Senate Bill sb3036c2
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for CS for SB 3036
By the Committees on Appropriations; Education; and Senators
Carlton, Constantine and Cowin
309-2535-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to early childhood education;
3 creating part V of ch. 1002, F.S.; creating the
4 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program;
5 implementing s. 1(b) and (c), Art. IX of the
6 State Constitution; providing definitions for
7 purposes of the program; providing eligibility
8 and enrollment requirements; authorizing
9 parents to enroll their children in a program
10 delivered by a child development provider, a
11 summer program delivered by a public school, or
12 a school-year program delivered by a public
13 school; requiring school districts to admit all
14 eligible children in the summer program;
15 prohibiting specified acts of discrimination
16 and certain limits on enrollment; specifying
17 eligibility requirements for child development
18 providers and public schools that deliver the
19 program; providing for the adoption of rules;
20 requiring the Department of Education establish
21 a credential for prekindergarten directors and
22 an emergent literacy training course for
23 teachers and child care personnel of the
24 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program;
25 providing that the credential and course
26 satisfy certain credentialing and training
27 requirements; specifying eligibility
28 requirements for school districts that deliver
29 the school-year prekindergarten program;
30 creating a demonstration program in specified
31 school districts; directing the Office of
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1 Program Policy Analysis and Government
2 Accountability to evaluate the demonstration
3 program; requiring the demonstration districts
4 to submit data; providing for the future
5 expiration of the demonstration program;
6 authorizing providers and schools to select or
7 design curricula used for the program under
8 specified conditions; directing the Department
9 of Education to adopt performance standards and
10 approve curricula; requiring providers and
11 schools to be placed on probation and use the
12 approved curricula under certain circumstances;
13 requiring improvement plans and corrective
14 actions from providers and schools under
15 certain circumstances; requiring regional child
16 development boards and school districts to
17 verify the compliance of child development
18 providers and public schools; authorizing the
19 removal of providers and schools from
20 eligibility to deliver the program for
21 noncompliance; requiring the Department of
22 Education to adopt a statewide kindergarten
23 screening; requiring certain students to take
24 the statewide screening; specifying
25 requirements for screening instruments and
26 kindergarten readiness rates; providing funding
27 and reporting requirements; specifying the
28 calculation of per-student allocations;
29 providing for advance payments to child
30 development providers and public schools based
31 upon student enrollment; providing for the
2
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1 documentation and certification of student
2 attendance; requiring parents to verify student
3 attendance and certify the choice of provider
4 or school; providing for the reconciliation of
5 advance payments based upon certified student
6 attendance; requiring students to comply with
7 attendance policies and authorizing the
8 dismissal of students for noncompliance;
9 prohibiting regional child development boards
10 from withholding funds for administrative
11 costs; providing for the allocation of
12 administrative funds among regional child
13 development boards; prohibiting certain fees or
14 charges; limiting the use of state funds;
15 providing powers and duties of the Department
16 of Education, the Division of Early Childhood
17 Education, and the Chancellor for Early
18 Childhood Education; requiring the Department
19 of Education to adopt procedures for the
20 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program;
21 limiting the department's authority; creating
22 the Florida Child Development Advisory Council;
23 providing for the appointment and membership of
24 the advisory council; providing membership and
25 meeting requirements; authorizing council
26 members to receive per diem and travel
27 expenses; requiring the Department of Education
28 to provide staff for the advisory council;
29 providing for the adoption of rules; amending
30 s. 411.01, F.S.; conforming provisions to the
31 transfer of the Florida Partnership for School
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1 Readiness to the Agency for Workforce
2 Innovation; deleting provisions for the
3 appointment and membership of the partnership;
4 redesignating school readiness coalitions as
5 regional child development boards; deleting
6 obsolete references to repealed programs;
7 deleting obsolete provisions governing the
8 phase in of school readiness programs; deleting
9 provisions governing the measurement of school
10 readiness, the school readiness uniform
11 screening, and performance-based budgeting in
12 school readiness programs; specifying
13 requirements for school readiness performance
14 standards; clarifying rulemaking requirements;
15 limiting the Agency for Workforce Innovation's
16 authority; revising requirements for school
17 readiness programs; specifying that school
18 readiness programs must enhance the progress of
19 children in certain skills; requiring the
20 Agency for Workforce Innovation to administer a
21 quality-assurance system and identify best
22 practices for regional child development
23 boards; requiring a reduction in the number of
24 boards in accordance with specified standards;
25 revising appointment and membership
26 requirements for the boards; directing the
27 Agency for Workforce Innovation to adopt
28 criteria for the appointment of certain
29 members; requiring each board to specify terms
30 of board members; prohibiting board members
31 from voting under certain circumstances;
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1 providing a definition for purposes of the
2 single point of entry; requiring regional child
3 development boards to use a statewide
4 information system; requiring the Agency for
5 Workforce Innovation to approve payment rates
6 and consider the access of eligible children
7 before approving proposals to increase rates;
8 deleting requirements for the minimum number of
9 children served; providing requirements for
10 developmentally appropriate curriculum used for
11 school readiness programs; authorizing
12 contracts for the continuation of school
13 readiness services under certain circumstances;
14 requiring the Agency for Workforce Innovation
15 to adopt criteria for the approval of school
16 readiness plans; revising requirements for
17 school readiness plans; providing requirements
18 for the approval and implementation of plan
19 revisions; revising competitive procurement
20 requirements for regional child development
21 boards; clarifying age and income eligibility
22 requirements for school readiness programs;
23 revising eligibility requirements for certain
24 at-risk children; revising funding
25 requirements; revising requirements for the
26 adoption of a formula for the allocation of
27 certain funds among the regional child
28 development boards; prohibiting certain
29 transfers without specific legislative
30 authority; deleting an obsolete provision
31 requiring a report; deleting the expiration of
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1 eligibility requirements for certain children
2 from families receiving temporary cash
3 assistance; amending s. 11.45, F.S.;
4 authorizing the Auditor General to conduct
5 audits of the school readiness system;
6 conforming provisions; amending s. 20.15, F.S.;
7 creating the Division of Early Childhood
8 Education within the Department of Education;
9 specifying that the Commissioner of Education
10 does not appoint members of the Florida Child
11 Development Advisory Council; amending s.
12 20.50, F.S.; creating the Office of Child
13 Development within the Agency for Workforce
14 Innovation; providing that the office
15 administers the school readiness system;
16 amending s. 125.901, F.S.; conforming
17 provisions; amending ss. 216.133 and 216.136,
18 F.S.; redesignating the School Readiness
19 Program Estimating Conference as the Child
20 Development Programs Estimating Conference;
21 requiring the estimating conference to develop
22 certain estimates and forecasts for the Florida
23 Prekindergarten Education Program; directing
24 the Department of Education to provide certain
25 information to the estimating conference;
26 conforming provisions; amending ss. 402.3016,
27 411.011, 411.226, 411.227, 624.91, 1001.23, and
28 1002.22, F.S.; conforming provisions to the
29 transfer of the Florida Partnership for School
30 Readiness to the Agency for Workforce
31 Innovation and to the redesignation of the
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1 school readiness coalitions as regional child
2 development boards; requiring the Department of
3 Education to submit a report; requiring the
4 Governor to submit certain recommendations as
5 part of the Governor's recommended budget;
6 abolishing the Florida Partnership for School
7 Readiness and providing for the transfer of the
8 partnership to the Agency for Workforce
9 Innovation; repealing ss. 411.012 and 1008.21,
10 F.S., relating to the voluntary universal
11 prekindergarten education program and the
12 school readiness uniform screening; providing
13 appropriations; providing for the allocation of
14 appropriations among certain school districts;
15 providing effective dates.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Part V of chapter 1002, Florida Statutes,
20 consisting of sections 1002.51, 1002.53, 1002.55, 1002.57,
21 1002.59, 1002.61, 1002.63, 1002.65, 1002.67, 1002.69, 1002.71,
22 1002.73, and 1002.75, Florida Statutes, is created to read:
23 PART V
24 FLORIDA PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION PROGRAM
25 1002.51 Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:
26 (1) "Advisory council" means the Florida Child
27 Development Advisory Council created under s. 1002.73.
28 (2) "Chancellor for Early Childhood Education" or
29 "chancellor" means the director of the Division of Early
30 Childhood Education of the Department of Education.
31
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1 (3) "Child development provider" means a provider
2 eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program under s.
3 1002.55.
4 (4) "Department" means the Department of Education.
5 (5) "Kindergarten eligibility" means the eligibility
6 of a child for admission to kindergarten in a public school
7 under s. 1003.21(1)(a)2.
8 (6) "Prekindergarten director" means an onsite person
9 ultimately responsible for the overall operation of a child
10 development provider or, alternatively, of the provider's
11 prekindergarten program, regardless of whether the person is
12 the owner of the provider.
13 (7) "Regional child development board" or "board"
14 means a regional child development board created under s.
15 411.01.
16 1002.53 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program;
17 eligibility and enrollment.--
18 (1) There is created the Florida Prekindergarten
19 Education Program within the Department of Education. The
20 program shall take effect in each county at the beginning of
21 the 2005-2006 school year and shall be organized, designed,
22 and delivered in accordance with s. 1(b) and (c), Art. IX of
23 the State Constitution.
24 (2) Each child who is a resident of the state who will
25 have attained the age of 4 years on or before September 1 of
26 the school year is eligible for the Florida Prekindergarten
27 Education Program during that school year. The child remains
28 eligible until the child attains kindergarten eligibility or
29 is admitted to kindergarten, whichever occurs first.
30 (3) The parent of each child eligible under subsection
31 (2) may enroll the child in one of the following programs:
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1 (a) A prekindergarten program delivered by a child
2 development provider under s. 1002.55;
3 (b) A summer prekindergarten program delivered by a
4 public school under s. 1002.61; or
5 (c) A school-year prekindergarten program delivered by
6 a public school under s. 1002.63.
7
8 However, a child may not be enrolled in more than one of these
9 programs.
10 (4)(a) Each parent enrolling a child in the Florida
11 Prekindergarten Education Program must complete and submit an
12 application to the regional child development board through
13 the single point of entry established under s. 411.01.
14 (b) The application must be submitted on forms
15 prescribed by the department and must be accompanied by a
16 certified copy of the child's birth certificate. The forms
17 must include a certification, in substantially the form
18 provided in s. 1002.69(5)(b)2., that the parent chooses the
19 child development provider or public school in accordance with
20 this section and directs that payments for the program be made
21 to the provider or school. The department may authorize
22 alternative methods for submitting proof of the child's age in
23 lieu of a certified copy of the child's birth certificate.
24 (c) Each regional child development board shall
25 coordinate with each of the school districts within the
26 board's county or multicounty region in the development of
27 procedures for the enrollment of children in prekindergarten
28 programs delivered by public schools.
29 (5) The regional child development board shall provide
30 each parent enrolling a child in the Florida Prekindergarten
31 Education Program with a profile of every child development
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1 provider and public school delivering the program within the
2 board's county or multicounty region. The profiles shall be
3 provided to parents in a format prescribed by the department.
4 The profiles must include, at a minimum, the following
5 information about each provider and school:
6 (a) The provider's or school's services, curriculum,
7 teacher credentials, and teacher-to-student ratio; and
8 (b) The provider's or school's kindergarten readiness
9 rate calculated in accordance with s. 1002.65(3)(c) and s.
10 1002.67, based upon the most recent available results of the
11 statewide kindergarten screening.
12 (6)(a) A parent may enroll his or her child with any
13 child development provider that is eligible to deliver the
14 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program under this part;
15 however, the child development provider may determine whether
16 to admit any child. A regional child development board or the
17 department may not limit the number of students admitted by
18 any child development provider for enrollment in the program.
19 (b) A parent may enroll his or her child with any
20 public school within the school district which is eligible to
21 deliver the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program under
22 this part, subject to available space. Each school district
23 may limit the number of students admitted by any public school
24 for enrollment in the program; however, the school district
25 must provide for the admission of every eligible child within
26 the district whose parent enrolls the child in the summer
27 prekindergarten program under s. 1002.61.
28 (c) A child development provider or public school may
29 not discriminate against a parent or child, including the
30 refusal to admit a child for enrollment in the Florida
31
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1 Prekindergarten Education Program, because of the parent's or
2 child's race, color, or national origin.
3 1002.55 Prekindergarten program delivered by child
4 development providers.--
5 (1) Each regional child development board shall
6 administer the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program at
7 the county or regional level for students enrolled under s.
8 1002.53(3)(a) in a prekindergarten program delivered by a
9 child development provider.
10 (2) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten
11 program, a child development provider must meet each of the
12 following requirements:
13 (a) The child development provider must be one of the
14 following types of providers:
15 1. A nonpublic school exempt from licensure under s.
