CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
H
Senators Holzendorf and Kirkpatrick moved the following
amendment:
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 Senators Holzendorf and Kirkpatrick moved the following
12 amendment:
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14 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
15 Delete everything after the enacting clause
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17 and insert:
18 Section 1. This act may be cited as the "School
19 Readiness Act of 1998." Nothing in this act is intended to
20 impede or curtail the state's ability to draw down federal
21 funds.
22 Section 2. Section 411.01, Florida Statutes, is
23 created to read:
24 411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.;
25 School Readiness Coalitions.--
26 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
27 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the early
28 childhood health care, child care, and education of children
29 from birth to 5 years of age or until the child attains school
30 readiness, whichever is later, become a top priority.
31 (b) Recognizing that high-quality early childhood
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 health care, child care, and education experiences increase
2 children's chances of educational success and reduce the need
3 for costly future intervention and remediation, it is the
4 intent of the Legislature that all children in Florida, from
5 birth until they are ready for school, have access to quality
6 early childhood health care, child care, and education to
7 enhance their readiness to succeed in school.
8 (c) Recognizing that parents are responsible for the
9 early childhood health care, child care, and education of
10 their children, but also recognizing that the condition of
11 children in Florida must be improved, it is the intent of the
12 Legislature that local communities offer assistance to
13 families to improve the early childhood health care, child
14 care, and education of children under 5 years of age and the
15 school readiness of all children who enter the state's public
16 school system. High-quality early childhood experiences and
17 care should be provided with a minimum of governmental
18 interference.
19 (d) The Legislature finds that for families to move to
20 and maintain economic self-sufficiency, Florida must have an
21 efficient way for these families to access quality early
22 childhood health care, child care, and education services. The
23 Legislature recognizes that significant benefits will accrue
24 to children and families who have efficient access to quality
25 early childhood health care, child care, and education
26 arrangements.
27 (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that all early
28 childhood health care, child care, and education programs and
29 services serving Florida children in the first 5 years of life
30 or until the child attains school readiness, whichever is
31 later, are considered school readiness programs. The
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Legislature finds that despite the efforts of hundreds of
2 thousands of Floridians and increased collaboration among
3 service providers, services for young children remain
4 uncoordinated, uneven in quality, and inaccessible to many. It
5 is the intent of the Legislature that a true continuum of
6 high-quality, coordinated, and comprehensive early childhood
7 health care, child care, and education be available to all
8 children from birth to 5 years of age or until the child
9 attains school readiness, whichever is later.
10 (f) The Legislature recognizes new brain development
11 research emphasizing the critical importance of the first
12 years of life in children's emotional, social, and cognitive
13 development, and that these scientific discoveries create an
14 opportunity to apply the findings to all programs and services
15 for children from birth to 5 years of age. The Legislature
16 also recognizes that the period of time from birth to 3 years
17 of age is an optimal time for learning in the areas of motor
18 development, emotional control, vision, social attachment,
19 vocabulary, second language, and logic.
20 (g) Publicly funded early education and child care
21 programs are defined as prekindergarten early intervention
22 programs, Head Start programs, programs offered by public or
23 private providers of child care, preschool programs for
24 children with disabilities, programs for migrant children,
25 Title I programs, subsidized child care programs, teen parent
26 programs, and other services.
27 (2) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS.--For purposes of this
28 chapter, all early childhood health care, child care, and
29 education programs which are funded with state, federal,
30 lottery, or local public funds and which provide services to
31 children from birth to 5 years of age or until the child
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 attains school readiness, whichever is later, shall be school
2 readiness programs and shall work to achieve their part of the
3 goal of children entering school with healthy bodies and
4 healthy minds, ready to succeed in school.
5 (3) SCHOOL READINESS GOVERNING BOARD.--
6 (a) There is created a School Readiness Governing
7 Board to operate as the board of directors of the Florida
8 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., with responsibility
9 for adopting and maintaining coordinated programmatic,
10 administrative, and fiscal policies and standards for all
11 school readiness programs, while allowing a wide range of
12 programmatic flexibility and differentiation.
13 (b)1. As a condition for receiving funds appropriated
14 to the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., the
15 members of the School Readiness Governing Board shall include
16 the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, the Secretary of
17 Children and Family Services, the chair of the WAGES Program
18 State Board of Directors, and the chair of the Florida Council
19 of 100.
