Senate Bill 0292

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 292

    By Senator Sullivan





    22-74A-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating s.

  3         231.6015, F.S.; authorizing a mathematics and

  4         science teacher-education program; requiring

  5         demonstration of certain uses of funds;

  6         providing a program purpose, required

  7         components, and resource allocation; requiring

  8         collaborative planning and implementation;

  9         authorizing incentives and certification;

10         creating s. 240.149, F.S.; creating a

11         nongovernmental organization to plan and

12         implement a program for mathematics and science

13         teacher education; requiring a board of

14         directors, a chief executive officer, other

15         staff, and an advisory council; providing for

16         membership, terms of office, and an

17         appointments process; providing responsibility

18         and authority to conduct certain activities;

19         requiring a budget request; amending s.

20         229.592, F.S.; requiring a report; amending s.

21         231.600, F.S.; requiring certain additions to

22         professional development programs; amending s.

23         236.08106, F.S.; authorizing a salary bonus for

24         teachers who complete certain training

25         programs; amending s. 236.685, F.S.; requiring

26         a report to include certain information;

27         providing an effective date.

28

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

30

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  1         Section 1.  Section 231.6015, Florida Statutes, is

  2  created to read:

  3         231.6015  Mathematics and science teacher-education

  4  program.--

  5         (1)  The Legislature intends to establish an inservice

  6  professional development program to improve the teaching of

  7  mathematics and science in the public schools of this state,

  8  with an initial emphasis on students in kindergarten through

  9  grade 8. The program may be conducted separately or in

10  conjunction with other inservice professional development

11  programs provided by a school district. The funds are to be

12  used to supplement but not to supplant current professional

13  development in mathematics and science education.

14         (2)  As used in this section, the term "teacher" has

15  the meaning ascribed to "instructional personnel" in s.

16  236.685.

17         (3)  The purpose of the program is to improve the

18  ability of teachers to deliver instruction that:

19         (a)  Concentrates learning on the Sunshine State

20  Standards and the Subject Matter Content Standards for

21  teachers adopted by the Education Standards Commission;

22         (b)  Includes content in sequences designed to prepare

23  students for the state assessments of progress;

24         (c)  Demonstrates its quality by improvement in

25  students' classroom achievement; and

26         (d)  Identifies and challenges students who excel in

27  science and mathematics as well as those whose aptitude is

28  average or below average.

29         (4)  The program must be designed to improve a

30  teacher's command of content knowledge and teaching skills. If

31  resources are insufficient to provide adequate instruction for

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  1  all teachers, the program design should allocate those

  2  resources to produce a measurable, systemic change in student

  3  learning, rather than only to reach as many teachers as

  4  possible.

  5         (5)  The program must:

  6         (a)  Employ strategies that have proved effective;

  7         (b)  Exploit current knowledge and research on

  8  professional staff development and standards;

  9         (c)  Include components for school board members and

10  administrators at the school level, school district

11  administration level, and state level;

12         (d)  Involve the expertise of public and independent

13  universities, colleges, and community colleges in planning and

14  implementation;

15         (e)  Provide for an incentive plan as authorized in s.

16  236.08106; and

17         (f)  Include an evaluation of effectiveness as

18  determined by the Florida Alliance for Improving Mathematics

19  and Science in Education Programs. The evaluation component of

20  the program must provide data capable of allowing an analysis

21  of the achievement of students before and after the program is

22  implemented and for an analysis of students whose teachers

23  participate in the program compared to a cohort of students

24  whose teachers do not. As much as possible, the cohort must

25  consist of students having similar demographic characteristics

26  and selected measures of academic achievement.

27         (6)  The Legislature shall determine annually in the

28  General Appropriations Act the funds to be available for this

29  program. Under s. 240.149, the Florida Alliance for Improving

30  Mathematics and Science in Education Programs may operate the

31  delivery mechanisms for the program or may delegate that

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  1  responsibility to a school district, a consortium of school

  2  districts, an academy, an area center for educational

  3  enhancement, or a group operating under a charter arranged by

  4  a district or consortium. The delivery mechanisms may involve

  5  the expertise of science centers, and the Florida Alliance for

  6  Improving Mathematics and Science and school boards may

  7  arrange participation by science centers in the planning and

  8  delivery of the program, including participation in charter

  9  agreements, where appropriate. As used in this subsection, a

10  science center means a nonprofit organization, recognized

11  under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which is

12  a full member of the Association of Science and Technology

13  Centers, is accredited by the American Association of Museums,

14  and has had at least 5 years experience providing professional

15  development and support services to teachers throughout the

16  state.  The administrators of each component of the program

17  shall work collaboratively with the Florida Alliance for

18  Improving Mathematics and Science in Education Programs to

19  plan programs and activities provided by the professional

20  development program, including follow-up support for the

21  teachers.