16 402.3025(2) which is accredited by an accrediting association
17 in the National Council for Private School Accreditation, the
18 Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation,
19 or the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools or
20 which holds a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under
21 s. 402.281;
22 2. A child care facility licensed under s. 402.305,
23 family day care home licensed under s. 402.313, or large
24 family child care home licensed under s. 402.3131, which
25 facility or home holds a current Gold Seal Quality Care
26 designation under s. 402.281 or meets or exceeds the Gold Seal
27 Quality Care program standards, as verified by the regional
28 child development board, but does not hold the designation; or
29 3. A faith-based child care provider exempt from
30 licensure under s. 402.316 which is accredited by an
31 accrediting association in the National Council for Private
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1 School Accreditation, the Commission on International and
2 Trans-Regional Accreditation, or the Florida Association of
3 Academic Nonpublic Schools or which holds a current Gold Seal
4 Quality Care designation under s. 402.281.
5 (b) The child development provider must have, for each
6 prekindergarten class, at least one teacher or child care
7 personnel who meets each of the following requirements:
8 1. The teacher or child care personnel must hold, at a
9 minimum, one of the following credentials:
10 a. A Child Development Associate credential issued by
11 the National Credentialing Program of the Council for
12 Professional Regulation; or
13 b. A credential approved by the Department of Children
14 and Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the
15 credential described in sub-subparagraph a.
16
17 The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules
18 under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 which provide criteria and
19 procedures for the approval of equivalent credentials under
20 sub-subparagraph b.
21 2. The teacher or child care personnel must
22 successfully complete an emergent literacy training course
23 approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum
24 standards adopted under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not
25 apply to a teacher or child care personnel who successfully
26 completes approved training in early literacy and language
27 development under s. 402.305(2)(d)4., s. 402.313(6), or s.
28 402.3131(5) before the establishment of the emergent literacy
29 training course under s. 1002.59 or January 1, 2005, whichever
30 occurs later.
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1 (c) The child development provider must have a
2 prekindergarten director who has a prekindergarten director
3 credential that is approved by the department as meeting or
4 exceeding the minimum standards adopted under s. 1002.57.
5 Successful completion of a child care facility director
6 credential under s. 402.305(2)(f) before the establishment of
7 the prekindergarten director credential under s. 1002.57 or
8 July 1, 2005, whichever occurs later, satisfies the
9 requirement for a prekindergarten director credential under
10 this paragraph.
11 (d) The child development provider must register with
12 the regional child development board on forms prescribed by
13 the department.
14 (e) The child development provider must deliver the
15 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with
16 this part.
17 (3) A teacher or child care personnel, in lieu of the
18 minimum credentials and courses required under paragraph
19 (2)(b), may hold one of the following educational credentials:
20 (a) A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood
21 education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
22 education, or family and consumer science;
23 (b) A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary
24 education, if the teacher or child care personnel has been
25 certified to teach children any age from birth through 6th
26 grade, regardless of whether the teaching certificate is
27 current;
28 (c) An associate's or higher degree in child
29 development;
30 (d) An associate's or higher degree in an unrelated
31 field, at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or
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1 child development, and at least 480 hours experience in
2 teaching or providing child care services for children any age
3 from birth through 8 years of age; or
4 (e) An educational credential approved by the
5 department as being equivalent to or greater than an
6 educational credential described in this subsection. The
7 department may adopt criteria and procedures for the approval
8 of equivalent educational credentials under this paragraph.
9 1002.57 Prekindergarten director credential.--
10 (1) By July 1, 2005, the department, with the advice
11 of the advisory council, shall adopt minimum standards for a
12 credential for prekindergarten directors of child development
13 providers delivering the Florida Prekindergarten Education
14 Program. The credential must encompass requirements for
15 education and onsite experience.
16 (2) The educational requirements must include training
17 in professionally accepted standards for prekindergarten
18 programs, child development, and strategies and techniques to
19 address the age-appropriate progress of prekindergarten
20 students in attaining the performance standards adopted by the
21 department under s. 1002.65. The educational requirements must
22 also comprise training in program administration and
23 operations, including management, organizational leadership,
24 and financial and legal issues.
25 (3) The prekindergarten director credential must meet
26 or exceed the requirements of the Department of Children and
27 Family Services for the child care facility director
28 credential under s. 402.305(2)(f), and successful completion
29 of the prekindergarten director credential satisfies these
30 requirements for the child care facility director credential.
31
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1 (4) The department shall, to the maximum extent
2 practicable, award credit to a person who successfully
3 completes the child care facility director credential under s.
4 402.305(2)(f) for those requirements of the prekindergarten
5 director credential which are duplicative of requirements for
6 the child care facility director credential.
7 1002.59 Emergent literacy training course.--By January
8 1, 2005, the department, with the advice of the advisory
9 council, shall adopt minimum standards for a training course
10 in emergent literacy for teachers and child care personnel of
11 the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program. The course
12 shall comprise 5 clock hours and shall provide instruction in
13 strategies and techniques to address the age-appropriate
14 progress of prekindergarten students in the development of
15 emergent literacy skills, including oral communication,
16 knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological
17 awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development. The
18 course must meet or exceed the requirements of the Department
19 of Children and Family Services for approved training in early
20 literacy and language development under ss. 402.305(2)(d)4.,
21 402.313(6), and 402.3131(5), and successful completion of the
22 training course satisfies these requirements for approved
23 training.
24 1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by
25 public schools; demonstration program.--
26 (1) Each school district shall administer the Florida
27 Prekindergarten Education Program at the district level for
28 students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(b) in a summer
29 prekindergarten program delivered by a public school.
30 (2) Each district school board shall determine which
31 public schools in the school district are eligible to deliver
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1 the summer prekindergarten program. The school district shall
2 use educational facilities available in the public schools
3 during the summer term for the summer prekindergarten program.
4 (3) Each public school delivering the summer
5 prekindergarten program must have at least one certified
6 teacher for every 10 students in the Florida Prekindergarten
7 Education Program. As used in this subsection, the term
8 "certified teacher" means a teacher holding a valid Florida
9 teaching certificate under s. 1012.56 who has the
10 qualifications required by the district school board to
11 instruct students in the summer prekindergarten program. In
12 selecting instructional staff for the summer prekindergarten
13 program, each school district shall give priority to teachers
14 who have experience or coursework in early childhood
15 education.
16 (4) Each public school delivering the summer
17 prekindergarten program must also:
18 (a) Register with the regional child development board
19 on forms prescribed by the department; and
20 (b) Deliver the Florida Prekindergarten Education
21 Program in accordance with this part.
22 (5)(a) There is created a summer prekindergarten
23 demonstration program that shall be implemented during summer
24 2004 in the Baker, Duval, Hillsborough, Martin, Miami-Dade,
25 Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Santa Rosa, and Wakulla school
26 districts. The demonstration program shall implement the
27 summer prekindergarten program delivered by public schools
28 within the demonstration districts.
29 (b) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
30 Government Accountability shall develop a research design for
31 the demonstration program which ensures that students in the
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1 demonstration program are demographically representative of
2 students statewide and that the sample size is sufficient to
3 generate statistically valid conclusions. The sample must be
4 selected to ensure that the results obtained from the
5 demonstration program are applicable statewide with
6 statistical confidence.
7 (c) Each demonstration district and demonstration
8 school shall implement the demonstration program in accordance
9 with the research design developed under paragraph (b) and, to
10 the maximum extent practicable, in accordance with this part.
11 (d) Each demonstration district shall submit to the
12 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
13 Accountability the results of the statewide kindergarten
14 screening administered under s. 1002.67 for students who
15 completed the summer prekindergarten demonstration program.
16 (e) By January 15, 2005, the Office of Program Policy
17 Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct an
18 evaluation of the demonstration program in consultation with
19 the Legislature. Each demonstration district shall submit data
20 about the demonstration program as requested by the Office of
21 Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability for
22 purposes of the evaluation.
23 (f) This subsection expires July 1, 2005.
24 1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered
25 by public schools.--
26 (1) Each school district eligible under subsection (3)
27 may administer the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program
28 at the district level for students enrolled under s.
29 1002.53(3)(c) in a school-year prekindergarten program
30 delivered by a public school.
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1 (2) The district school board of each school district
2 eligible under subsection (3) shall determine which public
3 schools in the district are eligible to deliver the
4 prekindergarten program during the school year.
5 (3) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten
6 program during the school year, each school district must meet
7 both of the following requirements:
8 (a) The district school board must certify to the
9 State Board of Education:
10 1. That the school district has reduced the average
11 class size in each classroom in accordance with s. 1003.03 and
12 the schedule in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State Constitution;
13 and
14 2. That the school district has sufficient
15 satisfactory educational facilities and capital outlay funds
16 to continue reducing the average class size in each classroom
17 for each year in accordance with the class-size reduction
18 schedule and to achieve full compliance with the maximum class
19 sizes in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State Constitution by the
20 beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
21 (b) The Commissioner of Education must certify to the
22 State Board of Education that the department has reviewed the
23 school district's educational facilities, capital outlay
24 funds, and projected student enrollment and concurs with the
25 district school board's certification under paragraph (a).
26 (4) Each public school delivering the school-year
27 prekindergarten program must:
28 (a) Register with the regional child development board
29 on forms prescribed by the department; and
30 (b) Deliver the Florida Prekindergarten Education
31 Program in accordance with this part.
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1 1002.65 Performance standards; curriculum and
2 accountability.--
3 (1) By January 1, 2005, the department, with the
4 advice of the advisory council, shall develop and adopt
5 performance standards for students in the Florida
6 Prekindergarten Education Program. The performance standards
7 must address the age-appropriate progress of students in the
8 development of:
9 (a) The capabilities, capacities, and skills required
10 under s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and
11 (b) Emergent literacy skills, including oral
12 communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and
13 phonological awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension
14 development.
15 (2)(a) Each child development provider and public
16 school may select or design the curriculum that the provider
17 or school uses to implement the Florida Prekindergarten
18 Education Program, except as otherwise required for a provider
19 or school that is placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c).
20 (b) Each child development provider's and public
21 school's curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and
22 must:
23 1. Be based upon reading research;
24 2. Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in
25 attaining the performance standards adopted by the department
26 under subsection (1); and
27 3. Prepare students to be assessed as ready for
28 kindergarten based upon the statewide kindergarten screening
29 administered under s. 1002.67.
30 (c) The department shall review and approve curricula
31 for use by child development providers and public schools that
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1 are placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c). The department
2 shall maintain a list of the curricula approved under this
3 paragraph. Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements
4 of paragraph (b).
5 (3)(a) Each regional child development board and
6 school district shall verify compliance with this part of the
7 child development providers or public schools, as applicable,
8 delivering the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program
9 within the district.
10 (b) A regional child development board or the
11 department may remove a child development provider, and a
12 school district or the department may remove a public school,
13 from eligibility to deliver the Florida Prekindergarten
14 Education Program and receive state funds for the program, if
15 the provider or school fails or refuses to comply with this
16 part.
17 (c) Beginning with the kindergarten readiness rates
18 for students completing the Florida Prekindergarten Education
19 Program during the 2005-2006 school year who are administered
20 the statewide kindergarten screening during the 2006-2007
21 school year:
22 1. Of the students who are administered the statewide
23 kindergarten screening under s. 1002.67, if less than 85
24 percent of the students from a child development provider's or
25 public school's prekindergarten program are assessed as ready
26 for kindergarten based upon the results of the statewide
27 kindergarten screening, the regional child development board
28 or school district, as applicable, shall require the provider
29 or school to submit an improvement plan for approval by the
30 regional child development board or school district, as
31 applicable, and to implement the plan.
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1 2. If a child development provider or public school
2 fails to meet the 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate for 2
3 consecutive years, the regional child development board or
4 school district, as applicable, shall place the provider or
5 school on probation and must require the provider or school to
6 take certain corrective actions, including the use of a
7 curriculum approved by the department under paragraph (2)(c).
8 3. A child development provider or public school that
9 is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions
10 required under subparagraph 2., including the use of a
11 curriculum approved by the department, until the provider or
12 school meets the 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate, based
13 upon the results of the statewide kindergarten screening.
14 1002.67 Statewide kindergarten screening.--
15 (1) The department, with the advice of the advisory
16 council, shall adopt a statewide kindergarten screening that
17 assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten based
18 upon the performance standards adopted by the department under
19 s. 1002.65(1) for the Florida Prekindergarten Education
20 Program. The department shall require that each school
21 district administer the statewide kindergarten screening to
22 every kindergarten student in the school district within 30
23 school days after the student's entry into kindergarten.
24 (2) The statewide kindergarten screening shall provide
25 objective data on each student's progress in attaining the
26 performance standards adopted by the department under s.
27 1002.65(1).
28 (3) The statewide kindergarten screening shall
29 incorporate mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in
30 kindergarten readiness rates for students with disabilities.
31
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1 (4) Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the
2 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program must submit the
3 child for the statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of
4 whether the child is admitted to kindergarten in a public
5 school or nonpublic school. Each school district shall
6 designate public schools to administer the statewide
7 kindergarten screening for children admitted to kindergarten
8 in a nonpublic school.
9 (5) The department shall adopt procedures for the
10 calculation of each child development provider's and public
11 school's kindergarten readiness rate. The kindergarten
12 readiness rates must be based exclusively upon the results of
13 the statewide kindergarten screening and must not consider
14 students who are not administered the statewide kindergarten
15 screening.
