990019 No. 79 HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL AMENDMENT HB1807 CHAMBER ACTION SENATE . HOUSE . . . . . ________________________________________________________________________ ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW ________________________________________________________________________ Representative(s):Frankel, Richardson, Justice, and Harper offered the following amendment:In Section: 01 On Page: 001 Specific Appropriation: 4A ________________________________________________________________________Explanation: Reduces the School Recognition Program by $113,582,808, Teacher Recruitment and Retention by $24,264,000,and Assessment and Evaluation by $32,153,192, to provide $170,000,000 for Teacher Salary Improvement. DELETE INSERT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF, AND COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION Public Schools, Division Of Program: State Grants/K-12 Programs - FEFP In Section 01 On Page 001 4A Aid To Local Governments Grants And Aids - District Lottery And School Recognition Program From Educational Enhancement Trust 280,609,000 0 Fund Immediately following Specific Appropriation 4A, DELETE: Funds in Specific Appropriation 4A are provided as enhancement funds for school districts and shall be allocated as follows: a) One half of the funds in Specific Appropriation 4A shall be990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 1 allocated by prorating the amount of the appropriation on each district's K-12 base funding entitlement. Prior to the expenditure of these funds, each district shall establish policies and procedures that define enhancement and the types of expenditures that will be consistent with that definition. From the portion of funds allocated pursuant to this paragraph, school boards must allocate, not later than October 1, 2001, at least $10 per unweighted FTE student to be used at the discretion of the school advisory council or, in the absence of such, at the discretion of the staff and parents of the school. A portion of these funds shall be used for implementing the school improvement plan. The improvement plan shall include performance indicators which are measurable. Funding for use by the school advisory councils shall be allocated directly to the school advisory councils and shall be earmarked for the councils' use. Council funds are not subject to override by the principal or interim approvals by school district staff. Council funds must be accounted for and are subject to being audited on a yearly basis. b) The remaining one half of the funds provided in Specific Appropriation 4A shall be used to fund financial awards pursuant to provisions of s. 231.2905, F.S., relating to the Florida School Recognition Program, and to fund the provisions of s. 236.08106, F.S. relating to the Excellent Teaching Program. Funds for the School Recognition Program shall be awarded by the Commissioner in the amount of $100 per student in each qualifying school. From the funds appropriated in Specific Appropriations 4A and 127, payment shall be made to school districts in the amount of the employer's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65%) for those teachers who qualify for national board certification and receive bonus amounts consistent with the provisions of s. 236.08106, F.S. c) Any funds remaining after the obligations in paragraph (b) have been fully met shall be allocated to all school districts as provided in paragraph (a), and shall be subject to the expenditure requirements of that paragraph. The Commissioner of Education shall develop a process such that estimated payments for the School Recognition program and Excellent Teaching program shall be determined by December 31, 2001, so that the balance of funds shall be allocated for the District Lottery program. Program: State Grants K/12 Program - Non FEFP In Section 01 On Page 002 6A Aid To Local Governments Grants And Aids - Teacher Recruitment And Retention From Educational Enhancement Trust 24,764,000 500,000 Fund990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 2 DELETE the proviso immediately following Specific Appropriation 6A: From the funds in Specific Appropriation 6A, $24,264,000 is provided to make the recruitment and retention of the best possible qualified teacher for every classroom a priority for the state and for each school district. These funds may be used in a variety of ways, depending on the specific need of each district. Funds may be used to implement recommendations of the Task Force on Florida's Education Workforce including scholarships for teachers. Funds may also be used to provide a signing bonus of at least $1,000 for classroom teachers hired for the first time in Florida. These signing bonuses would be available for out of state teachers entering Florida and for individuals from Florida entering the teaching profession. Teachers eligible for signing bonuses include all personnel defined in s. 228.041(9)(a), Florida Statutes. Funds may be used to provide other bonuses to classroom teachers such as teachers in schools with a performance grade of "D" or "F" , and outstanding teachers who would otherwise leave. These funds shall be allocated on each district's share of total unweighted FTE. From the funds in Specific Appropriation 6A, $500,000 shall be transferred to the Executive Office of the Governor to provide a state level web site for teacher recruitment and referral. and insert in lieu thereof: From the funds in Specific Appropriation 6A, $500,000 is provided for the state level web site for teacher recruitment and referral. Program: State Oversight & Assistance - Public Schools In Section 02 On Page 018 112 Special Categories Assessment And Evaluation From General Revenue Fund 32,153,192 0 From Principal State School Trust 5,700,000 5,700,000 Fund From Sophomore Level Test Trust 782,107 782,107 Fund From Teacher Certification 3,605,776 3,605,776 Examination Trust Fund In Section 02, on Page 18, DELETE the following: Funds in Specific Appropriation 112 shall be used by the Commissioner of Education in FY 2001-2002, to enter into contracts for the continued administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may be initiated in one fiscal year and continue into the next, and may be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years. For the Florida990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 3 Comprehensive Assessment Test, only firms which can provide test results by no less than two weeks before the end of the school year shall be considered. Funds in Specific Appropriation 112 may be used for research and analysis of existing data available through Florida's education, evaluation and assessment programs. The Commissioner of Education is authorized to negotiate for the sale or lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services and related materials developed pursuant to state statutes. From funds in Specific Appropriation 112, $1,600,000 from the General Revenue Fund is provided for the statewide administration to all tenth grade students of the preliminary SAT or ACT college entrance examinations. Test results will provide each high school with a database of student