Senate Bill 0366c1
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Florida Senate - 1999 CS for SB's 366 & 382
By the Committee on Education and Senator Holzendorf
304-711B-99
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to school readiness;
3 establishing the Florida Partnership for School
4 Readiness for purposes of administering the
5 School Readiness Program; providing
6 responsibilities and duties of the partnership;
7 providing membership and meeting requirements;
8 providing that the Florida Partnership for
9 School Readiness is subject to public records
10 and public meeting requirements; providing for
11 hiring certain employees; requiring that the
12 partnership prepare a system for measuring
13 school readiness; specifying objectives to be
14 measured by such system; requiring that the
15 partnership contract with an independent entity
16 to evaluate the measurement system; requiring
17 the partnership to make recommendations to the
18 Governor and the State Board of Education;
19 authorizing the partnership to adopt rules;
20 requiring the establishment of a school
21 readiness coalition in each county; specifying
22 services to be provided by the coalitions;
23 providing for designation and approval of a
24 fiscal agent; providing for grants to be
25 provided to coalitions to develop school
26 readiness plans; providing for incentive
27 bonuses to be awarded; providing requirements
28 for school readiness plans; providing for
29 parental choice with respect to child care
30 arrangements and payments; providing for
31 evaluation and performance measures; providing
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1 responsibility for implementation; providing
2 for parental choice; creating s. 229.567, F.S.;
3 requiring the Department of Education to adopt
4 the school readiness screening instrument
5 developed by the Florida Partnership for School
6 Readiness and to require their use by the
7 school districts; amending s. 216.136, F.S.;
8 creating the School Readiness Program
9 Estimating Conference; requiring the conference
10 to develop information relating to the school
11 readiness programs; specifying the principals
12 of the conference; amending s. 414.026, F.S.;
13 requiring the chairperson of the Florida
14 Partnership for School Readiness to serve on
15 the WAGES Program State Board of Directors;
16 requiring the State Coordinating Council for
17 Early Childhood Services to submit a final
18 report; amending s. 624.91, F.S.; requiring the
19 Healthy Kids Corporation to work cooperatively
20 with the Florida Partnership for School
21 Readiness; repealing s. 411.222(4), F.S.,
22 relating to the State Coordinating Council for
23 Early Childhood Services; providing effective
24 dates.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Section 411.01, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 411.01 Florida Partnership for School Readiness;
31 school readiness coalitions.--
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1 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
2 "School Readiness Act."
3 (2) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM.--For purposes of this
4 chapter, all child care and education programs that are funded
5 with state, federal, lottery, or local public funds and
6 provide services to children from birth to 5 years of age, or
7 until the child enters kindergarten, shall be components of
8 the school readiness program with the goal of preparing
9 children for success in school.
10 (3) FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS.--
11 (a) There is created the Florida Partnership for
12 School Readiness with responsibility for adopting and
13 maintaining coordinated programmatic, administrative, and
14 fiscal policies and standards for all school readiness
15 programs, while allowing a wide range of programmatic
16 flexibility and differentiation. The partnership is assigned
17 to the Executive Office of the Governor for administrative
18 purposes.
19 (b)1. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness
20 shall include the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, the
21 Secretary of Children and Family Services, the Secretary of
22 Health, and the chairperson of the WAGES Program State Board
23 of Directors.
24 2. The partnership shall also include 10 members of
25 the public who shall be business, community, and civic leaders
26 in the state who are not elected to public office. These
27 members and their families must not earn their income in the
28 early education and child care industry. The members must be
29 geographically and demographically representative of the
30 state. Each member shall be appointed by the Governor. Eight
31 of the members shall be appointed from a list of 10 nominees,
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1 of which five must be submitted by the President of the Senate
2 and five must be submitted by the Speaker of the House of
3 Representatives. Members shall be appointed to 4-year terms of
4 office. However, of the initial appointees, two shall be
5 appointed to 1-year terms, two shall be appointed to 2-year
6 terms, three shall be appointed to 3-year terms, and three
7 shall be appointed to 4-year terms. The members of the
8 partnership shall elect a chairperson annually from the
9 nongovernmental members of the partnership. Any vacancy on the
10 partnership shall be filled in the same manner as the original
11 appointment.
