Senate Bill 2012
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Florida Senate - 1999 SB 2012
By Senators Dyer, Klein, Rossin, Kurth, Holzendorf and Jones
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to school safety; creating the
3 "Safe and Secure Schools Act"; providing
4 legislative intent; creating the Safe and
5 Secure Schools Commission for the purpose of
6 ensuring a safe environment in the public
7 schools; providing duties of the commission;
8 requiring that the commission prepare reports
9 and make recommendations to the Legislature;
10 providing for the membership of the commission;
11 providing for terms of office; providing for
12 per diem and travel expenses; requiring each
13 district school board to appoint a coordinator
14 of district schools security; providing duties
15 of the coordinator; requiring that the
16 coordinator maintain records and conduct onsite
17 school visits; providing for certain school
18 districts to employ a regional coordinator;
19 requiring the Department of Education to create
20 a uniform incident-reporting system for the
21 state; providing legislative intent; specifying
22 the offenses and incidents occurring on school
23 property which must be reported to the
24 Department of Education and the Safe and Secure
25 Schools Commission; requiring the reporting of
26 additional disciplinary incidents; providing
27 for an arrest of a student or staff member to
28 be reported to the principal; providing for the
29 collection and dissemination of school safety
30 data; amending s. 230.2316, F.S.; providing
31 additional eligibility criteria for a student
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1 to be enrolled in a dropout prevention program;
2 amending ss. 230.23175, 230.2318, F.S.;
3 providing for the coordinator of district
4 schools security to coordinate the duties of
5 the school safety officers and the school
6 resource officers; amending s. 230.23185, F.S.;
7 providing for telephone calls to be received
8 anonymously by a school safety hotline;
9 amending s. 231.087, F.S.; providing additional
10 duties of the Florida Council on Educational
11 Management with respect to the training
12 required to manage disciplinary and crisis
13 situations; amending s. 231.17, F.S.; providing
14 an additional minimum competency for teacher
15 certification; amending s. 231.24, F.S.;
16 providing for training in crisis management for
17 renewal of teacher certification; providing an
18 effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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22 Section 1. Short title.--This act may be cited as the
23 Safe and Secure Schools Act.
24 Section 2. Legislative intent.--It is the intent of
25 the Legislature that the state's public school students and
26 staff members be secure whenever they are on school premises
27 for school-sanctioned programs, events, or activities. To this
28 end, the state shall implement preventative and interventional
29 measures to ensure the safety and well-being of persons on
30 public school campuses by creating a uniform system of safety
31 and security. This uniform system is intended to promote
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1 shared knowledge concerning the prevention of crime,
2 delinquency, disruptive behavior, and other crises in schools;
3 require accountability and responsibility in implementing
4 school safety measures; and provide a physical atmosphere that
5 is conducive to successful learning in the state's public
6 schools.
7 Section 3. The Safe and Secure Schools
8 Commission.--The Safe and Secure Schools Commission is created
9 for the purpose of ensuring that the state is progressing
10 towards providing the safest, most secure environment for
11 children, teachers, and staff in the public schools.
12 (1)(a) The commission shall review programs in school
13 districts throughout the state which relate to school safety,
14 security, and discipline, and shall make recommendations to
15 school districts, the Department of Education, and the
16 Legislature for ensuring that districts are implementing
17 programs and policies that lessen the incidents of criminality
18 and disruption on school campuses. The commission shall:
19 1. Conduct onsite visits of individual school
20 districts and schools in order to evaluate the effectiveness
21 of the safety measures employed by the schools and the
22 districts.
23 2. Review financial records as necessary to determine
24 if moneys designated for school safety programs are being
25 spent effectively and as intended.
26 (b) The commission may recommend that the Office of
27 Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability perform
28 an onsite visit, conduct an audit, or contract with a public
29 or private entity that has appropriate experience and training
30 in determining the effectiveness of safety measures employed
31 by schools and school districts.
