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The Florida Senate

2016 Florida Statutes

SECTION 731
The Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program.
F.S. 1012.731
11012.731 The Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program.
(1) The Legislature recognizes that, second only to parents, teachers play the most critical role within schools in preparing students to achieve a high level of academic performance. The Legislature further recognizes that research has linked student outcomes to a teacher’s own academic achievement. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to designate teachers who have achieved high academic standards during their own education as Florida’s best and brightest teacher scholars.
(2) There is created the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program to be administered by the Department of Education. The scholarship program shall provide categorical funding for scholarships to be awarded to classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement.
(3)(a) To be eligible for a scholarship, a classroom teacher must have achieved a composite score at or above the 80th percentile on either the SAT or the ACT based on the National Percentile Ranks in effect when the classroom teacher took the assessment and have been evaluated as highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the school year immediately preceding the year in which the scholarship will be awarded, unless the classroom teacher is newly hired by the district school board and has not been evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34.
(b) In order to demonstrate eligibility for an award, an eligible classroom teacher must submit to the school district, no later than November 1, an official record of his or her SAT or ACT score demonstrating that the classroom teacher scored at or above the 80th percentile based on the National Percentile Ranks in effect when the teacher took the assessment. Once a classroom teacher is deemed eligible by the school district, including teachers deemed eligible in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the teacher shall remain eligible as long as he or she remains employed by the school district as a classroom teacher at the time of the award and receives an annual performance evaluation rating of highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34.
(4) Annually, by December 1, each school district shall submit to the department the number of eligible classroom teachers who qualify for the scholarship.
(5) Annually, by February 1, the department shall disburse scholarship funds to each school district for each eligible classroom teacher to receive a scholarship as provided in the General Appropriations Act. A scholarship in the amount provided in the General Appropriations Act shall be awarded to every eligible classroom teacher. If the number of eligible classroom teachers exceeds the total appropriation authorized in the General Appropriations Act, the department shall prorate the per-teacher scholarship amount.
(6) Annually, by April 1, each school district shall award the scholarship to each eligible classroom teacher.
(7) For purposes of this section, the term “school district” includes the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and charter school governing boards.
(8) This section expires July 1, 2017.
History.s. 25, ch. 2016-62.
1Note.Section 25, ch. 2016-62, created s. 1012.731 “[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 103 of the 2016-2017 General Appropriations Act.”