16 (6)(a) During the 2004-2005 through 2006-2007 school
17 years, the department shall continue the statewide
18 administration of the Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten
19 developmental screening instrument as the statewide
20 kindergarten screening. The department may administer
21 additional instruments but only if the instruments are
22 administered statewide. For purposes of s. 1002.65(3)(c), the
23 Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten developmental screening
24 instrument shall be used to calculate kindergarten readiness
25 rates.
26 (b) By January 15, 2006, the department, with the
27 advice of the advisory council, shall recommend to the
28 Legislature valid and reliable screening instruments for the
29 statewide kindergarten screening. The Legislature shall review
30 the recommendations of the department at the 2006 Regular
31
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1 Session and shall adopt screening instruments for the
2 statewide kindergarten screening.
3 (c) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, the
4 department shall administer the screening instruments adopted
5 by the Legislature under paragraph (b). During the 2006-2007
6 school year, the department shall continue administration of
7 the Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten developmental
8 screening instrument for purposes of obtaining baseline data
9 that compares the kindergarten readiness rates of the
10 instruments.
11 (d) The Legislature shall review, at the 2007 Regular
12 Session, the baseline data obtained under paragraph (c) and
13 the 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate in s.
14 1002.65(3)(c). The screening instruments adopted by the
15 Legislature under paragraph (b) shall be used to calculate the
16 kindergarten readiness rates for students completing the
17 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program during the 2006-2007
18 school year who are administered the statewide kindergarten
19 screening during the 2007-2008 school year and for subsequent
20 school years.
21 1002.69 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.--
22 (1) There is created a categorical fund for the
23 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program. Categorical funds
24 appropriated for the program shall be in addition to funds
25 appropriated based upon full-time equivalent student
26 membership in the Florida Education Finance Program.
27 (2) A full-time equivalent student in the Florida
28 Prekindergarten Education Program shall be calculated as
29 follows:
30 (a) For a student in a prekindergarten program
31 delivered by a child development provider: 540 hours.
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1 (b) For a student in a summer prekindergarten program
2 delivered by a public school: 300 hours.
3 (c) For a student in a school-year prekindergarten
4 program delivered by a public school: 540 hours.
5
6 A student may not be reported for funding purposes as more
7 than one full-time equivalent student.
8 (3)(a) The base student allocation per full-time
9 equivalent student in the Florida Prekindergarten Education
10 Program shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act
11 and shall be equal, regardless of whether the student is
12 enrolled in a prekindergarten program delivered by a child
13 development provider, a summer prekindergarten program
14 delivered by a public school, or a school-year prekindergarten
15 program delivered by a public school.
16 (b) Each county's allocation per full-time equivalent
17 student in the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program shall
18 be calculated annually by multiplying the base student
19 allocation provided in the General Appropriations Act by the
20 county's district cost differential provided in s. 1011.62(2).
21 Each child development provider and public school shall be
22 paid in accordance with the county's allocation per full-time
23 equivalent student.
24 (4)(a) Each regional child development board shall
25 maintain through the single point of entry established under
26 s. 411.01 a current database of the students enrolled in the
27 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program for each county
28 within the board's region.
29 (b) The department shall adopt procedures for the
30 payment of child development providers and public schools
31 delivering the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program. The
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1 procedures shall provide for the advance payment of providers
2 and schools based upon student enrollment in the program, the
3 certification of student attendance, and the reconciliation of
4 advance payments based upon the certified student attendance.
5 The procedures shall provide for the monthly distribution of
6 funds by the department to the regional child development
7 boards for payment by the boards to child development
8 providers and public schools.
9 (5)(a) Each parent enrolling his or her child in the
10 Florida Prekindergarten Education Program must agree to comply
11 with the attendance policy of the child development provider
12 or district school board, as applicable. Upon enrollment of
13 the child, the child development provider or public school, as
14 applicable, must provide the child's parent with a copy of the
15 provider's or school district's attendance policy, as
16 applicable.
17 (b)1. Each child development provider's and district
18 school board's attendance policy must require the parent of
19 each student in the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program
20 to verify, each month, the student's attendance on the prior
21 month's certified student attendance.
22 2. The parent must submit the verification of the
23 student's attendance to the child development provider or
24 public school on forms prescribed by the department. The forms
25 must include, in addition to the verification of the student's
26 attendance, a certification, in substantially the following
27 form, that the parent continues to choose the child
28 development provider or public school in accordance with s.
29 1002.53 and directs that payments for the program be made to
30 the provider or school:
31
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1 VERIFICATION OF STUDENT'S ATTENDANCE
2 AND CERTIFICATION OF PARENTAL CHOICE
3
4 I, ...(Name of Parent)..., swear (or affirm) that my child,
5 ...(Name of Student)..., attended the Florida Prekindergarten
6 Education Program on the days listed above and certify that I
7 continue to choose ...(Name of Provider or School)... to
8 deliver the program for my child and direct that program funds
9 be paid to the provider or school for my child.
10
11 ...(Signature of Parent)...
12 ...(Date)...
13
14 3. The child development provider or public school
15 must submit each original signed form to the regional child
16 development board. The regional child development board shall
17 keep the original signed forms in accordance with chapter 119.
18 The department shall adopt procedures for the review of the
19 original signed forms against the certified student
20 attendance. The review procedures shall provide for the use of
21 selective inspection techniques, including, but not limited
22 to, random sampling. Each regional child development board
23 must comply with the review procedures.
24 (c) A child development provider or school district,
25 as applicable, may dismiss a student who does not comply with
26 the provider's or district's attendance policy. A student
27 dismissed under this paragraph is not removed from the Florida
28 Prekindergarten Education Program and may continue in the
29 program through reenrollment with another child development
30 provider or public school. Notwithstanding s. 1002.53(6)(b), a
31
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1 school district is not required to provide for the admission
2 of a student dismissed under this paragraph.
3 (6) A regional child development board may not
4 withhold for administrative costs any portion of the funds
5 distributed to the board for payment to child development
6 providers and public schools. The department shall annually
7 allocate administrative funds to each regional child
8 development board from funds provided in the General
9 Appropriations Act for that purpose. The administrative funds
10 must only be used for administration of the Florida
11 Prekindergarten Education Program. The department shall
12 allocate the administrative funds based upon each regional
13 child development board's student enrollment in the program.
14 The amount of each regional child development board's
15 administrative funds may not exceed 3 percent of the funds
16 paid by the board to child development providers and public
17 schools.
18 (7) Except as otherwise expressly authorized by law, a
19 child development provider or public school may not:
20 (a) Impose or collect a fee or charge for services
21 provided for a child enrolled in the Florida Prekindergarten
22 Education Program during a period reported for funding
23 purposes; or
24 (b) Require a child to enroll for, or require the
25 payment of any fee or charge for, supplemental services as a
26 condition of admitting a child for enrollment in the Florida
27 Prekindergarten Education Program.
28 (8) State funds provided for the Florida
29 Prekindergarten Education Program may not be used for the
30 transportation of students to and from the program. A parent
31 is responsible for the transportation of his or her child to
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1 and from the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program,
2 regardless of whether the program is delivered by a child
3 development provider or a public school.
4 1002.71 Department of Education; Division of Early
5 Childhood Education; powers and duties.--
6 (1) The Division of Early Childhood Education of the
7 Department of Education, under the direction of the chancellor
8 and with the advice of the advisory council, shall administer
9 the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program at the statewide
10 level. The division shall administer the powers and duties
11 assigned to the department under this part.
12 (2) The department shall adopt procedures for:
13 (a) Enrolling children in and determining the
14 eligibility of children for the Florida Prekindergarten
15 Education Program under s. 1002.53.
16 (b) Providing parents with profiles of child
17 development providers and public schools under s. 1002.53.
18 (c) Registering and determining the eligibility of
19 child development providers to deliver the program under s.
20 1002.55.
21 (d) Verifying Gold Seal Quality Care program standards
22 under s. 1002.55.
23 (e) Approving prekindergarten director credentials
24 under s. 1002.55 and s. 1002.57.
25 (f) Approving emergent literacy training courses under
26 s. 1002.55 and s. 1002.59.
27 (g) Certifying the eligibility of school districts to
28 deliver the school-year prekindergarten program under s.
29 1002.63.
30 (h) Verifying the compliance of child development
31 providers and public schools, and removing providers or
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1 schools from eligibility to deliver the program for
2 noncompliance, under s. 1002.65.
3 (i) Approving improvement plans of child development
4 providers and public schools under s. 1002.65.
5 (j) Placing child development providers and public
6 schools on probation and requiring corrective actions under s.
7 1002.65.
8 (k) Administering the statewide kindergarten screening
9 and calculating kindergarten readiness rates under s. 1002.67.
10 (l) Distributing funds to regional child development
11 boards under s. 1002.69.
12 (m) Paying child development providers and public
13 schools under s. 1002.69.
14 (n) Documenting and certifying student enrollment and
15 student attendance under s. 1002.69.
16 (o) Reconciling advance payments in accordance under
17 s. 1002.69.
18 (p) Reenrolling students dismissed by a child
19 development provider or public school for noncompliance with
20 the provider's or school district's attendance policy under s.
21 1002.69.
22 (q) Allocating administrative funds among regional
23 child development boards under s. 1002.69.
24 (4) Except as otherwise provided by law, the
25 department does not have authority to:
26 (a) Impose requirements on a child development
27 provider that does not deliver the Florida Prekindergarten
28 Education Program or receive state funds under this part.
29 (b) Impose requirements on a regional child
30 development board which are not necessary for the
31
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1 administration of the Florida Prekindergarten Education
2 Program under this part.
3 (c) Administer powers and duties assigned to the
4 Agency for Workforce Innovation or a regional child
5 development board under s. 411.01.
6 1002.73 Florida Child Development Advisory Council.--
7 (1) There is created the Florida Child Development
8 Advisory Council within the Department of Education. The
9 purpose of the advisory council is to advise the Department of
10 Education and the Agency for Workforce Innovation on the child
11 development policy of this state, including advice relating to
12 administration of the Florida Prekindergarten Education
13 Program under this part and the school readiness programs
14 under s. 411.01.
15 (2) The advisory council shall be composed of the
16 following members:
17 (a) Eleven members appointed by the Governor, as
18 follows:
19 1. The chair of the advisory council and one other
20 member, who must both meet the same qualifications as
21 private-sector business members appointed to a regional child
22 development board under s. 411.01(5)(a)6.
23 2. A representative of nonpublic schools accredited by
24 accrediting associations in either the National Council for
25 Private School Accreditation or the Commission on
26 International and Trans-Regional Accreditation.
27 3. A representative of nonpublic schools accredited by
28 accrediting associations in the Florida Association of
29 Academic Nonpublic Schools.
30 4. A representative of licensed child care facilities.
31
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1 5. A representative of licensed or registered family
2 day care homes.
3 6. A representative of licensed large family child
4 care homes.
5 7. A representative of faith-based child care
6 providers.
7 8. A representative of programs for prekindergarten
8 children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with
9 Disabilities Education Act.
10 9. A public school classroom teacher.
11 10. A district superintendent of schools.
12
13 The members appointed under this paragraph must be
14 geographically and demographically representative of the
15 state. The members shall be appointed to terms of 3 years
16 each, except that, to establish staggered terms, one-half of
17 the members shall be appointed to initial terms of 2 years
18 each. Appointed members may serve a maximum of two consecutive
19 terms.
20 (b) The director of the Florida Head Start-State
21 Collaboration Office.
22 (c) A chair of a regional child development board who
23 shall be selected by the chairs of the regional child
24 development boards.
25 (d) An executive director of a regional child
26 development board who shall be selected by the executive
27 directors of the regional child development boards.
28 (e) The chair of the Child Care Executive Partnership.
29 (f) The chair or executive director of Workforce
30 Florida, Inc., or his or her designee.
31
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1 (g) The director of the Division of Community Colleges
2 of the Department of Education.
3 (h) The Secretary of Health or his or her designee.
4 (i) The director of the Child Care Services Program
5 Office of the Department of Children and Family Services.
6 (j) The Deputy Director for Child Development of the
7 Agency for Workforce Innovation.
8 (k) The Chancellor for Early Childhood Education.
9 (l) Two members appointed by and who serve at the
10 pleasure of the President of the Senate and two members
11 appointed by and who serve at the pleasure of the Speaker of
12 the House of Representatives, who must each meet the same
13 qualifications as private-sector business members appointed to
14 a regional child development board under s. 411.01(5)(a)6.
15 (3) The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly
16 but may meet as often as necessary to carry out its duties and
17 responsibilities.
18 (4)(a) Each member of the advisory council shall serve
19 without compensation but is entitled to per diem and travel
20 expenses for attendance of council meetings as provided in s.
21 112.061.
22 (b) Each member of the advisory council is subject to
23 the ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112.
24 (c) For purposes of tort liability, each member of the
25 advisory council shall be governed by s. 768.28.
26 (5) The department shall provide staff and
27 administrative support for the advisory council.