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1 (2)(a) The commission shall research and prepare a
2 comprehensive report on successful crime prevention,
3 intervention, and management practices for public schools. To
4 the extent possible, the report must detail:
5 1. Successful programs employed by schools within the
6 nation and the state.
7 2. The reasons for the success and failure of various
8 programs.
9 3. The general profiles of schools that implement
10 successful programs.
11 4. The cost factors associated with implementing
12 individual programs.
13 (b) The commission shall research and prepare a report
14 on the training needs of school principals and instructional
15 staff with respect to incident reporting, crisis prevention
16 and management, intervention, and other areas determined
17 appropriate by the commission.
18 (3) The commission shall use information gathered for
19 the report as the basis for recommendations, as necessary, to
20 school districts and schools as to how to improve school
21 safety and security. Schools and school districts are
22 encouraged to request site visits and program recommendations
23 from the commission or its representatives at any mutually
24 agreed-upon time.
25 (4) The commission shall, by January 1, 2001, make
26 recommendations to the President of the Senate and the Speaker
27 of the House of Representatives for implementing a system of
28 performance-based funding measures and incentives to be used
29 in determining funding to enhance safety, discipline, and
30 security programs in public schools.
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1 (5) The commission shall consist of the following
2 members:
3 (a) Three educators who are not members of a school
4 board, to be appointed as follows:
5 1. One member appointed by the Governor from a school
6 district of more than 100,000 students.
7 2. One member appointed by the President of the Senate
8 from a school district of 35,001 to 99,999 students.
9 3. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
10 Representatives from a school district of not more than 35,000
11 students.
12 (b) Three members who have a background in law
13 enforcement or security, to be appointed as follows:
14 1. One member appointed by the Governor.
15 2. One member appointed by the President of the
16 Senate.
17 3. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
18 Representatives.
19 (c) The president of the Parent-Teacher Association of
20 Florida, or his or her designee who must be a member of the
21 association.
22 (d) The coordinator of the Safe Schools Program for
23 the Department of Education.
24 (e) An official of the Department of Education,
25 designated by the Commissioner of Education.
26 (f) The director of security for the Department of Law
27 Enforcement, or his or her designee.
28 (6) Members appointed by the Governor, the President
29 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
30 shall be appointed to terms of 4 years each. However, the
31 initial appointments shall be for staggered terms of office.
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1 (a) Any vacancy on the commission shall be filled in
2 the same manner as the original appointment, and any member
3 appointed to fill a vacancy occurring because of death,
4 resignation, or ineligibility for membership shall serve only
5 for the unexpired term of the member's predecessor. A member
6 is eligible for reappointment.
7 (b) Members of the commission shall serve without
8 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
9 and travel expenses as provided in section 112.061, Florida
10 Statutes.
11 (c) The commission shall designate a chairperson from
12 among its members. The commission shall meet at least
13 quarterly or upon the call of the chairperson.
14 Section 4. Coordinators of district schools
15 security.--
16 (1) Subject to legislative appropriation, each
17 district school board shall appoint a coordinator of district
18 schools security. To the extent possible, a coordinator must
19 have prior experience as a law enforcement officer, as defined
20 in section 943.10, Florida Statutes.
21 (2)(a) The coordinator shall oversee and maintain all
22 district programs that relate to student and staff safety
23 whenever students or staff are on school district property for
24 school purposes or activities. To that end, the coordinator
25 may recommend school safety programs to be approved by the
26 district school board.
27 (b) The coordinator shall coordinate programs with
28 officials of the United States Department of Education; the
29 state Department of Education; and other commissions, local
30 law enforcement agencies, and entities as necessary and as
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1 approved by the district school board to ensure the safety and
2 security of district students and personnel.
3 (c) The coordinator shall maintain district records of
4 incidents of crime, violence, or other reportable actions on
5 district property and school campuses. In addition, the
6 coordinator shall maintain records of off-campus offenses that
7 involve students enrolled in the district's public schools.
