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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1179
By Representatives Wiles, Henriquez, Kosmas and Frankel
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to school improvement;
3 providing a short title; amending s. 229.57,
4 F.S.; exempting certain students from the
5 statewide assessment program; revising the
6 schedule of school performance grade categories
7 to include an additional plus sign designation;
8 providing intent relating to the designation of
9 school performance grade categories; revising
10 the method for determining school performance
11 categories; revising the timeframe for
12 implementation of statewide assessments;
13 prohibiting a school that has shown at least a
14 50 percent increase in performance from being
15 designated as performance grade category "F";
16 providing for schools to retain an "A"
17 designation under certain circumstances;
18 requiring the Legislature to conduct public
19 hearings; requiring the Department of Education
20 to provide assistance to district school boards
21 regarding the development of local assessments;
22 amending s. 230.23, F.S., relating to powers
23 and duties of district school boards;
24 establishing a minimum percentage salary
25 increase required to be paid by a district to
26 employees who demonstrate outstanding
27 performance; requiring district school boards
28 to adopt a plan for compliance with
29 performance-based pay provisions; providing
30 additional mechanisms for providing assistance
31 and intervention for schools needing
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1 improvement; deleting obsolete language;
2 amending s. 231.17, F.S.; revising requirements
3 for receipt of a temporary teaching
4 certificate; amending s. 236.08104, F.S.;
5 requiring that categorical funds for
6 supplemental academic instruction be adjusted
7 for inflation and growth; holding a district
8 harmless for certain funds received; providing
9 requirements for determining a district's
10 allocation; requiring the University of South
11 Florida to develop and establish a teacher
12 preparation program; providing program
13 requirements; providing legislative intent;
14 providing an effective date.
15
16 WHEREAS, since its passage in 1999, the "A+ Plan for
17 Education" (chapter 98-398, Laws of Florida) has been
18 criticized by parents, district school boards, educators, and
19 school administrators for its many problems, and
20 WHEREAS, the issue of whether the opportunity
21 scholarship program is constitutional is currently before the
22 state courts, and
23 WHEREAS, the education community has come forth with
24 recommendations to improve portions of the A+ Education Plan
25 that do not encompass the opportunity scholarship program, and
26 WHEREAS, simple measures can be taken to improve the
27 plan for our children, without compromising accountability,
28 NOW, THEREFORE,
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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1 Section 1. Short title.--This act may be cited as the
2 "Best Schools Act of 2001."
3 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3), subsection
4 (7), paragraph (a) of subsection (8), paragraph (i) of
5 subsection (11), and subsection (12) of section 229.57,
6 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
7 229.57 Student assessment program.--
8 (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner
9 shall design and implement a statewide program of educational
10 assessment that provides information for the improvement of
11 the operation and management of the public schools, including
12 schools operating for the purpose of providing educational
13 services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
14 Pursuant to the statewide assessment program, the commissioner
15 shall:
16 (c) Develop and implement a student achievement
17 testing program as part of the statewide assessment program,
18 to be administered annually in grades 3 through 10 to measure
19 reading, writing, science, and mathematics. The testing
20 program must be designed so that:
21 1. The tests measure student skills and competencies
22 adopted by the state board as specified in paragraph (a). The
23 tests must measure and report student proficiency levels in
24 reading, writing, and mathematics. Science proficiency must be
25 measured statewide beginning in 2003. Other content areas may
26 be included as directed by the commissioner. The commissioner
27 shall provide for the tests to be developed or obtained, as
28 appropriate, through contracts and project agreements with
29 private vendors, public vendors, public agencies,
30 postsecondary institutions, or school districts. The
31 commissioner shall obtain input with respect to the design and
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1 implementation of the testing program from state educators and
2 the public.
3 2. The tests are a combination of norm-referenced and
4 criterion-referenced and include, to the extent determined by
5 the commissioner, items that require the student to produce
6 information or perform tasks in such a way that the skills and
7 competencies he or she uses can be measured.
8 3. Each testing program, whether at the elementary,
9 middle, or high school level, includes a test of writing in
10 which students are required to produce writings which are then
11 scored by appropriate methods.
12 4. A score is designated for each subject area tested,
13 below which score a student's performance is deemed
14 inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate
15 remedial instruction to students who score below these levels.
16 5. Except as provided in subparagraph 6., all 11th
17 grade students take a high school competency test developed by
18 the state board to test minimum student performance skills and
19 competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics. The test
20 must be based on the skills and competencies adopted by the
21 state board pursuant to paragraph (a). Upon recommendation of
22 the commissioner, the state board shall designate a passing
23 score for each part of the high school competency test. In
24 establishing passing scores, the state board shall consider
25 any possible negative impact of the test on minority students.
