Senate Bill 1504e1
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; providing intent
3 for certain high schools designated New
4 Millennium High Schools; requiring certain
5 components of a vocational program called the
6 Florida Tech Prep Pathway; requiring certain
7 activities of staff identified by schools and
8 local business enterprises; providing
9 requirements for students to enroll in certain
10 programs; requiring procedures and
11 certification of tech prep pathway programs;
12 providing for documentation by the Department
13 of Education; creating the Sunshine Technical
14 Skills Certificate; providing requirements;
15 requiring certain schools to be selected as
16 pilot projects; providing duties of the
17 Department of Education and the schools;
18 requiring certain programs and
19 career-development activities to assist
20 counselors at certain high schools; amending
21 ss. 228.041, 229.601, 229.602, 231.121, F.S.;
22 changing a personnel classification title;
23 amending s. 231.1725, F.S.; imposing certain
24 requirements for initial certification and
25 recertification of certain personnel; amending
26 s. 239.121, F.S.; changing a personnel
27 classification title; providing for certain
28 professional-development activities; amending
29 s. 239.229, F.S.; providing certain
30 responsibilities for school boards and
31 superintendents; repealing s. 233.068, F.S.,
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1 which relates to job-related vocational
2 instruction; creating the Task Force on Public
3 School Funding; providing for the appointment
4 and organization of the task force; specifying
5 powers and duties; specifying duties of the
6 Department of Education; requiring certain
7 reports and public hearings; repealing s.
8 236.081, F.S., relating to the Florida
9 Education Finance Program; providing an
10 effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Florida Tech Prep Pathway, New Millennium
15 High Schools; intent.--
16 (1) The Legislature intends to advance high school
17 vocational education beyond the progress experienced during
18 the last decade of the 20th century. Initiatives in schools
19 designated as Tech Prep Schools, High Schools that Work,
20 Career Academies, and Blueprint Schools for Career Preparation
21 have proved the value of increasing the academic preparation
22 of vocational students and of assuring that all students are
23 prepared for both postsecondary education and a career. The
24 Legislature further intends to use the findings from these
25 programs to disseminate their benefits to all high schools and
26 all vocational programs.
27 (2) Therefore, the Florida Tech Prep Pathway shall be
28 developed during the 1999-2000 school year and implemented
29 during the 2000-2001 year in at least 10 high schools. By
30 2004, all high schools in the state shall implement the
31 pathway. These high schools are designated New Millennium High
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1 Schools and must assure that all students have the opportunity
2 to earn a credential that guarantees their preparation for the
3 new century's demands for career advancement through
4 education.
5 (3) The New Millennium High Schools must be founded
6 upon three principles proved effective at the turn of the
7 century:
8 (a) A challenging academic curriculum that demands a
9 high level of achievement and assures a direct path through
10 postsecondary education without the need for repetition or
11 remediation.
12 (b) A technical curriculum articulated with
13 postsecondary education programs and invigorated by a strong
14 linkage among schools, postsecondary education institutions,
15 and the local business sector.
16 (c) The power of a demonstrated return on investment
17 in education. The return is economic development that is
18 produced when public funds motivate a strategic investment by
19 the private sector in educational ventures that prove mutually
20 profitable.
21 Section 2. Florida Tech Prep Pathway; required
22 components.--The Florida Tech Prep Pathway is a curriculum
23 designed to provide the academic and technical skills,
24 knowledge, and values needed to succeed in work and
25 postsecondary education at a level that enables a person to
26 become self-sufficient and to contribute to the economic and
27 social community. The pathway consists of the following
28 components:
29 (1) An educational career plan provided for each
30 student in the pathway. This plan is a sequential journal
31 designed to guide students through the career development
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1 process and to relate education to career interests,
2 aptitudes, and experiences as the students progress. A career
3 specialist or guidance counselor shall work with each student
4 on the development of and each revision to the plan, which
5 must be approved by the student's parent.