28 1002.75 Rulemaking authority.--The State Board of
29 Education shall adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54
30 to administer the provisions of this part conferring duties
31 upon the department. The state board shall adopt initial rules
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1 for the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program by January
2 1, 2005.
3 Section 2. Effective July 1, 2004, section 411.01,
4 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
5 411.01 Florida Partnership for School readiness
6 programs; regional child development boards school readiness
7 coalitions.--
8 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
9 "School Readiness Act."
10 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
11 (a) The Legislature recognizes that school readiness
12 programs increase children's chances of achieving future
13 educational success and becoming productive members of
14 society. It is the intent of the Legislature that the such
15 programs be developmentally appropriate, research-based,
16 involve parents as their child's first teacher, serve as
17 preventive measures for children at risk of future school
18 failure, enhance the educational readiness of eligible
19 children, and support family education. Each school readiness
20 program shall provide the elements necessary to prepare
21 at-risk children for school, including health screening and
22 referral and an appropriate educational program.
23 (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that school
24 readiness programs be operated on a full-day, year-round basis
25 to the maximum extent possible to enable parents to work and
26 become financially self-sufficient.
27 (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that school
28 readiness programs not exist as isolated programs, but build
29 upon existing services and work in cooperation with other
30 programs for young children, and that school readiness
31
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1 programs be coordinated and funding integrated to achieve full
2 effectiveness.
3 (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
4 administrative staff at the state level for school readiness
5 programs be kept to the minimum necessary to administer carry
6 out the duties of the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
7 Partnership for School Readiness, as the school readiness
8 programs are to be regionally locally designed, operated, and
9 managed, with the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
10 Partnership for School Readiness adopting a system for
11 measuring school readiness; developing school readiness
12 program performance standards and, outcome measures
13 measurements, and data design and review; and approving and
14 reviewing regional child development boards and local school
15 readiness coalitions and plans.
16 (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that
17 appropriations for combined school readiness programs shall
18 not be less than the programs would receive in any fiscal year
19 on an uncombined basis.
20 (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
21 school readiness program coordinate and operate in conjunction
22 with the district school systems. However, it is also the
23 intent of the Legislature that the school readiness program
24 not be construed as part of the system of free public schools
25 but rather as a separate program for children under the age of
26 kindergarten eligibility, funded separately from the system of
27 free public schools, utilizing a mandatory sliding fee scale,
28 and providing an integrated and seamless system of school
29 readiness services for the state's birth-to-kindergarten
30 population.
31
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1 (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
2 federal child care income tax credit be preserved for school
3 readiness programs.
4 (h) It is the intent of the Legislature that school
5 readiness services shall be an integrated and seamless system
6 of services with a developmentally appropriate education
7 component for the state's eligible birth-to-kindergarten
8 population described in subsection (6) and shall not be
9 construed as part of the seamless K-20 education system except
10 for the administration of the uniform screening system upon
11 entry into kindergarten.
12 (3) PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL READINESS
13 PROGRAMS PROGRAM.--
14 (a) The school readiness program shall be phased in on
15 a coalition-by-coalition basis. Each coalition's school
16 readiness program shall have available to it funding from all
17 the coalition's early education and child care programs that
18 are funded with state, federal, lottery, or local funds,
19 including but not limited to Florida First Start programs,
20 Even-Start literacy programs, prekindergarten early
21 intervention programs, Head Start programs, programs offered
22 by public and private providers of child care, migrant
23 prekindergarten programs, Title I programs, subsidized child
24 care programs, and teen parent programs, together with any
25 additional funds appropriated or obtained for purposes of this
26 section. These programs and their funding streams shall be
27 components of the coalition's integrated school readiness
28 program, with the goal of preparing children for success in
29 school.
30 (b) Nothing contained in This section does not act is
31 intended to:
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1 (a)1. Relieve parents and guardians of their own
2 obligations to prepare ready their children for school; or
3 (b)2. Create any obligation to provide publicly funded
4 school readiness programs or services beyond those authorized
5 by the Legislature.
6 (4) AGENCY FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION FLORIDA
7 PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS.--
8 (a) The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall Florida
9 Partnership for School Readiness was created to fulfill three
10 major purposes: to administer school readiness programs at the
11 statewide level and shall program services that help parents
12 prepare eligible children for school; to coordinate the
13 regional child development boards in providing provision of
14 school readiness services on a full-day, full-year,
15 full-choice basis to the extent possible in order to enable
16 parents to work and be financially self-sufficient; and to
17 establish a uniform screening instrument to be implemented by
18 the Department of Education and administered by the school
19 districts upon entry into kindergarten to assess the readiness
20 for school of all children. Readiness for kindergarten is the
21 outcome measure of the success of each school readiness
22 program that receives state or federal funds. The partnership
23 is assigned to the Agency for Workforce Innovation for
24 administrative purposes.
25 (b) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
26 Partnership for School Readiness shall:
27 1. Coordinate the birth-to-kindergarten services for
28 children who are eligible under pursuant to subsection (6) and
29 the programmatic, administrative, and fiscal standards under
30 pursuant to this section for all public providers of school
31 readiness programs.
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1 2. Continue to provide unified leadership for school
2 readiness through regional child development boards local
3 school readiness coalitions.
4 3. Focus on improving the educational quality of all
5 publicly funded school readiness programs.
6 (c)1. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness
7 shall include the Lieutenant Governor, the Commissioner of
8 Education, the Secretary of Children and Family Services, and
9 the Secretary of Health, or their designees, and the chair of
10 the Child Care Executive Partnership Board, and the
11 chairperson of the Board of Directors of Workforce Florida,
12 Inc. When the Lieutenant Governor or an agency head appoints a
13 designee, the designee must be an individual who attends
14 consistently, and, in the event that the Lieutenant Governor
15 or agency head and his or her designee both attend a meeting,
16 only one of them may vote.
17 2. The partnership shall also include 14 members of
18 the public who shall be business, community, and civic leaders
19 in the state who are not elected to public office. These
20 members and their families must not have a direct contract
21 with any local coalition to provide school readiness services.
22 The members must be geographically and demographically
23 representative of the state. Each member shall be appointed by
24 the Governor from a list of nominees submitted by the
25 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
26 Representatives. By July 1, 2001, four members shall be
27 appointed as follows: two members shall be from the child care
28 industry, one representing the private for-profit sector
29 appointed by the Governor from a list of two nominees
30 submitted by the President of the Senate and one representing
31 faith-based providers appointed by the Governor from a list of
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1 two nominees submitted by the Speaker of the House of
2 Representatives; and two members shall be from the business
3 community, one appointed by the Governor from a list of two
4 nominees submitted by the President of the Senate and one
5 appointed by the Governor from a list of two nominees
6 submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
7 Members shall be appointed to 4-year terms of office. The
8 members of the partnership shall elect a chairperson annually
9 from the nongovernmental members of the partnership. Any
10 vacancy on the partnership shall be filled in the same manner
11 as the original appointment.
12 (d) The partnership shall meet at least quarterly but
13 may meet as often as it deems necessary to carry out its
14 duties and responsibilities. Members of the partnership shall
15 participate without proxy at the quarterly meetings. The
16 partnership may take official action by a majority vote of the
17 members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present.
18 (e) Members of the partnership are subject to the
19 ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112, and no member
20 may derive any financial benefit from the funds administered
21 by the Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
22 (f) Members of the partnership shall serve without
23 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem
24 and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
25 duties as provided in s. 112.061, and reimbursement for other
26 reasonable, necessary, and actual expenses.
27 (g) For the purposes of tort liability, the members of
28 the partnership and its employees shall be governed by s.
29 768.28.
30 (h) The partnership shall appoint an executive
31 director who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The
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1 executive director shall perform the duties assigned to him or
2 her by the partnership. The executive director shall be
3 responsible for hiring, subject to the approval of the
4 partnership, all employees and staff members, who shall serve
5 under his or her direction and control.
6 (c)(i) For purposes of administration of the federal
7 Child Care and Development Fund, 45 C.F.R. parts 98 and 99,
8 the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership may be
9 designated by the Governor as the lead agency, and if so
10 designated shall comply with the lead agency responsibilities
11 under pursuant to federal law.
12 (d)(j) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
13 Partnership for School Readiness is the principal organization
14 responsible for the enhancement of school readiness for the
15 state's children, and shall:
16 1. Be responsible for the prudent use of all public
17 and private funds in accordance with all legal and contractual
18 requirements.
19 2. Provide final approval and periodic review of
20 regional child development boards coalitions and school
21 readiness plans.
22 3. Provide leadership for the enhancement of school
23 readiness in this state by aggressively establishing a unified
24 approach to the state's efforts toward enhancement of school
25 readiness. In support of this effort, the Agency for Workforce
26 Innovation partnership may develop and implement specific
27 strategies that address the state's school readiness programs.
28 4. Safeguard the effective use of federal, state,
29 local, and private resources to achieve the highest possible
30 level of school readiness for the state's children in this
31 state.
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1 5. Provide technical assistance to regional child
2 development boards coalitions.
3 6. Assess gaps in service.
4 7. Provide technical assistance to counties that form
5 a regional child development board serving a multicounty
6 region coalition.
7 8.a. Adopt a system for measuring school readiness
8 that provides objective data regarding the expectations for
9 school readiness, and establish a method for collecting the
10 data and guidelines for using the data. The measurement, the
11 data collection, and the use of the data must serve the
12 statewide school readiness goal. The criteria for determining
13 which data to collect should be the usefulness of the data to
14 state policymakers and local program administrators in
15 administering programs and allocating state funds, and must
16 include the tracking of school readiness system information
17 back to individual school readiness programs to assist in
18 determining program effectiveness.
19 b. Adopt a system for evaluating the performance of
20 students through the third grade to compare the performance of
21 those who participated in school readiness programs with the
22 performance of students who did not participate in school
23 readiness programs in order to identify strategies for
24 continued successful student performance.
25 8.9. Develop and adopt, with the advice of the Florida
26 Child Development Advisory Council created under s. 1002.73
27 and the Department of Education, performance standards and
28 outcome measures for school readiness programs. The
29 performance standards must address the age-appropriate
30 progress of children in the development of the school
31 readiness skills required under paragraph (j). The Agency for
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1 Workforce Innovation shall integrate the performance standards
2 for school readiness programs into the performance standards
3 adopted by the Department of Education for the Florida
4 Prekindergarten Education Program under s. 1002.65.
5 (e)(k) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
6 may adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 necessary to
7 administer the provisions of law conferring duties upon the
8 agency, including, but not limited this section which relate
9 to, rules governing the preparation preparing and
10 implementation of implementing the system for school readiness
11 system, the collection of collecting data, the approval of
12 regional child development boards and approving local school
13 readiness coalitions and plans, the provision of providing a
14 method whereby a regional child development board may
15 coalition can serve two or more counties, the award of
16 awarding incentives to regional child development boards
17 coalitions, and the issuance of issuing waivers.
18 (f)(l) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
19 Partnership for School Readiness shall have all powers
20 necessary to administer carry out the purposes of this
21 section, including, but not limited to, the power to receive
22 and accept grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public
23 or private agency and to receive and accept from any source
24 contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of
25 value, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes of this
26 section.
27 (g) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Agency
28 for Workforce Innovation does not have authority:
29 1. To impose requirements on a child care or early
30 childhood education provider that does not deliver services
31
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1 under a school readiness program or receive state or federal
2 funds under this section.
3 2. To administer powers and duties assigned to the
4 Department of Education or a regional child development board
5 under part V of chapter 1002.
6 (h)(m) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
7 Partnership for School Readiness shall have a budget for the
8 school readiness system, which and shall be financed through
9 an annual appropriation made for purposes of this section
10 purpose in the General Appropriations Act.
11 (i)(n) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the
12 advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council,
13 partnership shall coordinate the efforts toward school
14 readiness in this state and provide independent policy
15 analyses and recommendations to the Governor, the State Board
16 of Education, and the Legislature.
17 (j)(o) Each regional child development board's The
18 partnership shall prepare and submit to the State Board of
19 Education a system for measuring school readiness program. The
20 system must, at a minimum, enhance the age-appropriate
21 progress of each child in the development of include a uniform
22 screening, which shall provide objective data regarding the
23 following expectations for school readiness skills which shall
24 include, at a minimum:
25 1. The child's Immunizations and other health
26 requirements as necessary, including appropriate vision and
27 hearing screening and examinations.
28 2. The child's Physical development.
29 3. The child's Compliance with rules, limitations, and
30 routines.
31 4. The child's Ability to perform tasks.
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1 5. The child's Interactions with adults.
2 6. The child's Interactions with peers.
3 7. The child's Ability to cope with challenges.
4 8. The child's Self-help skills.
5 9. The child's Ability to express the child's his or
6 her needs.
7 10. The child's Verbal communication skills.
8 11. The child's Problem-solving skills.
9 12. The child's Following of verbal directions.
10 13. The child's Demonstration of curiosity,
11 persistence, and exploratory behavior.
12 14. The child's Interest in books and other printed
13 materials.
14 15. The child's Paying attention to stories.
15 16. The child's Participation in art and music
16 activities.
