Senate Bill 1524
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1524
By Senator Holzendorf
2-1244-99 See HB
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to remedial instruction;
3 amending s. 232.245, F.S.; providing
4 legislative intent; requiring the provision of
5 remedial instruction to certain students;
6 providing requirements regarding
7 teacher-to-student ratios in remedial
8 instruction classrooms; amending s. 236.0841,
9 F.S.; revising provisions relating to the
10 expenditure of funds for remedial programs;
11 providing an effective date.
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13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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15 Section 1. Present subsections (6) through (8) of
16 section 232.245, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as
17 subsections (8) through (10), respectively, subsection (1) is
18 amended, and new subsections (6) and (7) are added to that
19 section, to read:
20 232.245 Pupil progression; remedial instruction;
21 reporting requirements.--
22 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that each
23 student's progression from one grade to another be determined,
24 in part, upon proficiency in reading, writing, and
25 mathematics; that school district policies facilitate such
26 proficiency; and that each student and his or her parent or
27 legal guardian be informed of that student's academic
28 progress. It is further the intent of the Legislature that
29 early intervention through identification and remediation be
30 provided to students who are deficient in reading, writing, or
31 mathematics skills.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1524
2-1244-99 See HB
1 (4) Any student who exhibits substantial deficiency in
2 reading skills, based on locally determined assessments
3 conducted before the end of grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3, or
4 based on teacher recommendation, must be given intensive
5 reading instruction immediately following the identification
6 of the reading deficiency. The student's reading proficiency
7 must be reassessed by locally determined assessment or based
8 on teacher recommendation at the beginning of the grade
9 following the intensive reading instruction, and the student
10 must continue to be given intensive reading instruction until
11 the reading deficiency is remedied. If the student's reading
12 deficiency, as determined by the locally determined
13 assessment, is not remedied by the end of grade 2 or grade 3,
14 or if the student scores below the specific level of
15 performance, determined by the local school board, on the
16 statewide assessment test in reading and writing given in
17 elementary school, the student must be retained. The local
18 school board may exempt a student from mandatory retention for
19 good cause.
20 (5) Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, any
21 student who exhibits substantial deficiency in reading skills,
22 based on locally determined assessments conducted at the
23 beginning of grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4, or based on
24 teacher recommendation, must be given intensive reading
25 instruction immediately following the identification of the
26 reading deficiency. The student's reading proficiency must be
27 reassessed by locally determined assessment or based on
28 teacher recommendation at the beginning of the grade following
29 the intensive reading instruction, and the student must
30 continue to be given intensive reading instruction until the
31 reading deficiency is remedied. If the student's reading
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1524
2-1244-99 See HB
1 deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade 5, the student
2 may be retained.
3 (6) Beginning with the 1999-2000 school year, any
4 student in kindergarten through grade 3 identified by his or
5 her teacher as exhibiting substantial deficiency in writing or
6 mathematics must be provided intensive remedial instruction in
7 the area of deficiency.
8 (7) The teacher-to-student ratio in a remedial
9 instruction classroom for students in kindergarten through
10 grade 3 may not exceed one teacher per five students.
11 Section 2. Section 236.0841, Florida Statutes, is
12 amended to read:
13 236.0841 Student enrichment, remedial, and dropout
14 prevention programs.--Each school district may provide any
15 amount from current operation funds of the Florida Education
16 Finance Program for salaries of personnel who are employed,
17 pursuant to regulations of the commissioner, to provide
18 supplementary enrichment, remedial, and dropout prevention
19 activities pursuant to s. 230.2316. The enrichment, remedial,
20 and dropout prevention activities, when offered, must be
21 provided to students during periods of time supplemental to or
22 beyond the required 180 days of instruction, except that
23 remedial activities provided for students in kindergarten
24 through grade 3 shall be provided during that period of time
25 the subject in which the student is deficient is taught. Each
26 school district must provide an amount from current operation
27 funds sufficient to provide personnel dedicated specifically
28 to the provision of remedial instruction to students in
29 kindergarten through grade 3 and to meet the requirements of
30 s. 232.245 regarding class size. This does not prohibit a
31 district from allocating resources and personnel so that a
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1999 SB 1524
2-1244-99 See HB
1 teacher is responsible for providing remedial instruction to
2 the students of more than one school.
3 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.
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6 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
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Provides legislative intent. Requires the provision of
8 remedial instruction to certain students. Provides
requirements regarding teacher-to-student ratios of
9 remedial instruction classrooms. Revises provisions
relating to the expenditure of funds for remedial
10 programs.
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