20 2. The governing board shall also include ten members
21 of the public who shall be business, community, and civic
22 leaders in the state who are not elected to public office and
23 who do not earn their income in the early education and child
24 care industry. The members must be geographically and
25 demographically representative of the state. Each member shall
26 be appointed by the Governor. Eight of the members shall be
27 appointed from a list of 10 nominees, of which five must be
28 submitted by the President of the Senate and five must be
29 submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
30 Members shall be appointed to 4-year terms of office. However,
31 of the initial appointees, two shall be appointed to 1-year
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 terms, two shall be appointed to 2-year terms, three shall be
2 appointed to 3-year terms, and three shall be appointed to
3 4-year terms. The members of the governing board shall elect a
4 chairperson annually. Any vacancy on the governing board shall
5 be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
6 (c) The governing board shall meet quarterly and may
7 meet as often as it deems necessary to carry out its duties
8 and responsibilities. Members of the governing board shall
9 participate without proxy at the quarterly meetings. The
10 governing board may take official action by a majority vote of
11 the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is
12 present. The governing board shall hold its first meeting by
13 August 1, 1998.
14 (d) Members of the governing board are subject to the
15 ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112, and no member
16 may derive any financial benefit from the funds administered
17 by the School Readiness Partnership.
18 (e) Members of the governing board shall serve without
19 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
20 and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
21 duties as provided in s. 112.061.
22 (f) For the purposes of tort liability, the members of
23 the governing board and its employees shall be governed by s.
24 768.28.
25 (g)1. The governing board shall appoint an executive
26 director to serve at its pleasure who shall perform the duties
27 assigned to him or her by the governing board. The executive
28 director shall be responsible for appointing all employees and
29 staff members who shall serve under his or her direction and
30 control.
31 2. Governing board members shall serve without
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for per
2 diem and travel expenses as provided by s. 112.061 and for
3 other reasonable, necessary, and actual expenses.
4 (h) The governing board has complete fiscal control
5 over the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., and
6 is responsible for all corporate operations. The governing
7 board is responsible for the prudent use of all public and
8 private funds and shall ensure that the use of such funds is
9 in accordance with all legal and contractual requirements.
10 (4) FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS, INC.
11 (SCHOOL READINESS PARTNERSHIP).--
12 (a) The Legislature hereby creates the Florida
13 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc. (School Readiness
14 Partnership), which shall be a public-private nonprofit
15 organization, which shall be registered, incorporated,
16 organized, and operated in compliance with chapter 617, and
17 which shall not be a unit or entity of state government. The
18 Legislature determines, however, that public policy dictates
19 that the School Readiness Partnership operate in the most open
20 and accessible manner consistent with its public purpose. To
21 this end, the Legislature specifically declares that the
22 School Readiness Partnership is subject to the provisions of
23 chapter 119, relating to public records, and those provisions
24 of chapter 286 relating to public meetings and records.
25 (b) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
26 Inc., shall establish one or more corporate offices, at least
27 one of which shall be located in Leon County.
28 (c) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
29 Inc., is the principal organization responsible for the
30 enhancement of school readiness for the state's children, and
31 shall work actively with each School Readiness Coalition to
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 achieve its mission. It shall be the responsibility of the
2 School Readiness Governing Board to provide leadership for
3 enhancement of school readiness in Florida by aggressively
4 establishing a unified approach to Florida's efforts of
5 enhancement of school readiness; by aggressively seeking
6 potential new school readiness programs; and by aggressively
7 assisting in the retention and expansion of effective existing
8 school readiness programs. In support of this effort, the
9 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., may develop
10 and implement specific programs or strategies that address the
11 creation, expansion, and preservation of Florida's school
12 readiness programs, including recommendations to move agency
13 staff from the Department of Education or the Department of
14 Children and Family Services to the partnership. This approach
15 must ensure the effective use of federal, state, local, and
16 private resources in reducing the need for school readiness
17 programs.
18 (d) The governing board and staff of the Florida
19 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., shall have specific
20 responsibility for implementing policies, monitoring progress
21 toward achievement of the established goals, assessing gaps in
22 current early childhood health care, child care, and education
23 statewide, recommending quality standards and monitoring their
24 implementation, assisting the formation of and approving plans
25 of School Readiness Coalitions created in this act,
26 facilitating local implementation, providing technical
27 assistance to School Readiness Coalitions, and recommending
28 common eligibility requirements for similar programs while
29 seeking a diversity of programs to meet the varieties of need,
30 within the established guidelines.
31 (e) The School Readiness Partnership shall have all
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this section,
2 including but not limited to the power to receive and accept
3 grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public or private
4 agency and to receive and accept from any source contributions
5 of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value, to be
6 held, used, and applied for the purposes of this section.
7 (f) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
8 Inc., shall be an independent nonpartisan body and shall not
9 be identified or affiliated with any one agency, program, or
10 group.
11 (g) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
12 Inc., shall have a budget, shall be financed through an annual
13 appropriation made for this purpose in the General
14 Appropriations Act, and shall be subject to compliance audits
15 and annual financial audits by the Auditor General.
16 (h) The partnership shall coordinate the efforts
17 toward school readiness in this state and provide independent
18 policy analyses and recommendations to the Governor, the State
19 Board of Education, and the Legislature.
20 (i) The partnership shall prepare and submit to the
21 State Board of Education a system for measuring school
22 readiness. The system must include a screening instrument, or
23 instruments, which shall provide objective data regarding the
24 following expectations for school readiness:
25 1. The child's immunizations and other health
26 requirements as necessary.