17 17. The child's Ability to identify colors, geometric
18 shapes, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and spatial and
19 temporal relationships.
20 (p) The partnership shall prepare a plan for
21 implementing the system for measuring school readiness in such
22 a way that all children in this state will undergo the uniform
23 screening established by the partnership when they enter
24 kindergarten. Children who enter public school for the first
25 time in first grade must undergo a uniform screening approved
26 by the partnership for use in first grade. Because children
27 with disabilities may not be able to meet all of the
28 identified expectations for school readiness, the plan for
29 measuring school readiness shall incorporate mechanisms for
30 recognizing the potential variations in expectations for
31 school readiness when serving children with disabilities and
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1 shall provide for communities to serve children with
2 disabilities.
3 (k)(q) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
4 shall conduct studies and planning activities related to the
5 overall improvement and effectiveness of the outcome school
6 readiness measures adopted by the agency for school readiness
7 programs.
8 (l) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the
9 advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council,
10 shall adopt and administer a quality-assurance system. The
11 Agency for Workforce Innovation shall use the
12 quality-assurance system to monitor and evaluate the
13 performance of each regional child development board in
14 administering the school readiness program and implementing
15 the board's school readiness plan. The quality-assurance
16 system must include, at a minimum, onsite monitoring of each
17 board's finances, management, operations, and programs.
18 (m) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the
19 advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council,
20 shall identify best practices of regional child development
21 boards in order to improve the outcomes of school readiness
22 programs.
23 (r) The partnership shall establish procedures for
24 performance-based budgeting in school readiness programs.
25 (n)(s) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
26 shall submit an annual report of its activities conducted
27 under this section to the Governor, the executive director of
28 the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the President of the
29 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
30 minority leaders of both houses of the Legislature. In
31 addition, the Agency for Workforce Innovation's partnership's
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1 reports and recommendations shall be made available to the
2 State Board of Education, the Florida Child Development
3 Advisory Council, other appropriate state agencies and
4 entities, district school boards, central agencies for child
5 care, and county health departments. The annual report must
6 provide an analysis of school readiness activities across the
7 state, including the number of children who were served in the
8 programs and the number of children who were ready for school.
9 (o)(t) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
10 shall work with regional child development boards school
11 readiness coalitions to increase parents' training for and
12 involvement in their children's preschool education and to
13 provide family literacy activities and programs.
14
15 To ensure that the system for measuring school readiness is
16 comprehensive and appropriate statewide, as the system is
17 developed and implemented, the partnership must consult with
18 representatives of district school systems, providers of
19 public and private child care, health care providers, large
20 and small employers, experts in education for children with
21 disabilities, and experts in child development.
22 (5) CREATION OF REGIONAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT BOARDS
23 SCHOOL READINESS COALITIONS.--
24 (a) Regional child development boards School readiness
25 coalitions.--
26 1. The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the
27 advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council
28 created under s. 1002.73, shall establish the minimum number
29 of children younger than kindergarten eligibility to be served
30 by each regional child development board through the board's
31 school readiness program. The Agency for Workforce Innovation
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1 may only approve school readiness plans in accordance with
2 this minimum number. The minimum number must be uniform for
3 every regional child development board and must:
4 a. Permit 30 or fewer boards to be established; and
5 b. Require each board to serve at least 1,500 children
6 younger than kindergarten eligibility as defined in s.
7 1002.51.
8
9 Each regional child development board shall be organized in
10 accordance with this subparagraph by January 1, 2005. By June
11 30, 2005, each board must complete the transfer of powers,
12 duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, property, and
13 unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other
14 funds to the successor board, if applicable.
15 2.1. If a regional child development board coalition's
16 plan would serve fewer less than 400 birth-to-kindergarten age
17 children than the minimum number established under
18 subparagraph 1., the board coalition must either join with
19 another county to form a multicounty board coalition, enter an
20 agreement with a fiscal agent to serve more than one
21 coalition, or demonstrate to the partnership its ability to
22 effectively and efficiently implement its plan as a
23 single-county coalition and meet all required performance
24 standards and outcome measures.
25 3. Each regional child development board shall be
26 composed of at least 18 members but not more than 35 members.
27 The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the advice of the
28 Florida Child Development Advisory Council, shall adopt
29 standards establishing within this range the minimum and
30 maximum number of members that may be appointed to a regional
31 child development board. These standards shall include
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1 variations for a board serving a multicounty region. Each
2 regional child development board must comply with these
3 standards.
4 4. The Governor shall appoint the chair and two other
5 members of each regional child development board, who must
6 each meet the same qualifications as private-sector business
7 members appointed by the board under subparagraph 6.
8 5.2. Each regional child development board coalition
9 shall have at least 18 but not more than 25 members and such
10 members must include the following members:
11 a. A Department of Children and Family Services
12 district administrator or his or her designee who is
13 authorized to make decisions on behalf of the department.
14 b. A district superintendent of schools or his or her
15 designee who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the
16 district.
17 c. A regional workforce development board executive
18 chair or director or his or her designee, where applicable.
19 d. A county health department director or his or her
20 designee.
21 e. A children's services council or juvenile welfare
22 board chair or executive director, if applicable.
23 f. An agency head of a local child care licensing
24 agency as defined in s. 402.302, where applicable head.
25 g. A president of a community college or his or her
26 designee.
27 g. One member appointed by a Department of Children
28 and Family Services district administrator.
29 h. One member appointed by a board of county
30 commissioners.
31 i. One member appointed by a district school board.
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1 i.j. A central child care agency administrator, where
2 applicable.
3 j.k. A Head Start director.
4 k.l. A representative of private child care providers,
5 including family day care homes.
6 l.m. A representative of faith-based child care
7 providers.
8 m. A representative of programs for children with
9 disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities
10 Education Act.
11 6. Including the members appointed by the Governor
12 under subparagraph 4., more than one-third of the coalition
13 members of each regional child development board must be
14 private-sector business members who do not have, and none of
15 whose relatives as defined in s. 112.3143 has, a substantial
16 financial interest in the design or delivery of the Florida
17 Prekindergarten Education Program created under part V of
18 chapter 1002 or the board's school readiness program from the
19 private sector, and neither they nor their families may earn
20 an income from the early education and child care industry. To
21 meet this requirement a regional child development board
22 coalition must appoint additional members from a list of
23 nominees submitted presented to the board coalition by a
24 chamber of commerce or economic development council within the
25 geographic region served by area of the board coalition. The
26 Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt criteria for the
27 appointment of private-sector business members. These criteria
28 must include standards for determining whether a member or
29 relative has a substantial financial interest in the design or
30 delivery of the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program or
31 the board's school readiness program.
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1 7.3. A No member of a regional child development board
2 coalition may not appoint a designee to act in his or her
3 place. A member may send a representative to board coalition
4 meetings, but that representative does not will have no voting
5 privileges. When a district superintendent of schools or a
6 district administrator for the Department of Children and
7 Family Services appoints a designee to a regional child
8 development board school readiness coalition, the designee is
9 will be the voting member of the board coalition, and any
10 individual attending in the designee's his or her place,
11 including the district administrator or superintendent, does
12 not will have no voting privileges.
13 8.4. Each member Members of a regional child
14 development board is the coalition are subject to s. 112.313,
15 s. 112.3135, and s. 112.3143 the ethics provisions in part III
16 of chapter 112. For purposes of s. 112.3143(3)(a), each member
17 is a local public officer who must abstain from voting when a
18 voting conflict exists.
19 9.5. For the purposes of tort liability, each member
20 or employee of a regional child development board the members
21 of the school readiness coalition and its employees shall be
22 governed by s. 768.28.
23 10.6. A regional child development board serving a
24 multicounty region coalitions shall include representation
25 from each county.
26 11.7. Each regional child development board shall
27 establish The terms for of all appointed members of the board.
28 The terms coalition must be staggered and must be a uniform
29 length that does not exceed 4 years per term. Appointed
30 members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. When a
31
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1 vacancy occurs in an appointed position, the board coalition
2 must advertise the vacancy.
3 (b) Program participation.--The school readiness
4 program shall be established for children younger than from
5 birth to 5 years of age or until the child enters kindergarten
6 eligibility as defined in s. 1002.51. The program shall be
7 administered by the regional child development board school
8 readiness coalition. Within funding limitations, the regional
9 child development board school readiness coalition, along with
10 all providers, shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate
11 the needs of children for extended-day and extended-year
12 services without compromising the quality of the program.
13 (c) Program expectations.--
14 1. The school readiness program must meet the
15 following expectations:
16 a. The program must, at a minimum, enhance the
17 age-appropriate progress of each child in the development of
18 the school readiness skills required under paragraph (4)(j)
19 prepare preschool children to enter kindergarten ready to
20 learn, as measured by the performance standards and outcome
21 measures adopted criteria established by the Agency for
22 Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
23 b. The program must provide extended-day and
24 extended-year services to the maximum extent possible to meet
25 the needs of parents who work.
26 c. There must be coordinated staff development and
27 teaching opportunities.
28 d. There must be expanded access to community services
29 and resources for families to help achieve economic
30 self-sufficiency.
31
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1 e. There must be a single point of entry and unified
2 waiting list. As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term
3 "single point of entry" means an integrated information system
4 that allows a parent to enroll his or her child in the school
5 readiness program at various locations throughout the county
6 or multicounty region served by a regional child development
7 board, that may allow a parent to enroll his or her child by
8 telephone or through an Internet website, and that uses a
9 unified waiting list to track eligible children waiting for
10 enrollment in the school readiness program. The Agency for
11 Workforce Innovation shall establish a single statewide
12 information system that integrates each regional child
13 development board's single point of entry, and each board must
14 use the statewide system.
15 f. The Agency for Workforce Innovation must consider
16 the access of eligible children to the school readiness
17 program, as demonstrated in part by waiting lists, before
18 approving a proposed increase in payment rates submitted by a
19 regional child development board.
20 f. As long as funding or eligible populations do not
21 decrease, the program must serve at least as many children as
22 were served prior to implementation of the program.
23 g. There must be a community plan to address the needs
24 of all eligible children.
25 h. The program must meet all state licensing
26 guidelines, where applicable.
27 2. The regional child development board school
28 readiness coalition must implement a comprehensive program of
29 school readiness services that enhance the cognitive, social,
30 and physical development of children to achieve the
31 performance standards and outcome measures adopted specified
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1 by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. At a
2 minimum, these programs must contain the following elements:
3 a. Developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to
4 enhance the age-appropriate progress of children in attaining
5 the performance standards adopted by the Agency for Workforce
6 Innovation under subparagraph (4)(d)8.
7 b. A character development program to develop basic
8 values.
9 c. An age-appropriate assessment of each child's
10 development.
11 d. A pretest administered to children when they enter
12 a program and a posttest administered to children when they
13 leave the program.
14 e. An appropriate staff-to-children staff-to-child
15 ratio.
16 f. A healthy healthful and safe environment.
17 g. A resource and referral network to assist parents
18 in making an informed choice.
19 (d) Implementation.--
20 1. A regional child development board may not
21 implement the school readiness program is to be phased in.
22 until the board is authorized coalition implements its plan,
23 the county shall continue to receive the services identified
24 in subsection (3) through the various agencies that would be
25 responsible for delivering those services under current law.
26 Plan implementation is subject to approval of the board's
27 school readiness coalition and the plan by the Agency for
28 Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
29 2. Each regional child development board school
30 readiness coalition shall develop a plan for implementing the
31 school readiness program to meet the requirements of this
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1 section and the performance standards and outcome measures
2 adopted established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation
3 partnership. The plan must include a written description of
4 the role of the program in the coalition's effort to meet the
5 first state education goal, readiness to start school,
6 including a description of the plan to involve the
7 prekindergarten early intervention programs, Head Start
8 Programs, programs offered by public or private providers of
9 child care, preschool programs for children with disabilities,
10 programs for migrant children, Title I programs, subsidized
11 child care programs, and teen parent programs. The plan must
12 also demonstrate how the program will ensure that each
13 3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a publicly funded school
14 readiness program receives scheduled activities and
15 instruction designed to enhance the age-appropriate progress
16 of the prepare children in attaining the performance standards
17 adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation under
18 subparagraph (4)(d)8 to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
19 Before Prior to implementation of the school readiness
20 program, the regional child development board school readiness
21 coalition must submit the plan to the Agency for Workforce
22 Innovation partnership for approval. The Agency for Workforce
23 Innovation partnership may approve the plan, reject the plan,
24 or approve the plan with conditions. The Agency for Workforce
25 Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall
26 review school readiness coalition plans at least annually.
27 3. If the Agency for Workforce Innovation determines
28 during the annual review of school readiness plans, or through
29 monitoring and performance evaluations conducted under the
30 quality-assurance system, that a regional child development
31 board has not substantially implemented its plan or has not
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1 substantially met the performance standards and outcome
2 measures adopted by the agency, the Agency for Workforce
3 Innovation may reject the board's plan and contract with a
4 qualified entity to continue school readiness services in the
5 board's county or multicounty region until the board is
6 reestablished through resubmission of a school readiness plan
7 and approval by the agency.
