House Bill hb1375
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1375
By Representative Fiorentino
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the student financial
3 assistance; creating s. 240.4061, F.S.;
4 establishing the "Chappie" James Teach Florida
5 scholarship loan program to provide scholarship
6 loans and summer institutes for program
7 participants; requiring the Department of
8 Education to develop and coordinate summer
9 institutes; authorizing the department to
10 compensate school district staff who serve as
11 staff of summer institutes; providing student
12 eligibility requirements; requiring for
13 repayment of a scholarship loan under certain
14 circumstances; authorizing the adoption of
15 rules; amending s. 240.4063, F.S.; revising the
16 name of the Florida Teacher Scholarship and
17 Forgivable Loan Program; eliminating the
18 "Chappie" James Most Promising Teacher
19 Scholarship; amending s. 240.4065, F.S.;
20 clarifying provisions relating to past
21 recipients of the "Chappie" James Most
22 Promising Teacher Scholarship; providing an
23 effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Section 240.4061, Florida Statutes, is
28 created to read:
29 240.4061 "Chappie" James Teach Florida scholarship
30 loan program.--
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1375
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1 (1) There is created the "Chappie" James Teach Florida
2 scholarship loan program to be administered by the Department
3 of Education. It is the intent of the Legislature to attract
4 capable and promising high school students to the teaching
5 profession through the provision of scholarship loans, and to
6 provide an academically and culturally enriched program that
7 extends beyond the regular college program.
8 (2) To the extent that funds are provided annually by
9 the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act specifically
10 for purposes of this section, the Department of Education
11 shall:
12 (a) Provide Teach Florida program participants a
13 scholarship loan to be used for enrollment in a state-approved
14 teacher education program at a state university, a community
15 college, or an independent postsecondary institution as
16 defined by s. 240.605. The amount of the annual award shall
17 be:
18 1. The average cost of full-time tuition and fees at a
19 state university per year, plus an educational allowance, for
20 those participants who attend a state-approved teacher
21 education program at a state university or independent
22 postsecondary institution.
23 2. The average cost of full-time tuition and fees at a
24 community college per year, plus an educational allowance, for
25 those participants who attend a state-approved teacher
26 education program at a community college.
27
28 An award recipient who is enrolled less than full time shall
29 be awarded a prorated amount.
30 (b) Conduct the following summer institutes, developed
31 and coordinated by the Department of Education to enhance the
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1375
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1 campus program and give insights into the challenges facing
2 these students when they enter the classroom:
3 1. Rising sophomore participants shall participate in
4 a "discovery trip" across Florida, with seminars that focus on
5 multicultural education and diversity.
6 2. Rising junior participants shall participate in a
7 seminar on classroom management and teacher leadership,
8 staffed by outstanding teachers identified by the Department
9 of Education, who shall work with small groups of Teach
10 Florida participants.
11 3. Rising senior participants shall participate in an
12 orientation week designed to give participants an introduction
13 to the school system community and an understanding of the
14 overall operation of a school district. Such orientation may
15 include a paid internship, provided by the school district,
16 following the orientation week.
17
18 A student may participate in the program for up to 110 percent
19 of the number of college credit hours required for completion
20 of the teacher education program. The department may
21 compensate school district staff who serve as staff in summer
22 institute programs.
23 (3) To be eligible to receive a "Chappie" James Teach
24 Florida scholarship loan, an applicant must:
25 (a) Meet the general requirements for student
26 eligibility for state financial aid, pursuant to s. 240.404,
27 except as otherwise provided in this section.
28 (b) Be accepted to, or enrolled in, a state-approved
29 teacher education program and must enroll for a minimum of 6
30 semester hours, or the equivalent, per term.
31 (c) If applying as a high school senior:
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1375
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1 1. Have earned a minimum cumulative grade point
2 average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in high
3 school courses that are identified by the State Board of
4 Community Colleges and adopted by the Board of Regents as
5 being college preparatory academic courses.
6 2. Have received at least a score of 970 on the
7 combined verbal and quantitative parts of the recentered
8 Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination
9 Board, or an equivalent score on the American College Testing
10 Program.
11 (d) If applying as a college student, have earned the
12 equivalent of a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for
13 all postsecondary education work attempted.
14 (e) Agree to, within 7 years, complete 1/2 year of
15 teaching service in a publicly funded Florida school for each
16 semester, or the equivalent thereof, for which a forgivable
17 loan is received pursuant to this section. For purposes of
18 this section, the term "publicly funded school" means a school
19 that receives at least 75 percent of its operating costs from
20 governmental agencies, including schools that operate
21 educational programs under contract with a public school
22 district or the Department of Education.
23 (4) To receive a renewal award, a Teach Florida
24 participant must:
25 (a) Have earned the equivalent of a grade point
26 average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all postsecondary education
27 work attempted.
