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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 1354
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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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