8 (d) The coordinator shall conduct onsite visits to
9 schools within the district to ensure that district safety and
10 security measures approved by the school board are being
11 implemented.
12 (e) The coordinator shall coordinate the efforts of
13 school safety officers, as defined in section 230.23175,
14 Florida Statutes, and school resource officers, as defined in
15 section 230.2318, Florida Statutes, as specified by the
16 district school board, and in consultation with school
17 principals in order to aid in providing a uniform system of
18 district security.
19 (f) The coordinator shall make recommendations to the
20 school superintendent on training school principals in
21 reporting incidents and other training as is necessary to
22 successfully implement the school safety program.
23 (3) School districts with fewer than 35,000 students
24 which are located in contiguous counties may, pursuant to
25 agreement, employ a regional coordinator of district schools
26 security. The combined student population of school districts
27 that enter into an agreement as provided under this subsection
28 may not exceed 150,000 students.
29 Section 5. Uniform incident-reporting system.--
30 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Department of Education,
31 in consultation with the Safe and Secure Schools Commission
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1 and the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall create a uniform
2 incident-reporting system for the state. The Legislature
3 intends that this system of reporting allow information to be
4 obtained as immediately as possible by all school districts
5 and the department. In addition, the Legislature intends that
6 this system of reporting include all acts of criminality,
7 disorder, and disciplinary actions on school campuses,
8 including those that involve nonstudents.
9 (2) REPORTABLE INCIDENTS.--The following incidents of
10 crime, delinquency, disorder, and disruption which occur on
11 the grounds of a public school shall be reported to the
12 Department of Education and the Safe and Secure Schools
13 Commission:
14 (a) Alcohol possession.--A violation of laws or
15 ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase,
16 transportation, possession, or use of intoxicating alcoholic
17 beverages. Such a violation includes being intoxicated at
18 school, at a school-sponsored event, or while riding a school
19 transportation vehicle. Use of alcohol shall be reported only
20 if a student is caught in the act of using alcohol, is tested,
21 and is found to be using alcohol by a law enforcement officer
22 or is discovered to have used alcohol during the course of an
23 investigation. This paragraph does not require that students
24 be tested for alcohol use, and a school need not report the
25 suspicion of alcohol use.
26 (b) Arson.--The offense of arson, which includes
27 willfully and unlawfully, or while in the commission of any
28 felony, damaging by fire or explosion any:
29 1. Dwelling whether occupied or not, or its contents;
30 2. Structure, or contents thereof, where persons are
31 normally present; or
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1 3. Other structure that the person knew or had
2 reasonable grounds to believe was occupied by a human being.
3 (c) Battery.--The offense of battery, which is the
4 actual and intentional touching or striking of another person
5 against his or her will or intentionally causing bodily harm
6 to an individual. This offense includes a physical attack by
7 one individual against another individual, an attack with a
8 weapon that causes serious bodily harm to the victim, or the
9 actual placement of a bomb or the sending of a bomb through
10 the mail, regardless of whether the bomb detonates.
11 (d) Disorderly conduct.--The offense of disorderly
12 conduct, which is any act that substantially disrupts the
13 orderly conduct of a school function; behavior that
14 substantially disrupts the orderly learning environment; or
15 conduct that poses a threat to the health, safety, or welfare
16 of students, staff, or others. If the action results in a more
17 serious offense being committed, the more serious offense must
18 be reported.
19 (e) Drug possession.--A violation of laws relating to
20 drug possession, excluding alcohol offenses, which includes
21 the unlawful use, cultivation, manufacture, distribution,
22 sale, purchase, possession, transportation, or importation of
23 any controlled drug or narcotic substance, or of equipment or
24 a device used for preparing or taking drugs or narcotics. Such
25 a violation includes being under the influence of drugs at
26 school, at a school-sponsored event, or while riding a school
27 transportation vehicle. Use of drugs shall be reported only if
28 a student is caught in the act of using drugs, is tested, and
29 is found to be using drugs by a law enforcement officer or is
30 discovered to have used drugs during the course of an
31 investigation. This paragraph does not require that students
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1 be tested for drug use, and a school need not report the
2 suspicion of drug use. An over-the-counter medication shall be
3 considered a drug under this paragraph if the medication is
4 misused by the student. The use of tobacco is not a drug
5 offense under this paragraph.
