House Bill 1079

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1079

        By Representative Farkas






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to in-school suspension;

  3         amending s. 228.041, F.S.; revising the

  4         definition of "in-school suspension" to include

  5         an additional alternative program; creating s.

  6         230.23155, F.S.; providing funding for the

  7         establishment of On-Campus Intervention

  8         Programs (OCIPs); providing a process for

  9         applying to the Commissioner of Education for

10         funds to establish and conduct an OCIP;

11         providing program requirements; requiring an

12         annual report; providing for future repeal;

13         providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (25) of section

18  228.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         228.041  Definitions.--Specific definitions shall be as

20  follows, and wherever such defined words or terms are used in

21  the Florida School Code, they shall be used as follows:

22         (25)  SUSPENSION.--

23         (b)  In-school suspension is the temporary removal of a

24  student from the student's regular school program and

25  placement in an alternative program, such as that provided in

26  ss. s. 230.2316 and 230.23155, under the supervision of school

27  district personnel, for a period not to exceed 10 school days.

28         Section 2.  Section 230.23155, Florida Statutes, is

29  created to read:

30         230.23155  On-Campus Intervention Programs.--To provide

31  an alternative to out-of-school suspension, the Legislature

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1079

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  1  hereby appropriates the sum of $5 million from the General

  2  Revenue Fund for each of fiscal years 2000-2001, 2001-2002,

  3  2002-2003, and 2003-2004 to the Department of Education for

  4  the establishment of On-Campus Intervention Programs (OCIPs),

  5  according to the provisions of this act.

  6         (1)  A public school principal may apply to the

  7  Commissioner of Education for up to $75,000 to establish and

  8  conduct an OCIP, according to the provisions of this act.

  9  Such application must include:

10         (a)  A letter of support from the district

11  superintendent of schools.

12         (b)  Letters of commitment from local community

13  organizations with expertise in youth and family counseling or

14  local government agencies for funds equaling at least

15  one-third of the amount of the grant request.

16         (c)  Projected student outcomes.

17         (d)  A proposal for fulfilling the program requirements

18  of subsection (2).

19         (2)  Using the guidelines established for the Pinellas

20  County OCIP as a model, a school principal may establish an

21  OCIP which must include the following components:

22         (a)  Students participating in the OCIP must be

23  provided counseling, tutoring, instruction in life skills and

24  anger management, and referrals to continued individual or

25  family counseling.

26         (b)  The school day for an OCIP shall be at least the

27  length of the school day as defined by s. 228.041(13), and a

28  student participating in an OCIP shall be required to attend

29  for the full day each day he or she is assigned to the OCIP.

30         (c)  Space within the fixed school building must be

31  dedicated solely to the OCIP.  Such space must include

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  1  classroom space and separate office space for individual and

  2  group counseling.

  3         (d)  The OCIP staff shall include, but not be limited

  4  to, a certified teacher, a counselor with expertise in youth

  5  and family counseling who possesses a master's degree, and a

  6  clerical employee or intern.

  7         (e)  Staff of the OCIP must be provided with a phone or

  8  other means of direct communication with the school

  9  administration.

10         (3)  With the parent's permission, a student may be

11  assigned by the school principal to an OCIP for 3 or 5 days,

12  in lieu of an out-of-school suspension.  A student may

13  participate in an OCIP a maximum of 3 times per school year.

14         (4)  By October 1, annually, each OCIP that receives

15  funds according to this section must submit to the

16  Commissioner of Education an annual report which includes, but

17  is not limited to, the following:

18         (a)  Program expenditures.

19         (b)  Enrollment by grade.

20         (c)  Number of suspensions, by student.

21         (d)  Total number of suspensions.

22         (e)  Student recidivism rates.

23         (f)  Dropout rate.

24         (g)  Student outcomes.

25         (h)  Principal and OCIP staff comments regarding the

26  effectiveness of the program.

27         (5)  By January 1, 2004, the Commissioner of Education

28  must submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the

29  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the majority and

30  minority leaders of the Senate and the House of

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1079

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  1  Representatives an evaluation of the effectiveness of

  2  On-Campus Intervention Programs.

  3         (6)  This section is repealed effective July 1, 2004.

  4         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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  7                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  8
      Revises the definition of "in-school suspension" to
  9    include an additional alternative. Provides funding for
      the establishment of On-Campus Intervention Programs
10    (OCIPs) as an alternative to out-of-school suspension.
      Provides a process for applying to the Commissioner of
11    Education for funds to establish and conduct an OCIP.
      Provides program requirements. Requires an annual report.
12    Provides for future repeal.

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