6 (2) A one-credit core course called "Technical Systems
7 and Applications." By completing this course, a student meets
8 the graduation requirement for performing arts or practical
9 arts. The course must achieve competencies in:
10 (a) Information management, using critical and
11 creative thinking;
12 (b) Career assessment and exploration;
13 (c) Computer applications;
14 (d) Technical reading and writing;
15 (e) Communication; and
16 (f) Work ethics.
17 (3) A work-based learning experience that is related
18 to the student's career plan, progressively more advanced, and
19 documented throughout the program of study. Staff identified
20 by schools shall work with local business and industry firms
21 to locate work experience that will contribute relevant
22 progress toward the objectives in a student's educational
23 career plan. A comprehensive work-based learning experience
24 progresses through the following levels, but does not
25 necessarily include each one:
26 (a) Job shadowing, a career exploration activity in
27 which a student early in the Tech Prep Pathway follows an
28 employee at a firm for at least 1 day to learn about an
29 occupation or industry.
30 (b) Community service activities related to the
31 student's career path.
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1 (c) A school-based enterprise in which students
2 operate a business enterprise to produce or provide goods or
3 services, on or off the school site, as part of the school's
4 program.
5 (d) A business mentoring activity provided to a
6 student by an employee or other person who possesses skills
7 and knowledge identified for mastery in the student's career
8 education plan. The mentor works in consultation with the
9 classroom teachers to instruct the student, critique the
10 student's performance, and challenges the student to perform
11 well.
12 (e) A volunteer internship or clinical experience.
13 (f) An on-the-job training activity or cooperative
14 education.
15 (g) Youth apprenticeship, a planned program of
16 instruction for high school students at least 16 years old.
17 The program includes academic study, technical instruction,
18 and on-the-job training and leads to a high school diploma and
19 advanced standing in an adult apprenticeship program upon
20 graduation.
21 (4) A capstone activity that includes a project
22 related to a career. This activity is designed to apply the
23 competencies attained in the student's academic and technical
24 programs of study. It must include a demonstration before a
25 panel of representatives of businesses or industries that
26 employ people in occupations related to the student's chosen
27 career.
28 (5) A program articulation agreement or agreements for
29 continuing the curriculum into an apprenticeship or one or
30 more postsecondary education programs that lead to a
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1 vocational certificate, an applied technology diploma, an
2 associate in science degree, or a baccalaureate degree.
3 Section 3. Florida Tech Prep Pathway; requirements for
4 students.--A student may take a course within the Florida Tech
5 Prep Pathway as a participant in the pathway or as a
6 nonparticipant. However, only a participant may be reported
7 for full-time-equivalent funding in the category established
8 for the Florida Tech Prep Pathway in section 236.081, Florida
9 Statutes, and the annual general appropriations act. A school
10 district shall assure that the majority of students in any
11 course within the pathway are participants. To be a
12 participant in a Florida Tech Prep Pathway, a student and his
13 or her parent must agree that the student will:
14 (1) Earn the required credits in mathematics, science,
15 and communications through courses that are all at a level 2
16 or above.
17 (2) Demonstrate conversational proficiency in a
18 foreign language or enroll in 2 sequential years of foreign
19 language instruction.
20 (3) In the ninth or tenth grade, enroll in the
21 technical core course defined in section 2 of this act and,
22 before completing high school, enroll in at least two
23 sequential courses in a technical program of study. The
24 technical program must be:
25 (a) Defined at the state level.
26 (b) Certified and evaluated as required by section 4
27 of this act.
28 (c) Formally articulated with a continuing component
29 in postsecondary education. The program must culminate in an
30 apprenticeship or a credential at the level of a vocational
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1 certificate, an applied technology diploma, an associate
2 degree, or a baccalaureate degree.
3 (4) In collaboration with a career specialist or
4 guidance counselor, develop and progress through a sequential
5 career education plan that includes guided work experiences
6 and is documented through a portfolio or other demonstrations
7 of competencies attained.
8 Section 4. Tech prep pathway; certification of
9 programs of study.--
10 (1) To be included in a tech prep pathway, a program
11 must be certified by business and industry to assure the
12 relevance of its technical curriculum, equipment, related
13 work-based learning experiences, and application of
14 technology.
