The Florida Senate

229.8055  Environmental education.--

(1)  This section may be cited as the "Florida Environmental Education Act."

(2)  The Legislature recognizes that this state is the fourth most populous state in the nation and will continue to be a growth state into the 21st century and that the quality of life for future Floridians cannot be maintained or improved unless the state is able to sustain such growth. The Legislature further recognizes that the education of the people in this state is critical to maintaining the delicate relationships among all forms of life and their environments. It is the intent of the Legislature that the public schools, community colleges, and state universities serve as a primary delivery system to create a continuing awareness of the essential mission to preserve the earth's capability to sustain life in the most healthful, enjoyable, and productive environment possible. It is the further intent that the public schools, community colleges, and state universities integrate environmental education throughout the educational system so that the desired awareness is thorough, continuous, and meaningful.

(3)  To achieve this intent, the Commissioner of Education shall foster the development and dissemination of educational activities and materials which will assist Florida public school students, teachers, and administrators in the perception, appreciation, and understanding of ecological principles and environmental problems; in the identification and evaluation of alternative solutions to these problems; and in the assessment of their benefits and risks.

(4)  There is hereby created an environmental education program. Responsibility for the administration of the environmental education program shall rest with the Commissioner of Education, the school districts, the Board of Regents, and the State Board of Community Colleges. In developing the environmental education program, the commissioner shall have the power of:

(a)  Coordinating the efforts of the various disciplines within the educational system and coordinating the activities of the various divisions of the Department of Education.

(b)  Assembling, developing, and distributing model instructional materials for use in environmental education, with special concern being given to the ecological system of this state and the ways human beings depend upon and interact with the system.

(c)  Developing model programs for inservice and preservice teacher training in environmental education.

(d)  Coordinating and soliciting the efforts of private organizations and other governmental agencies that are concerned with conserving Florida's environment.

(e)  Integrating environmental education into the general curriculum of public school districts, community colleges, and universities.

(5)  The Department of Education shall:

(a)  Assign appropriate staff to work directly with general curriculum development activities through district and school administrators responsible for general curriculum in order to explicitly integrate appropriate environmental topics into the regular curriculum, where appropriate.

(b)  Provide consultation to districts concerning the inclusion of instructional components addressing environmental education in district master inservice plans and teacher education programs.

(c)  Include environmental education in the summer camp programs for students authorized by s. 228.087 and the General Appropriations Act, as a part of the science or computer component.

(d)  Include components which address the teaching of environmental education in summer inservice institutes for teachers, develop model components for district inservice training and staff development programs in environmental education, and assist districts to provide such training.

(e)  Collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate to school districts information about environmental curriculum materials, validated projects, and other successful programs, including programs for adults.

(f)  Include adequate assessment items related to environmental topics addressed by required curriculum frameworks and student performance standards so as to be able to assess the extent to which students have developed an understanding of the importance of a healthy environment to the future of this state and its citizens.

(g)  Use current technology, such as the Florida Information Resource Network, to produce and maintain abstracts of environmental education programs and materials available for use by teachers across the state, including their source and availability.

(h)  Develop an annual status report on environmental education activities and deliver it to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Advisory Council on Environmental Education at least 90 days prior to the convening of the regular session of the Legislature.

(i)  Assist the Advisory Council on Environmental Education in selecting five regional service projects to serve the public education system. With the cooperation of the Advisory Council on Environmental Education, the Department of Education shall administer the regional service projects, which must provide:

1.  Information about environmental education resources, materials, teacher training, and grant funding opportunities by means of newsletters and other forms of communications to teachers, school districts, and postsecondary institutions.

2.  Technical assistance in planning, offering, and evaluating teacher inservice and preservice education.

3.  Technical assistance in developing comprehensive plans and master plans for district environmental education programs.

4.  Assistance in coordinating with governmental agencies, local businesses, and community organizations to promote environmental education in the public education system.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 70-241; s. 1, ch. 70-439; s. 1, ch. 73-338; s. 4, ch. 75-302; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 10, ch. 77-320; s. 4, ch. 78-323; s. 7, ch. 79-261; s. 1, ch. 81-182; s. 2, ch. 86-172; s. 30, ch. 89-175; s. 1, ch. 90-243; s. 1, ch. 91-161; s. 1, ch. 92-128; s. 52, ch. 97-190.