12 (c) The partnership shall meet at least quarterly but
13 may meet as often as it deems necessary to carry out its
14 duties and responsibilities. Members of the partnership shall
15 participate without proxy at the quarterly meetings. The
16 partnership may take official action by a majority vote of the
17 members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present.
18 The partnership shall hold its first meeting by October 1,
19 1999.
20 (d) Members of the partnership are subject to the
21 ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112, and no member
22 may derive any financial benefit from the funds administered
23 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
24 (e) Members of the partnership shall serve without
25 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
26 and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
27 duties as provided in s. 112.061, and reimbursement for other
28 reasonable, necessary, and actual expenses.
29 (f) For the purposes of tort liability, the members of
30 the partnership and its employees shall be governed by s.
31 768.28.
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1 (g) The partnership shall appoint an executive
2 director to serve at its pleasure who shall perform the duties
3 assigned to him or her by the partnership. The executive
4 director shall be responsible for appointing all employees and
5 staff members, who shall serve under his or her direction and
6 control.
7 (h) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness is
8 the principal organization responsible for the enhancement of
9 school readiness for the state's children, and shall:
10 1. Be responsible for the prudent use of all public
11 and private funds in accordance with all legal and contractual
12 requirements.
13 2. Provide final approval and periodic review of
14 coalitions and plans.
15 3. Provide leadership for enhancement of school
16 readiness in this state by aggressively establishing a unified
17 approach to the state's efforts toward enhancement of school
18 readiness. In support of this effort, the partnership may
19 develop and implement specific strategies that address the
20 state's school readiness programs.
21 4. Safeguard the effective use of federal, state,
22 local, and private resources in reducing the need for school
23 readiness programs to achieve the highest possible level of
24 school readiness for the state's children.
25 5. By May 1, 2000, adopt a screening system for
26 measuring school readiness which provides objective data
27 regarding the expectations for school readiness.
28 6. Establish a method for collecting data from the
29 screening instrument and establish guidelines for using the
30 data so that the measurement, the data collection, and the use
31 of the data serve the statewide goal that all children will be
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1 ready for school. The criteria for determining which data to
2 collect should be the usefulness of the data to state
3 policymakers and local program administrators in administering
4 programs and allocating state funds.
5 7. Develop and adopt performance standards and outcome
6 measures that meet the requirements of this section.
7 8. Use the resources and capabilities of the State
8 University System and the Division of Community Colleges in
9 improving school readiness programs. The State University
10 System and the Division of Community Colleges shall assist and
11 support the partnership and coalitions as much as possible and
12 shall provide services utilizing existing resources.
13 (i) The partnership may adopt rules necessary to
14 administer the provisions of this section which relate to
15 preparing and implementing the system for school readiness,
16 collecting data, approving local school readiness coalitions
17 and plans, providing a method whereby a coalition can serve
18 two or more counties, and awarding incentives to coalitions.
19 (j) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
20 have all powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this
21 section, including, but not limited to, the power to receive
22 and accept grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public
23 or private agency and to receive and accept from any source
24 contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of
25 value, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes of this
26 section.
27 (k) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
28 be an independent, nonpartisan body and shall not be
29 identified or affiliated with any one agency, program, or
30 group.
31
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1 (l) The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
2 have a budget, shall be financed through an annual
3 appropriation made for this purpose in the General
4 Appropriations Act, and shall be subject to compliance audits
5 and annual financial audits by the Auditor General.