15 (2) The Department of Education, in collaboration with
16 the Jobs and Education Partnership of Enterprise Florida,
17 shall assure compliance with the requirements for
18 certification. A school district may not report a student for
19 funding as a tech prep pathway student until the program in
20 which the student is enrolled is industry-certified and
21 approved by the Department of Education as required by this
22 section.
23 (3) The Department of Education shall assure that each
24 program is certified and recertified, as required by advances
25 in an occupational cluster, at least every 5 years. The
26 department may adopt rules for the certification process, and
27 the rules must establish any necessary procedures for
28 obtaining appropriate business partners and requirements for
29 business and industry involvement in curriculum oversight and
30 equipment procurement.
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1 Section 5. Sunshine Technical Skills
2 Certificate.--Every New Millennium High School shall assure
3 that students who complete a Florida Tech Prep Pathway have
4 the opportunity to earn a credential that assures the
5 attainment of an advanced academic and technical education.
6 This credential is called a Sunshine Technical Skills
7 Certificate and must be awarded in addition to a standard high
8 school diploma to a student who:
9 (1) Completes the requirements for high school
10 graduation as provided in section 232.246, Florida Statutes.
11 (2) Earns all required credits in mathematics,
12 science, and communications in courses designated by the
13 Department of Education at level 2 or above.
14 (3) Earns two credits in a foreign language or
15 demonstrates the ability to converse in foreign language as
16 provided by the Department of Education.
17 (4) Earns the required credit in practical arts or
18 performing arts through the technical core course as provided
19 in section 2 of this act.
20 (5) Completes a tech prep pathway including the
21 required academic, technical, and work-based learning required
22 by section 2 of this act.
23 (6) Passes the college entry level placement test or
24 an equivalent test identified by the department with a score
25 adequate to enroll in a public postsecondary education program
26 without the need for college-preparatory or
27 vocational-preparatory instruction.
28 Section 6. New Millennium High Schools; pilot projects
29 and implementation.--
30 (1) Prior to the 1999-2000 school year, the Department
31 of Education shall select at least 10 high schools to serve as
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1 pilot project New Millennium High Schools. The department
2 shall issue a request for proposals that describes the
3 requirements of sections 1-5 of this act and may include any
4 additional requirements that will expedite the department's
5 selection of the pilot projects.
6 (2) The department shall select at least two schools
7 from each of the five educational planning regions of the
8 state and shall give priority to a school that has experience
9 as a Blueprint School for Career Development or a Career
10 Academy or is in partnership with a business firm and a
11 postsecondary education institution for specialized technical
12 or occupational education. The department may also give
13 priority to any other school that has attained experience with
14 industry certification, student work experience, and the
15 involvement of career counselors and guidance counselors to
16 obtain the collaboration of local business or industry firms.
17 (3) The New Millennium High Schools shall provide
18 assistance to other schools and the Department of Education in
19 their efforts to implement this act. The department shall
20 identify three working committees to coordinate implementation
21 issues with the pilot projects. These committees shall
22 consider issues related to curriculum, funding,
23 accountability, and guidance and counseling. By November 1,
24 1999, the Commissioner of Education shall report to the
25 Legislature on the progress of the pilot projects and may
26 recommend any changes in policy, rule, or law that would allow
27 this act to be more effectively implemented.
28 (4) By the 2000-2001 school year, the Department of
29 Education shall develop courses in foreign language which are
30 designed to meet the conversational and occupational needs of
31 the workforce. These courses shall be available in each New
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1 Millenium High School and satisfy the foreign language
2 required to receive a Sunshine Technical Skills Certificate.
3 Section 7. New Millennium High Schools;
4 counselors.--The Legislature finds that, to adequately assist
5 students in advanced technical and academic career planning,
6 high school guidance counselors require preservice and
7 inservice professional development programs that contain
8 sufficient information on career education.
9 (1) Each guidance counselor in a New Millennium High
10 School shall complete 6 semester credit hours or 60 inservice
11 points in career development which include:
12 (a) An emphasis on labor-market trends and
13 projections;
14 (b) A practicum that focuses on development of a
15 career-awareness program; and
16 (c) Content related to a career or employment within
17 the counselor's work experience.
