The Florida Senate

1008.345  Implementation of state system of school improvement and education accountability.--

(1)  The Commissioner of Education is responsible for implementing and maintaining a system of intensive school improvement and stringent education accountability, which shall include policies and programs to implement the following:

(a)  A system of data collection and analysis that will improve information about the educational success of individual students and schools, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs. The information and analyses must be capable of identifying educational programs or activities in need of improvement, and reports prepared pursuant to this paragraph shall be distributed to the appropriate district school boards prior to distribution to the general public. This provision shall not preclude access to public records as provided in chapter 119.

(b)  A program of school improvement that will analyze information to identify schools, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, educational programs, or educational activities in need of improvement.

(c)  A method of delivering services to assist school districts and schools to improve, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.

(d)  A method of coordinating with the state educational goals and school improvement plans any other state program that creates incentives for school improvement.

(2)  The commissioner shall be held responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the system of school improvement and education accountability outlined in this section. There shall be an annual determination of whether adequate progress is being made toward implementing and maintaining a system of school improvement and education accountability.

(3)  The annual feedback report shall be developed by the Department of Education.

(4)  The commissioner shall review each district school board's feedback report and submit findings to the State Board of Education. If adequate progress is not being made toward implementing and maintaining a system of school improvement and education accountability, the State Board of Education shall direct the commissioner to prepare and implement a corrective action plan. The commissioner and State Board of Education shall monitor the development and implementation of the corrective action plan.

(5)  The commissioner shall report to the Legislature and recommend changes in state policy necessary to foster school improvement and education accountability. Included in the report shall be a list of the schools, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, for which district school boards have developed assistance and intervention plans and an analysis of the various strategies used by the school boards. School reports shall be distributed pursuant to this subsection and s. 1001.42(16)(e) and according to rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

(6)(a)  The Department of Education shall implement a training program to develop among state and district educators a cadre of facilitators of school improvement. These facilitators shall assist schools and districts to conduct needs assessments and develop and implement school improvement plans to meet state goals.

(b)  Upon request, the department shall provide technical assistance and training to any school, including any school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, school advisory council, district, or district school board for conducting needs assessments, developing and implementing school improvement plans, developing and implementing assistance and intervention plans, or implementing other components of school improvement and accountability. Priority for these services shall be given to schools designated as performance grade category "D" or "F" and school districts in rural and sparsely populated areas of the state.

(c)  Pursuant to s. 24.121(5)(d), the department shall not release funds from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to any district in which a school, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, does not have an approved school improvement plan, pursuant to s. 1001.42(16), after 1 full school year of planning and development, or does not comply with school advisory council membership composition requirements pursuant to s. 1001.452 The department shall send a technical assistance team to each school without an approved plan to develop such school improvement plan or to each school without appropriate school advisory council membership composition to develop a strategy for corrective action. The department shall release the funds upon approval of the plan or upon establishment of a plan of corrective action. Notice shall be given to the public of the department's intervention and shall identify each school without a plan or without appropriate school advisory council membership composition.

(d)  The department shall assign a community assessment team to each school district with a school designated as performance grade category "D" or "F" to review the school performance data and determine causes for the low performance. The team shall make recommendations to the school board, to the department, and to the State Board of Education for implementing an assistance and intervention plan that will address the causes of the school's low performance. The assessment team shall include, but not be limited to, a department representative, parents, business representatives, educators, and community activists, and shall represent the demographics of the community from which they are appointed.

(7)(a)  Schools designated in performance grade category "A," making excellent progress, shall, if requested by the school, be given deregulated status as specified in s. 1003.63(5), (7), (8), (9), and (10).

(b)  Schools that have improved at least two performance grade categories and that meet the criteria of the Florida School Recognition Program pursuant to s. 1008.36 may be given deregulated status as specified in s. 1003.63(5), (7), (8), (9), and (10).

(8)  As a part of the system of educational accountability, the Department of Education shall:

(a)  Develop minimum performance standards for various grades and subject areas, as required in ss. 1001.03, 1008.22, and 1008.34

(b)  Administer the statewide assessment testing program created by s. 1008.22

(c)  Review the school advisory councils of each district as required by s. 1001.452

(d)  Conduct the program evaluations required by s. 1001.03

(e)  Maintain a listing of college-level communication and mathematics skills defined by the State Board of Education as being associated with successful student performance through the baccalaureate level and submit the same to the State Board of Education for approval.

(f)  Maintain a listing of tests and other assessment procedures which measure and diagnose student achievement of college-level communication and computation skills and submit the same to the State Board of Education for approval.

(g)  Maintain for the information of the State Board of Education and the Legislature a file of data to reflect achievement of college-level communication and mathematics competencies by students in state universities and community colleges.

(h)  Develop or contract for, and submit to the State Board of Education for approval, tests which measure and diagnose student achievement of college-level communication and mathematics skills. Any tests and related documents developed are exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). The commissioner shall maintain statewide responsibility for the administration of such tests and may assign administrative responsibilities for the tests to any state university or community college. The state board, upon recommendation of the commissioner, may enter into contracts for such services beginning in one fiscal year and continuing into the next year which are paid from the appropriation for either or both fiscal years.

(i)  Perform any other functions that may be involved in educational planning, research, and evaluation or that may be required by the commissioner, the State Board of Education, or law.

History.--s. 379, ch. 2002-387.