22         (7)  Teachers participating in the program may receive

23  compensation from the school district for their participation

24  and may use successful participation in the program for

25  extension of a certificate, for adding a new certification

26  area if the district has an approved add-on certification

27  program as provided by the State Board of Education, or for

28  college credit for portions of the program which are taught by

29  full-time faculty members of postsecondary institutions. In

30  addition to a stipend for the workdays allocated to the

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  1  training, a teacher may be eligible for a salary bonus upon

  2  successful completion of the program, under s. 236.08106.

  3         (8)  Delivery sites used in the program should be

  4  joint-use facilities and may be on property belonging to a

  5  school district; a public or independent university, college,

  6  or community college; or any other group under a contract

  7  approved by the alliance.

  8         (9)  A community college or university may report

  9  full-time-equivalent students as a result of providing

10  instruction for the program if the instruction is provided

11  in-load by its own staff paid by its own resources.

12         (10)  This section shall be implemented only to the

13  extent funded by the General Appropriations Act.

14         Section 2.  Section 240.149, Florida Statutes, is

15  created to read:

16         240.149  Mathematics and science teacher-education

17  organization; responsibility for program planning and

18  implementation.--

19         (1)  An organization is established to plan and

20  implement the mathematics and science teacher education

21  program created in s. 231.6015. The organization is to be

22  named the Florida Alliance for Improving Mathematics and

23  Science Teaching in Education Programs; must be recognized

24  under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and

25  registered, incorporated, organized, and operated in

26  compliance with chapter 617; and is not to be considered to be

27  a unit or entity of state government.

28         (a)  The organization shall execute its

29  responsibilities independently but is assigned to the Office

30  of the Commissioner of Education for administrative purposes.

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  1         (b)  In the interest of sound public policy, the

  2  Legislature determines that the organization is subject to the

  3  provisions of chapter 119 which relate to public records, and

  4  to the provisions of chapter 286 which relate to public

  5  meetings and records.

  6         (2)  A board of directors shall govern the

  7  organization. The members of the board shall be appointed by

  8  the Commissioner of Education from recommendations provided by

  9  the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, the Education

10  Standards Commission, the Workforce Development Board of

11  Enterprise Florida, or other public or private organizations

12  with expertise in education or technology upon invitation of

13  the commissioner.

14         (a)  Four members must be employees of postsecondary

15  education institutions and must have expertise in science and

16  science education, mathematics and mathematics education, or a

17  related technical field.

18         (b)  Four members must be employees of Florida district

19  school boards; at least two of these members must be teachers.

20         (c)  Four members must be from the private sector.

21         (d)  One member shall serve ex officio as a

22  representative of the Department of Education. An ex officio

23  member may participate in all deliberations of the alliance

24  but may not vote.

25         (e)  Members shall serve 4-year staggered terms, with

26  four of the members having initial terms of 2 years, 3 years,

27  and 4 years, respectively. The commissioner shall appoint a

28  new member to fill the remainder of a vacant, unexpired term

29  and may reappoint a member.

30         (f)  Members are entitled to reimbursement for travel

31  and per diem expenses, as provided in s. 112.061.

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  1         (3)  The board of directors shall employ a chief

  2  executive officer, who shall direct and supervise the

  3  administrative affairs of the board of directors. The board of

  4  directors may delegate to the chief executive officer any

  5  powers and duties it finds appropriate. The chief executive

  6  officer may contract with or employ legal and technical

  7  experts and other employees as authorized by the board of

  8  directors. The chief executive officer shall administer the

  9  professional development grant program assigned to the

10  organization and other finances of the organization to ensure

11  appropriate accountability and the prudent use of public and

12  private funds.

13         (4)  A council is created to assist the organization

14  and to apprise decisionmakers of its activities.

15         (a)  The council shall be composed of six members who

16  represent the following governmental branches or sectors: one

17  member of the Florida Senate appointed by the President of the

18  Senate; one member of the Florida House of Representatives

19  appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; a

20  representative of the Executive Office of the Governor

21  appointed by the Governor; a representative of the Department

22  of Education appointed by the Commissioner of Education; a

23  representative of the Florida Community College System

24  appointed by the executive director of the system; and a

25  representative of the State University System appointed by the

26  chancellor.

27         (b)  The council shall meet at least 2 times a year,

28  with one meeting conducted jointly with the board of

29  directors.

30         (5)  The Florida Alliance for Improving Mathematics and

31  Science Teaching in Education Programs shall plan and oversee

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  1  implementation of the program created by s. 231.6015 and

  2  shall:

  3         (a)  Establish and maintain a system of professional

  4  development programs in mathematics and science education, as

  5  provided in the General Appropriations Act.