26 The commissioner may establish criteria whereby a student who
27 successfully demonstrates proficiency in either reading or
28 mathematics or both may be exempted from taking the
29 corresponding section of the high school competency test or
30 the college placement test. A student must earn a passing
31 score or have been exempted from each part of the high school
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1 competency test in order to qualify for a regular high school
2 diploma. The school districts shall provide appropriate
3 remedial instruction to students who do not pass part of the
4 competency test.
5 6. Students who enroll in grade 9 in the fall of 1999
6 and thereafter must earn a passing score on the grade 10
7 assessment test described in this paragraph instead of the
8 high school competency test described in subparagraph 5. Such
9 students must earn a passing score in reading, writing, and
10 mathematics to qualify for a regular high school diploma. Upon
11 recommendation of the commissioner, the state board shall
12 designate a passing score for each part of the grade 10
13 assessment test. In establishing passing scores, the state
14 board shall consider any possible negative impact of the test
15 on minority students.
16 7. Participation in the testing program is mandatory
17 for all students, including students served in Department of
18 Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise prescribed by
19 the commissioner. The commissioner shall recommend rules to
20 the state board for the provision of test adaptations and
21 modifications of procedures as necessary for students in
22 exceptional education programs and for students who have
23 limited English proficiency. Students who have limited English
24 proficiency and have participated in ESOL programs for less
25 than 3 years are exempt from participation in statewide
26 assessments, unless exemption is waived upon request of the
27 school or the student's parent or guardian. Only those
28 students continuously enrolled in a Florida public school
29 after October 1 of the school year of the assessment shall be
30 included in the statewide assessment program.
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1 8. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must
2 meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school
3 student must meet.
4 9. School districts must provide instruction to
5 prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and
6 competencies necessary for successful grade-to-grade
7 progression and high school graduation. The commissioner shall
8 conduct studies as necessary to verify that the required
9 skills and competencies are part of the district instructional
10 programs.
11 10. By January 1, 2000, the Department of Education
12 must develop, or select, and implement a common battery of
13 assessment tools which will be used in all juvenile justice
14 programs in the state. These tools must accurately reflect
15 criteria established in the Florida Sunshine State Standards.
16
17 The commissioner may design and implement student testing
18 programs for any grade level and subject area, based on
19 procedures designated by the commissioner to monitor
20 educational achievement in the state.
21 (7) SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADE CATEGORIES.--
22 (a) Beginning with the 1998-1999 school year's student
23 and school performance data, the annual report shall identify
24 schools as being in one of the following grade categories
25 defined according to rules of the state board:
26 1.(a) "A," schools making excellent progress.
27 2.(b) "B," schools making above average progress.
28 3.(c) "C," schools making satisfactory progress.
29 4.(d) "D," schools making less than satisfactory
30 progress.
31 5.(e) "F," schools failing to make adequate progress.
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2 Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, schools designated as
3 performance grade categories "A" through "D" whose performance
4 in the areas of attendance, parental involvement, and dropout
5 rates meets or exceeds the state average, shall receive a plus
6 sign designation in addition to the letter-grade designation.
7 (b) Beginning in the 1999-2000 school year, Each
8 school designated in performance grade category "A," making
9 excellent progress, or as having improved at least two
10 performance grade categories, shall have greater authority
11 over the allocation of the school's total budget generated
12 from the FEFP, state categoricals, lottery funds, grants, and
13 local funds, as specified in state board rule. The rule must
14 provide that the increased budget authority shall remain in
15 effect until the school's performance grade declines.
16 (8) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADE
17 CATEGORIES.--For purposes of determining school performance,
18 student performance should be based on a student's annual
19 learning gains when the gain can be measured with an accurate
20 and consistent assessment system. Currently, the statewide
21 assessment system cannot measure a year's worth of knowledge
22 because not all grades are tested and there is not sufficient
23 data to create a baseline to measure improvement. Therefore,
24 it is the intent of the Legislature that an alternative system
25 should be created until 2 years of assessment data are
26 available to start measuring actual student learning gains.
27 School performance grade category designations itemized in
28 subsection (7) shall be based on the following:
29 (a) Timeframes.--
30 1. School performance grade category designations
31 shall be based on one school year of performance.