27 2. The child's display of physical development
28 appropriate for kindergarten.
29 3. The child's compliance with rules, limitations, and
30 routines.
31 4. The child's successful engagement in kindergarten
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 tasks.
2 5. The child's demonstration of appropriate
3 interactions with adults.
4 6. The child's demonstration of appropriate
5 interactions with peers.
6 7. The child's effective coping with challenges and
7 frustrations.
8 8. The child's demonstration of appropriate self-help
9 skills.
10 9. The child's ability to express his needs
11 appropriately.
12 10. The child's demonstration of verbal communication
13 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
14 11. The child's demonstration of problem-solving
15 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
16 12. The child's following of verbal directions.
17 13. The child's demonstration of curiosity,
18 persistence, and exploratory behavior.
19 14. The child's demonstration of an interest in books
20 and other printed materials.
21 15. The child's paying attention to stories.
22 16. The child's participation in art and music
23 activities.
24 (j) The partnership shall prepare a plan for
25 implementing the system for measuring school readiness in such
26 a way that all children in this state have the opportunity to
27 undergo the screening in the year prior to their entry into
28 kindergarten. Participants in publicly funded school readiness
29 programs and children whose family income is at, or below, 150
30 percent of the federal poverty level shall undergo the
31 screening at no cost. Other children may undergo the screening
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 if their parents pay a nominal fee. The plan must include a
2 way to make the screening instrument and the training required
3 to administer it available to public and private providers of
4 preschool and child care programs, and a way to make the
5 screening available to children who do not participate in such
6 programs. Because children with disabilities may not be able
7 to meet all of the identified expectations for school
8 readiness, the plan for measuring school readiness shall
9 incorporate mechanisms for recognizing the potential
10 variations in expectations for school readiness when serving
11 children with disabilities and shall provide for communities
12 to serve children with disabilities.
13 (k) The partnership shall establish a method for
14 collecting data from the screening instrument and establish
15 guidelines for using the data so that the measurement, the
16 data collection, and the use of the data serve the statewide
17 goal that all children will be ready for school. The criteria
18 for determining which data to collect should be the usefulness
19 of the data to state policymakers and program administrators
20 in administering programs and allocating state funds.
21 (l) The partnership shall contract with an independent
22 entity for an evaluation of the measurement system. The
23 evaluation must provide the information that local and state
24 agencies, the Governor, and the Legislature need to provide
25 for the effective administration of programs that serve
26 preschool children. The evaluation must provide information
27 that will assist providers of private preschool and child care
28 programs in assessing the success of preschool and child care
29 programs and making decisions about improving program services
30 to prepare children for school.
31 (m) The partnership shall recommend to the Governor,
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 the Commissioner of Education, and the State Board of
2 Education rules, and revisions or repeal of rules, which would
3 increase the effectiveness of programs that prepare children
4 for school.
5 (n) The partnership shall conduct studies and planning
6 activities related to the overall improvement and
7 effectiveness of school-readiness measures.
8 (o) The partnership shall work with the Department of
9 Management Services for electronic funds transfer.
10 (p) The partnership shall recommend to the Legislature
11 the feasibility of combining funding streams for school
12 readiness programs into a School Readiness Trust Fund.
13 (q) The partnership shall submit an annual report of
14 its activities to the Governor, the executive director of the
15 Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the President of the Senate,
16 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority
17 leaders of both houses of the Legislature. In addition, the
18 partnership's reports and recommendations shall be made
19 available to the State Board of Education, other appropriate
20 state agencies and entities, district school boards, central
21 agencies for child care, and county public health units.
22
23 To ensure that the system for measuring school readiness is
24 comprehensive and appropriate statewide, as the system is
25 developed and implemented, the partnership must consult with
26 representatives of district school systems, providers of
27 public and private child care, health care providers, large
28 and small employers, experts in education for children with
29 disabilities, and experts in child development.
30 (r) The partnership may adopt rules necessary to
31 administer the provisions of this section relating to
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 preparation and implementation of the system for school
2 readiness, data collection, approving local coalition plans,
3 providing a method whereby a coalition could serve two or more
4 counties, awarding incentives to coalitions, and contracting
5 for an evaluation.
6 (5) CREATION OF OPTIONAL PROGRAM; EXEMPTIONS.--The
7 school readiness program consisting of publicly funded
8 programs listed in paragraph (1)(g) is established. The school
9 readiness program is an optional program.
10 (a) School readiness coalitions.--
11 1.a. Each School Readiness Coalition must consist of
12 at least nine and no more than 15 members. Two members shall
13 be appointed by the district school board, two members shall
14 be appointed by the county commission, and two members shall
15 be appointed by the Department of Children and Family Services
16 district administrator. The six members thus appointed shall
17 appoint the remaining members of the coalition.