6 (m) The partnership shall coordinate the efforts
7 toward school readiness in this state and provide independent
8 policy analyses and recommendations to the Governor, the State
9 Board of Education, and the Legislature.
10 (n) By May 1, 2000, the partnership shall prepare and
11 submit to the State Board of Education a system for measuring
12 school readiness. The system must include a screening
13 instrument, which shall provide objective data regarding the
14 following expectations for school readiness which shall
15 include, but not be limited to, nor be inconsistent with:
16 1. The child's immunizations and other health
17 requirements as necessary, including appropriate vision and
18 hearing screening and examinations.
19 2. The child's display of physical development
20 appropriate for kindergarten.
21 3. The child's compliance with rules, limitations, and
22 routines.
23 4. The child's successful engagement in kindergarten
24 tasks.
25 5. The child's demonstration of appropriate
26 interactions with adults.
27 6. The child's demonstration of appropriate
28 interactions with peers.
29 7. The child's effective coping with challenges and
30 frustrations.
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1 8. The child's demonstration of appropriate self-help
2 skills.
3 9. The child's ability to express his or her needs
4 appropriately.
5 10. The child's demonstration of verbal communication
6 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
7 11. The child's demonstration of problem-solving
8 skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten.
9 12. The child's following of verbal directions.
10 13. The child's demonstration of curiosity,
11 persistence, and exploratory behavior.
12 14. The child's demonstration of an interest in books
13 and other printed materials.
14 15. The child's paying attention to stories.
15 16. The child's participation in art and music
16 activities.
17 17. The child's ability to identify colors, geometric
18 shapes, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and spacial and
19 temporal relationships.
20 (o) The partnership shall prepare a plan for
21 implementing the system for measuring school readiness in such
22 a way that all children in this state will undergo screening
23 when they enter kindergarten. Because children with
24 disabilities may not be able to meet all of the identified
25 expectations for school readiness, the plan for measuring
26 school readiness shall incorporate mechanisms for recognizing
27 the potential variations in expectations for school readiness
28 when serving children with disabilities and shall provide for
29 communities to serve children with disabilities.
30 (p) The partnership shall establish a method for
31 collecting data from the screening instrument and establish
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1 guidelines for using the data so that the measurement, the
2 data collection, and the use of the data serve the statewide
3 goal that all children will be ready for school. The criteria
4 for determining which data to collect should be the usefulness
5 of the data to state policymakers and program administrators
6 in administering programs and allocating state funds.
7 (q) The partnership shall contract with an independent
8 entity for an evaluation of the measurement system. The
9 evaluation must provide the information that local and state
10 agencies, the Governor, and the Legislature need to provide
11 for the effective administration of programs that serve
12 preschool children. The evaluation must provide information
13 that will assist providers of private preschool and child care
14 programs in assessing the success of preschool and child care
15 programs and making decisions about improving program services
16 to prepare children for school.
17 (r) The partnership shall recommend to the Governor,
18 the Commissioner of Education, and the State Board of
19 Education rules, and revisions or repeal of rules, which would
20 increase the effectiveness of programs that prepare children
21 for school.
22 (s) The partnership shall conduct studies and planning
23 activities related to the overall improvement and
24 effectiveness of school-readiness measures.
25 (t) By January 31, 2000, the partnership shall work
26 with the Office of the Comptroller for electronic funds
27 transfer.
28 (u) By February 15, 2000, the partnership shall
29 present to the Legislature a plan for combining funding
30 streams for school readiness programs into a School Readiness
31 Trust Fund.
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1 (v) The partnership shall establish procedures for
2 performance-based budgeting in school readiness programs.
3 (w) The partnership shall submit an annual report of
4 its activities to the Governor, the executive director of the
5 Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the President of the Senate,
6 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority
7 leaders of both houses of the Legislature. In addition, the
8 partnership's reports and recommendations shall be made
9 available to the State Board of Education, other appropriate
10 state agencies and entities, district school boards, central
11 agencies for child care, and county health departments. The
12 annual report must provide an analysis of school readiness
13 activities across the state, including the number of children
14 who were served in the programs and the number of children who
15 were ready for school.
