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House Bill 0367e1




                                       HB 367, First Engrossed/ntc



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating the

  3         "Florida Maximum Class Size Goals Act";

  4         providing intent; providing goals relating to

  5         class size in certain grade levels; providing

  6         for funding; providing for review of statutory

  7         mandates; requiring annual reports and a study

  8         based on class size reductions; providing an

  9         effective date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  (1)  This section may be cited as the

14  "Florida Maximum Class Size Goals Act."

15         (2)  The Legislature finds that class size, especially

16  in the primary grades, is a major factor in the ability of

17  students to learn and classroom teachers to teach.  It is,

18  therefore, the intent of the Legislature to establish class

19  size standards which will promote educational success.

20         (3)  It shall be the goal of the Legislature and each

21  school district that each elementary school in the school

22  district beginning with kindergarten in the 1997-1998 school

23  year, for kindergarten and grade level one in the 1998-1999

24  school year, for kindergarten and grade levels one and two in

25  the 1999-2000 school year, and for kindergarten and grade

26  levels one, two, and three in the 2000-2001 school year, class

27  sizes not exceed 20 students, with a ratio of one full-time

28  equivalent teacher per 20 students.  For the purposes of this

29  act, class sizes that exceed 20 students meet the goal if, for

30  every ten students above a base of 20 students, there is at

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






                                       HB 367, First Engrossed/ntc



  1  least one full-time equivalent teacher aide in the classroom

  2  for the same number of hours as the students.

  3         (4)  Each school district shall implement the goals set

  4  forth in this section to the extent funds are provided through

  5  the General Appropriations Act.

  6         (5)  Beginning January 1, 1998, and each year

  7  thereafter, the Department of Education shall report to the

  8  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

  9  Representatives school district expenditures and class size

10  reductions as a result of the provisions of this act.

11         (6)  The Department of Education shall provide for a

12  longitudinal study of the benefits to students and the impact

13  on student achievement of small class size based on reductions

14  in class size for the 1997-1998 school year, as a result of an

15  appropriation for such purpose, and for the 1998-1999,

16  1999-2000, and 2000-2001 school years, as a result of

17  implementation of this act. The results of the study shall be

18  reported to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

19  House of Representatives by December 1, 2001.

20         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.

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