6 (f) Fighting.--The offense of fighting, which includes
7 mutual participation in a fight that involves physical
8 violence, involves more than one offender, and does not result
9 in major injury. An offense under this paragraph does not
10 include a verbal confrontation, tussles, or other minor
11 confrontations.
12 (g) Homicide.--The offense of homicide, which includes
13 murder; the unlawful killing of a human being; and
14 manslaughter, which is the killing of a human being by the act
15 of procurement or culpable negligence of another without
16 lawful justification.
17 (h) Kidnapping.--The offense of kidnapping, which
18 includes forcibly, secretly, or by threat confining,
19 abducting, or imprisoning another person against his or her
20 will and without lawful authority, with intent to:
21 1. Hold for ransom or reward or as a shield or
22 hostage;
23 2. Commit or facilitate commission of any felony;
24 3. Inflict bodily harm upon or to terrorize the victim
25 or another person; or
26 4. Interfere with the performance of any governmental
27 or political function.
28 (i) Motor vehicle theft.--The offense of motor vehicle
29 theft, which is the theft or attempted theft of a motor
30 vehicle.
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1 (j) Robbery.--The offense of robbery, which is the
2 taking or attempting to take anything of value which is owned
3 by another person or organization, under confrontational
4 circumstances, by force or violence or threat of force or
5 violence, or by putting the victim in fear. The offense of
6 robbery involves battery or a threat of battery.
7 (k) Larceny or theft.--The offense of larceny or
8 theft, which is the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or
9 riding away of property of another person without threat,
10 violence, or bodily harm. The offense includes pocket picking;
11 purse or backpack snatching, if the item taken is left
12 unattended or no force is used to take the item from the
13 owner; theft of accessories; theft of bicycles; theft from a
14 machine or device that is operated or activated by the use of
15 a coin or token; and all other types of larcenies. This
16 offense includes the theft of items such as a car stereo,
17 speakers, or hub caps.
18 (l) Sexual battery.--The offense of sexual battery,
19 which includes oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union
20 with, the sexual organ of another or the anal or vaginal
21 penetration of another by any other object.
22 (m) Sexual harassment.--The offense of sexual
23 harassment, which is:
24 1. Discriminating against a student in any course or
25 program of study in any school, in evaluating academic
26 achievement, or providing benefits, privileges, and placement
27 services on the basis of that student's submission to or
28 rejection of sexual advances or requests for sexual favors by
29 administrators, staff, teachers, students, or other school
30 board employees.
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1 2. Creating or allowing to exist an atmosphere of
2 sexual harassment, consisting of deliberate, repeated, and
3 unsolicited physical actions, gestures, or verbal or written
4 comments of a sexual nature, when such conduct has the purpose
5 or effect of interfering with a student's academic performance
6 or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive learning
7 environment.
8 (n) Sexual offenses.--Sexual offenses, which includes
9 sexual intercourse, sexual conduct, or other unlawful behavior
10 or conduct intended to result in sexual gratification without
11 force or threat of force and where the victim is capable of
12 giving consent. The offense includes indecent exposure and
13 obscenity.
14 (o) Threats or intimidation.--The use of verbal
15 threats or intimidation that unlawfully place another person
16 in fear of bodily harm, without displaying a weapon or
17 subjecting the person to actual physical attack.
18 (p) Tobacco use.--The use of tobacco, which includes
19 possession, use, distribution, or sale of tobacco products on
20 school grounds, at school-sponsored events, or while riding a
21 school transportation vehicle.