16 (x) The partnership shall work with school readiness
17 coalitions to increase parents' training for and involvement
18 in their children's preschool education.
19 (y) The partnership may adopt rules necessary to
20 administer the provisions of this section which relate to
21 preparing and implementing the system for school readiness,
22 collecting data, approving local coalition plans, providing a
23 method whereby a coalition can serve two or more counties,
24 awarding incentives to coalitions, and contracting for an
25 evaluation.
26
27 To ensure that the system for measuring school readiness is
28 comprehensive and appropriate statewide, as the system is
29 developed and implemented, the partnership must consult with
30 representatives of district school systems, providers of
31 public and private child care, health care providers, large
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1 and small employers, experts in education for children with
2 disabilities, and experts in child development.
3 (5) CREATION OF SCHOOL READINESS COALITIONS.--
4 (a) School readiness coalitions.--
5 1.a. Each school readiness coalition must consist of
6 at least nine and not more than 15 members. Two members shall
7 be appointed by the district school board, two members shall
8 be appointed by the board of county commissioners, and two
9 members shall be appointed by the district administrator of
10 the Department of Children and Family Services. The six
11 members thus appointed shall appoint the remaining members of
12 the coalition.
13 b. School readiness coalition membership shall
14 include, in addition to private-sector business leaders, the
15 local public and private leaders in health care, education,
16 disabilities, and child welfare systems in each county. Three
17 members of the coalition must be administrators from each of
18 the following entities: the central agency for child care,
19 the district school board, and the Head Start Program. School
20 readiness coalition membership must include representatives
21 from programs serving children in the early education and
22 child care programs, must include a representative from the
23 Department of Health, and may include representatives from
24 organizations such as children's services councils, central
25 agencies for child care, Healthy Start Coalitions, district
26 school boards, child care licensing boards, the local public
27 library, local WAGES Coalitions, Head Start Programs,
28 municipal and county governments, the Department of Children
29 and Family Services, the county health department, and
30 chambers of commerce. Thirty percent of the coalition members
31 shall be from the private sector.
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1 2. The school readiness coalition shall replace the
2 district interagency coordinating council required under s.
3 230.2305.
4 (b) Program eligibility.--The school readiness program
5 shall be established for children from birth to 5 years of age
6 or until the child enters kindergarten. The program shall be
7 administered by the school readiness coalition. Within funding
8 limitations, the school readiness coalition, along with all
9 providers, shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate the
10 needs of children for extended-day and extended-year services
11 without compromising the quality of the program.
12 (c) Standards; outcome measures.--
13 1. The school readiness program must meet the
14 following performance standards and outcome measures developed
15 by the Department of Education and the Department of Children
16 and Family Services:
17 a. The program must help prepare preschool children to
18 enter kindergarten ready to learn, as measured by criteria
19 established by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,
20 Inc.
21 b. The program must provide extended-day and
22 extended-year services to the maximum extent possible to meet
23 the needs of parents who work.
24 c. There must be coordinated staff development and
25 teaching opportunities.
26 d. There must be expanded access to community services
27 and resources for families to help achieve economic
28 self-sufficiency.
29 e. There must be a single point of entry and unified
30 waiting list.
31
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1 f. As long as funding does not decrease, the program
2 must serve at least as many children as were served prior to
3 implementation of the program.
4 2. The school readiness coalition must implement a
5 comprehensive program of children and family services that
6 enhance the cognitive and physical development of children to
7 achieve the performance standards and outcome measures
8 specified in this section. At a minimum, these programs must
9 contain the following elements:
10 a. Developmentally appropriate curriculum.
11 b. A character development program to develop basic
12 values.
13 c. An assessment of each child's development, which is
14 appropriate for the age of the child.