18 b. School Readiness Coalition membership shall
19 include, in addition to private-sector business leaders, the
20 local public and private leaders in health care, education,
21 disabilities, and child welfare systems in each county. Three
22 members of the coalition must be administrators from each of
23 the following entities: The central agency for child care, the
24 district school board, and the Head Start program. School
25 Readiness Coalition membership must include representatives
26 from programs serving children in the early education and
27 child care programs, must include a representative from the
28 Department of Health, and may include representatives from
29 organizations such as Children's Services Councils, Central
30 Agencies for Child Care, Healthy Start Coalitions, district
31 school boards, child care licensing boards, local WAGES
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Coalitions, Head Start, municipal and county governments, the
2 Department of Children and Family Services, the County Public
3 Health Unit, and chambers of commerce. Thirty percent of the
4 coalition members shall be from the private sector.
5 2. The School Readiness Coalition will replace the
6 district interagency coordinating council in any county where
7 a school readiness program is implemented.
8 (b) Program eligibility.--The school readiness program
9 shall be established for children from birth to 5 and one-half
10 years of age. The program shall consist of the programs listed
11 in paragraph (1)(g), be administered by the School Readiness
12 Coalition, and receive funds pursuant to SB 180 or similar
13 legislation. Within funding limitations, the School Readiness
14 Coalition, along with all providers, shall make reasonable
15 efforts to accommodate the needs of children for extended-day
16 and extended-year services without compromising the quality of
17 the program.
18 (c) Standards; outcome measures.--
19 1. All publicly funded school readiness programs must
20 meet the following performance standards and outcome measures
21 developed by the Department of Education and the Department of
22 Children and Family Services:
23 a. They must help prepare preschool children to enter
24 kindergarten ready to learn, as measured by criteria
25 established by the School Readiness Partnership or, in the
26 absence of such criteria, by the School Readiness Checklist of
27 the Department of Education.
28 b. They must provide extended-day and extended-year
29 services to the maximum extent possible.
30 c. There must be coordinated staff development and
31 teaching opportunities.
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 d. There must be expanded access to community services
2 and resources for families to help achieve economic
3 self-sufficiency.
4 e. There must be a single point of entry and unified
5 waiting list.
6 f. If funding remains constant, they must serve at
7 least as many children as were served prior to implementation
8 of the program.
9 2. All participating publicly funded school readiness
10 programs must implement a comprehensive program of children
11 and family services that enhance the cognitive and physical
12 development of children to achieve the performance standards
13 and outcome measures specified in paragraph (a). At a minimum,
14 these programs must contain the following elements:
15 a. Developmentally appropriate curriculum.
16 b. An appropriate staff-to-child ratio, as required by
17 the respective participating programs.
18 c. A healthy and safe environment.
19 d. A resource and referral network to assist parents
20 in making an informed choice pursuant to s. 402.27.
21 (d) Implementation.--
22 1. The school readiness program may be implemented in
23 any county by a School Readiness Coalition with agreement of
24 the district school board and the Department of Children and
25 Family Services district, and with approval of the School
26 Readiness Partnership. Approval by the School Readiness
27 Partnership must be predicated on the submission of a plan of
28 implementation prepared and submitted by the School Readiness
29 Coalition.
30 2. Each School Readiness Coalition shall develop a
31 plan for implementing the school readiness program to meet the
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 requirements of this section. The plan shall include a written
2 description of the role of the program in the district's
3 effort to meet the first state education goal, readiness to
4 start school, including a description of the plan to involve
5 prekindergarten early intervention programs, Head Start
6 programs, programs offered by public or private providers of
7 child care, preschool programs for children with disabilities,
8 programs for migrant children, Title I programs, subsidized
9 child care programs, and teen parent programs. The plan shall
10 also demonstrate how the program will ensure that each
11 3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a publicly funded early
12 education and child care program receives scheduled activities
13 and instruction designed to prepare children to enter
14 kindergarten ready to learn. Prior to implementation of the
15 program, the School Readiness Coalition must submit the plan
16 to the School Readiness Partnership for approval. The plan
17 shall be reviewed and revised as necessary, but not less than
18 every 3 years.
19 3. The plan for the school readiness program shall
20 include the following minimum standards and provisions:
21 a. A sliding fee scale, which is the same for all
22 programs, to be implemented and reflected in each program's
23 budget.
24 b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed,
25 registered, religious exempt, or school-based programs to be
26 provided to parents.
27 c. Instructional staff who have completed the training
28 course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who
29 have additional training or credentials as required by the
30 respective programs.
31 4. Persons with an early childhood teaching
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 certificate may provide support and supervision to other staff
2 in the early education and child care program.