  6         (b)  Provide for involvement of postsecondary education

  7  in planning and implementation.

  8         (c)  Produce specialized professional development

  9  program guidelines. These guidelines may include curricula and

10  instructional methods and must assure that the programs focus

11  on content learning, employ tested strategies, reflect the

12  nature of science and mathematics, and base their design on

13  current knowledge and research concerning professional

14  development.

15         (d)  Provide for the selection and preparation of staff

16  to implement professional development in mathematics and

17  science.

18         (e)  Establish priorities that school districts and

19  centers for educational enhancement must use in selecting the

20  teachers to participate in the program. If the plan does not

21  provide for participation by all teachers of kindergarten

22  through grade 8 within a 4-year cycle, the selection

23  priorities must implement a rationale for disseminating the

24  program's benefits.

25         (f)  Design strategies for providing follow-up support

26  for each participating teacher. The follow-up strategies must

27  provide for integration of the principles learned in the

28  program into the teacher's workday for at least 1 year, with

29  continuing followup for 2 additional years or more, as

30  provided in the General Appropriations Act.

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  1         (g)  Design and oversee an incentive plan that will

  2  encourage the participation of public school teachers and

  3  administrators in the professional development program. The

  4  incentive plan must provide for access to any merit-pay plans

  5  developed by school districts and may provide for a stipend

  6  and a salary bonus for participating teachers, under s.

  7  236.08106. Such bonus must be in addition to the teacher's

  8  regular earnings from a school district and may not be awarded

  9  until a teacher has successfully completed the program and

10  demonstrated, through prescribed follow-up activities in the

11  classroom, an improvement in student achievement in

12  mathematics or science.

13         (h)  Measure the effectiveness of the professional

14  development program on learning and teaching in mathematics

15  and science. This impact assessment must assure state and

16  local quality control of the improvement of mathematics and

17  science teaching.

18         (6)  By December 1, 2000, the board must submit to the

19  office of the Commissioner of Education a proposed budget for

20  implementing the program in 2001-2004. The budget must contain

21  alternative plans for the participation of 50 percent, 33

22  percent, and 25 percent of the state's teachers at the

23  elementary and middle-school levels by 2004.

24         Section 3.  Subsection (8) of section 229.592, Florida

25  Statutes, is amended to read:

26         229.592  Implementation of state system of school

27  improvement and education accountability.--

28         (8)  STATE BOARD.--The State Board of Education shall

29  adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement

30  a state system of school improvement and education

31  accountability and shall specify required annual reports by

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  1  schools and school districts. The rules must also require each

  2  school to report the number and percentage of teachers who

  3  have achieved certification by the National Board of

  4  Professional Teaching Standards and, for schools that contain

  5  a kindergarten or grade 1 through grade 8, the number and

  6  proportion of teachers who have successfully completed the

  7  program to improve mathematics and science teaching under s.

  8  236.08106.

  9         Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 231.600, Florida

10  Statutes, is amended to read:

11         231.600  School Community Professional Development

12  Act.--

13         (3)  The activities designed to implement this section

14  must:

15         (a)  Increase the success of educators in guiding

16  student learning and development so as to implement state and

17  local educational standards, goals, and initiatives;

18         (b)  Assist the school community in providing

19  stimulating educational activities that encourage and motivate

20  students to achieve at the highest levels and to become active

21  learners; and

22         (c)  Provide continuous support as well as temporary

23  intervention for education professionals who need improvement

24  in knowledge, skills, and performance; and.

25         (d)  Assure that teacher education programs in science,

26  mathematics, and technology education will be fully aligned

27  with the content of science tasks included in statewide

28  testing scheduled for 2003. These education programs must

29  assure that all teachers, especially teachers of kindergarten

30  through grade 8, know and understand the science and

31  mathematics standards included in the Sunshine State Standards

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  1  and the Subject Matter Content Standards for teachers adopted

  2  by the Education Standards Commission.

  3         Section 5.  Subsection (2) of section 236.08106,

  4  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  5         236.08106  Excellent Teaching Program.--

  6         (2)  The Excellent Teaching Program is created to

  7  provide categorical funding for monetary incentives and

  8  bonuses for teaching excellence. The Department of Education

  9  shall distribute to each school district or to the NBPTS an

10  amount as prescribed annually by the Legislature for the

11  Excellent Teaching Program. Unless otherwise provided in the

12  General Appropriations Act, each distribution shall be the sum

13  of the amounts earned for the following incentives and

14  bonuses:

15         (a)  A salary bonus or increased stipend for teachers

16  who successfully complete the program to improve the teaching

17  of mathematics and science in Florida under s. 231.6015. The

18  criteria for successful completion of the program must be

19  established by the Florida Alliance for Improving Mathematics

20  and Science Teaching in Education Programs and must include a

21  demonstration through prescribed follow-up activities in the

22  classroom of an improvement in student achievement in

23  mathematics or science.