15 d. A pretest administered to children when they enter
16 a program and a posttest administered to children when they
17 leave the program.
18 e. An appropriate staff-to-child ratio, as required by
19 the respective participating programs.
20 f. A healthful and safe environment.
21 g. A resource and referral network to assist parents
22 in making an informed choice pursuant to s. 402.27.
23 (d) Implementation.--
24 1. The school readiness program may be implemented in
25 any county by a school readiness coalition with the approval
26 of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness. Approval by
27 the partnership is 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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1 requirements of this section. The plan must 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 must
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 partnership for approval. The plan shall be reviewed
17 and revised as necessary, but not less than every 3 years.
18 3. The plan for the school readiness program must
19 include the following minimum standards and provisions:
20 a. A sliding fee scale establishing a co-payment for
21 parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for
22 all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each
23 program's 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 program provider. The plan must provide a method
31
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1 for assuring the qualifications of all personnel in all
2 program settings.
3 4. Persons with an early childhood teaching
4 certificate may provide support and supervision to other staff
5 in the school readiness program.
6 (e) Reimbursement rate.--The school readiness
7 coalition shall develop a reimbursement rate schedule that
8 encompasses all publicly funded early education and child care
9 programs and complies with applicable state and federal laws
10 and regulations. The reimbursement rate schedule must include
11 the projected number of children to be served and must be
12 submitted to the Partnership for School Readiness for
13 approval. Informal child care arrangements shall be reimbursed
14 at not more than 50 percent of the rate developed for family
15 child care. A school readiness program provider may not expend
16 more than 15 percent of program funds in any one fiscal year
17 for administrative costs.
18 (f) Requirements relating to fiscal agents.--If the
19 local coalition is not a legally established corporate entity,
20 the coalition must designate a fiscal agent, which may be a
21 public entity or a private nonprofit organization. The fiscal
22 agent shall be required to provide financial and
23 administrative services pursuant to a contract or agreement
24 with the school readiness coalition. The cost of the financial
25 and administrative services shall be negotiated between the
26 fiscal agent and the school readiness coalition. If the fiscal
27 agent is a provider of early education and care programs, the
28 contract must specify that the fiscal agent will act on policy
29 direction from the coalition and will not receive policy
30 direction from its own corporate board regarding disbursal of
31 coalition funds. The fiscal agent shall disburse funds in
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1 accordance with the approved coalition school readiness plan
2 and based on billing and disbursement procedures approved by
3 the partnership. The fiscal agent must conform to all
4 data-reporting requirements established by the partnership.
5 (g) Coalition initiation grants; incentive bonuses;
6 funding.--
7 1. School readiness coalitions that are approved by
8 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness by January 1,
9 2000, shall be eligible for a $50,000 initiation grant to
10 support the school readiness coalition in developing its
11 school readiness plan.
12 2. School readiness coalitions that are approved by
13 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness by March 1, 2000,
14 shall be eligible for a $25,000 initiation grant to support
15 the school readiness coalition in developing its school
16 readiness plan.
17 3. School readiness coalitions that have their plans
18 approved by July 1, 2000, shall receive funding from the
19 Partnership for School Readiness in fiscal year 2000-2001, and
20 each year thereafter.
21 4. Upon approval by the Florida Partnership for School
22 Readiness of any coalition's plan that clearly shows
23 enhancement in the quality and standards of the school
24 readiness program without diminishing the number of children
25 served in the program, the partnership shall award the
26 coalition an incentive bonus, subject to appropriation.
27 5. In fiscal year 2000-2001, and each year thereafter,
28 any increases in funding for the prekindergarten early
29 intervention program and the subsidized child care program
30 shall be administered through school readiness coalitions.
31
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1 6. In fiscal year 2001-2002, the Florida Partnership
2 for School Readiness shall request proposals from government
3 agencies and nonprofit corporations for the development and
4 operation of a school readiness coalition in each county that
5 does not have an approved coalition by March 1, 2001.