3 (e) Reimbursement rate.--The School Readiness
4 Coalition shall develop a reimbursement rate schedule that
5 encompasses all publicly funded early education and child care
6 programs and complies with applicable state and federal laws
7 and regulations. The reimbursement rate schedule must include
8 the projected number of children to be served and must be
9 submitted to the School Readiness Partnership for approval.
10 Informal child care arrangements shall be reimbursed at not
11 more than 50 percent of the rate developed for family child
12 care. A school readiness program may not expend more than 15
13 percent of program funds in any one fiscal year for
14 administrative costs.
15 (f) Requirements relating to fiscal agents.--The
16 fiscal agent may be a public entity or a private nonprofit
17 organization. A private, for-profit organization may serve as
18 a fiscal agent if at least 50 percent of the organization's
19 governing board members live in the coalition's service area.
20 The fiscal agent shall be required to provide all
21 administrative and direct funding services as determined by
22 the School Readiness Coalition. The cost of these services
23 shall be negotiated between the fiscal agent and the School
24 Readiness Coalition. The fiscal agent shall be responsible for
25 monitoring all providers to ensure that coalition funds are
26 expended in the manner and for the purpose required by the
27 funding source. Funds from the School Readiness Trust Fund may
28 not be paid to a provider unless the provider agrees to allow
29 the fiscal agent access to fulfill its monitoring
30 responsibilities.
31 (g) Coalition initiation grants; incentive bonuses.--
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 1. School Readiness Coalitions that are approved by
2 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., by October
3 1, 1998, shall be eligible for a $25,000 initiation grant to
4 support the School Readiness Coalition in developing its
5 school readiness plan. Upon approval by the School Readiness
6 Partnership of any coalition's plan that clearly shows
7 enhancement in the quality and standards of the school
8 readiness programs without diminishing the number of children
9 served in the programs, the School Readiness Partnership shall
10 award the coalition an incentive bonus on a per-student served
11 basis, subject to appropriation.
12 2. School Readiness Coalitions that have their plans
13 approved by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
14 Inc., by March 1, 1999, shall receive incentive bonus funding
15 on a per-student basis, with a minimum amount of $25,000 per
16 coalition. Funds shall be available to a coalition 30 days
17 after its plan is approved.
18 3. In fiscal year 2000-2001, and each year thereafter,
19 any increases in funding for the prekindergarten early
20 intervention program and the subsidized child care program
21 shall be administered through School Readiness Coalitions, if
22 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., approves
23 this method of funding.
24 (h) Parental choice; payment arrangement.--The school
25 readiness program shall be provided in a manner that ensures,
26 to the maximum extent possible, parental choice through
27 flexibility in early education and child care arrangements and
28 payment arrangements. Payment arrangements must be in
29 accordance with all federal and state laws that govern the
30 respective participating programs.
31 (i) Evaluation and annual report.--Each School
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Readiness Coalition shall conduct an evaluation of the
2 effectiveness of the school readiness program, including
3 performance standards and outcome measures, and shall provide
4 an annual report and fiscal statement to the School Readiness
5 Partnership, the Governor, and the President of the Senate and
6 the Speaker of the House of Representatives for review by the
7 Legislature. This report must conform to the content and
8 format specifications set by the School Readiness Partnership.
9 (7) CONFLICTING PROVISIONS.--In the event of a
10 conflict between the provisions of this section and federal
11 requirements, the federal requirements shall control.
12 Section 3. Section 411.05, Florida Statutes, is
13 created to read:
14 411.05 School readiness screening instruments.--The
15 Department of Education shall adopt the school readiness
16 screening instruments developed by the Florida Partnership for
17 School Readiness, Inc., and shall require that:
18 (1) All school districts administer the kindergarten
19 screening instrument to each kindergarten student in the
20 district school system.
21 (2) All school districts that operate preschool
22 programs administer the age-appropriate screening instrument
23 to each preschool student in the district's preschool
24 programs.
25 Section 4. Section 411.06, Florida Statutes, is
26 created to read:
27 411.06 Florida Parents as Teachers Program.--
28 (1) The Legislature recognizes that the nationwide
29 Parents as Teachers Program has demonstrated that it is a
30 cost-effective program that produces outstanding results and
31 long-term cost savings. There is established the Florida
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Parents as Teachers Program under the jurisdiction of the
2 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., which shall
3 make funding for the program available to each School
4 Readiness Coalition.
5 (2) The purposes of the Florida Parents as Teachers
6 Program are:
7 (a) To provide parents with the latest information on
8 child development from birth to 5 years of age and suggest
9 learning opportunities, based on the latest brain development
10 research, that encourage language and intellectual growth and
11 the development of physical and social skills.
12 (b) To provide all families within the jurisdiction of
13 the School Readiness Coalition with the opportunity to have
14 their children screened for school readiness, either through
15 the child's participation in a children first plan program or
16 by payment of a nominal fee, at the ages of 3 1/2 years and 4
17 1/2 years.