18 (2) The Department of Education shall assist guidance
19 counselors in attaining the additional education required for
20 New Millennium High Schools. The State Board of Education
21 shall revise rules governing the certification and
22 recertification of guidance counselors to allow substitution
23 of personal work-based experiences and temporary-employment
24 opportunities in business and industry for the required
25 classroom instruction.
26 (3) To implement the requirements of this act through
27 preservice education, the Legislature encourages colleges of
28 education to provide for the additional courses required
29 without increasing the total number of credit hours needed to
30 complete a program. Instead, the colleges are encouraged to
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1 infuse course content required for ethics courses into courses
2 required for introduction, theory, and practicum.
3 Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (9) of section
4 228.041, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to
5 read:
6 228.041 Definitions.--Specific definitions shall be as
7 follows, and wherever such defined words or terms are used in
8 the Florida School Code, they shall be used as follows:
9 (9) INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL.--"Instructional
10 personnel" means any staff member whose function includes the
11 provision of direct instructional services to students.
12 Instructional personnel also includes personnel whose
13 functions provide direct support in the learning process of
14 students. Included in the classification of instructional
15 personnel are:
16 (b) Pupil personnel services.--Pupil personnel
17 services include staff members responsible for: advising
18 students with regard to their abilities and aptitudes,
19 educational and occupational opportunities, and personal and
20 social adjustments; providing placement services; performing
21 educational evaluations; and similar functions. Included in
22 this classification are guidance counselors, social workers,
23 career occupational/placement specialists, and school
24 psychologists.
25 Section 9. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
26 229.601, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
27 229.601 Career education program.--
28 (2) There is hereby established a career education
29 program in the state educational system. The Commissioner of
30 Education and his or her designated staff shall administer
31 this program. In developing and administering the career
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1 education program, the purpose of which is to promote positive
2 career opportunities for all students regardless of their
3 race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, socioeconomic
4 status, or gender, the commissioner shall:
5 (c) Develop programs for preservice and inservice
6 training for the purpose of infusing career education concepts
7 into the basic curricula of public schools and core curricula
8 of community colleges and state universities and programs for
9 preservice and inservice training for counselors and career
10 occupational and placement specialists to assist in career
11 counseling and placement and followup activities.
12 Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
13 229.602, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 229.602 Florida private sector and education
15 partnerships.--
16 (5) Each school district shall designate one or more
17 persons to coordinate local private sector and education
18 partnership activities. The general activities of these
19 coordinators shall be to enhance private sector and education
20 partnership activities. The specific duties of the district
21 coordinators shall include, but not be limited to, the
22 following:
23 (a) Maintaining contact with local businesses and
24 industries, local chamber of commerce organizations, private
25 industry councils with Job Training Partnership Act programs,
26 district career occupational specialists, guidance personnel,
27 economics educators, volunteer coordinators, community
28 education coordinators, appropriate governmental personnel,
29 and any others interested in private sector and education
30 partnerships.
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1 Section 11. Section 231.1725, Florida Statutes, 1998
2 Supplement, is amended to read:
3 231.1725 Employment of substitute teachers, career
4 specialists, teachers of adult education, and nondegreed
5 teachers of career education; students performing clinical
6 field experience.--
7 (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 231.02,
8 231.15, and 231.17, or any other provision of law or rule to
9 the contrary, each school board shall establish the minimal
10 qualifications for:
11 (a) Substitute teachers to be employed pursuant to s.
12 231.47. The qualifications shall require the filing of a
13 complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by
14 s. 231.02.
15 (b) Part-time and full-time teachers in adult
16 education programs. The qualifications shall require the
17 filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as
18 required by s. 231.02. Faculty employed solely to conduct
19 postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
20 requirement.
21 (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of
22 vocational programs. Qualifications shall be established for
23 agriculture, business, health occupations, family and consumer
24 sciences, industrial, marketing, and public service education
25 teachers, based primarily on successful occupational
26 experience rather than academic training. The qualifications
27 for such teachers shall require:
28 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the
29 same manner as required by s. 231.02. Faculty employed solely
30 to conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
31 requirement.