22 (q) Trespassing.--The offense of trespassing,
23 consisting of entering or remaining on a public school campus
24 or school board facility without authorization or invitation
25 and with no lawful purpose for entry, including trespassing by
26 a student under suspension or expulsion or an unauthorized
27 person who enters or remains on campus or within a school
28 board facility after being directed to leave by the chief
29 administrator or designee of the facility, campus, or
30 function.
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1 (r) Vandalism.--The offense of vandalism, which is the
2 willful or malicious destruction, damage, or defacement of
3 public or private property, real or personal, without the
4 consent of the owner or the person who has custody or control
5 of the property. This offense includes the marking of
6 graffiti.
7 (s) Weapons possession.--The offense of weapons
8 possession, which includes the possession of:
9 1. A firearm, as defined in Title 18, United States
10 Code, Section 921, which will, is designed to, or may readily
11 be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an
12 explosive.
13 2. Firearm components or attachments, or any
14 combination of parts, designed or intended for use in
15 converting any device into a destructive device that expels a
16 projectile, or an explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, and
17 from which a destructive device may be readily assembled. This
18 includes the frame or receiver of any weapon designed to be
19 converted to expel a projectile or any firearm muffler or
20 silencer.
21 3. An explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, including
22 any chemical compound or mixture that has the property of
23 yielding readily to combustion or oxidation upon application
24 of heat, flame, or shock, including, but not limited to,
25 dynamite, nitroglycerin, trinitrotoluene, ammonium nitrate
26 when combined with other ingredients to form an explosive
27 mixture, blasting caps, or detonators.
28 4. Any other weapon used or intended to be used as an
29 instrument or object to inflict harm on another person, or to
30 intimidate any person.
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1 (3) DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED.--Each school district
2 shall require each principal in grades kindergarten through
3 grade 12 within its jurisdiction to document all incidents of
4 crime, delinquency, disorder, or disruption that occur on
5 public school grounds or that involve a public school student
6 or district staff member. In addition to the offenses listed
7 in subsection (2), each school principal shall document:
8 (a) Incidents for which a student is referred for
9 disciplinary action;
10 (b) Noncriminal incidents that are instigated by
11 nonstudents or nonstaff persons on school property; and
12 (c) Incidents that the district is required to report
13 to a law enforcement agency under section 230.235, Florida
14 Statutes.
15 (4) REPORTS OF ARRESTS.--Subject to mutual agreement
16 between each school district and the county sheriff's office
17 or local police department and to the extent possible, any
18 arrest of a public school student or a district staff member
19 which occurs outside of school property shall be reported to
20 the principal of the school where the student is enrolled or
21 where the staff member is employed by the law enforcement
22 agency that makes the arrest. The principal shall document all
23 such reports of arrests.
24 (5) REPORTS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.--Each school
25 principal shall report all documented incidents to the
26 appropriate school district personnel responsible for
27 collecting and disseminating school safety data.
28 Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
29 230.2316, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to
30 read:
31 230.2316 Dropout prevention.--
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1 (3) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY AND PROGRAM CRITERIA.--
2 (c) A student shall be identified as being a potential
3 dropout based upon one of the following criteria:
4 1. The student has shown a lack of motivation in
5 school through grades which are not commensurate with
6 documented ability levels or high absenteeism or habitual
7 truancy as defined in s. 228.041(28).
8 2. The student has not been successful in school as
9 determined by retentions, failing grades, or low achievement
10 test scores and has needs and interests that cannot be met
11 through traditional programs.
12 3. The student has been identified as a potential
13 school dropout by student services personnel using district
14 criteria. District criteria that are used as a basis for
15 student referral to an educational alternatives program shall
16 identify specific student performance indicators that the
17 educational alternative program seeks to address.
18 4. The student has documented drug-related or
19 alcohol-related problems, or has immediate family members with
20 documented drug-related or alcohol-related problems that
21 adversely affect the student's performance in school.