18 (3) The Florida Parents as Teachers Program shall
19 include personalized home visits by certified parent educators
20 trained in child development, to help parents understand what
21 to expect during each stage of their child's development and
22 to offer practical tips on how to encourage learning, manage
23 behavior, and promote strong parent-child relationships. The
24 program shall also include group meetings, periodic
25 screenings, a resource network, and followup studies,
26 including tracking the school readiness screenings
27 administered after the child is in kindergarten, to measure
28 school readiness outcomes.
29 Section 5. School Readiness Program Needs Assessment
30 Conference.--
31 (1) DUTIES.--
19
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 (a) The School Readiness Program Needs Assessment
2 Conference shall develop official information relating to the
3 state's system of school readiness program services, including
4 forecasts of school readiness program needs, as the conference
5 determines is needed for the state planning and budgeting
6 system. Such official information shall include but not be
7 limited to subsidized child care, Head Start, prekindergarten
8 early intervention, prekindergarten disabilities, Even-Start
9 literacy, First Start, migrant prekindergarten, and Title I
10 prekindergarten needs.
11 (b) In addition, the School Readiness Program Needs
12 Assessment Conference shall estimate the unduplicated count of
13 children eligible for school readiness program services.
14 (c) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
15 Inc., shall provide information on needs and waiting lists for
16 school readiness program services requested by the School
17 Readiness Program Needs Assessment Conference or individual
18 conference principals, in a timely manner.
19 (2) PRINCIPALS.--The Executive Office of the Governor,
20 the Director of Economic and Demographic Research, and
21 professional staff, who have forecasting expertise, from the
22 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc., the Department
23 of Children and Family Services, the Department of Education,
24 the Senate, and the House of Representatives, or their
25 designees, are the principals of the School Readiness Program
26 Needs Assessment Conference. The principal representing the
27 Executive Office of the Governor shall preside over sessions
28 of the conference.
29 Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 414.026, Florida
30 Statutes, is amended to read:
31 414.026 WAGES Program State Board of Directors.--
20
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 (2)(a) The board of directors shall be composed of the
2 following members:
3 1. The Commissioner of Education, or the
4 commissioner's designee.
5 2. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
6 3. The Secretary of Health.
7 4. The Secretary of Labor and Employment Security.
8 5. The Secretary of Community Affairs.
9 6. The director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
10 Economic Development.
11 7. The president of the Enterprise Florida workforce
12 development board, established under s. 288.9620.
13 8. The chair of the Florida Partnership for School
14 Readiness, Inc.
15 9.8. The chief executive officer of the Florida
16 Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, established under s.
17 288.1226.
18 10.9. Nine members appointed by the Governor, as
19 follows:
20 a. Six members shall be appointed from a list of ten
21 nominees, of which five must be submitted by the President of
22 the Senate and five must be submitted by the Speaker of the
23 House of Representatives. The list of five nominees submitted
24 by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
25 Representatives must each contain at least three individuals
26 employed in the private sector, two of whom must have
27 management experience. One of the five nominees submitted by
28 the President of the Senate and one of the five nominees
29 submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives must
30 be an elected local government official who shall serve as an
31 ex officio nonvoting member.
21
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 b. Three members shall be at-large members appointed
2 by the Governor.
3 c. Of the nine members appointed by the Governor, at
4 least six must be employed in the private sector and of these,
5 at least five must have management experience.
6
7 The members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to
8 4-year, staggered terms. Within 60 days after a vacancy occurs
9 on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy of a member
10 appointed from the nominees submitted by the President of the
11 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the
12 remainder of the unexpired term from one nominee submitted by
13 the President of the Senate and one nominee submitted by the
14 Speaker of the House of Representatives. Within 60 days after
15 a vacancy of a member appointed at-large by the Governor
16 occurs on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for
17 the remainder of the unexpired term. The composition of the
18 board must generally reflect the racial, gender, and ethnic
19 diversity of the state as a whole.
20 (b) The board of directors shall annually elect a
21 chairperson from among the members appointed by the Governor.
22 The board of directors shall meet at least once each quarter.
23 A member appointed by the Governor may not authorize a
24 designee to attend a meeting of the board in place of the
25 member. The Governor may remove an appointed member for cause,
26 and an absence from three consecutive meetings results in
27 automatic removal, unless the member is excused by the
28 chairperson.
29 (c) Members of the board shall serve without
30 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
31 and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.
22
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 624.91, Florida
2 Statutes, is amended to read:
3 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--
4 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature finds that
5 increased access to health care services could improve
6 children's health and reduce the incidence and costs of
7 childhood illness and disabilities among children in this
8 state. Many children do not have preventive services
9 available or funded, and for those who do, lack of access is a
10 restriction to getting service. It is the intent of the
11 Legislature that a nonprofit corporation be organized to
12 facilitate a program to bring preventive health care services
13 to children, if necessary through the use of school facilities
14 in this state when more appropriate sites are unavailable, and
15 to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to such
16 children. A goal for the corporation is to cooperate with any
17 existing preventive service programs funded by the public or
18 the private sector and to work cooperatively with the Florida
19 Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.
