Senate Bill 1042
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
By Senator Holzendorf
2-1093A-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; creating the
3 School Readiness Commission to serve as an
4 advisory body to the State Board of Education
5 and other state agencies on matters that relate
6 to school readiness; providing for the
7 commission to be assigned to the Executive
8 Office of the Governor for administrative
9 purposes; providing for the Governor to appoint
10 the members of the commission; providing for
11 the members to be approved by the State Board
12 of Education and confirmed by the Senate;
13 requiring the commission to appoint an
14 executive director; providing for payment of
15 per diem and travel expenses of commission
16 members; establishing duties of the commission;
17 requiring the commission to prepare a system
18 for measuring school readiness; specifying
19 objectives to be measured by such system;
20 requiring the commission to contract with an
21 independent entity to evaluate the measurement
22 system; requiring the commission to make
23 recommendations to the Governor and the State
24 Board of Education; providing an effective
25 date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. School Readiness Commission.--
30 (1) The School Readiness Commission is established and
31 assigned to the Executive Office of the Governor for
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
2-1093A-98
1 administrative purposes. The commission shall carry out the
2 duties and responsibilities provided in this section and
3 delegated by the State Board of Education and is not subject
4 to control, supervision, or direction by the Executive Office
5 of the Governor or the State Board of Education. The
6 commission shall serve as an advisory body to the State Board
7 of Education and other appropriate state agencies and entities
8 on all matters relating to school readiness. In addition, the
9 commission's reports and recommendations shall be made
10 available to the Governor, the Legislature, the State Board of
11 Education, other appropriate state agencies and entities,
12 district school boards, central agencies for child care, and
13 county public health units.
14 (2) The commission shall be composed of 12 members of
15 the public who represent the various geographic regions of the
16 state. Each member shall be appointed by the Governor, subject
17 to approval by three members of the State Board of Education
18 other than the Governor and subject to confirmation by the
19 Senate. Members shall be appointed to 4-year terms of office.
20 However, of the initial appointees, three shall be appointed
21 to 1-year terms, three shall be appointed to 2-year terms,
22 three shall be appointed to 3-year terms, and three shall be
23 appointed to 4-year terms. The members of the commission shall
24 elect a chairperson annually. Any vacancy on the commission
25 shall be filled in the same manner as the original
26 appointment.
27 (3) The commission shall meet as often as it deems
28 necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
29 (4) The commission shall appoint an executive director
30 to serve at its pleasure, who shall perform the duties
31 assigned to him or her by the commission. The executive
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
2-1093A-98
1 director shall be the chief administrative officer of the
2 commission and shall be responsible for appointing all
3 employees and staff members of the commission, who shall serve
4 under his or her direction and control.
5 (5) Members of the commission shall serve without
6 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
7 and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
8 duties as provided in section 112.061, Florida Statutes.
9 (6) The commission shall:
10 (a) Serve as a citizen board to coordinate the efforts
11 toward school readiness in this state and provide independent
12 policy analyses and recommendations to the Governor, the State
13 Board of Education, and the Legislature.
14 (b) Prepare and submit to the State Board of Education
15 a system for measuring school readiness. The system must
16 include a screening instrument, or instruments, which shall
17 provide objective data regarding the following expectations
18 for school readiness:
19 1. The child's immunizations.
20 2. The child's display of physical development
21 appropriate for kindergarten.
22 3. The child's compliance with rules, limitations, and
23 routines.
24 4. The child's successful engagement in kindergarten
25 tasks.
26 5. The child's demonstration of appropriate
27 interactions with adults.
28 6. The child's demonstration of appropriate
29 interactions with peers.
30 7. The child's effective coping with challenges and
31 frustrations.
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
2-1093A-98
1 8. The child's demonstration of appropriate self-help
2 skills.
3 9. The child's ability to express his needs
4 appropriately.
5 10. The child's demonstration of verbal communication
6 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
7 11. The child's demonstration of problem-solving
8 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
9 12. The child's following of verbal directions.
10 13. The child's demonstration of curiosity,
11 persistence, and exploratory behavior.
12 14. The child's demonstration of an interest in books
13 and other printed materials.
14 15. The child's paying attention to stories.
15 16. The child's participation in art and music
16 activities.
17 (c) Prepare a plan for implementing the system for
18 measuring school readiness in such a way that all children in
19 this state have the opportunity to undergo the screening in
20 the year prior to their entry into kindergarten. The plan must
21 include a way to make the screening instrument and the
22 training required to administer it available to public and
23 private providers of preschool and child care programs, and a
24 way to make the screening available to children who do not
25 participate in such programs.
26 (d) Establish a method for collecting data from the
27 screening instrument and establish guidelines for using the
28 data so that the measurement, the data collection, and the use
29 of the data serve the statewide goal that all children will be
30 ready for school. The criteria for determining which data to
31 collect should be the usefulness of the data to state
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
2-1093A-98
1 policymakers and program administrators in administering
2 programs and allocating state funds.
3 (e) Contract with an independent entity for an
4 evaluation of the measurement system. The evaluation must
5 provide the information that local and state agencies, the
6 Governor, and the Legislature need to provide for the
7 effective administration of programs that serve preschool
8 children. The evaluation must provide information that will
9 assist providers of private preschool and child care programs
10 in assessing the success of preschool and child care programs
11 and making decisions about improving program services to
12 prepare children for school.
13 (f) Recommend to the Governor and the State Board of
14 Education rules, and revisions or repeal of rules, which would
15 increase the effectiveness of programs that prepare children
16 for school.
17 (g) Conduct studies and planning activities related to
18 the overall improvement and effectiveness of school-readiness
19 measures.
20
21 To ensure that the system for measuring school readiness is
22 comprehensive and appropriate statewide, as the system is
23 developed and implemented, the commission must consult with
24 representatives of district school systems, providers of
25 public and private child care, health care providers, large
26 and small employers, and experts in child development.
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
28 law.
29
30
31
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1042
2-1093A-98
1 *****************************************
2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Establishes the School Readiness Commission to act as an
advisory body on matters that relate to programs that
4 prepare children for school. Requires that the Governor
appoint 12 members of the public to serve on the
5 commission. Requires that the appointees be subject to
approval by the State Board of Education and confirmation
6 by the Senate. Requires the commission to prepare a
system for measuring school readiness and a plan for
7 implementing the system. Requires that the system be
evaluated by an independent entity. Requires the
8 commission to recommend rules or revisions to rules in
order to increase the effectiveness of programs that
9 prepare children for school.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
6