Senate Bill sb1334e1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.




    CS for CS for SB 1334, SB 534 & SB 360         First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to school readiness programs;

  3         implementing s. 1(b) and (c), Art. IX of the

  4         State Constitution; creating the voluntary

  5         universal prekindergarten education program;

  6         limiting the application of provisions relating

  7         to school readiness programs; requiring the

  8         State Board of Education to submit a report

  9         with recommendations or options for the

10         curriculum, design, and standards of the

11         voluntary universal prekindergarten education

12         program; directing the Office of Program Policy

13         Analysis and Government Accountability and the

14         Auditor General to conduct audits and submit

15         reports to the Governor and Legislature;

16         providing an effective date.

17  

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

19  

20         Section 1.  Voluntary universal prekindergarten

21  education program.--

22         (1)  The voluntary universal prekindergarten education

23  program shall provide a high-quality prekindergarten learning

24  opportunity in the form of early childhood development and

25  education which is voluntary and free for every child in this

26  state who is 4 years of age. The program must be organized,

27  designed, and delivered in accordance with section 1(b) and

28  (c), Article IX of the State Constitution. Except as otherwise

29  expressly provided by law, sections 411.01-411.011, Florida

30  Statutes, do not apply to the voluntary universal

31  prekindergarten education program.


                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    CS for CS for SB 1334, SB 534 & SB 360         First Engrossed



 1         (2)  The State Board of Education shall conduct a study

 2  on the curriculum, design, and standards for the voluntary

 3  universal prekindergarten education program. By October 1,

 4  2003, the State Board of Education shall submit a report to

 5  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of

 6  the House of Representatives. The Agency for Workforce

 7  Innovation and the Florida Partnership for School Readiness

 8  shall provide any necessary information and coordinate with

 9  the state board. The report must include the recommendations

10  or options of the state board on each of the following program

11  elements:

12         (a)  Curriculum and standards.--Developmentally

13  appropriate curriculum and standards that provide children a

14  high-quality prekindergarten learning opportunity. These

15  curriculum and standards must be designed to:

16         1.  Address and enhance each child's ability to make

17  age-appropriate progress;

18         2.  Provide early childhood development of language and

19  cognitive capabilities;

20         3.  Provide education in basic skills and other

21  appropriate skills; and

22         4.  Deliver early childhood development and education

23  according to professionally accepted standards.

24         (b)  High-quality learning opportunity.--Quality

25  standards that provide children a high-quality prekindergarten

26  learning opportunity. These quality standards must include

27  specific recommendations or options for the expected outcomes

28  of the voluntary universal prekindergarten education program.

29         (c)  Quantity of instruction.--Standards for the

30  quantity of instruction to be provided as voluntary and free

31  for every child in the state who is 4 years of age. These


                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    CS for CS for SB 1334, SB 534 & SB 360         First Engrossed



 1  standards must include specific recommendations or options for

 2  each of the following elements:

 3         1.  Hours per day; and

 4         2.  Days per year.

 5         (d)  Delivery system.--Standards for providers in order

 6  to deliver children a high-quality prekindergarten learning

 7  opportunity. These standards must include specific

 8  recommendations or options for each of the following elements:

 9         1.  Appropriate range of settings, including both

10  public and private providers, with consideration of the

11  capacity in each available setting;

12         2.  Licensing or regulatory requirements for providers;

13         3.  Health and safety requirements for providers; and

14         4.  Parental choice.

15         (e)  Assessment and evaluation.--Methods for measuring

16  the performance of the voluntary universal prekindergarten

17  education program. These methods must include specific

18  recommendations or options for each of the following elements:

19         1.  Assessment of age-appropriate progress for each

20  child;

21         2.  Evaluation of outcome measures for each provider in

22  each setting; and

23         3.  Evaluation of school readiness coalitions.

24         (f)  Funding.--Estimated cost per full-time-equivalent

25  child of the recommended curriculum, design, and standards.

26  This cost estimate must consider funding for each of the state

27  board's recommendations or options for each of the program

28  elements described in this subsection.

29         (3)  The report must also include the state board's

30  recommendations or options for best practices to improve the

31  outcomes of school readiness coalitions and providers.


                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    CS for CS for SB 1334, SB 534 & SB 360         First Engrossed



 1         Section 2.  Audits.--

 2         (1)  Performance Audit.--The Office of Program Policy

 3  Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct a

 4  performance audit of the school readiness programs

 5  administered by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness,

 6  the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the school readiness

 7  coalitions for fiscal years 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and

 8  2002-2003. The audit shall reassess the implementation,

 9  efficiency, and outcomes of the school readiness programs and

10  shall examine the progress achieved by the Florida Partnership

11  for School Readiness and the school readiness coalitions in

12  response to the office's findings and recommendations reported

13  under section 411.01(11), Florida Statutes. The office shall

14  also:

15         (a)  Monitor the study conducted by the State Board of

16  Education on the voluntary universal prekindergarten education

17  program;

18         (b)  Evaluate the ability of the school readiness

19  system to effectively implement the voluntary universal

20  prekindergarten education program based upon the state board's

21  recommendations or options for curriculum, design, and

22  standards for the program; and

23         (c)  Identify modifications or options for the school

24  readiness system necessary to effectively implement the

25  voluntary universal prekindergarten education program.

26  

27  A report of the audit's findings and recommendations or

28  options shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of

29  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

30  January 15, 2004.

31  


                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    CS for CS for SB 1334, SB 534 & SB 360         First Engrossed



 1         (2)  Financial and Operational Audit.--The Auditor

 2  General shall conduct a financial and operational audit of the

 3  school readiness programs administered by the Florida

 4  Partnership for School Readiness, the Agency for Workforce

 5  Innovation, and the school readiness coalitions for fiscal

 6  years 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003. The Auditor General

 7  shall also examine compliance with state and federal law and

 8  with rules adopted by the Florida Partnership for School

 9  Readiness and shall review  implementation of the school

10  readiness plans for compliance with the approved plans. A

11  report of the audit's findings and recommendations or options

12  shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the

13  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

14  January 15, 2004.

15  

16  While the audits are being conducted pursuant to this section,

17  local school readiness coalitions shall refrain from

18  initiating new long-term fiscal commitments.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

20  law.

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  


                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.