assessment data to be used by guidance counselors to identify students who are ready or who need additional work to be prepared to enroll and be successful in advanced placement and other higher level college preparatory courses. Each school district shall choose either the PSAT or ACT. School districts shall submit documentation of the number of students taking examinations to the Commissioner of Education. The department shall pay the cost of the preliminary college entrance examinations directly to the providers. From funds in Specific Appropriation 112, $1,639,764 from the General Revenue Fund is provided for the administration of School Readiness Uniform Screening. Funds shall be used for the purchase of the test instruments, training, scoring and systems processing. The results of such assessment shall become part of each student's record in the automated student database and shall identify by code the early childhood provider during the year prior to enrollment in kindergarten. and insert in lieu thereof: From funds in Specific Appropriation 112, $750,000 from the Principal State School Trust Fund shall be used to conduct an independent review of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to determine if the instrument is suitable to fairly assess adequate student progress, adequate school performance, and adequate teacher performance. The review shall include, but is not limited to, a determination as to whether the test is a reliable and valid instrument; whether it is aligned adequately with the Sunshine State Standards; whether it accurately and fairly measures what students have learned independent of their socioeconomic background and readiness for the subject matter being studied; whether the test can accurately reflect annual student learning gains within a school; and whether it can accurately evaluate teacher performance. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), in consultation with the Department of Education, shall conduct a national search and request for proposals990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 4 to identify suitable independent, research organization, or organizations, to conduct the review. The office shall provide the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate with quarterly updates of their progress. The Commissioner of Education is authorized to negotiate for the sale or lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services and related materials developed pursuant to state statutes. Any revenue received shall be used for assessment and evaluation. From funds in Specific Appropriation 112, $1,600,000 from the Principal State School Trust Fund is provided for the statewide administration to all tenth grade students of the preliminary SAT or ACT college entrance examinations. Test results will provide each high school with a database of student assessment data to be used by guidance counselors to identify students who are ready or who need additional work to be prepared to enroll and be successful in advanced placement and other higher level college preparatory courses. Each school district shall choose either the PSAT or ACT. School districts shall submit documentation of the number of students taking examinations to the Commissioner of Education. The department shall pay the cost of the preliminary college entrance examinations directly to the providers. From funds in Specific Appropriation 112, $1,639,764 from the Principal State School Trust Fund is provided for the administration of School Readiness Uniform Screening. Funds shall be used for the purchase of the test instruments, training, scoring and systems processing. Program: State Grants/K-12 Programs - FEFP In Section 01 On Page 002 4B Aid To Local Governments Grants and Aids - District Lottery and Excellent Teaching From Educational Enhancement Trust 167,026,192 Fund In Section 01 On Page 001 Immediately following Specific Appropriation 4B, INSERT: Funds in Specific Appropriation 4B are provided as enhancement funds for school districts and shall be allocated as follows: a) $140,304,500 in Specific Appropriation 4B shall be allocated by prorating the amount of the appropriation on each district's K-12 base funding entitlement. Prior to the expenditure of these funds, each district shall establish policies and procedures that define enhancement and the types of expenditures that will be consistent with990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 5 that definition. From the portion of funds allocated pursuant to this paragraph, school boards must allocate, not later than October 1, 2001, at least $10 per unweighted FTE student to be used at the discretion of the school advisory council or, in the absence of such, at the discretion of the staff and parents of the school. A portion of these funds shall be used for implementing the school improvement plan. The improvement plan shall include performance indicators which are measurable. Funding for use by the school advisory councils shall be allocated directly to the school advisory councils and shall be earmarked for the councils' use. Council funds are not subject to override by the principal or interim approvals by school district staff. Council funds must be accounted for and are subject to being audited on a yearly basis. b) $26,721,692 of the funds provided in Specific Appropriation 4B shall be used to fund the provisions of s. 236.08106, F.S. relating to the Excellent Teaching Program. From the funds appropriated in Specific Appropriations 4B and 127, payment shall be made to school districts in the amount of the employer's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65%) for those teachers who qualify for national board certification and receive bonus amounts consistent with the provisions of s. 236.08106, F.S. c) Any funds remaining after the obligations in paragraph (b) have been fully met shall be allocated to all school districts as provided in paragraph (a), and shall be subject to the expenditure requirements of that paragraph. The Commissioner of Education shall develop a process such that estimated payments for the Excellent Teaching program shall be determined by December 31, 2001, so that the balance of funds shall be allocated for the District Lottery program. In Section 02 On Page 022 118A Aid To Local Governments G/A - Teacher Salary Improvement From General Revenue Fund 32,153,192 In Section 02 On Page 001 Following Specific Appropriation 118A, INSERT: Funds in Specific Appropriation 118A and 4C are allocated to school districts based on WFTE X DCD. In Section 01 On Page 002 4C Aid To Local Governments G/A - Teacher Salary Improvement990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 6 From Educational Enhancement Trust 137,846,808 Fund Following Specific Appropriation 4C, INSERT: Funds in Specific Appropriations 4C and 118A are allocated to school districts based on WFTE X DCD.
Line item amendments are accepted as part of the amendatory process. However, due to the necessity of using computerized systems this may entail a different placement within a budget entity or the renumbering of the specific appropriation items. 990019 Log:0061 JMA/JMA 03/29/01 06:58:55 PM House Page: 7