8 4.3. The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the
9 advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council,
10 shall adopt criteria for the approval of school readiness
11 plans. The criteria must be consistent with the performance
12 standards and outcome measures adopted by the agency and must
13 require each approved plan to for the school readiness program
14 must include the following minimum standards and provisions:
15 a. A sliding fee scale establishing a copayment for
16 parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for
17 all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each
18 program's budget.
19 b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed,
20 registered, religious-exempt, or school-based programs to be
21 provided to parents.
22 c. Instructional staff who have completed the training
23 course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who
24 have additional training or credentials as required by the
25 Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The plan must
26 provide a method for assuring the qualifications of all
27 personnel in all program settings.
28 d. Specific eligibility priorities for children within
29 the regional child development board's coalition's county or
30 multicounty region in accordance with pursuant to subsection
31 (6).
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1 e. Performance standards and outcome measures adopted
2 established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
3 or alternatively, standards and outcome measures to be used
4 until such time as the partnership adopts such standards and
5 outcome measures.
6 f. Payment Reimbursement rates adopted that have been
7 developed by the regional child development board and approved
8 by the Agency for Workforce Innovation coalition. Payment
9 Reimbursement rates shall not have the effect of limiting
10 parental choice or creating standards or levels of services
11 that have not been authorized by the Legislature.
12 g. Systems support services, including a central
13 agency, child care resource and referral, eligibility
14 determinations, training of providers, and parent support and
15 involvement.
16 h. Direct enhancement services to families and
17 children. System support and direct enhancement services shall
18 be in addition to payments for the placement of children in
19 school readiness programs.
20 i. The A business organization of the regional child
21 development board plan, which must include the board's
22 articles of incorporation and bylaws if the board is organized
23 as a corporation. If the board is not organized as a
24 corporation or other business entity, the plan must include
25 the contract with a fiscal school readiness agent if the
26 coalition is not a legally established corporate entity. A
27 regional child development board Coalitions may contract with
28 other regional child development boards coalitions to achieve
29 efficiency in multicounty multiple-county services, and these
30 such contracts may be part of the board's school readiness
31 coalition's business plan.
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1 j. Strategies to meet the needs of unique populations,
2 such as migrant workers.
3
4 As part of the school readiness plan, the regional child
5 development board coalition may request the Governor to apply
6 for a waiver to allow the board coalition to administer the
7 Head Start Program to accomplish the purposes of the school
8 readiness program. If a any school readiness plan
9 demonstrates can demonstrate that specific statutory goals may
10 can be achieved more effectively by using procedures that
11 require modification of existing rules, policies, or
12 procedures, a request for a waiver to the Agency for Workforce
13 Innovation partnership may be submitted made as part of the
14 plan. Upon review, the Agency for Workforce Innovation
15 partnership may grant the proposed modification.
16 5.4. Persons with an early childhood teaching
17 certificate may provide support and supervision to other staff
18 in the school readiness program.
19 6.5. A regional child development board The coalition
20 may not implement its school readiness plan until the board it
21 submits the plan to and receives approval from the Agency for
22 Workforce Innovation partnership. Once the plan is has been
23 approved, the plan and the services provided under the plan
24 shall be controlled by the regional child development board
25 coalition rather than by the state agencies or departments.
26 The plan shall be reviewed and revised as necessary, but at
27 least biennially. A regional child development board may not
28 implement the revisions until the board submits the revised
29 plan to and receives approval from the Agency for Workforce
30 Innovation. If the Agency for Workforce Innovation rejects a
31
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1 revised plan, the board must continue to operate under its
2 prior approved plan.
3 7.6. Sections The following statutes will not apply to
4 local coalitions with approved plans: ss. 125.901(2)(a)3.,
5 411.221, and 411.232 do not apply to a regional child
6 development board with an approved school readiness plan. To
7 facilitate innovative practices and to allow the regional
8 local establishment of school readiness programs, a regional
9 child development board school readiness coalition may apply
10 to the Governor and Cabinet for a waiver of, and the Governor
11 and Cabinet may waive, any of the provisions of ss. 411.223,
12 411.232, and 1003.54, if the waiver is necessary for
13 implementation of the board's coalition's school readiness
14 plan.
15 8.7. Two or more counties may join for purposes the
16 purpose of planning and implementing a school readiness
17 program.
18 9.8. A regional child development board coalition may,
19 subject to approval by of the Agency for Workforce Innovation
20 partnership as part of the board's school readiness
21 coalition's plan, receive subsidized child care funds for all
22 children eligible for any federal subsidized child care
23 program and be the provider of the program services.
24 10.9. A regional child development board may
25 Coalitions are authorized to enter into multiparty contracts
26 with multicounty service providers in order to meet the needs
27 of unique populations such as migrant workers.
28 (e) Requests for proposals; payment schedule.--
29 1. At least once every 3 years, beginning July 1,
30 2001, Each regional child development board coalition must
31 comply with follow the competitive procurement requirements of
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1 s. 287.057 for the procurement of commodities or contractual
2 services from the funds described in paragraph (9)(d) school
3 readiness programs. The period of a contract for purchase of
4 these commodities or contractual services, together with any
5 renewal of the original contract, may not exceed 3 years.
6 2. Each regional child development board coalition
7 shall adopt develop a payment schedule that encompasses all
8 programs funded by the board under this section that
9 coalition. The payment schedule must take into consideration
10 the relevant market rate, must include the projected number of
11 children to be served, and must be submitted for approval by
12 to the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership for
13 information. Informal child care arrangements shall be
14 reimbursed at not more than 50 percent of the rate developed
15 for a family day care home childcare.
16 (f) Requirements relating to fiscal agents.--If a
17 regional child development board the local coalition is not a
18 legally organized as a corporation or other business
19 established corporate entity, the board coalition must
20 designate a fiscal agent, which may be a public entity or a
21 private nonprofit organization. The fiscal agent must shall be
22 required to provide financial and administrative services
23 under pursuant to a contract or agreement with the regional
24 child development board school readiness coalition. The fiscal
25 agent may not provide direct early childhood education or
26 child care services; however, a fiscal agent may provide those
27 such services upon written request of the regional child
28 development board coalition to the Agency for Workforce
29 Innovation partnership and upon the approval of the such
30 request by the agency partnership. The cost of the financial
31 and administrative services shall be negotiated between the
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1 fiscal agent and the regional child development board school
2 readiness coalition. If the fiscal agent is a provider of
3 early childhood education and child care programs, the
4 contract must specify that the fiscal agent shall will act on
5 policy direction from the regional child development board
6 coalition and must will not receive policy direction from its
7 own corporate board regarding disbursal of the regional child
8 development board's coalition funds. The fiscal agent shall
9 disburse funds in accordance with the regional child
10 development board's approved coalition school readiness plan
11 and based on billing and disbursement procedures approved by
12 the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The fiscal
13 agent must conform to all data-reporting requirements
14 established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation
15 partnership.
16 (g) Evaluation and annual report.--Each regional child
17 development board school readiness coalition shall conduct an
18 evaluation of the effectiveness of the school readiness
19 program, including performance standards and outcome measures,
20 and shall provide an annual report and fiscal statement to the
21 Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School
22 Readiness. This report must conform to the content and format
23 specifications set by the Agency for Workforce Innovation
24 Florida Partnership for School Readiness. The Agency for
25 Workforce Innovation partnership must include an analysis of
26 the regional child development board's coalition reports in
27 the agency's its annual report.
28 (6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--Each regional child
29 development board's The school readiness program shall be
30 established for children younger than under the age of
31 kindergarten eligibility as defined in s. 1002.51. Priority
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1 for participation in the school readiness program shall be
2 given to children age 3 years to school entry who are served
3 by the Family Safety Program Office of the Department of
4 Children and Family Services or a community-based lead agency
5 under pursuant to chapter 39 and for whom child care is needed
6 to minimize risk of further abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
7 Other eligible populations include children who meet one or
8 more of the following criteria:
9 (a) Children under the age of kindergarten eligibility
10 who are:
11 1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse,
12 neglect, or exploitation who are currently clients of the
13 Family Safety Program Office of the Department of Children and
14 Family Services, but who are not otherwise given priority
15 under this subsection.
16 2.1. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including
17 economically disadvantaged children, children of participants
18 in the welfare transition program, children of migrant
19 farmworkers, and children of teen parents.
20 3.2. Children of working families whose family income
21 does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
22 4.3. Children for whom the state is paying a relative
23 caregiver payment under s. 39.5085.
24 (b) Three-year-old children and 4-year-old children
25 who may not be economically disadvantaged but who have
26 disabilities, have been served in a specific part-time or
27 combination of part-time exceptional education programs with
28 required special services, aids, or equipment, and were
29 previously reported for funding part time with the Florida
30 Education Finance Program as exceptional students.
31
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1 (c) Economically disadvantaged children, children with
2 disabilities, and children at risk of future school failure,
3 from birth to 4 years of age, who are served at home through
4 home visitor programs and intensive parent education programs
5 such as the Florida First Start Program.
6 (d) Children who meet federal and state eligibility
7 requirements for eligibility for the migrant preschool program
8 but who do not meet the criteria of economically
9 disadvantaged.
10
11 As used in this subsection, the term An "economically
12 disadvantaged" child means a child whose family income does
13 not exceed is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
14 Notwithstanding any change in a family's economic status, but
15 subject to additional family contributions in accordance with
16 the sliding fee scale, a child who meets the eligibility
17 requirements upon initial registration for the program remains
18 shall be considered eligible until the child reaches
19 kindergarten eligibility as defined in s. 1002.51 age.
20 (7) PARENTAL CHOICE.--
21 (a) The school readiness program shall provide
22 parental choice through pursuant to a purchase service order
23 that ensures, to the maximum extent possible, flexibility in
24 school readiness programs and payment arrangements. According
25 to federal regulations requiring parental choice, a parent may
26 choose an informal child care arrangement. The purchase order
27 must bear the name of the beneficiary and the program provider
28 and, when redeemed, must bear the signature of both the
29 beneficiary and an authorized representative of the provider.
30 (b) If it is determined that a provider has provided
31 any cash to the beneficiary in return for receiving the
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1 purchase order, the regional child development board coalition
2 or its fiscal agent shall refer the matter to the Division of
3 Public Assistance Fraud for investigation.
4 (c) The office of the Chief Financial Officer shall
5 establish an electronic transfer system for the disbursement
6 of funds in accordance with this subsection. Each regional
7 child development board School readiness coalitions shall
8 fully implement the electronic funds transfer system within 2
9 years after plan approval of the board's school readiness
10 plan, unless a waiver is obtained from the Agency for
11 Workforce Innovation partnership.
12 (8) STANDARDS; OUTCOME MEASURES.--All publicly funded
13 school readiness programs must shall be required to meet the
14 performance standards and outcome measures adopted developed
15 and approved by the Agency for Workforce Innovation
16 partnership. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall consult
17 with the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
18 Accountability shall provide consultation to the partnership
19 in the development of the measures and standards. These
20 performance standards and outcome measures shall apply be
21 applicable on a statewide basis.
22 (9) FUNDING; SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM.--
23 (a) It is the intent of this section to establish an
24 integrated and quality seamless service delivery system for
25 all publicly funded early childhood education and child care
26 programs operating in this state.
27 (b) Notwithstanding s. 20.50:
28 1. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall
29 administer school readiness funds, plans, and policies
30 pursuant to the contract with the Florida Partnership for
31 School Readiness and shall prepare and submit a unified budget
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1 request for the school readiness system program in accordance
2 with chapter 216.
3 2. All instructions to regional child development
4 boards for the administration of this section local school
5 readiness coalitions shall emanate from the Agency for
6 Workforce Innovation in accordance with the pursuant to
7 policies of the Legislature, plans of the Florida Partnership
8 for School Readiness, and the contract between the Florida
9 Partnership for School Readiness and the agency.
10 (c) The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt
11 prepare a formula plan that provides for the allocation among
12 the regional child development boards distribution and
13 expenditure of all state and federal school readiness funds
14 for children participating in public or private school
15 readiness programs based upon an equity and performance
16 funding formula. The allocation formula must plan shall be
17 submitted to the Governor and the Legislative Budget
18 Commission. Upon approval, the Legislative Budget Commission
19 shall authorize the allocation transfer of funds by to the
20 Agency for Workforce Innovation for distribution in accordance
21 with the provisions of the allocation formula.
22 (d) All state funds budgeted for a county for the
23 programs specified in subsection (3), along with the pro rata
24 share of the state administrative costs of those programs in
25 the amount as determined by the partnership, all federal,
26 funds and required local maintenance-of-effort or matching
27 funds provided to a regional child development board for a
28 county for programs specified in subsection (3), and any
29 additional funds appropriated or obtained for purposes of this
30 section, shall be used by transferred for the benefit of the
31 board coalition for implementation of its school readiness
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1 plan, including the hiring of staff to effectively operate the
2 board's coalition's school readiness program. As part of plan
3 approval and periodic plan review, the Agency for Workforce
4 Innovation partnership shall require that administrative costs
5 be kept to the minimum necessary for efficient and effective
6 administration of the school readiness plan, but total
7 administrative expenditures must shall not exceed 5 percent
8 unless specifically waived by the Agency for Workforce
9 Innovation partnership. The Agency for Workforce Innovation
10 partnership shall annually report to the Legislature any
11 problems relating to administrative costs.