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1 2. In school years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, a school's
2 performance grade category designation shall be determined by
3 the student achievement levels on the FCAT, and on other
4 appropriate performance data, including, but not limited to,
5 attendance, dropout rate, school discipline data, and student
6 readiness for college, in accordance with state board rule.
7 3. In the 2000-2001 school year, a school's
8 performance grade category designation shall be determined as
9 follows:
10 a. Elementary schools.--
11 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
12 derived from a composite of the FCAT scores for grades 4 and
13 5, and the percentage of kindergarten through grade 2 classes
14 for which there is a ratio of one teacher to twenty students.
15 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
16 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
17 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
18 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
19 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
20 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
21 each.
22 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
23 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
24 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, and for the
25 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
26 degrees.
27 b. Middle schools.--
28 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
29 derived from the grade 8 FCAT scores.
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1 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
2 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
3 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
4 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
5 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
6 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
7 each.
8 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
9 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
10 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, and for the
11 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
12 degrees.
13 c. High schools.--
14 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
15 derived from a composite of the grade 10 FCAT scores, and the
16 school's overall dropout and graduation rate, which shall be
17 weighted at thirty percent each.
18 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
19 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
20 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
21 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
22 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
23 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
24 each.
25 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
26 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
27 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, for the
28 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
29 degrees, and for the total number of acceleration mechanisms
30 available to students.
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1 The Department of Education shall determine and disseminate
2 the standardized method by which school advisory committees
3 shall make their assessments pursuant to this subparagraph and
4 the department shall determine a process for submission of
5 documentation and standards for assessment of parental
6 involvement, school safety, and bonus point factors. In the
7 2000-2001 school year, a school's performance grade category
8 designation shall be based on a combination of student
9 achievement scores as measured by the FCAT, on the degree of
10 measured learning gains of the students, and on other
11 appropriate performance data, including, but not limited to,
12 dropout rate and student readiness for college.
13 4. Beginning in the 2001-2002 school year and
14 thereafter, a school's performance grade category designation
15 shall be determined as follows:
16 a. Elementary schools.--
17 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
18 derived from a composite of the FCAT scores for grades 4 and
19 5, and the percentage of kindergarten through grade 2 classes
20 for which there is a ratio of one teacher to twenty students.
21 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
22 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
23 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
24 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
25 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
26 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
27 each.
28 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
29 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
30 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, and for the
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1 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
2 degrees.
3 b. Middle schools.--
4 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
5 derived from the grade 8 FCAT scores.
6 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
7 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
8 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
9 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
10 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
11 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
12 each.
13 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
14 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
15 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, and for the
16 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
17 degrees.
18 c. High schools.--
19 (I) Sixty percent of the performance grade shall be
20 derived from a composite of the grade 10 FCAT scores, and the
21 school's overall dropout and graduation rate, which shall be
22 weighted at thirty percent each.
23 (II) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
24 derived from an assessment by the school advisory committee of
25 the progress toward the goals of the school improvement plan.
26 (III) Twenty percent of the performance grade shall be
27 derived from an assessment of parental involvement and school
28 safety programs and initiatives, to be weighted at ten percent
29 each.
30 (IV) A bonus to the total performance grade of up to
31 five percent shall be awarded to a school for academic and
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1 nonacademic achievements not assessed by the FCAT, for the
2 percentage of teachers with advanced certification or advanced
3 degrees, and for the total number of acceleration mechanisms
4 available to students.
5
6 The Department of Education shall determine and disseminate
7 the standardized method by which school advisory committees
8 shall make their assessments pursuant to this subparagraph,
9 and the department shall determine a process for submission of
10 documentation and standards for assessment of parental
11 involvement, school safety, and bonus point factors. Beginning
12 with the 2001-2002 school year and thereafter, a school's
13 performance grade category designation shall be based on
14 student learning gains as measured by annual FCAT assessments
15 in grades 3 through 10, and on other appropriate performance
16 data, including, but not limited to, dropout rate, cohort
17 graduation rate, and student readiness for college.
18 5. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, a school
19 that has been designated as performance grade category "F" in
20 a prior school year shall not be designated as performance
21 grade category "F" using the current year's data if that
22 school has shown at least a 50 percent increase toward the
23 baseline score in each subject area.
24 6. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, a school
25 that is designated as performance grade category "A" shall
26 retain its "A" designation as long as the school's performance
27 on the FCAT and in the areas of attendance, parental
28 involvement, and dropout rates remain within 5 percent of the
29 previous year's levels of performance. If the performance
30 levels of a school that is designated as performance grade
31 category "A" decline in any area for 2 consecutive years, the
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1 school shall be designated as a lower school performance grade
2 category.