6 (7) Administrative costs for a school readiness
7 coalition shall not exceed 10 percent of the total funds
8 provided to the coalition in any fiscal year.
9 (h) Evaluation and annual report.--Each school
10 readiness coalition shall conduct an evaluation of the
11 effectiveness of the school readiness program, including
12 performance standards and outcome measures, and shall provide
13 an annual report and fiscal statement to the Florida
14 Partnership for School Readiness. This report must conform to
15 the content and format specifications set by the Florida
16 Partnership for School Readiness. The partnership must include
17 an analysis of the coalition reports in its annual report.
18 (6) CONFLICTING PROVISIONS.--If any provision of this
19 section conflicts with federal requirements, the applicable
20 federal requirements shall control.
21 (7) PARENTAL CHOICE.--
22 (a) The school readiness program shall provide
23 parental choice pursuant to a purchase service order that
24 ensures, to the maximum extent possible, flexibility in school
25 readiness programs and payment arrangements. According to
26 federal regulations requiring parental choice, a parent may
27 choose an informal child-care arrangement. The purchase order
28 must bear the name of the beneficiary and the program provider
29 and, when redeemed, must bear the signature of both the
30 beneficiary and an authorized representative of the provider.
31
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1 (b) If it is determined that a provider has provided
2 any cash to the beneficiary in return for receiving the
3 purchase order, the coalition or its fiscal agent shall refer
4 the matter to the Division of Public Assistance Fraud for
5 investigation.
6 (c) The Department of Education and the Office of the
7 Comptroller shall establish an electronic transfer system for
8 the disbursement of funds in accordance with this subsection.
9 School readiness coalitions shall fully implement the
10 electronic funds transfer system within 3 years after plan
11 approval unless a waiver is obtained from the partnership.
12 (d) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
13 Government Accountability shall provide fiscal oversight of
14 funds provided to local school readiness coalitions.
15 Section 2. Section 229.567, Florida Statutes, is
16 created to read:
17 229.567 School readiness screening instrument.--The
18 Department of Education shall adopt the school readiness
19 screening instrument developed by the Florida Partnership for
20 School Readiness, and shall require that all school districts
21 administer the kindergarten screening instrument to each
22 kindergarten student in the district school system upon the
23 student's entry into kindergarten.
24 Section 3. Subsection (11) is added to section
25 216.136, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, to read:
26 216.136 Consensus estimating conferences; duties and
27 principals.--
28 (11) SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.--
29 (a) Duties.--
30 1. The School Readiness Program Estimating Conference
31 shall develop official information relating to the state's
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1 system of school readiness programs, including forecasts of
2 school readiness program needs, as the conference determines
3 is needed for the state planning and budgeting system. Such
4 official information must include, but need not be limited to,
5 program needs for subsidized child care, Head Start,
6 prekindergarten early intervention, prekindergarten
7 disabilities, Even-Start literacy, First Start, migrant
8 prekindergarten, and Title I prekindergarten.
9 2. In addition, the School Readiness Program
10 Estimating Conference shall estimate the unduplicated count of
11 children who are eligible for services under the school
12 readiness program.
13 3. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
14 provide information on needs and waiting lists for school
15 readiness program services requested by the School Readiness
16 Program Estimating Conference or individual conference
17 principals in a timely manner.
18 (b) Principals.--The Executive Office of the Governor,
19 the Director of Economic and Demographic Research, and
20 professional staff who have forecasting expertise from the
21 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, the Department of
22 Children and Family Services, the Department of Education, the
23 Senate, and the House of Representatives, or their designees,
24 are the principals of the School Readiness Program Estimating
25 Conference. The principal representing the Executive Office of
26 the Governor shall preside over sessions of the conference.