12 (e) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
13 shall annually distribute, to a maximum extent practicable,
14 all eligible funds provided under this section as block grants
15 to the regional child development boards. assist coalitions in
16 integrating services and funding to develop a quality service
17 delivery system. Subject to appropriation, the partnership may
18 also provide financial awards to coalitions demonstrating
19 success in merging and integrating funding streams to serve
20 children and school readiness programs.
21 (f) State funds appropriated for the school readiness
22 program may not be used for the construction of new facilities
23 or the purchase of buses. The Agency for Workforce Innovation
24 partnership shall present to the Legislature recommendations
25 for providing necessary transportation services for school
26 readiness programs.
27 (g) All cost savings and all revenues received through
28 a mandatory sliding fee scale shall be used to help fund each
29 regional child development board's the local school readiness
30 program.
31
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1 (10) UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFERS.--Notwithstanding any
2 other law to the contrary, the Agency for Workforce Innovation
3 may not transfer to the Department of Education, through an
4 interagency agreement or through any other means, any of the
5 agency's powers, duties, functions, rules, records, personnel,
6 property, or unexpended balances of appropriations,
7 allocations, or other funds which are provided for purposes of
8 this section, without specific legislative authority by
9 express reference to this subsection.
10 (10) SCHOOL READINESS UNIFORM SCREENING.--The
11 Department of Education shall implement a school readiness
12 uniform screening, including a pilot program during the
13 2001-2002 school year, to validate the system recommended by
14 the Florida Partnership for School Readiness as part of a
15 comprehensive evaluation design. Beginning with the 2002-2003
16 school year, the department shall require that all school
17 districts administer the school readiness uniform screening to
18 each kindergarten student in the district school system upon
19 the student's entry into kindergarten. Children who enter
20 public school for the first time in first grade must undergo a
21 uniform screening adopted for use in first grade. The
22 department shall incorporate school readiness data into the
23 K-20 data warehouse for longitudinal tracking. Notwithstanding
24 s. 1002.22, the department shall provide the partnership and
25 the Agency for Workforce Innovation with complete and full
26 access to kindergarten uniform screening data at the student,
27 school, district, and state levels in a format that will
28 enable the partnership and the agency to prepare reports
29 needed by state policymakers and local school readiness
30 coalitions to access progress toward school readiness goals
31
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1 and provide input for continuous improvement of local school
2 readiness services and programs.
3 (11) REPORTS.--The Office of Program Policy Analysis
4 and Government Accountability shall assess the implementation,
5 efficiency, and outcomes of the school readiness program and
6 report its findings to the President of the Senate and the
7 Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2002.
8 Subsequent reviews shall be conducted at the direction of the
9 Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.
10 (11)(12) CONFLICTING PROVISIONS.--In the event of a
11 conflict between the provisions of this section and federal
12 requirements, the federal requirements shall control.
13 (12)(13) PLACEMENTS.--Notwithstanding any other
14 provision of this section to the contrary, and for fiscal year
15 2003-2004 only, the first children to be placed in the school
16 readiness program shall be those from families receiving
17 temporary cash assistance and subject to federal work
18 requirements. Subsequent placements shall be made in
19 accordance with subsection (6) pursuant to the provisions of
20 this section. This subsection expires July 1, 2004.
21 Section 3. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (a) of
22 subsection (3) of section 11.45, Florida Statutes, is amended
23 to read:
24 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports;
25 rules.--
26 (3) AUTHORITY FOR AUDITS AND OTHER ENGAGEMENTS.--
27 (a) The Auditor General may, by pursuant to his or her
28 own authority, or at the direction of the Legislative Auditing
29 Committee, conduct audits or other engagements as determined
30 appropriate by the Auditor General of:
31
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1 1. The accounts and records of any governmental entity
2 created or established by law.
3 2. The information technology programs, activities,
4 functions, or systems of any governmental entity created or
5 established by law.
6 3. The accounts and records of any charter school
7 created or established by law.
8 4. The accounts and records of any direct-support
9 organization or citizen support organization created or
10 established by law. The Auditor General may is authorized to
11 require and receive any records from the direct-support
12 organization or citizen support organization, or from its
13 independent auditor.
14 5. The public records associated with any
15 appropriation made by the General Appropriations Act to a
16 nongovernmental agency, corporation, or person. All records of
17 a nongovernmental agency, corporation, or person for with
18 respect to the receipt and expenditure of the such an
19 appropriation are shall be public records and shall be treated
20 in the same manner as other public records are under general
21 law.
22 6. State financial assistance provided to any nonstate
23 entity.
24 7. The Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation
25 created under pursuant to s. 215.56005.
26 8. The Florida Virtual School created under pursuant
27 to s. 1002.37.
28 9. Any purchases of federal surplus lands for use as
29 sites for correctional facilities as described in s. 253.037.
30 10. Enterprise Florida, Inc., including any of its
31 boards, advisory committees, or similar groups created by
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1 Enterprise Florida, Inc., and programs. The audit report may
2 not reveal the identity of any person who has anonymously made
3 a donation to Enterprise Florida, Inc., under pursuant to this
4 subparagraph. The identity of a donor or prospective donor to
5 Enterprise Florida, Inc., who desires to remain anonymous and
6 all information identifying the such donor or prospective
7 donor are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s.
8 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. The
9 Such anonymity shall be maintained in the auditor's report.
10 11. The Florida Development Finance Corporation or the
11 capital development board or the programs or entities created
12 by the board. The audit or report may not reveal the identity
13 of any person who has anonymously made a donation to the board
14 under pursuant to this subparagraph. The identity of a donor
15 or prospective donor to the board who desires to remain
16 anonymous and all information identifying the such donor or
17 prospective donor are confidential and exempt from the
18 provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State
19 Constitution. The Such anonymity shall be maintained in the
20 auditor's report.
21 12. The records pertaining to the use of funds from
22 voluntary contributions on a motor vehicle registration
23 application or on a driver's license application authorized
24 under pursuant to ss. 320.023 and 322.081.
25 13. The records pertaining to the use of funds from
26 the sale of specialty license plates described in chapter 320.
27 14. The transportation corporations under contract
28 with the Department of Transportation that are acting on
29 behalf of the state to secure and obtain rights-of-way for
30 urgently needed transportation systems and to assist in the
31
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1 planning and design of the such systems under pursuant to ss.
2 339.401-339.421.
3 15. The acquisitions and divestitures related to the
4 Florida Communities Trust Program created under pursuant to
5 chapter 380.
6 16. The Florida Water Pollution Control Financing
7 Corporation created under pursuant to s. 403.1837.
8 17. The school readiness system, including the
9 regional child development boards, Florida Partnership for
10 School Readiness created under pursuant to s. 411.01.
11 18. The Florida Special Disability Trust Fund
12 Financing Corporation created under pursuant to s. 440.49.
13 19. Workforce Florida, Inc., or the programs or
14 entities created by Workforce Florida, Inc., created under
15 pursuant to s. 445.004.
16 20. The corporation defined in s. 455.32 which that is
17 under contract with the Department of Business and
18 Professional Regulation to provide administrative,
19 investigative, examination, licensing, and prosecutorial
20 support services in accordance with the provisions of s.
21 455.32 and the practice act of the relevant profession.
22 21. The Florida Engineers Management Corporation
23 created under pursuant to chapter 471.
24 22. The Investment Fraud Restoration Financing
25 Corporation created under pursuant to chapter 517.
26 23. The books and records of any permitholder that
27 conducts race meetings or jai alai exhibitions under chapter
28 550.
29 24. The corporation defined in part II of chapter 946,
30 cited known as the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and
31 Diversified Enterprises, Inc., or PRIDE Enterprises.
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1 Section 4. Subsections (3) and (6) of section 20.15,
2 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
3 20.15 Department of Education.--There is created a
4 Department of Education.
5 (3) DIVISIONS.--The following divisions of the
6 Department of Education are established:
7 (a) Division of Community Colleges.
8 (b) Division of Public Schools.
9 (c) Division of Colleges and Universities.
10 (d) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
11 (e) Division of Blind Services.
12 (f) Division of Early Childhood Education.
13 (6) COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES.--Notwithstanding any
14 anything contained in law to the contrary, the commissioner
15 shall appoint all members of all councils and committees of
16 the Department of Education, except for the Commission for
17 Independent Education, and the Education Practices Commission,
18 and the Florida Child Development Advisory Council.
19 Section 5. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (2) of
20 section 20.50, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
21 20.50 Agency for Workforce Innovation.--There is
22 created the Agency for Workforce Innovation within the
23 Department of Management Services. The agency shall be a
24 separate budget entity, and the director of the agency shall
25 be the agency head for all purposes. The agency shall not be
26 subject to control, supervision, or direction by the
27 Department of Management Services in any manner, including,
28 but not limited to, personnel, purchasing, transactions
29 involving real or personal property, and budgetary matters.
30 (2) The Agency for Workforce Innovation is shall be
31 the designated administrative agency designated for receipt of
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1 federal workforce development grants and other federal funds.
2 The agency, and shall administer carry out the duties and
3 responsibilities assigned by the Governor under each federal
4 grant assigned to the agency. The agency shall be a separate
5 budget entity and shall expend each revenue source as provided
6 by federal and state law and as provided in plans developed by
7 and agreements with Workforce Florida, Inc. The agency shall
8 prepare and submit as a separate budget entity a unified
9 budget request for workforce development, in accordance with
10 chapter 216 for, and in conjunction with, Workforce Florida,
11 Inc., and its board. The head of the agency is the director of
12 Workforce Innovation, who shall be appointed by the Governor.
13 The accountability and reporting functions of the agency shall
14 be administered by the director or his or her designee.
15 Included in These functions shall include are budget
16 management, financial management, audit, performance
17 management standards and controls, assessing outcomes of
18 service delivery, and financial administration of workforce
19 programs under pursuant to s. 445.004(5) and (9). Within the
20 agency's overall organizational structure, The agency shall
21 include the following offices within its organizational
22 structure, which shall have the specified responsibilities:
23 (a) The Office of Workforce Services shall administer
24 the unemployment compensation program, the Rapid Response
25 program, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program, the Alien
26 Labor Certification program, and any other programs that are
27 delivered directly by agency staff rather than through the
28 one-stop delivery system. The office shall be directed by the
29 Deputy Director for Workforce Services, who shall be appointed
30 by and serve at the pleasure of the director.
31
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1 (b) The Office of Program Support and Accountability
2 shall administer state merit system program staff within the
3 workforce service delivery system, under the pursuant to
4 policies of Workforce Florida, Inc. The office is shall be
5 responsible for delivering services through the one-stop
6 delivery system and for ensuring that participants in welfare
7 transition programs receive case management services,
8 diversion assistance, support services, including subsidized
9 child care and transportation services, Medicaid services, and
10 transition assistance to enable them to succeed in the
11 workforce. The office is shall also be responsible for program
12 quality assurance, grants and contract management,
13 contracting, financial management, and reporting. The office
14 shall be directed by the Deputy Director for Program Support
15 and Accountability, who shall be appointed by and serve at the
16 pleasure of the director. The office is shall be responsible
17 for:
18 1. Establishing monitoring, quality assurance, and
19 quality improvement systems that routinely assess the quality
20 and effectiveness of contracted programs and services.
21 2. Annual review of each regional workforce board and
22 administrative entity to ensure that adequate systems of
23 reporting and control are in place; that, and monitoring,
24 quality assurance, and quality improvement activities are
25 conducted routinely;, and that corrective action is taken to
26 eliminate deficiencies.
27 (c) The Office of Child Development shall administer
28 the school readiness system in accordance with s. 411.01. The
29 office shall be directed by the Deputy Director for Child
30 Development, who shall be appointed by and serve at the
31 pleasure of the director.
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1 (d)(c) The Office of Agency Support Services is shall
2 be responsible for procurement, human resource services, and
3 information services including delivering information on labor
4 markets, employment, occupations, and performance, and shall
5 implement and maintain information systems that are required
6 for the effective operation of the one-stop delivery system
7 and the school readiness services system, including, but not
8 limited to, those systems described in s. 445.009. The office
9 shall will be directed by under the direction of the Deputy
10 Director for Agency Support Services, who shall be appointed
11 by and serve at the pleasure of the director. The office is
12 shall be responsible for establishing:
13 1. Information systems and controls that report
14 reliable, timely and accurate fiscal and performance data for
15 assessing outcomes, service delivery, and financial
16 administration of workforce programs under pursuant to s.
17 445.004(5) and (9).
18 2. Information systems that support service
19 integration and case management by providing for case tracking
20 for participants in welfare transition programs.
21 3. Information systems that support the school
22 readiness system services.
23 (e)(d) The Unemployment Appeals Commission, authorized
24 by s. 443.012, is shall not be subject to the control,
25 supervision, or direction by the Agency for Workforce
26 Innovation in the performance of its powers and duties but
27 shall receive any and all support and assistance from the
28 agency that is may be required for the performance of its
29 duties.