28 (b) Have completed, during the terms for which aid was
29 received, a minimum of 12 credits per term of full-time
30 assistance and a minimum of 6 credits per term of part-time
31 assistance, or the equivalent thereof, annually.
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2 If, at any time during the eligibility period, a student's
3 grades are insufficient to renew the scholarship, the student
4 may restore eligibility by improving the grade point average
5 to the required level. A student is eligible for such a
6 reinstatement only once.
7 (5) A scholarship loan recipient shall receive credit
8 toward the fulfillment of the teaching requirement of
9 subsection (3) for teaching service rendered at any time
10 during the repayment period; however, such teaching credit
11 shall be applicable only to the current balance of principal
12 and accrued interest. No forgivable loan recipient shall be
13 reimbursed for any previous monetary repayment of scholarship
14 loan funds received. Any Teach Florida award recipient that
15 fails to fulfill the teaching requirement of subsection (3)
16 shall be responsible for repaying the amount of the forgivable
17 loan, plus accrued interest, that has not been reimbursed
18 through teaching service rendered.
19 (a) Such repayment must be completed no later than 10
20 years after the last semester of participation in the program.
21 (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
22 regarding repayment schedules and applicable interest rates,
23 pursuant to ss. 240.451 and 240.465.
24 (c) An award recipient who is unable to fulfill the
25 teaching requirement due to his or her death or permanent
26 disability shall not be required to repay the funds awarded
27 pursuant to this section.
28 (d) Funds repaid according to this section shall be
29 deposited into the Education Enhancement Trust Fund, to be
30 used for purposes of this section.
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1 (6) The Legislature shall annually appropriate an
2 amount sufficient to carry out the provisions of this section,
3 which shall include funds for the participation of 5,000
4 students annually. Funds appropriated specifically for
5 purposes of the "Chappie" James Teach Florida scholarship loan
6 program shall be deposited into the State Student Financial
7 Assistance Trust Fund pursuant to s. 240.40.
8 (7) The Department of Education may adopt rules
9 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the
10 provisions of this section.
11 Section 2. Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraph (a)
12 of subsection (3) of section 240.4063, Florida Statutes, are
13 amended to read:
14 240.4063 Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Scholarship
15 and Forgivable Loan Program.--
16 (1) There is created the Florida Critical Teacher
17 Shortage Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Program to be
18 administered by the Department of Education. The program shall
19 provide scholarship assistance to eligible students for
20 lower-division undergraduate study and loan assistance to
21 eligible students for upper-division undergraduate and
22 graduate study. The primary purpose of the program is to
23 attract capable and promising students to the teaching
24 profession, attract teachers to areas of projected or current
25 critical teacher shortage, attract liberal arts and science
26 graduates to teaching, and provide opportunity for persons
27 making midcareer decisions to enter the teaching profession.
28 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules necessary to
29 administer the program and shall annually identify critical
30 teacher shortage areas, pursuant to s. 231.62.
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1 (2) Within the Florida Teacher Scholarship and
2 Forgivable Loan Program shall be established the "Chappie"
3 James Most Promising Teacher Scholarship which shall be
4 offered to a top graduating senior from each public secondary
5 school in the state. An additional number of "Chappie" James
6 Most Promising Teacher Scholarship awards shall be offered
7 annually to graduating seniors from nonpublic secondary
8 schools in the state which are listed with the Department of
9 Education and accredited by the Southern Association of
10 Colleges and Schools or any other private statewide
11 accrediting agency which makes public its standards,
12 procedures, and member schools. The nonpublic secondary
13 schools shall be in compliance with regulations of the Office
14 for Civil Rights. The number of awards to nonpublic secondary
15 school students shall be proportional to the number of awards
16 available to public secondary school students and shall be
17 calculated as the ratio of the number of nonpublic to public
18 secondary school seniors in the state multiplied by the number
19 of public secondary schools in the state.
20 (a) The scholarship may be used for attendance at a
21 state university, a community college, or an independent
22 institution as defined in s. 240.605.
23 (b) The amount of the scholarship is $1,500 and may be
24 renewed for 1 year if the student earns a 2.5 cumulative grade
25 point average and 12 credit hours per term and meets the
26 eligibility requirements for renewal of the award.
27 (c) To be eligible for the scholarship, a student
28 shall: be ranked within the top quartile of the senior class;
29 have been an active member of a high school future teacher
30 organization, if such organization exists in the student's
31 school; have earned a minimum unweighted cumulative grade
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1 point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; file an application
2 within the application period; meet the general requirements
3 for student eligibility as provided in s. 240.404, except as
4 otherwise provided in this section; and have the intent to
5 enter the public teaching profession in Florida.