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1 2. Documentation of education and successful
2 occupational experience including documentation of:
3 a. A high school diploma or the equivalent.
4 b. Completion of 6 years of full-time successful
5 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time
6 experience in the teaching specialization area. Alternate
7 means of determining successful occupational experience may be
8 established by the school board.
9 c. Completion of career education training conducted
10 through the local school district inservice master plan.
11 d. For full-time teachers, completion of professional
12 education training in teaching methods, course construction,
13 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs
14 students. This training may be completed through coursework
15 from a standard institution or an approved district teacher
16 education program.
17 e. Demonstration of successful teaching performance.
18 (2) Substitute, adult education, and nondegreed career
19 education teachers who are employed pursuant to this section
20 shall have the same rights and protection of laws as certified
21 teachers.
22 (3) Beginning with the 2000-2001 school year, to
23 receive initial certification, a career specialist as defined
24 in s. 239.121 must have:
25 (a) At least 6 years of documented work experience
26 that:
27 1. Occurred within the last 15 years;
28 2. Consisted of paid employment outside the
29 educational system; and
30 3. Included leadership or management responsibilities
31 and decision-making skills.
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1 (b) A college degree at least at the level of an
2 associate's degree or a minimum of 60 transferable credits.
3 Education may not be substituted for the required work
4 experience.
5 (4) As a condition of certification, a career
6 specialist employed after July 1, 2000, must complete, within
7 the first 2 years of employment, at least four college-level
8 courses that include:
9 (a) At least one course in career development,
10 labor-market information, assessment instruments, goal
11 setting, and job-search training.
12 (b) Three courses in any of the following areas:
13 communications, vocational and technical education, public
14 relations and marketing, career development, counseling or
15 human-resource management, or computer technology.
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17 A career specialist who has attained the required coursework
18 through preservice education and who holds a baccalaureate
19 degree is not required to comply with this subsection.
20 Section 12. Section 239.121, Florida Statutes, is
21 amended to read:
22 239.121 Career Occupational specialists.--
23 (1) District school boards and community college
24 boards of trustees may employ career occupational specialists
25 to provide student counseling services and occupational
26 information to students and to provide information to local
27 business and industry regarding the availability of vocational
28 programs through local educational institutions. Under the
29 supervision of a certified counselor, career occupational
30 specialists may undertake special assignments that include,
31 but are not limited to, the identification and intensive
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1 counseling of current and former students and the parents of
2 such students, as well as counseling students and all
3 education personnel regarding job and career opportunities.
4 (2) Career Occupational specialists shall receive
5 certification pursuant to State Board of Education rule and s.
6 231.1725. A career No occupational specialist may not be paid
7 less than any other member of the instructional personnel who
8 has equivalent qualifications and provides similar services.
9 Career Occupational specialists may receive salary supplements
10 upon documentation that such supplements are necessary for
11 recruiting or retaining suitable personnel.
12 (3) The Department of Education and each school
13 district that employs a career specialist shall assist that
14 person to prepare a professional development plan designed to
15 provide the skills necessary to perform the duties associated
16 with implementation of a Florida Tech Prep Pathway within a
17 New Millennium High School. This plan must set time limits for
18 the attainment of any necessary coursework, demonstration of
19 competencies, and testing required by rules of the State Board
20 of Education.
21 Section 13. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
22 239.229, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to
23 read:
24 239.229 Vocational standards.--
25 (2)(a) Each school board and superintendent shall
26 direct the smooth transition of high school vocational
27 programs and career education to Florida Tech Prep Pathways as
28 provided in sections 1-7 and section 12 of this act. School
29 board, superintendent, and school accountability for career
30 education within elementary and secondary schools includes,
31 but is not limited to:
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1 1. Student exposure to a variety of careers and
2 provision of instruction to explore specific careers in
3 greater depth.
4 2. Student awareness of available vocational programs
5 and the corresponding occupations into which such programs
6 lead.
7 3. Student development of individual career plans.