20 Section 8. From the funds appropriated in Specific
21 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $250,000 is
22 appropriated for use by the Partnership for School Readiness,
23 Inc. Contingent on passage of SB 180 or similar legislation
24 becoming law creating the School Readiness Trust Fund, the
25 Executive Office of the Governor shall transfer this $250,000
26 appropriation from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to
27 the School Readiness Trust Fund.
28 Section 9. The sum of $3 million in Specific
29 Appropriation 8A in HB 4201 is transferred from the
30 Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to the School Readiness
31 Trust Fund for coalition incentive grants.
23
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Section 10. The sum of $2 million in Specific
2 Appropriation 130A in HB 4201 is transferred from the
3 Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to the School Readiness
4 Trust Fund for coalition incentive grants.
5 Section 11. From the funds appropriated in Specific
6 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $125,000 is
7 appropriated for evaluation research design for an instrument
8 to assess school readiness. Contingent on passage of SB 180 or
9 similar legislation becoming law creating the School Readiness
10 Trust Fund, the Executive Office of the Governor shall
11 transfer this $125,000 appropriation from the Educational
12 Enhancement Trust Fund to the School Readiness Trust Fund.
13 Section 12. From the funds appropriated in Specific
14 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $427,000 shall be used
15 for coordination of early childhood services.
16 Section 13. From funds appropriated in Specific
17 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $96,375,328 shall be
18 appropriated for allocation to each eligible school district
19 on the basis of full-time equivalent (FTE) students served
20 consistent with the provisions of section 230.2305, Florida
21 Statutes, except that a school district may not expend more
22 than 15 percent of its allocation for administration of the
23 program. For the purpose of this appropriation, an FTE is
24 defined as 6 hours per day of quality contact time in a
25 developmentally appropriate program for 180 days. The
26 calculation of a district's entitlement shall be based on
27 $3,200 per FTE. For the 1998-1999 fiscal year, the minimum
28 amount for each school district shall be $65,000.
29 Section 14. From the funds appropriated in Specific
30 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $3 million shall be
31 used for the Florida First Start Program. The Commissioner of
24
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Education shall allocate these funds to the existing 24
2 Florida First Start programs in amounts equal to, or
3 proportional to, the amount those programs received in the
4 1997-1998 fiscal year.
5 Section 15. From the funds appropriated in Specific
6 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $3,295,172 is provided
7 to continue the Migrant Education for 3 and 4 Year Old's
8 Program.
9 Section 16. From the funds appropriated in Specific
10 Appropriation 8 in HB 4201, the sum of $300,000 is provided
11 for Children's Resource Fund, Inc.
12 Section 17. Special readiness grants.--
13 (1)(a) The School Readiness Partnership shall make
14 available to parents whose 4-year old child experiences
15 difficulty in achieving readiness objectives a special
16 readiness grant for up to 12 months of early childhood
17 education services from a provider that meets applicable
18 licensure or registration requirements and whose education
19 program is appropriate to fulfill the child's need for
20 remediation. Each special readiness grant will carry a value
21 of no more than $3,500. This amount will remain constant
22 regardless of the rate charged by the alternative provider.
23 (b) The special readiness grant is not intended to
24 provide an additional year of early childhood services, but,
25 rather, to give options to parents as to the setting in which
26 early childhood services will be delivered. For that reason,
27 4-year-old children whose parents elect to receive a special
28 readiness grant are expected to enter kindergarten ready to
29 learn upon expiration of this special readiness grant.
30 (c) The special readiness grants shall be available in
31 pilot programs in two counties where School Readiness
25
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Coalitions have been formed, one large, urban county and one
2 small, rural or suburban county. The pilot program shall begin
3 September 1, 1998, and continue through August 31, 1999. Up to
4 200 special readiness grants shall be available in the large
5 county and up to 100 special readiness grants shall be
6 available in the small county.
7 (d) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
8 Government Accountability must assess both the implementation
9 and the outcome of the pilot project and report findings to
10 the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
11 Representatives by January 1, 2000.
12 (2) The sum of $1,050,000 is appropriated from the
13 tobacco-settlement revenues to the Executive Office of the
14 Governor for use by the School Readiness Partnership in
15 creating two pilot programs for special readiness grants. This
16 is a nonrecurring appropriation for the 1998-1999 fiscal year.
17 Section 18. The Department of Children and Family
18 Services shall contract with a private nonprofit corporation
19 to implement the Healthy Families Florida Program. The private
20 nonprofit corporation shall be incorporated for the purpose of
21 identifying, funding, supporting, and evaluating programs and
22 community initiatives to improve the development and life
23 outcomes of children and to preserve and strengthen families
24 with a primary emphasis on prevention. The private nonprofit
25 corporation shall implement the program. The program shall
26 work in partnership with existing community-based home
27 visitation and family support resources to provide assistance
28 to families in an effort to prevent child abuse. The program
29 shall be voluntary for participants and shall require the
30 informed consent of the participants at the initial contact.
