CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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5 ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW
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11 Representative(s) Brennan offered the following:
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13 Substitute Amendment for Amendment (731171) (with title
14 amendment)
15 Remove from the bill: Everything after the enacting clause
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17 and insert in lieu thereof:
18 Section 1. Section 411.09, Florida Statutes, is
19 created to read:
20 411.09 Healthy opportunity for school readiness
21 program.--
22 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--
23 (a) Current standards for measuring school readiness
24 are nonuniform and highly subjective. Measurements by these
25 standards indicate that approximately 36,000 or 20 percent of
26 Florida children were measured as not ready for school when
27 they entered kindergarten in the 1996-1997 school year.
28 (b) The Florida Partnership for Children First, Inc.,
29 is assigned the responsibility under s. 411.01 of providing
30 reliable school readiness instruments, which instruments shall
31 be administered under the oversight of the Children First
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 02:38 pm 04383-0051-583813
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 Coalitions.
2 (c) Numerous credible studies have demonstrated the
3 importance of school readiness to a child's success in school,
4 and the cost savings, particularly in terms of less dependence
5 on specialized services and greater lifelong opportunity,
6 achieved in enlarging the percentage of children who attain
7 school readiness before they enter school.
8 (d) The public K-12 school system could better perform
9 its mission of K-12 education if there were a higher
10 percentage of children entering the public K-12 school system
11 who were measured as ready for school.
12 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the intent of the
13 Legislature to provide a program of enhancement of healthy
14 opportunity by increasing school readiness to the maximum
15 extent feasible before a child enters the public K-12 school
16 system.
17 (3) HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM; ELIGIBILITY OF
18 CHILD.--The healthy opportunity for school readiness program
19 is established and shall be available on a first-come,
20 first-served basis to children who are measured no later than
21 February of the year in which they will enter kindergarten as
22 not ready for school. Participation shall be entirely at the
23 option of the parent or guardian.
24 (4) HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY KINDERGARTEN CHOICE.--For the
25 purpose of assisting children who are measured as not ready
26 for school to attain success in school by enhancing their
27 opportunity for school readiness, the Florida Partnership for
28 Children First, Inc., shall operate the healthy opportunity
29 for school readiness program with the following minimum
30 components:
31 (a) Each Children First Coalition, as part of the
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 02:38 pm 04383-0051-583813
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 children first plan, shall establish and maintain public
2 kindergarten program choice information to provide information
3 and assistance to parents or guardians of eligible children
4 who wish to enhance their child's opportunity for school
5 readiness by choosing a public school kindergarten for the
6 child. Public school kindergartens shall submit information
7 requested by the Children First Coalition for purposes of
8 informed parental choice, shall agree to the goal of the child
9 attaining school readiness, and shall agree to administer the
10 school readiness screening instruments.
11 (b) All selections and all enrollment and
12 transportation arrangements shall be the parents' or
13 guardians' responsibility, but the Children First Coalition
14 shall provide full information to enable the parents or
15 guardians to make a fully informed choice and easily
16 facilitated arrangements.
17 (c) The Children First Coalition shall provide for
18 followup measurement of the children who participate in the
19 program, to measure their school readiness after a year of
20 attending the public school choice kindergarten and prior to
21 entering first grade. The coalition shall annually report to
22 the Children First Partnership, using objective data, the
23 differences in school readiness, if any, between comparable
24 groups of children based on whether or not they attended the
25 public school kindergarten choice program.
26 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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30 And the title is amended as follows:
31 On page 1, line 4, through page 1, line 9
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 02:38 pm 04383-0051-583813
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 remove from the title of the bill: all of said lines
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3 and insert in lieu thereof:
4 opportunity for school readiness program;
5 providing legislative findings and intent;
6 providing for operation by the Florida
7 Partnership for Children First, Inc.; providing
8 eligibility requirements and program
9 components; providing an effective date.
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 02:38 pm 04383-0051-583813