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 Amendment (with title amendment)
14 Remove from the bill: Everything after the enacting clause
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16 and insert in lieu thereof:
17 Section 1. Section 411.09, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 411.09 Healthy opportunity for school readiness
20 program.--
21 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--
22 (a) Current standards for measuring school readiness
23 are nonuniform and highly subjective. Measurements by these
24 standards indicate that approximately 36,000 or 20 percent of
25 Florida children were measured as not ready for school when
26 they entered kindergarten in the 1996-1997 school year.
27 (b) The Florida Partnership for Children First, Inc.,
28 is assigned the responsibility under s. 411.01 of providing
29 reliable school readiness instruments, which instruments shall
30 be administered under the oversight of the Children First
31 Coalitions.
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hbd0021 12:43 pm 04383-0051-731171
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 (c) Numerous credible studies have demonstrated the
2 importance of school readiness to a child's success in school,
3 and the cost savings, particularly in terms of less dependence
4 on specialized services and greater lifelong opportunity,
5 achieved in enlarging the percentage of children who attain
6 school readiness before they enter school.
7 (d) The public K-12 school system could better perform
8 its mission of K-12 education if there were a higher
9 percentage of children entering the public K-12 school system
10 who were measured as ready for school.
11 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the intent of the
12 Legislature to provide a program of enhancement of healthy
13 opportunity by increasing school readiness to the maximum
14 extent feasible before a child enters the public K-12 school
15 system.
16 (3) HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM; ELIGIBILITY OF
17 CHILD.--The healthy opportunity for school readiness program
18 is established and shall be available on a first-come,
19 first-served basis to children who are measured no later than
20 February of the year in which they will enter kindergarten as
21 not ready for school. Participation shall be entirely at the
22 option of the parent or guardian.
23 (4) HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY CHARTER KINDERGARTEN.--For the
24 purpose of assisting children who are measured as not ready
25 for school to attain success in school by enhancing their
26 opportunity for school readiness, the Florida Partnership for
27 Children First, Inc., shall operate the healthy opportunity
28 for school readiness program with the following minimum
29 components:
30 (a) Each Children First Coalition, as part of the
31 children first plan, shall establish and maintain charter
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hbd0021 12:43 pm 04383-0051-731171
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 kindergarten program information to provide information and
2 assistance to parents or guardians of eligible children who
3 wish to enhance their child's opportunity for school readiness
4 by choosing a charter kindergarten of the parent's choice.
5 Charter kindergartens must be formed under s. 228.056, and
6 shall submit information requested by the Children First
7 Coalition for purposes of informed parental choice, shall
8 agree to the goal of the child attaining school readiness, and
9 shall agree to administer the school readiness screening
10 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, including information
15 regarding teacher credentials, and adequate guidance and
16 assistance to enable the parents or guardians to make a fully
17 informed choice and easily facilitated arrangements.
18 (c) The Children First Coalition shall provide for
19 followup measurement of the children who participate in the
20 program, to measure their school readiness after a year of
21 attending a charter kindergarten program and prior to entering
22 first grade. The coalition shall annually report to the
23 Children First Partnership, using objective data, the
24 differences in school readiness, if any, between comparable
25 groups of children based on whether or not they attended a
26 charter kindergarten.
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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31 And the title is amended as follows:
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 12:43 pm 04383-0051-731171
HOUSE AMENDMENT
hbd4383-09 Bill No. CS/CS/HB 4383
Amendment No. (for drafter's use only)
1 On page 1, line 4, through page 1, line 9
2 remove from the title of the bill: all of said lines
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4 and insert in lieu thereof:
5 opportunity for school readiness program;
6 providing legislative findings and intent;
7 providing for operation by the Florida
8 Partnership for Children First, Inc.; providing
9 eligibility requirements and program
10 components; providing an effective date.
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File original & 9 copies 04/06/98
hbd0021 12:43 pm 04383-0051-731171