House Bill 0367e3

                                           HB 367, Third Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating the

  3         "Florida Maximum Class Size Study Act";

  4         requiring school districts to reduce the

  5         teacher-to-student ratio in certain schools;

  6         requiring the Department of Education to

  7         conduct a study of the efficacy of class size

  8         reductions; providing legislative goals;

  9         providing an 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 Study Act."

15         (2)  During school year 1998-1999, each school district

16  using funds provided in the 1998-1999 General Appropriations

17  Act for the purpose of class size reduction shall, in at least

18  one elementary school, reduce the teacher-to-student ratio to

19  one full-time equivalent teacher to 20 students in

20  kindergarten through grade three. In any district where there

21  is a critically low-performing elementary school as identified

22  by the Commissioner of Education, such school shall be

23  selected for inclusion in the program under this subsection in

24  preference to any other school in the district, and the ratio

25  to be achieved in such schools shall be one full-time

26  equivalent teacher to 15 students. In the case of a district

27  with more than one elementary school identified by the

28  commissioner as critically low-performing, the selection of a

29  school shall be performed by the district school board by lot.

30         (3)  At the conclusion of the 1998-1999 school year,

31  the Department of Education shall conduct a complete study of


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






                                           HB 367, Third Engrossed



  1  the efficacy of the reductions in class size provided for in

  2  subsection (2). The study shall involve all participating

  3  schools and shall be focused on obtaining verifiable data

  4  regarding the benefits of class size reduction in terms of

  5  student achievement and performance. Results of the study

  6  shall be presented to the Governor, the President of the

  7  Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the

  8  minority leader of each house not later than January 1, 2000.

  9         (4)  Beginning with school year 1998-1999, it shall be

10  the goal of the Legislature and each school district that each

11  elementary school in the school district beginning with

12  kindergarten through grade three class sizes not exceed 20

13  students, with a ratio of one full-time equivalent teacher per

14  20 students; except that only in the case of critically

15  low-performing schools as identified by the Commissioner of

16  Education, the goal in kindergarten through grade three shall

17  be a ratio of one full-time equivalent teacher per 15

18  students.  For purposes of any funding in the General

19  Appropriations Act to meet these goals, the district shall

20  give priority to identified critically low-performing schools

21  in the district.  Second priority for the use of any funds

22  designated for meeting these goals shall be for kindergarten

23  through grade one.  Third priority for the use of any funds

24  designated for meeting these goals shall be for grades two and

25  three.

26         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

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