22 5. The student has a history of disruptive behavior in
23 school or has committed an offense that warrants out-of-school
24 suspension or expulsion from school according to the district
25 code of student conduct. For the purposes of this program,
26 "disruptive behavior" is behavior that:
27 a. Interferes with the student's own learning or the
28 educational process of others and requires attention and
29 assistance beyond that which the traditional program can
30 provide or results in frequent conflicts of a disruptive
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1 nature while the student is under the jurisdiction of the
2 school either in or out of the classroom; or
3 b. Severely threatens the general welfare of students
4 or others with whom the student comes into contact.
5 6. The student is assigned to a program provided
6 pursuant to chapter 39, chapter 984, or chapter 985 which is
7 sponsored by a state-based or community-based agency or is
8 operated or contracted for by the Department of Children and
9 Family Services or the Department of Juvenile Justice.
10 7. The student is the child of a custodial or
11 noncustodial parent or legal guardian who is currently
12 incarcerated or has been determined to be an habitual felony
13 offender or a violent career criminal, as defined in s.
14 775.084.
15 Section 7. Subsection (2) of section 230.23175,
16 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
17 230.23175 School safety officers.--
18 (2) A district school board may commission one or more
19 school safety officers for the protection and safety of school
20 personnel, property, and students within the school district.
21 The district school superintendent may recommend and the
22 school board may appoint one or more school safety officers.
23 The duties of the school safety officer shall be coordinated
24 by the school principal and the coordinator of district
25 schools security.
26 Section 8. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
27 230.2318, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
28 230.2318 School resource officer program.--
29 (2) SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER CERTIFICATION; DUTIES AND
30 RESPONSIBILITIES.--
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1 (b) School resource officers shall abide by school
2 board policies and shall consult with and coordinate
3 activities through the school principal and the coordinator of
4 district schools security, but shall be responsible to the law
5 enforcement agency in all matters relating to employment,
6 subject to agreements between a school board and a law
7 enforcement agency. Activities conducted by the school
8 resource officer which are part of the regular instructional
9 program of the school shall be under the direction of the
10 principal.
11 Section 9. Subsections (2) and (4) of section
12 230.23185, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
13 230.23185 Statewide crime watch program.--
14 (2) A toll-free school safety hotline may be created
15 and maintained to provide an avenue for students to report
16 criminal activity, such as violations of the code of student
17 conduct, and to enhance the safety and welfare of students,
18 faculty, and staff. A person who receives calls made to the
19 school safety hotline shall be anonymous and may not identify
20 the organization or agency that is responsible for receiving
21 the calls, except that the caller may be notified that the
22 organization or agency receiving the call is not a law
23 enforcement agency if that is in fact the case.
24 (4)(a) The department may contract with the Florida
25 Sheriffs Association to establish and operate a statewide
26 toll-free school safety hotline for the purpose of reporting
27 incidents that affect the safety and well-being of the
28 school's population.
29 (b) The toll-free school safety hotline is to be a
30 conduit for any person to anonymously report activity that
31 affects the safety and well-being of the school's population.
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1 A person who receives calls made to the school safety hotline
2 shall be anonymous and may not identify the organization or
3 agency that is responsible for receiving the calls, except
4 that the caller may be notified that the organization or
5 agency receiving the call is not a law enforcement agency if
6 that is in fact the case.
7 (c) There may not be an award or monetary benefit for
8 reporting an incident through the toll-free school safety
9 hotline.
10 (d) The toll-free school safety hotline shall be
11 operated in a manner that ensures that a designated school
12 official is notified of a complaint received through the
13 hotline if the complaint concerns that school. A complaint
14 that concerns an actionable offense must be reported to the
15 designated official within a reasonable time after the
16 complaint is made. An actionable offense is an incident that
17 could directly affect the safety or well-being of a person or
18 property within a school.