8 4. Integration of academic and vocational skills in
9 the secondary curriculum.
10 5. Student preparation to enter the workforce and
11 enroll in postsecondary education without being required to
12 complete college-preparatory or vocational-preparatory
13 instruction.
14 6. Student retention in school through high school
15 graduation.
16 7. Vocational curriculum articulation with
17 corresponding postsecondary programs in the local area
18 technical center or community college, or both.
19 Section 14. Section 233.068, Florida Statutes, is
20 repealed.
21 Section 15. (1) The Task Force on Public School
22 Funding is created to examine and make recommendations to the
23 Governor and the Legislature on the funding of the state
24 system of public schools. The task force is assigned to the
25 Office of Legislative Services, created by section 11.147,
26 Florida Statutes, for administrative and fiscal accountability
27 purposes.
28 (2) The task force shall consist of 15 members
29 selected from among business and community leaders and the
30 Lieutenant Governor and Commissioner of Education, who shall
31 serve as voting ex officio members. By June 30, 1999, the
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1 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
2 House of Representatives shall each appoint 5 members to serve
3 for the duration of the task force. If a vacancy occurs, the
4 official who had appointment jurisdiction for the vacated
5 position shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy. Each
6 appointing authority may remove his or her appointee for
7 cause, and shall remove an appointee who, without cause, fails
8 to attend three consecutive meetings. Members of the task
9 force shall serve without compensation but are entitled to
10 reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the
11 performance of their duties as provided in section 112.061,
12 Florida Statutes.
13 (3) The task force shall hold its organizational
14 meeting by September 1, 1999; and, thereafter, shall meet at
15 the call of the chair, but shall meet at least monthly before
16 submitting its final recommendations. The task force shall be
17 chaired by a member designated by the Governor. The task
18 force shall elect a vice chair to serve in the absence of the
19 chair. The task force shall adopt procedures or bylaws
20 necessary for its efficient operation and may appoint
21 subcommittees from its membership.
22 (4) The task force shall examine the funding of state
23 system of public schools as provided by the Florida Education
24 Finance Program created by section 236.081, Florida Statutes,
25 and implemented by the general appropriations acts. The task
26 force shall consider at least the following:
27 (a) The funding of public schools based on their
28 performance in educating students as evidenced by the
29 achieving of equitable outcomes that meet the state academic
30 achievement standards for all students.
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1 (b) The relationship between state funding and local
2 funding for public schools.
3 (c) The maintenance of funding equity in the
4 allocation of dollars among school districts and schools.
5 (d) The acquisition and support of technology to
6 assist in the instructional process.
7 (e) The funding support for parental choice in the
8 selection of educational services for children.
9 (f) The results and recommendations of public school
10 funding studies conducted by nationally recognized experts,
11 groups, and other states.
12 (5) The task force:
13 (a) May appoint an executive director, who shall serve
14 under its direction, supervision, and control. The
15 Commissioner of Education shall designate personnel of the
16 Department of Education to assist the task force until its
17 staff is employed.
18 (b) May enter into contracts or agreements with
19 nationally recognized school-finance experts to serve in a
20 consulting and advisory capacity.
21 (c) May apply for and accept funds, grants, donations,
22 expenses, in-kind services, and other valued goods or services
23 from the government of the United States or any of its
24 agencies or any other public or private sources. Funds or
25 services acquired or accepted under this paragraph must be
26 used to carry out the task force's duties and
27 responsibilities.
28 (d) Shall keep full, detailed, and accurate records
29 pursuant to chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
30 (e) By September 1, 2000, shall submit draft
31 recommendations and, by February 1, 2002, shall submit final
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1 recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
2 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Before
3 adopting final recommendations, the task force shall conduct
4 at least one public hearing in each of the five service
5 regions of the Department of Education between September 1 and
6 December 31, 2001.
7 (6) This section expires June 30, 2002.
8 Section 16. Section 236.081, Florida Statutes, 1998
9 Supplement, is repealed effective June 30, 2003, subject to
10 prior review by the Task Force on Public School Funding.
11 Section 17. Except as otherwise provided in this act,
12 this act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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