27 Section 4. Subsection (2) of section 414.026, Florida
28 Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:
29 414.026 WAGES Program State Board of Directors.--
30 (2)(a) The board of directors shall be composed of the
31 following members:
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1 1. The Commissioner of Education, or the
2 commissioner's designee.
3 2. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
4 3. The Secretary of Health.
5 4. The Secretary of Labor and Employment Security.
6 5. The Secretary of Community Affairs.
7 6. The Secretary of Transportation, or the secretary's
8 designee.
9 7. The director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
10 Economic Development.
11 8. The chairperson of the Florida Partnership for
12 School Readiness.
13 9.8. The president of the Enterprise Florida workforce
14 development board, established under s. 288.9620.
15 10.9. The chief executive officer of the Florida
16 Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, established under s.
17 288.1226.
18 11.10. 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.
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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.
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1 Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
2 624.91, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:
3 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--
4 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
5 (a) The Legislature finds that increased access to
6 health care services could improve children's health and
7 reduce the incidence and costs of childhood illness and
8 disabilities among children in this state. Many children do
9 not have comprehensive, affordable health care services
10 available. It is the intent of the Legislature that the
11 Florida Healthy Kids Corporation provide comprehensive health
12 insurance coverage to such children. The corporation is
13 encouraged to cooperate with any existing health service
14 programs funded by the public or the private sector and to
15 work cooperatively with the Florida Partnership for School
16 Readiness.
17 Section 6. Effective July 1, 2002, subsection (4) of
18 section 411.222, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
19 Section 7. This act is not intended to impede or
20 curtail the state's ability to receive federal funds.
21 Section 8. Except as otherwise expressly provided in
22 this act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 SB 366 and SB 382
3
4 The committee substitute for Senate Bills 366 and 382 contains
none of the provisions of SB 382 and differs from SB 366 in
5 the following ways:
6 1. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness will not be a
private corporation. The chairman of the partnership must be
7 chosen from among the nongovernmental members.
8 2. The system for measuring school readiness must provide data
regarding the child's knowledge of letters, words, numbers,
9 and colors.
10 3. The district school board and the district office of the
Department of Children and Families will no longer be required
11 to approve an agreement in addition to the coalition's
agreement.
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4. A coalition that is not a legally established corporate
13 entity must contract with a fiscal agent who will disburse
funds according to procedures approved by the partnership. If
14 the fiscal agent is a provider of early education and care
programs, the agent must act on policy direction from the
15 coalition and must not take direction from its own corporate
board concerning disbursal of the coalition funds.
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5. Administrative costs for a coalition must not exceed 10
17 percent.
18 6. The bill does not provide for special readiness grants.
School readiness programs must provide parental choice to the
19 maximum extent possible.
20 7. The School Readiness Needs-Assessment conference is changed
to an estimating conference under chapter 216, F.S.
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8. The duties of the partnership are revised to delete the
22 requirements that the partnership provide technical assistance
to coalitions and that the partnership recommend to the
23 Legislature whether or not personnel from the Departments of
Education and Children and Family Services should be moved
24 from the agencies to the partnership. Additional duties are
added to require the partnership to be responsible for the
25 prudent use of all public and private funds; to safeguard the
effective use of federal, state, local, and private resources;
26 and to use the resources of the State University System and
the community colleges to improve school readiness programs.
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9. The State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Services
28 will not be reorganized as a 15 member council.
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10. New dates are provided for implementation. The partnership
30 must hold its first meeting by October 1, 1999; coalitions
approved by January 1, 2000, will be eligible for a $50,000
31 initiation grant; by January 1, 2000, the partnership must
work with the comptroller for electronic funds transfer; by
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1 February 15, 2000, the partnership must present to the
Legislature a plan for combining funding streams for school
2 readiness programs into a school readiness trust fund; by May
1, 2000, the partnership must submit to the State Board of
3 Education a system for measuring school readiness; coalitions
with plans approved by July 1, 2000, will receive funding from
4 the partnership in fiscal year 2000-2001.
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