19 (e) If a toll-free school safety hotline is
20 established by contract with the Florida Sheriffs Association,
21 the Florida Sheriffs Association shall produce a quarterly
22 report that evaluates the incidents that have been reported to
23 the hotline. This report shall be forwarded to the coordinator
24 of district schools security and This information may be used
25 to evaluate future school safety educational needs and the
26 need for prevention programs as the school board considers
27 necessary.
28 Section 10. Subsection (3) of section 231.087, Florida
29 Statutes, is amended to read:
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1 231.087 Management Training Act; Florida Council on
2 Educational Management; Florida Academy for School Leaders;
3 Center for Interdisciplinary Advanced Graduate Study.--
4 (3) DUTIES OF COUNCIL.--The council shall have the
5 following duties:
6 (a) To identify those competencies which characterize
7 high-performing principals and other managers in the public
8 schools of this state.
9 (b) To validate through scientific research the
10 identified competencies.
11 (c) To identify standards and procedures for measuring
12 and evaluating performance of the identified competencies.
13 (d) To identify the training processes required for
14 school managers to acquire the identified competencies and to
15 develop training materials which cannot be obtained from
16 existing sources.
17 (e) In consultation with the Safe and Secure Schools
18 Commission, to identify the training processes required for
19 school managers to effectively anticipate and manage
20 disciplinary and crisis situations or other situations that
21 may affect the safety and security of students and staff and
22 the security of school campuses.
23 (f)(e) To identify the procedures necessary to develop
24 and implement a program of competency certification for school
25 managers.
26 (g)(f) To develop the policies and procedures
27 necessary to adopt and implement a compensation program for
28 school managers which is based on successful performance of
29 the identified competencies.
30 (h)(g) To identify criteria for the screening,
31 selection, and appointment of school managers.
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1 (i)(h) To develop and approve guidelines for the
2 approval of school district training programs used for the
3 certification of principals.
4 (j)(i) To establish an educational management and
5 development network to facilitate communication, involvement,
6 and mutual assistance among the educational managers.
7 (k)(j) To serve as the Board of Directors of the
8 Florida Academy for School Leaders.
9 (l)(k) To report no later than September 1 of each
10 year for the previous fiscal year to the Commissioner of
11 Education, the Governor, the President of the Senate, the
12 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the
13 Senate and House of Representatives committees on public
14 school education on the expenditures, activities, and
15 accomplishments of the council, the academy, and the Center
16 for Interdisciplinary Advanced Graduate Study. Such report
17 shall also include a statement of the objectives and overall
18 program for the coming year, the recommended level of funding
19 for the overall program for that year, and any other
20 recommendations deemed by the council to be appropriate.
21 (m)(l) To perform such additional studies and
22 activities as are necessary to achieve the purpose of this
23 act.
24 Section 11. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
25 231.17, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:
26 231.17 Official statements of eligibility and
27 certificates granted on application to those meeting
28 prescribed requirements.--
29 (5) MINIMUM COMPETENCIES FOR PROFESSIONAL
30 CERTIFICATE.--
31
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1 (a) The state board must specify, by rule, the minimum
2 essential competencies that educators must possess and
3 demonstrate in order to qualify to teach students the
4 standards of student performance adopted by the state board.
5 The minimum competencies must include but are not limited to
6 the ability to:
7 1. Write in a logical and understandable style with
8 appropriate grammar and sentence structure.
9 2. Read, comprehend, and interpret professional and
10 other written material.
11 3. Comprehend and work with fundamental mathematical
12 concepts.
13 4. Recognize the potential of and intervene in
14 disciplinary, disruptive, or crisis situations. This
15 subparagraph applies to all applicants seeking certification
16 after September 1, 1999.
17 5.4. Recognize signs of severe emotional distress in
18 students and apply techniques of crisis intervention with an
19 emphasis on suicide prevention and positive emotional
20 development.
21 6.5. Recognize signs of alcohol and drug abuse in
22 students and apply counseling techniques with emphasis on
23 intervention and prevention of future abuse.