3 7. During the 2002-2003 school year, the Legislature
4 shall convene a joint committee to conduct public hearings on
5 the school performance grade requirements of this subsection
6 to receive recommendations for revisions to improve the
7 program. The joint committee shall meet in at least six
8 communities around the state. The recommendations shall be
9 considered prior to adopting the program for the 2003-2004
10 school year and thereafter.
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12 The Department of Education shall study the effects of
13 mobility on the performance of highly mobile students and
14 recommend programs to improve the performance of such
15 students. The state board shall adopt appropriate criteria for
16 each school performance grade category. The criteria must also
17 give added weight to student achievement in reading. Schools
18 designated as performance grade category "C," making
19 satisfactory progress, shall be required to demonstrate that
20 adequate progress has been made by students who have scored
21 among the lowest 25 percent of students in the state as well
22 as by the overall population of students in the school.
23 (11) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENTS.--The Department of
24 Education is authorized, subject to appropriation, to
25 negotiate a multiyear contract for the development, field
26 testing, and implementation of annual assessments of students
27 in grades 3 through 10. Such assessments must comply with the
28 following criteria:
29 (i) Assessments shall be implemented statewide no
30 later than the spring of the 2000-2001 school year.
31 Assessments shall be administered no earlier than April 1 and
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1 results must be provided to districts no later than May 15
2 annually, beginning in the 2001-2002 school year.
3 (12) LOCAL ASSESSMENTS.--Measurement of the learning
4 gains of students in all subjects and grade levels other than
5 subjects and grade levels required for the state assessment
6 program is the responsibility of the school districts. It is
7 the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Education
8 provide assistance in the development of the local
9 assessments.
10 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section
11 230.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
12 230.23 Powers and duties of school board.--The school
13 board, acting as a board, shall exercise all powers and
14 perform all duties listed below:
15 (5) PERSONNEL.--Designate positions to be filled,
16 prescribe qualifications for those positions, and provide for
17 the appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and
18 dismissal of employees as follows, subject to the requirements
19 of chapter 231:
20 (c) Compensation and salary schedules.--Adopt a salary
21 schedule or salary schedules designed to furnish incentives
22 for improvement in training and for continued efficient
23 service to be used as a basis for paying all school employees
24 and fix and authorize the compensation of school employees on
25 the basis thereof. A district school board, in determining the
26 salary schedule for instructional personnel, must base a
27 portion of each employee's compensation on performance
28 demonstrated under s. 231.29, must consider the prior teaching
29 experience of a person who has been designated state teacher
30 of the year by any state in the United States, and must
31 consider prior professional experience in the field of
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1 education gained in positions in addition to district level
2 instructional and administrative positions. In developing the
3 salary schedule, the district school board shall seek input
4 from parents, teachers, and representatives of the business
5 community. By June 30, 2002, or beginning with the full
6 implementation of an annual assessment of learning gains,
7 whichever occurs later, the adopted district school board
8 budget must include a reserve to fully fund an additional
9 percentage 5 percent supplement for school administrators and
10 instructional personnel. The minimum percentage salary
11 increase required to be paid by each district to employees who
12 demonstrate outstanding performance shall be equal to the
13 percentage increase per weighted full-time equivalent student
14 for that same year. The district's performance-pay policy is
15 subject to negotiation as provided in chapter 447; however,
16 the adopted salary schedule must allow school administrators
17 and instructional personnel who demonstrate outstanding
18 performance, as measured under s. 231.29, to earn the
19 percentage a 5 percent supplement in addition to their
20 individual, negotiated salary. The supplements will be funded
21 from the reserve funds adopted in the salary schedule. The
22 Commissioner of Education shall determine whether the district
23 school board's adopted salary schedule complies with the
24 requirement for performance-based pay. If the district school
25 board fails to adopt a plan for compliance for the 2003-2004
26 school year and thereafter comply by the required date, the
27 commissioner shall withhold disbursements from the Educational
28 Enhancement Trust Fund to the district until compliance is
29 verified.
30 Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section
31 231.17, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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1 231.17 Teacher certification requirements.--
2 (6) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.--
3 (c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
4 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
5 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor's
6 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
7 completion of a master's degree program in speech-language
8 impairment.
