House Bill hb1653
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
By Representative Rich
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Student Achievement
3 Guarantee in Education (SAGE) Act; providing a
4 short title; establishing the Student
5 Achievement Guarantee in Education program to
6 facilitate improvements in the academic
7 achievement of low-income students; providing
8 criteria for participation in the program;
9 establishing an application process; requiring
10 the Department of Education to review and
11 approve applications based on standards adopted
12 by the department; establishing SAGE program
13 requirements; requiring a contract between the
14 Department of Education and the district school
15 board of each participating school district;
16 providing for the award of funds; providing for
17 annual reviews by the department; requiring a
18 report to the Legislature; authorizing the
19 adoption of rules; providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Student Achievement Guarantee in Education
24 (SAGE) program.--
25 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
26 "Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) Act."
27 (2) PURPOSE.--The purpose of this act is to facilitate
28 improvement in the academic achievement of economically
29 disadvantaged students.
30 (3) ELIGIBILITY.--
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
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1 (a) Any elementary school in which at least 50 percent
2 of the children enrolled in the school during the previous
3 school year were from low-income families shall be eligible
4 for participation in the SAGE program.
5 (b) For purposes of this section, the number of
6 children in the school district from low-income families shall
7 be determined using one of the following indicators of
8 poverty, or a composite of such indicators, as determined by
9 the Department of Education:
10 1. The number of children ages 5 through 17 in poverty
11 counted in the most recent United States Census data.
12 2. The number of children eligible for free and
13 reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National
14 School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. ss. 1751 et seq.
15 3. The number of children in families receiving
16 assistance under the state program funded under part A of
17 Title IV of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. ss. 601 et seq.
18 4. The number of children eligible to receive medical
19 assistance under the Medicaid program.
20 (4) APPLICATION.--The school board of a school
21 district in which there is an eligible school may apply to the
22 Department of Education for participation in the SAGE program.
23 Such application shall include:
24 (a) The number of schools, classrooms, and students to
25 participate in the program, based on the funding provisions of
26 subsection (6).
27 (b) Specific performance objectives relating to
28 student academic achievement, professional development, and
29 parental involvement.
30 (c) A proposal for meeting the requirements of the
31 achievement guarantee contract required by subsection (5).
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
790-103-01
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2 The department shall evaluate and prioritize applications for
3 participation in the SAGE program based on need and the merits
4 of the proposal, pursuant to standards developed by the
5 department. The department shall, subject to funding
6 availability, approve or deny such applications based on such
7 prioritization, and award funds pursuant to subsection (6).
8 (5) SAGE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--The district school
9 board of a school district approved for participation in the
10 SAGE program shall be required to enter into a 5-year
11 achievement guarantee contract with the Department of
12 Education on behalf of each participating school. The
13 achievement guarantee contract shall include the provisions
14 included in the approved application for participation and
15 shall require:
16 (a) The district school board to achieve class sizes
17 of no greater than 15 students per full-time classroom teacher
18 in each participating classroom. As used in this subsection,
19 "class size" means the number of students assigned to a
20 full-time classroom teacher during the first period full-time
21 equivalent student membership survey. The district school
22 board must delineate how the class size requirements will be
23 met in each participating school, including any alternative
24 class configurations.
25 (b) The district school board to ensure that each
26 school remains open every day from before school hours until
27 late in the day, as specified in the achievement guarantee
28 contract.
29 (c) Collaboration with community organizations to make
30 educational and recreational opportunities, as well as a
31 variety of community and social services, available in the
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
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1 participating schools for the residents of the school
2 district.
3 (d) A rigorous academic curriculum for participating
4 students, designed to improve student academic achievement. In
5 consultation with the department and with the participation of
6 the teachers, administrators, and parents of students at
7 participating schools, the district school board shall review
8 the curriculum of each participating school to determine how
9 well it promotes student academic achievement and, if
10 necessary, revise such curriculum to improve student
11 achievement.
12 (e) The provision of staff development opportunities
13 and accountability measures for administrative and
14 instructional personnel in the participating schools. The
15 district school board shall:
16 1. Develop a 1-year program for all newly hired
17 administrative and instructional personnel that assists in the
18 transition from their previous employment to their current
19 employment.
20 2. Ensure that instructional and administrative
21 personnel are provided adequate time to collaborate and plan.
22 3. Require that each classroom teacher and
23 administrator submit to the school board a professional
24 development plan that focuses on how the individual will help
25 improve student academic achievement. The plan shall include
26 methods of evaluation of student academic achievement and a
27 method by which a classroom teacher or administrator will
28 receive evaluations from a variety of sources on the success
29 of his or her efforts.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
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1 4. Regularly review staff development plans to
2 determine if the methods included in the plans are effective
3 in improving student academic achievement.
4 5. Establish an evaluation process for instructional
5 and administrative personnel that:
6 a. Identifies individual strengths and weaknesses and
7 clearly describes areas in need of improvement.
8 b. Includes a support plan that provides opportunities
9 to learn and improve.
10 c. Systematically documents performance in accordance
11 with the plan required by subparagraph 3.
12 d. Allows professional staff members to comment on and
13 contribute to revisions in the evaluation process.
14 e. Provides for the dismissal of instructional and
15 administrative personnel whose failure to learn and improve
16 has been documented over a 2-year period.
17 (f) The attainment of performance objectives included
18 in the application for participation.
19 (6) FUNDING.--To the extent that funding is provided
20 annually by the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act
21 specifically for purposes of this section, the Department of
22 Education shall award:
23 (a) $60,000 for one elementary school to each eligible
24 district in which there are fewer than 10,000 students.
25 (b) $180,000 for three elementary schools to each
26 eligible district in which there are between 10,000 and
27 100,000 students.
28 (c) $300,000 for five elementary schools to each
29 eligible district in which there are greater than 100,000
30 students.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 HB 1653
790-103-01
1 If funds allocated in accordance with this subsection are
2 insufficient to serve all eligible schools in a district, the
3 district school board shall annually rank the eligible schools
4 from highest to lowest according to the percentage of children
5 from low-income families and serve such eligible schools in
6 rank order.
7 (7) ANNUAL REVIEW.--The Department of Education shall:
8 (a) Annually review the program of each participating
9 school district to determine compliance with the provisions of
10 the contract entered into pursuant to subsection (5). The
11 department may terminate the contract of any district found
12 not to be in compliance with the provisions of the contract.
13 (b) Annually prepare and submit to the Legislature a
14 report on the effectiveness of the SAGE program regarding
15 increasing student achievement.
16 (8) RULES.--The Department of Education may adopt
17 rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes,
18 to implement the provisions of this section.
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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22 HOUSE SUMMARY
23
Creates the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education
24 (SAGE) program to facilitate improvement in the academic
achievement of low-income students. Provides criteria for
25 participation in the program. Establishes an application
process and requires the Department of Education to
26 review and approve applications based on standards
adopted by the department. Establishes SAGE program
27 requirements. Requires a contract between the Department
of Education and the district school board of each
28 participating school district. Provides for the award of
funds. Provides for annual reviews by the department.
29 Requires a report to the Legislature. Authorizes the
adoption of rules.
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