6 (d) Three candidates from each public secondary school
7 and one candidate from each nonpublic secondary school in the
8 state shall be nominated by the principal and a committee of
9 teachers, based on criteria which shall include, but need not
10 be limited to, rank in class, standardized test scores,
11 cumulative grade point average, extracurricular activities,
12 letters of recommendation, an essay, and a declaration of
13 intention to teach in a public school in the state.
14 (e) From public secondary school nominees, the
15 Commissioner of Education shall select a graduating senior
16 from each public high school to receive a scholarship.
17 Selection of recipients from nonpublic secondary schools shall
18 be made by a committee appointed by the Commissioner of
19 Education comprised of representatives from nonpublic
20 secondary schools and the Department of Education.
21 (f) Fifteen percent of scholarships awarded shall be
22 to minority students. However, in the event that fewer than 15
23 percent of the total eligible nominees are minority students,
24 the commissioner may allocate all award funds as long as a
25 scholarship loan is reserved for each eligible minority
26 nominee.
27 (3)(a) Within The Florida Critical Teacher Shortage
28 Scholarship and Forgivable Loan Program shall be established
29 the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Forgivable Loan Program
30 which shall make undergraduate and graduate forgivable loans
31 available to eligible students entering programs of study that
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1 lead to a degree in a teaching program in a critical teacher
2 shortage area. To be eligible for a program loan, a candidate
3 shall:
4 1. Be a full-time student at the upper-division
5 undergraduate or graduate level in a teacher training program
6 approved by the department pursuant to s. 240.529 leading to
7 certification in a critical teacher shortage subject area.
8 2. Have declared an intent to teach, for at least the
9 number of years for which a forgivable loan is received, in
10 publicly funded elementary or secondary schools of Florida in
11 a critical teacher shortage area identified by the State Board
12 of Education. For purposes of this subsection, a school is
13 publicly funded if it receives at least 75 percent of its
14 operating costs from governmental agencies and operates its
15 educational program under contract with a public school
16 district or the Department of Education.
17 3. Meet the general requirements for student
18 eligibility as provided in s. 240.404, except as otherwise
19 provided in this section.
20 4. If applying for an undergraduate forgivable loan,
21 have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of
22 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work. Renewal
23 applicants for undergraduate loans shall maintain a minimum
24 cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0
25 scale for all undergraduate work and have earned at least 12
26 semester credits per term, or the equivalent.
27 5. If applying for a graduate forgivable loan, have
28 maintained an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of
29 at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or have attained a Graduate
30 Record Examination score of at least 1,000. Renewal applicants
31 for graduate loans shall maintain a minimum cumulative grade
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1 point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all
2 graduate work and have earned at least 9 semester credits per
3 term, or the equivalent.
4 Section 3. Section 240.4065, Florida Statutes, is
5 amended to read:
6 240.4065 Critical Teacher Shortage Program.--There is
7 created the Critical Teacher Shortage Program. Funds
8 appropriated by the Legislature for the program shall be
9 deposited in the State Student Financial Assistance Trust
10 Fund. The Comptroller shall authorize expenditures from the
11 trust fund upon receipt of vouchers approved by the Department
12 of Education for the critical teacher shortage programs
13 established in s. 231.621, s. 240.4063, or s. 240.4064. The
14 Comptroller shall also authorize expenditures from the trust
15 fund for the "Chappie" James Most Promising Teacher
16 Scholarship Loan Program participants and the Critical Teacher
17 Shortage Scholarship Loan Program recipients who participated
18 in these programs prior to July 1, 1993, provided that such
19 students continue to meet the renewal eligibility requirements
20 that were in effect at the time that their original awards
21 were made. Students who participated in the "Chappie" James
22 Most Promising Teacher Scholarship Loan Program prior to July
23 1, 1993, shall not have their awards reduced as a result of
24 the addition of new students to the program. All scholarship
25 loan repayments pursuant to s. 240.4063 shall be deposited
26 into the State Student Financial Assistance Trust Fund. Any
27 remaining balance at the end of any fiscal year that has been
28 allocated to the program shall remain in the trust fund and be
29 available for the individual programs in future years.
30 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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2 HOUSE SUMMARY
3
Establishes the "Chappie" James Teach Florida scholarship
4 loan program to provide scholarship loans and summer
institutes for program participants. Requires the
5 Department of Education to develop and coordinate summer
institutes. Authorizes the department to compensate
6 school district staff who serve as staff of summer
institutes. Provides student eligibility requirements.
7 Requires the repayment of a scholarship loan under
certain circumstances. Authorizes the adoption of rules.
8 Revises the name of the Florida Teacher Scholarship and
Forgivable Loan Program. Eliminates the "Chappie" James
9 Most Promising Teacher Scholarship. Clarifies provisions
relating to past recipients of the "Chappie" James Most
10 Promising Teacher Scholarship.
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