9
10 Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
11 and is nonrenewable. However, the requirement in paragraph
12 (2)(g) must be met within 2 1 calendar years year of the date
13 of employment under the temporary certificate. A school
14 district shall not employ, or continue the employment of, an
15 individual beyond the 2 1 calendar year time period who has
16 not met the requirement of paragraph (2)(g). The State Board
17 of Education shall adopt rules to allow the department to
18 extend the validity period of a temporary certificate for 2
19 years when the requirements for the professional certificate,
20 not including the requirement in paragraph (2)(g), were not
21 completed due to the serious illness or injury of the
22 applicant or other extraordinary extenuating circumstances.
23 The department shall reissue the temporary certificate for 2
24 additional years upon approval by the Commissioner of
25 Education. A written request for reissuance of the certificate
26 shall be submitted by the superintendent of schools, the
27 governing authority of a developmental research school, the
28 governing authority of a state-supported school, or the
29 governing authority of a nonpublic school.
30 Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 236.08104,
31 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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1 236.08104 Supplemental academic instruction;
2 categorical fund.--
3 (2) Categorical funds for supplemental academic
4 instruction shall be allocated annually to each school
5 district in the amount provided in the General Appropriations
6 Act.
7 (a) These funds shall be in addition to the funds
8 appropriated on the basis of full-time equivalent student
9 (FTE) membership in the Florida Education Finance Program, and
10 shall be included in the total potential funds of each
11 district, and shall be adjusted for inflation and growth.
12 Districts shall be held harmless for funds received pursuant
13 to this section in fiscal year 2000-2001.
14 (b) A district's allocation shall be based on the
15 following:
16 1. One-third of a district's allocation shall be based
17 on the weighted FTE membership enrolled in schools in the
18 district that have been designated as performance grade
19 categories "D" and "F" for the prior year. Such portion of a
20 district's allocation shall be held harmless for a 2-year
21 period.
22 2. Two-thirds of a district's allocation shall be
23 based on the total district weighted FTE membership.
24 (c) These funds shall be used only to provide
25 supplemental academic instruction to students enrolled in the
26 K-12 program. Supplemental instruction strategies may include,
27 but are not limited to: modified curriculum, reading
28 instruction, after-school instruction, tutoring, mentoring,
29 class size reduction, extended school year, intensive skills
30 development in summer school, and other methods for improving
31 student achievement. Supplemental instruction may be provided
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1 to a student in any manner and at any time during or beyond
2 the regular 180-day term identified by the school as being the
3 most effective and efficient way to best help that student
4 progress from grade to grade and to graduate.
5 Section 6. By July 1, 2002, the University of South
6 Florida shall develop and establish at its Tampa campus a
7 rigorous teacher preparation program for highly talented
8 students. The program shall be conducted in conformance with
9 the following requirements:
10 (1) When fully operational, the program must serve 40
11 students annually.
12 (2) Participants must receive full scholarships funded
13 through private donations and other outside sources to cover
14 the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory student fees.
15 (3) Participants in the program shall be required to
16 teach at least 4 years in a Florida public school that has
17 been designated as performance grade category "D" or
18 performance grade category "F," according to s. 229.57,
19 Florida Statutes. Participants who fail to fulfill this
20 requirement shall be required to repay the University of South
21 Florida the amount of annual assistance received for each year
22 of the unfulfilled teaching commitment.
23
24 It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage other
25 universities to review, and consider for adoption, the program
26 established by this section.
27 Section 7. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
28 law.
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2 HOUSE SUMMARY
3
Creates the "Best Schools Act of 2001." Exempts certain
4 students from the statewide assessment program. Revises
the schedule of school performance grade categories to
5 include an additional plus sign designation. Revises the
method for determining school performance categories.
6 Revises the timeframe for implementation of statewide
assessments. Prohibits a school that has shown at least a
7 50 percent increase in performance from being designated
as performance grade category "F." Provides for schools
8 to retain an "A" designation under certain circumstances.
Requires the Legislature to conduct public hearings.
9 Requires the Department of Education to provide
assistance to district school boards regarding the
10 development of local assessments. Revises powers and
duties of district school boards: establishes a minimum
11 percentage salary increase required to be paid by a
district to employees who demonstrate outstanding
12 performance; requires district school boards to adopt a
plan for compliance with performance-based pay
13 provisions; provides additional mechanisms for providing
assistance and intervention for schools needing
14 improvement; and deletes obsolete language. Revises
requirements for receipt of a temporary teaching
15 certificate. Requires that categorical funds for
supplemental academic instruction be adjusted for
16 inflation, provides requirements for determining a
district's allocation, and holds the district harmless
17 for certain funds received. Requires the University of
South Florida to develop and establish a teacher
18 preparation program. Provides program requirements and
legislative intent.
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