Senate Bill 1354
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1354
By Senator Campbell
33-949-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to parental rights; amending s.
3 228.056, F.S.; providing legislative intent;
4 providing that a charter school's charter must
5 address the school's plan for promoting
6 parental and community involvement in the
7 school; amending s. 230.23, F.S.; providing
8 that school boards must implement a program for
9 parental and guardian involvement in schools;
10 creating s. 230.2304, F.S.; requiring the
11 Department of Education and the Board of
12 Regents to develop, and the State Board of
13 Education to adopt, rules enabling involved
14 parents to take free postsecondary credit
15 hours; amending s. 231.17, F.S.; providing that
16 minimum competencies for professional
17 certification must include demonstrating
18 knowledge of the value of and strategies for
19 promoting parental and guardian involvement in
20 education; providing an effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section
25 228.056, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
26 228.056 Charter schools.--
27 (9) CHARTER.--The major issues involving the operation
28 of a charter school shall be considered in advance and written
29 into the charter. The charter shall be signed by the governing
30 body of the charter school and the sponsor, following a public
31 hearing to ensure community input.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1354
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1 (a) The charter must shall address, and criteria for
2 approval of the charter must shall be based on:
3 1. The school's mission, the students to be served,
4 and the ages and grades to be included.
5 2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional
6 methods to be used, and any distinctive instructional
7 techniques to be employed.
8 3. The current incoming baseline standard of student
9 academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
10 method of measurement that will be used. This section shall
11 include a detailed description for each of the following:
12 a. How the baseline student academic achievement
13 levels and prior rates of academic progress will be
14 established;
15 b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates
16 of academic progress achieved by these same students while
17 attending the charter school; and
18 c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress
19 will be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
20 closely comparable student populations.
21 4. The methods used to identify the educational
22 strengths and needs of students and how well educational goals
23 and performance standards are met by students attending the
24 charter school. Students in charter schools shall, at a
25 minimum, participate in the statewide assessment program.
26 5. In secondary charter schools, a method for
27 determining that a student has satisfied the requirements for
28 graduation in s. 232.246.
29 6. A method for resolving conflicts between the
30 governing body of the charter school and the sponsor.
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1 7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
2 including the school's code of student conduct.
3 8. The ways by which the school will achieve a
4 racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
5 within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
6 same school district.
7 9. The financial and administrative management of the
8 school, including a reasonable demonstration of the
9 professional experience or competence of those individuals or
10 organizations applying to operate the charter school or those
11 hired or retained to perform such professional services. Both
12 public sector and private sector professional experience shall
13 be equally valid in such a consideration.
14 10. The manner in which the school will be insured,
15 including whether or not the school will be required to have
16 liability insurance, and, if so, the terms and conditions
17 thereof and the amounts of coverage.
18 11. The term of the charter which shall provide for
19 cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
20 made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
21 charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
22 achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of
23 a charter shall be for 3, 4, or 5 years. In order to
24 facilitate access to long-term financial resources for charter
25 school construction, charter schools that are operated by a
26 municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
27 eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by
28 the local school board. In addition, to facilitate access to
29 long-term financial resources for charter school construction,
30 charter schools that are operated by a private,
31 not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible
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1 for up to a 10-year charter, subject to approval by the local
2 school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
3 review and may be terminated during the term of the charter,
4 but only for specific good cause according to the provisions
5 set forth in subsection (10).
6 12. The facilities to be used and their location.
7 13. The qualifications to be required of the teachers.
8 14. The governance structure of the school, including
9 the status of the charter school as a public or private
10 employer as required in subsection (7).
11 15. A timetable for implementing the charter which
12 addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
13 date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet
14 this timetable.
15 16. In the case of an existing public school being
16 converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
17 current students who choose not to attend the charter school
18 and for current teachers who choose not to teach in the
19 charter school after conversion in accordance with the
20 existing collective bargaining agreement or school board
21 policy in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement.
22 17. The school's plan for promoting parental and
23 community involvement in the school, including the teachers'
24 and the administration's communication with parents and
25 guardians, including noncustodial parents, about school
26 programs and student progress; parent and guardian
27 volunteering opportunities; learning activities that support
28 classroom instruction; and collaboration with community
29 resources that support classroom instruction and child
30 development.
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1 Section 2. Present subsection (20) of section 230.23,
2 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (21), and a
3 new subsection (20) is added to that section, to read:
4 230.23 Powers and duties of school board.--The school
5 board, acting as a board, shall exercise all powers and
6 perform all duties listed below:
7 (20) PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN
8 EDUCATION.--The Legislature finds that the active involvement
9 of parents and guardians in the education of children is an
10 essential factor in the child's educational success. To
11 promote the involvement of parents in the education of
12 children, the school board shall implement a program for
13 parental and guardian involvement in schools which addresses
14 the teachers' and the administration's communication with
15 parents and guardians, including noncustodial parents, about
16 school programs and student progress; parent and guardian
17 volunteering opportunities; learning activities that support
18 classroom instruction; and collaboration with community
19 resources that support classroom instruction and child
20 development. The school board may require that at least one of
21 a child's parents or the child's guardian participate in an
22 orientation program at the time the child is enrolled in or
23 transferred or promoted to a new school.