31 The Kempe Family Stress Checklist shall not be used.
26
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Section 19. The sum of $10 million is appropriated
2 from tobacco-settlement revenues to the Department of Children
3 and Family Services to fund the Healthy Families Program for
4 fiscal year 1998-1999.
5 Section 20. Nothing in this act shall have the effect
6 of increasing the standards that must be met by family child
7 care providers; however, children who receive child care
8 services from family child care providers will participate in
9 school readiness assessment upon entering public or private
10 kindergarten or the first grade.
11 Section 21. By December 31, 1998, the State
12 Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services shall submit
13 a final report of recommendations regarding early childhood
14 health care, child care, and education programs to the School
15 Readiness Governing Board. The State Coordinating Council for
16 Early Childhood Services shall cease to exist after December
17 31, 1998.
18 Section 22. Effective July 1, 1998, subsection (4) of
19 section 411.222, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
20 Section 23. Except as otherwise expressly provided in
21 this act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
22
23
24 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
25 And the title is amended as follows:
26 Delete everything before the enacting clause
27
28 and insert:
29 A bill to be entitled
30 An act relating to school readiness; creating
31 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
27
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 Inc.; creating the School Readiness Governing
2 Board to operate as the board of directors of
3 the School Readiness Partnership; providing
4 School Readiness Partnership and governing
5 board responsibilities and duties; providing
6 membership of the governing board and meeting
7 requirements; providing that the School
8 Readiness Partnership is subject to public
9 records and public meeting requirements;
10 providing for hiring of certain employees;
11 providing powers as a corporation; requiring
12 the partnership to prepare a system for
13 measuring school readiness; specifying
14 objectives to be measured by such system;
15 requiring the partnership to contract with an
16 independent entity to evaluate the measurement
17 system; requiring the partnership to make
18 recommendations to the Governor and the State
19 Board of Education; authorizing the partnership
20 to adopt rules; providing for voluntary
21 establishment of a School Readiness Coalition
22 in each county; specifying services to be
23 provided by coalitions; providing for
24 designation and approval of a fiscal agent;
25 providing for coalition initiation grants to
26 develop school readiness plans; providing for
27 award of an incentive bonus; providing
28 requirements for such plans; providing for
29 parental choice; providing for evaluation and
30 performance measures; providing responsibility
31 for implementation; providing for phase-out of
28
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1 the State Coordinating Council for Early
2 Childhood Services; providing for a School
3 Readiness Needs Assessment Conference; creating
4 s. 411.05, F.S.; requiring the Department of
5 Education to adopt the school readiness
6 screening instruments developed by the School
7 Readiness Partnership and to require their use
8 by the school districts; creating s. 411.06,
9 F.S.; recognizing the nationwide Parents as
10 Teachers Program; establishing the Florida
11 Parents as Teachers Program under the
12 jurisdiction of the School Readiness
13 Partnership; providing program requirements;
14 providing that federal requirements control in
15 the case of conflict; exempting family child
16 care providers from increased standards;
17 amending s. 624.91, F.S.; requiring the Healthy
18 Kids Corporation to work cooperatively with the
19 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.;
20 amending s. 414.026, F.S.; requiring the chair
21 of the Partnership for School Readiness, Inc.,
22 to serve on the WAGES Program State Board of
23 Directors; repealing s. 411.222(4), F.S.,
24 relating to the State Coordinating Council for
25 Early Childhood Services; providing
26 appropriations; providing for special readiness
27 grants in pilot programs in two counties;
28 requiring the Department of Children and Family
29 Services to contract with a private nonprofit
30 corporation to provide the Healthy Families
31 Florida Program; providing an effective date.
29
10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01
SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HBs 683 & 2131, 1st Eng.
Amendment No.
1
2 WHEREAS, the bridge to opportunity for every child must
3 be anchored in a healthy body and a healthy mind and must lead
4 to the child's readiness to learn in school, and
5 WHEREAS, it is widely acknowledged that entering school
6 ready to learn is crucial to a child's success both in school
7 and in life, and
8 WHEREAS, the state's system of public education could
9 better perform its mission of educating its K-12 students if
10 more students enter school healthy and ready to learn, and
11 WHEREAS, as emphasized by the Governor, the President
12 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
13 Representatives, a child's health in both body and mind is
14 essential to the child's ability to learn, and
15 WHEREAS, we can make great strides to improve school
16 readiness by addressing child care, child health, and school
17 readiness education in one single, accountable continuum, NOW,
18 THEREFORE,
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10:55 PM 04/30/98 h0683c2c-02j01