24         (b)(a)  A fee subsidy to be paid by the Department of

25  Education to the NBPTS on behalf of each individual who is an

26  employee of a district school board or a public school within

27  the school district, who is certified by the district to have

28  demonstrated satisfactory teaching performance pursuant to s.

29  231.29 and who satisfies the prerequisites for participating

30  in the NBPTS certification program, and who agrees, in

31  writing, to pay 10 percent of the NBPTS participation fee and

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  1  to participate in the NBPTS certification program during the

  2  school year for which the fee subsidy is provided. The fee

  3  subsidy for each eligible participant shall be an amount equal

  4  to 90 percent of the fee charged for participating in the

  5  NBPTS certification program, but not more than $1,800 per

  6  eligible participant. The fee subsidy is a one-time award and

  7  may not be duplicated for any individual.

  8         (c)(b)  A portfolio-preparation incentive of $150 paid

  9  by the Department of Education to each teacher employed by a

10  district school board or a public school within a school

11  district who is participating in the NBPTS certification

12  program. The portfolio-preparation incentive is a one-time

13  award paid during the school year for which the NBPTS fee

14  subsidy is provided.

15         (d)(c)  An annual bonus equal to 10 percent of the

16  prior fiscal year's statewide average salary for classroom

17  teachers to be distributed to the school district to be paid

18  to each individual who holds NBPTS certification and is

19  employed by the district school board or by a public school

20  within the school district. The district school board shall

21  distribute the annual bonus to each individual who meets the

22  requirements of this paragraph and who is certified annually

23  by the district to have demonstrated satisfactory teaching

24  performance pursuant to s. 231.29. The annual bonus may be

25  paid as a single payment or divided into not more than three

26  payments.

27         (e)(d)  An annual bonus equal to 10 percent of the

28  prior fiscal year's statewide average salary for classroom

29  teachers to be distributed to the school district to be paid

30  to each individual who meets the requirements of paragraph (d)

31  (c) and agrees, in writing, to provide the equivalent of 12

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  1  workdays of mentoring and related services to public school

  2  teachers within the district who do not hold NBPTS

  3  certification. The district school board shall distribute the

  4  annual bonus in a single payment following the completion of

  5  all required mentoring and related services for the year. It

  6  is not the intent of the Legislature to remove excellent

  7  teachers from their assigned classrooms; therefore, credit may

  8  not be granted by a school district or public school for

  9  mentoring or related services provided during the regular

10  school day or during the 196 days of required service for the

11  school year.

12

13  A teacher for whom the state pays the certification fee and

14  who does not complete the certification program or does not

15  teach in a public school of this state for a least 1 year

16  after completing the certification program must repay the

17  amount of the certification fee to the state. However, a

18  teacher who completes the certification program but fails to

19  be awarded NBPTS certification is not required to repay the

20  amount of the certification fee if the teacher meets the

21  1-year teaching requirement. Repayment is not required of a

22  teacher who does not complete the certification program or

23  fails to fulfill the teaching requirement because of the

24  teacher's death or disability or because of other extenuating

25  circumstances as determined by the State Board of Education.

26         Section 6.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section

27  236.685, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

28         236.685  Educational funding accountability.--

29         (4)(a)  The school public accountability report to

30  parents must include the number of employees in each of the

31  categories listed in subsection (3), by work location.

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  1  However, this does not include the number of temporary

  2  substitute employees. The report must also include the number

  3  and proportion of instructional personnel in kindergarten

  4  through grade 8 who have achieved certification by the

  5  National Board of Professional Teaching Standards or have

  6  completed the program to improve mathematics and science

  7  teaching in Florida under s. 236.08106.

  8         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

  9

10            *****************************************

11                          SENATE SUMMARY

12    Creates a mathematics and science teacher-education
      program and establishes program guidelines and required
13    components. Provides for annual funding and delivery
      mechanisms. Provides for compensation to participating
14    teachers. Creates a nongovernmental organization, the
      Florida Alliance for Improving Mathematics and Science
15    Teaching in Education Programs, to plan and implement the
      program. Provides for composition and staffing of the
16    organization, including the board of directors, and for a
      council to assist and advise the board, and places the
17    alliance in the office of the Commissioner of Education
      for administrative purposes. Provides powers and duties
18    of the alliance. Requires the board to submit a budget.
      Requires a report and provides for the adoption of rules.
19    Requires the implementation of the education programs for
      teachers. Authorizes a salary bonus for teachers who
20    complete the programs. Requires a school public
      accountability report to include certain information
21    regarding instructional personnel who are certified under
      the program.
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