24 Section 3. Section 230.2304, Florida Statutes, is
25 created to read:
26 230.2304 Rules providing free postsecondary credits to
27 involved parents.--The Department of Education and the Board
28 of Regents shall develop, and the State Board of Education
29 shall adopt, rules that establish a process to enable those
30 parents who meet specified standards of parental involvement
31 to attend a public postsecondary institution and to earn, at
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1 no cost to themselves, a certain number of credit hours not to
2 exceed 2 credit hours per year.
3 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
4 231.17, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
5 231.17 Official statements of eligibility and
6 certificates granted on application to those meeting
7 prescribed requirements.--
8 (5) MINIMUM COMPETENCIES FOR PROFESSIONAL
9 CERTIFICATE.--
10 (a) The state board must specify, by rule, the minimum
11 essential competencies that educators must possess and
12 demonstrate in order to qualify to teach students the
13 standards of student performance adopted by the state board.
14 The minimum competencies must include but are not limited to
15 the ability to:
16 1. Write in a logical and understandable style with
17 appropriate grammar and sentence structure.
18 2. Read, comprehend, and interpret professional and
19 other written material.
20 3. Comprehend and work with mathematical concepts,
21 including algebra.
22 4. Recognize signs of students' difficulty with the
23 reading process and apply appropriate measures to improve
24 students' reading performance.
25 5. Recognize signs of severe emotional distress in
26 students and apply techniques of crisis intervention with an
27 emphasis on suicide prevention and positive emotional
28 development.
29 6. Recognize signs of alcohol and drug abuse in
30 students and know how to appropriately work with such students
31 and seek assistance designed to prevent future abuse.
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1 7. Recognize the physical and behavioral indicators of
2 child abuse and neglect, know rights and responsibilities
3 regarding reporting, know how to care for a child's needs
4 after a report is made, and know recognition, intervention,
5 and prevention strategies pertaining to child abuse and
6 neglect which can be related to children in a classroom
7 setting in a nonthreatening, positive manner.
8 8. Comprehend patterns of physical, social, and
9 academic development in students, including exceptional
10 students in the regular classroom, and counsel these students
11 concerning their needs in these areas.
12 9. Recognize and be aware of the instructional needs
13 of exceptional students.
14 10. Comprehend patterns of normal development in
15 students and employ appropriate intervention strategies for
16 disorders of development.
17 11. Identify and comprehend the codes and standards of
18 professional ethics, performance, and practices adopted
19 pursuant to s. 231.546(2)(b), the grounds for disciplinary
20 action provided by s. 231.28, and the procedures for resolving
21 complaints filed pursuant to this chapter, including appeal
22 processes.
23 12. Recognize and demonstrate awareness of the
24 educational needs of students who have limited proficiency in
25 English and employ appropriate teaching strategies.
26 13. Use and integrate appropriate technology in
27 teaching and learning processes and in managing, evaluating,
28 and improving instruction.
29 14. Use assessment and other diagnostic strategies to
30 assist the continuous development of the learner.
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1 15. Use teaching and learning strategies that include
2 considering each student's culture, learning styles, special
3 needs, and socioeconomic background.
4 16. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
5 subject matter that is aligned with the subject knowledge and
6 skills specified in the Sunshine State Standards and student
7 performance standards approved by the state board.
8 17. Recognize the early signs of truancy in students
9 and identify effective interventions to avoid or resolve
10 nonattendance behavior.
11 18. Demonstrate knowledge and skill in managing
12 student behavior inside and outside the classroom. Such
13 knowledge and skill must include techniques for preventing and
14 effectively responding to incidents of disruptive or violent
15 behavior.
16 19. Demonstrate knowledge of and skill in developing
17 and administering appropriate classroom assessment instruments
18 designed to measure student learning gains.
19 20. Demonstrate the ability to maintain a positive
20 collaborative relationship with students' families to increase
21 student achievement.
22 21. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
23 value of and strategies for promoting parental and guardian
24 involvement in education.
25 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Provides that rights of access to records and information
pertaining to a minor apply to both parents. Provides
4 that a charter school's charter must address the school's
plan for promoting parental and community involvement in
5 the school. Provides that school boards must implement a
program for parental and guardian involvement in schools.
6 Allows the Department of Education and the Board of
Regents to develop, and the State Board of Education to
7 adopt, rules allowing involved parents to take free
postsecondary education credit hours. Provides that
8 minimum competencies for professional certification must
include demonstrating knowledge of the value of and
9 strategies for promoting parental and guardian
involvement in education.
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