24 7.6. Recognize the physical and behavioral indicators
25 of child abuse and neglect, know rights and responsibilities
26 regarding reporting, know how to care for a child's needs
27 after a report is made, and know recognition, intervention,
28 and prevention strategies pertaining to child abuse and
29 neglect which can be related to children in a classroom
30 setting in a nonthreatening, positive manner.
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1 8.7. Comprehend patterns of physical, social, and
2 academic development in students, including exceptional
3 students in the regular classroom, and counsel these students
4 concerning their needs in these areas.
5 9.8. Recognize and be aware of the instructional needs
6 of exceptional students.
7 10.9. Comprehend patterns of normal development in
8 students and employ appropriate intervention strategies for
9 disorders of development.
10 11.10. Identify and comprehend the codes and standards
11 of professional ethics, performance, and practices adopted
12 pursuant to s. 231.546(2)(b), the grounds for disciplinary
13 action provided by s. 231.28, and the procedures for resolving
14 complaints filed pursuant to this chapter, including appeal
15 processes.
16 12.11. Recognize and demonstrate awareness of the
17 educational needs of students who have limited proficiency in
18 English and employ appropriate teaching strategies.
19 13.12. Use appropriate technology in teaching and
20 learning processes.
21 14.13. Use assessment strategies to assist the
22 continuous development of the learner.
23 15.14. Use teaching and learning strategies that
24 include considering each student's culture, learning styles,
25 special needs, and socioeconomic background.
26 16.15. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
27 subject matter that is aligned with the subject knowledge and
28 skills specified in the student performance standards approved
29 by the state board.
30 Section 12. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
31 231.24, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:
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1 231.24 Process for renewal of professional
2 certificates.--
3 (3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the
4 following requirements must be met:
5 (a) The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college
6 credits or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For
7 each area of specialization to be retained on a certificate,
8 the applicant must earn at least 3 of the required credit
9 hours or equivalent inservice points in the specialization
10 area. Education in "clinical educator" training pursuant to s.
11 240.529(5)(b) and credits or points that provide training in
12 the area of exceptional student education, normal child
13 development, and the disorders of development may be applied
14 toward any specialization area. Credits or points that provide
15 training in the areas of the prevention of drug abuse, child
16 abuse, and neglect;, strategies in teaching students having
17 limited proficiency in English;, or dropout prevention; or the
18 management of crisis situations;, or training in areas
19 identified in the educational goals and performance standards
20 adopted pursuant to ss. 229.591(3) and 229.592 may be applied
21 toward any specialization area. Applicants are highly
22 encouraged to earn credits or points in these areas, and a
23 school principal or supervisor must earn at least one credit,
24 or the equivalent points, in at least one of these areas.
25 Credits or points earned through approved summer institutes
26 may be applied toward the fulfillment of these requirements.
27 Inservice points may also be earned by participation in
28 professional growth components approved by the State Board of
29 Education and specified pursuant to s. 236.0811 in the
30 district's approved master plan for inservice educational
31 training, including, but not limited to, serving as a trainer
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1 in an approved teacher training activity, serving on an
2 instructional materials committee or a state board or
3 commission that deals with educational issues, or serving on
4 an advisory council created pursuant to s. 229.58.
5 Section 13. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
6 law.
7
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9 SENATE SUMMARY
10 Creates the "Safe and Secure Schools Act." Establishes
the Safe and Secure Schools Commission. Requires that the
11 commission prepare reports and make recommendations to
the Legislature for ensuring a safe environment in the
12 public schools. Provides for district school boards to
appoint a coordinator of district schools security,
13 subject to legislative appropriation. Requires that the
coordinator maintain records and conduct onsite school
14 visits. Requires that the Department of Education create
a uniform incident-reporting system for the state.
15 Specifies the offenses and incidents occurring on school
property that must be reported to the Department of
16 Education and to the Safe and Secure Schools Commission.
Requires that school safety data be collected and
17 disseminated. (See bill for details.)
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