and high school, including
52 earning-related industry certifications. Such courses must be
53 integrated into each school district’s middle and high schools,
54 including combination schools in which any of grades 6 through
55 12 are taught, as follows:
56 1. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a school
57 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
58 no less than 4 percent of the district’s total number of middle,
59 high, and combination schools.
60 2. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a school
61 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
62 no less than 7 percent of the district’s total number of middle,
63 high, and combination schools.
64 3. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, a school
65 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
66 no less than 10 percent of the district’s total number of
67 middle, high, and combination schools.
68 4. Notwithstanding subparagraphs 1.-3., a school district
69 with 10 or fewer public middle, high, and combination schools
70 shall provide at least one computer science course in at least
71 one middle, high, or combination school no later than the 2020
72 2021 school year.
73 (b) Computer science courses that count toward the
74 percentage thresholds in paragraph (a) must be identified in the
75 Course Code Directory and published on the Department of
76 Education’s website no later than July 1, 2018. Additional
77 computer science courses may be subsequently identified and
78 posted on the department’s website.
79 (c) Student enrollment in computer science courses offered
80 by the Florida Virtual School pursuant to subsection (3) may be
81 used to satisfy the requirements of subparagraphs (a)1.-3.
82 (d) A charter school is not required to offer a computer
83 science course; however, enrollment of a charter school’s
84 students in a computer science course under this section may be
85 included in the school district’s percentage calculation.
86 (3) The Florida Virtual School shall offer computer science
87 courses identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to
88 paragraph (2)(b). If a school district does not offer an
89 identified course, the district must provide students access to
90 the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other
91 means.
92 (4)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a school
93 district or a consortium of school districts may apply to the
94 department, in a format prescribed by the department, for
95 funding to deliver or facilitate training for classroom teachers
96 to earn an educator certificate in computer science pursuant to
97 s. 1012.56 or an industry certification associated with a course
98 identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph
99 (2)(b). Such funding shall only be used to provide training for
100 classroom teachers and to pay fees for examinations that lead to
101 a credential pursuant to this paragraph.
102 (b) Once the department has identified courses in the
103 Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), the
104 department shall establish a deadline for submitting
105 applications. The department shall award funding to school
106 districts in a manner that allows for an equitable distribution
107 of funding statewide based on student population.
108 (5)(2) Elementary schools and middle schools may establish
109 digital classrooms in which students are provided opportunities
110 to improve digital literacy and competency; to learn digital
111 skills, such as coding, multiple media presentation, and the
112 manipulation of multiple digital graphic images; and to earn
113 digital tool certificates and certifications pursuant to s.
114 1003.4203 and grade-appropriate, technology-related industry
115 certifications.
116 (6)(3) High school students must be provided schools may
117 provide students opportunities to take computer science courses
118 to satisfy high school graduation requirements, including, but
119 not limited to, the following:
120 (a) High school computer science courses of sufficient
121 rigor, as identified by the commissioner, such that one credit
122 in computer science and the earning of related industry
123 certifications constitute the equivalent of up to one credit of
124 the mathematics requirement, with the exception of Algebra I or
125 higher-level mathematics, or up to one credit of the science
126 requirement, with the exception of Biology I or higher-level
127 science, for high school graduation. Computer science courses
128 and technology-related industry certifications that are
129 identified as eligible for meeting mathematics or science
130 requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the
131 Course Code Directory.
132 (b) High school computer technology courses in 3D rapid
133 prototype printing of sufficient rigor, as identified by the
134 commissioner, such that one or more credits in such courses and
135 related industry certifications earned may satisfy up to two
136 credits of mathematics required for high school graduation with
137 the exception of Algebra I. Computer technology courses in 3D
138 rapid prototype printing and related industry certifications
139 that are identified as eligible for meeting mathematics
140 requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the
141 Course Code Directory.
142 (7) Subject to legislative appropriation, a classroom
143 teacher who was evaluated as effective or highly effective
144 pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the previous school year or who is
145 newly hired by the district school board and has not been
146 evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34 must receive a bonus as
147 follows:
148 (a) If the classroom teacher holds an educator certificate
149 in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or if he or she has
150 passed the computer science subject area examination and holds
151 an adjunct certificate issued by a school district pursuant to
152 s. 1012.57, he or she shall receive a bonus of $1,000 after each
153 year the individual completes teaching a computer science course
154 identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph
155 (2)(b) at a public middle, high, or combination school in the
156 state, for up to 3 years.
157 (b) If the classroom teacher holds an industry
158 certification associated with a course identified in the Course
159 Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), he or she shall
160 receive a bonus of $500 after each year the individual completes
161 teaching the identified course at a public middle, high, or
162 combination school in the state, for up to 3 years.
163
164 A school district shall report a qualifying classroom teacher to
165 the department by a date and in a format established by the
166 department. An eligible classroom teacher shall receive his or
167 her bonus upon completion of the school year in which he or she
168 taught the course. A teacher may not receive more than one bonus
169 per year under this subsection.
170 (8) Subject to legislative appropriation, the department
171 shall award high-need technology grants to eligible school
172 districts if the funds provided in the Florida digital
173 classrooms allocation pursuant to s. 1011.62(12) are
174 insufficient to meet the costs specified in that subsection and
175 the district has no remaining instructional materials funds
176 under s. 1011.67. The department shall establish an application
177 process and eligibility criteria. Such criteria must be based on
178 a school district’s technology needs and must provide for an
179 equitable distribution of funding based on the geographic
180 distribution of the student population among school districts
181 determined to have a high need for technology.
182 (9)(4) The State Board of Education shall may adopt rules
183 to administer this section.
184 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.