House Bill 1557

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1557

        By Representative Ryan






  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         removing duplicative language; providing

  7         requirements regarding the provision of

  8         remedial instruction; 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.  Subsections (6) through (8) of section

16  232.245, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (7)

17  through (9), respectively, present subsections (1) and (5) are

18  amended, and new subsections (5) and (6) are added to said

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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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1557

    711-100A-99






  1         (4)  Any student who exhibits substantial deficiency in

  2  reading skills, based on locally determined assessments

  3  conducted before the end of kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2,

  4  and grade 3, or based on teacher recommendation, must be given

  5  intensive reading instruction immediately following the

  6  identification of the reading deficiency. The student's

  7  reading proficiency must be reassessed by locally determined

  8  assessment or based on teacher recommendation at the beginning

  9  of the grade following the intensive reading instruction, and

10  the student must continue to be given intensive reading

11  instruction until the reading deficiency is remedied. If the

12  student's reading deficiency, as determined by the locally

13  determined assessment, is not remedied by the end of grade 1,

14  grade 2, or grade 3, or if the student scores below the

15  specific level of performance, determined by the local school

16  board, on the statewide assessment test in reading and writing

17  given in elementary school, the student must be retained.  The

18  local school board may exempt a student from mandatory

19  retention for 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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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1557

    711-100A-99






  1  deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade 5, the student

  2  may be retained.

  3         (5)  Beginning with the 2000-2001 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         (6)  Remedial instruction must either be provided

  9  outside of the regular classroom setting or, if provided

10  within the regular classroom setting, be provided with the aid

11  of a remedial instructor.

12         Section 2.  Section 236.0841, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         236.0841  Student enrichment, remedial, and dropout

15  prevention programs.--Each school district may provide any

16  amount from current operation funds of the Florida Education

17  Finance Program for salaries of personnel who are employed,

18  pursuant to regulations of the commissioner, to provide

19  supplementary enrichment, remedial, and dropout prevention

20  activities pursuant to s. 230.2316.  The enrichment, remedial,

21  and dropout prevention activities, when offered, must be

22  provided to students during periods of time supplemental to or

23  beyond the required 180 days of instruction, except that

24  remedial activities provided for students in kindergarten

25  through grade 3 shall be provided during that period of time

26  the subject in which the student is deficient is taught. Each

27  school district must provide an amount from current operation

28  funds sufficient to provide personnel dedicated specifically

29  to the provision of remedial instruction to students in

30  kindergarten through grade 3. This does not prohibit a

31  district from allocating resources and personnel so that a

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1557

    711-100A-99






  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                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Provides legislative intent. Requires the provision of
  8    remedial instruction to certain students. Removes
      duplicative language. Provides requirements regarding the
  9    provision of remedial instruction. Revises provisions
      relating to the expenditure of funds for remedial
10    programs.

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