Senate Bill sb1684e1

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    CS for SB 1684                                 First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to teacher recruitment;

  3         creating the Transition to Teaching Program;

  4         providing for grant proposals and applications;

  5         requiring an evaluation; authorizing certain

  6         activities and placing limitations on

  7         expenditures; providing for repayment of

  8         certain stipends; providing an effective date.

  9  

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

11  

12         Section 1.  Transition to Teaching Program; Legislative

13  intent.--The Transition to Teaching Program is created to

14  encourage and assist mid-career professionals who want to

15  become teachers.

16         Section 2.  Grants; eligible applicants.--

17         (1)  The Commissioner of Education shall design the

18  process for receiving and evaluating grant proposals in

19  accordance with state and federal appropriations guidelines.

20  Grants may be awarded only to the extent that funding is

21  provided.

22         (2)  The Commissioner of Education shall request

23  proposals from eligible applicants to participate in the

24  program. Each application must:

25         (a)  Describe the target group of career-changing

26  professionals upon which the applicant will focus in carrying

27  out its program, including a description of the

28  characteristics of the target group that shows how the

29  knowledge and experience of its members are likely to improve

30  their ability to become effective teachers.

31  


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    CS for SB 1684                                 First Engrossed



  1         (b)  Describe how the applicant will identify and

  2  recruit program participants.

  3         (c)  Describe how the applicant will ensure that

  4  program participants are placed and teach in eligible school

  5  districts in this state.

  6         (d)  Describe the teacher support services that program

  7  participants will receive throughout at least their first year

  8  of teaching.

  9         (e)  Describe how the applicant will collaborate with

10  other institutions, agencies, or organizations to recruit,

11  train, place, and support program participants, including

12  evidence of the commitment of those institutions, agencies, or

13  organizations to the applicant's program.

14         (3)  The Commissioner of Education must require an

15  evaluation process to measure the progress and effectiveness

16  of the program. This evaluation must include:

17         (a)  The program's goals and objectives.

18         (b)  The performance indicators that the applicant will

19  use to measure the program's progress.

20         (c)  The outcome measures that will be used to

21  determine the program's effectiveness.

22         (d)  An assurance that the applicant will provide the

23  commissioner with information the commissioner finds necessary

24  to determine the overall effectiveness of the programs.

25         Section 3.  Program implementation; authorized

26  expenditures.--

27         (1)  An applicant shall estimate the funds required for

28  the proposed program. All funds provided for a program must be

29  used as authorized in federal guidelines.

30         (2)  Eligible applicants are encouraged to implement

31  the program using the following components:


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    CS for SB 1684                                 First Engrossed



  1         (a)  Recruiting program participants, including

  2  informing them of opportunities under the program and putting

  3  them in contact with other institutions, agencies, or

  4  organizations that will train, place, and support them in the

  5  teaching profession.

  6         (b)  Assisting providers of teacher training to tailor

  7  their training to meet the particular needs of professionals

  8  who are changing their careers to teaching.

  9         (c)  Placement activities, including identifying

10  eligible local education agencies with a need for the skills

11  and characteristics of the newly trained program participants

12  and assisting those participants to obtain employment in those

13  school districts.

14         (d)  Post-placement support activities for program

15  participants.

16         Section 4.  Eligible participants; requirements for

17  grant repayment.--

18         (1)  Each participant who receives a grant from the

19  program to pursue a teacher-preparation program must agree to

20  teach in an eligible school district in this state for at

21  least 3 years after certification. To be eligible, a school

22  district must meet the requirements established in regulations

23  that implement the Omnibus Appropriations Bill of 2000.

24         (2)  The commissioner shall establish conditions under

25  which a participant must repay all or a portion of the

26  training stipend if the participant fails to complete his or

27  her service obligation.

28         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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