30
31
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1 Section 6. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (b) of
2 subsection (1) of section 125.901, Florida Statutes, is
3 amended to read:
4 125.901 Children's services; independent special
5 district; council; powers, duties, and functions.--
6 (1) Each county may by ordinance create an independent
7 special district, as defined in ss. 189.403(3) and
8 200.001(8)(e), to provide funding for children's services
9 throughout the county in accordance with this section. The
10 boundaries of such district shall be coterminous with the
11 boundaries of the county. The county governing body shall
12 obtain approval, by a majority vote of those electors voting
13 on the question, to annually levy ad valorem taxes which shall
14 not exceed the maximum millage rate authorized by this
15 section. Any district created pursuant to the provisions of
16 this subsection shall be required to levy and fix millage
17 subject to the provisions of s. 200.065. Once such millage is
18 approved by the electorate, the district shall not be required
19 to seek approval of the electorate in future years to levy the
20 previously approved millage.
21 (b) However, any county as defined in s. 125.011(1)
22 may instead have a governing board consisting of 33 members,
23 including: the superintendent of schools; two representatives
24 of public postsecondary education institutions located in the
25 county; the county manager or the equivalent county officer;
26 the district administrator from the appropriate district of
27 the Department of Children and Family Services, or the
28 administrator's designee who is a member of the Senior
29 Management Service or the Selected Exempt Service; the
30 director of the county health department or the director's
31 designee; the state attorney for the county or the state
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1 attorney's designee; the chief judge assigned to juvenile
2 cases, or another juvenile judge who is the chief judge's
3 designee and who shall sit as a voting member of the board,
4 except that the judge may not vote or participate in setting
5 ad valorem taxes under this section; an individual who is
6 selected by the board of the local United Way or its
7 equivalent; a member of a locally recognized faith-based
8 coalition, selected by that coalition; a member of the local
9 chamber of commerce, selected by that chamber or, if more than
10 one chamber exists within the county, a person selected by a
11 coalition of the local chambers; a member of the regional
12 child development board local school readiness coalition,
13 selected by that board coalition; a representative of a labor
14 organization or union active in the county; a member of a
15 local alliance or coalition engaged in cross-system planning
16 for health and social service delivery in the county, selected
17 by that alliance or coalition; a member of the local
18 Parent-Teachers Association/Parent-Teacher-Student
19 Association, selected by that association; a youth
20 representative selected by the local school system's student
21 government; a local school board member appointed by the chair
22 of the school board; the mayor of the county or the mayor's
23 designee; one member of the county governing body, appointed
24 by the chair of that body; a member of the state Legislature
25 who represents residents of the county, selected by the chair
26 of the local legislative delegation; an elected official
27 representing the residents of a municipality in the county,
28 selected by the county municipal league; and 4
29 members-at-large, appointed to the council by the majority of
30 sitting council members. The remaining 7 members shall be
31 appointed by the Governor in accordance with procedures set
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1 forth in paragraph (a), except that the Governor may remove a
2 member for cause or upon the written petition of the council.
3 Appointments by the Governor must, to the extent reasonably
4 possible, represent the geographic and demographic diversity
5 of the population of the county. Members who are appointed to
6 the council by reason of their position are not subject to the
7 length of terms and limits on consecutive terms as provided in
8 this section. The remaining appointed members of the governing
9 board shall be appointed to serve 2-year terms, except that
10 those members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to
11 serve 4-year terms, and the youth representative and the
12 legislative delegate shall be appointed to serve 1-year terms.
13 A member may be reappointed; however, a member may not serve
14 for more than three consecutive terms. A member is eligible to
15 be appointed again after a 2-year hiatus from the council.
16 Section 7. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (1) of
17 section 216.133, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
18 216.133 Definitions; ss. 216.133-216.137.--As used in
19 ss. 216.133-216.137:
20 (1) "Consensus estimating conference" includes the
21 Economic Estimating Conference, the Demographic Estimating
22 Conference, the Revenue Estimating Conference, the Education
23 Estimating Conference, the Criminal Justice Estimating
24 Conference, the Juvenile Justice Estimating Conference, the
25 Child Welfare System Estimating Conference, the Occupational
26 Forecasting Conference, the Child Development Programs School
27 Readiness Program Estimating Conference, the Self-Insurance
28 Estimating Conference, the Florida Retirement System Actuarial
29 Assumption Conference, and the Social Services Estimating
30 Conference.
31
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1 Section 8. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (10) of
2 section 216.136, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
3 216.136 Consensus estimating conferences; duties and
4 principals.--
5 (10) CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SCHOOL READINESS
6 PROGRAM ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.--
7 (a) Duties.--
8 1. The Child Development Programs School Readiness
9 Program Estimating Conference shall develop estimates and
10 forecasts of the unduplicated count of children eligible for
11 school readiness programs in accordance with the standards of
12 eligibility established in s. 411.01(6), and of children
13 eligible for the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program in
14 accordance with s. 1002.53(2), as the conference determines
15 are needed to support the state planning, budgeting, and
16 appropriations processes.
17 2. The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
18 Partnership for School Readiness shall provide information on
19 needs and waiting lists for school readiness programs as
20 program services requested by the Child Development Programs
21 School Readiness Program Estimating Conference or individual
22 conference principals in a timely manner.
23 3. The Department of Education shall provide
24 information on needs for the Florida Prekindergarten Education
25 Program as requested by the Child Development Programs
26 Estimating Conference or individual conference principals in a
27 timely manner.
28 (b) Principals.--The Executive Office of the Governor,
29 the Director of Economic and Demographic Research, and
30 professional staff who have forecasting expertise from the
31 Florida Partnership for School Readiness, the Agency for
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1 Workforce Innovation, the Department of Children and Family
2 Services, the Department of Education, the Senate, and the
3 House of Representatives, or their designees, are the
4 principals of the Child Development Programs School Readiness
5 Program Estimating Conference. The principal representing the
6 Executive Office of the Governor shall preside over sessions
7 of the conference.
8 Section 9. Effective July 1, 2004, section 402.3016,
9 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
10 402.3016 Early Head Start collaboration grants.--
11 (1) Contingent upon specific appropriations, the
12 Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School
13 Readiness shall establish a program to award collaboration
14 grants to assist local agencies in securing Early Head Start
15 programs through Early Head Start program federal grants. The
16 collaboration grants shall provide the required matching funds
17 for public and private nonprofit agencies that have been
18 approved for Early Head Start program federal grants.
19 (2) Public and private nonprofit agencies providing
20 Early Head Start programs applying for collaborative grants
21 must:
22 (a) Ensure quality performance by meeting the
23 requirements in the Head Start program performance standards
24 and other applicable rules and regulations;
25 (b) Ensure collaboration with other service providers
26 at the local level; and
27 (c) Ensure that a comprehensive array of health,
28 nutritional, and other services are provided to the program's
29 pregnant women and very young children, and their families.
30 (3) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
31 shall report to the Legislature on an annual basis the number
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1 of agencies receiving Early Head Start collaboration grants
2 and the number of children served.
3 (4) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership
4 may adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 as necessary
5 for the award of collaboration grants to competing agencies
6 and the administration of the collaboration grants program
7 under this section.
8 Section 10. Effective, July 1, 2004, section 411.011,
9 Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
10 411.011 Records of children in school readiness
11 programs.--The individual records of children enrolled in
12 school readiness programs provided under s. 411.01, when held
13 in the possession of the regional child development board
14 school readiness coalition or the Agency for Workforce
15 Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness, are
16 confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07 and
17 s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. For the purposes
18 of this section, records include assessment data, health data,
19 records of teacher observations, and identifying data,
20 including the child's social security number. A parent,
21 guardian, or individual acting as a parent in the absence of a
22 parent or guardian has the right to inspect and review the
23 individual school readiness program record of his or her child
24 and to obtain a copy of the record. School readiness records
25 may be released to the United States Secretary of Education,
26 the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, and
27 the Comptroller General of the United States for the purpose
28 of federal audits; to individuals or organizations conducting
29 studies for institutions to develop, validate, or administer
30 assessments or improve instruction; to accrediting
31 organizations in order to carry out their accrediting
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1 functions; to appropriate parties in connection with an
2 emergency if the information is necessary to protect the
3 health or safety of the student or other individuals; to the
4 Auditor General in connection with his or her official
5 functions; to a court of competent jurisdiction in compliance
6 with an order of that court in accordance with pursuant to a
7 lawfully issued subpoena; and to parties to an interagency
8 agreement among regional child development boards school
9 readiness coalitions, local governmental agencies, providers
10 of school readiness programs, state agencies, and the Agency
11 for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School
12 Readiness for the purpose of implementing the school readiness
13 program. Agencies, organizations, or individuals that receive
14 school readiness records in order to carry out their official
15 functions must protect the data in a manner that does will not
16 permit the personal identification of students and their
17 parents by persons other than those authorized to receive the
18 records. This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset
19 Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall
20 stand repealed on October 2, 2005, unless reviewed and saved
21 from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
22 Section 11. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (e) of
23 subsection (2) of section 411.226, Florida Statutes, is
24 amended to read:
25 411.226 Learning Gateway.--
26 (2) LEARNING GATEWAY STEERING COMMITTEE.--
27 (e) To support and facilitate system improvements, the
28 steering committee must consult with representatives from the
29 Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Agency
30 for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School
31 Readiness, the Department of Children and Family Services, the
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1 Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of
2 Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Corrections and with
3 the director of the Learning Development and Evaluation Center
4 of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
5 Section 12. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (d) of
6 subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection (2), and paragraph
7 (c) of subsection (3) of section 411.227, Florida Statutes,
8 are amended to read:
9 411.227 Components of the Learning Gateway.--The
10 Learning Gateway system consists of the following components:
11 (1) COMMUNITY EDUCATION STRATEGIES AND FAMILY-ORIENTED
12 ACCESS.--
13 (d) In collaboration with other local resources, the
14 demonstration projects shall develop public awareness
15 strategies to disseminate information about developmental
16 milestones, precursors of learning problems and other
17 developmental delays, and the service system that is
18 available. The information should target parents of children
19 from birth through age 9 and should be distributed to parents,
20 health care providers, and caregivers of children from birth
21 through age 9. A variety of media should be used as
22 appropriate, such as print, television, radio, and a
23 community-based Internet website, as well as opportunities
24 such as those presented by parent visits to physicians for
25 well-child checkups. The Learning Gateway Steering Committee
26 shall provide technical assistance to the local demonstration
27 projects in developing and distributing educational materials
28 and information.
29 1. Public awareness strategies targeting parents of
30 children from birth through age 5 shall be designed to provide
31 information to public and private preschool programs, child
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1 care childcare providers, pediatricians, parents, and local
2 businesses and organizations. These strategies should include
3 information on the school readiness performance standards for
4 kindergarten adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation
5 School Readiness Partnership Board.
6 2. Public awareness strategies targeting parents of
7 children from ages 6 through 9 must be designed to disseminate
8 training materials and brochures to parents and public and
9 private school personnel, and must be coordinated with the
10 local school board and the appropriate school advisory
11 committees in the demonstration projects. The materials should
12 contain information on state and district proficiency levels
13 for grades K-3.
14 (2) SCREENING AND DEVELOPMENTAL MONITORING.--
15 (a) In coordination with the Agency for Workforce
16 Innovation Partnership for School Readiness, the Department of
17 Education, and the Florida Pediatric Society, and using
18 information learned from the local demonstration projects, the
19 Learning Gateway Steering Committee shall establish guidelines
20 for screening children from birth through age 9. The
21 guidelines should incorporate recent research on the
22 indicators most likely to predict early learning problems,
23 mild developmental delays, child-specific precursors of school
24 failure, and other related developmental indicators in the
25 domains of cognition; communication; attention; perception;
26 behavior; and social, emotional, sensory, and motor
27 functioning.
28 (3) EARLY EDUCATION, SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.--
29 (c) The steering committee, in cooperation with the
30 Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
31 Education, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
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1 Partnership for School Readiness, shall identify the elements
2 of an effective research-based curriculum for early care and
3 education programs.
4 Section 13. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (a) of
5 subsection (2) of section 624.91, Florida Statutes, is amended
6 to read:
7 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--
8 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--
9 (a) The Legislature finds that increased access to
10 health care services could improve children's health and
11 reduce the incidence and costs of childhood illness and
12 disabilities among children in this state. Many children do
13 not have comprehensive, affordable health care services
14 available. It is the intent of the Legislature that the
15 Florida Healthy Kids Corporation provide comprehensive health
16 insurance coverage to these such children. The corporation is
17 encouraged to cooperate with any existing health service
18 programs funded by the public or the private sector and to
19 work cooperatively with the Agency for Workforce Innovation
20 Florida Partnership for School Readiness.
21 Section 14. Subsection (1) of section 1001.23, Florida
22 Statutes, is amended to read:
23 1001.23 Specific powers and duties of the Department
24 of Education.--In addition to all other duties assigned to it
25 by law or by rule of the State Board of Education, the
26 department shall:
27 (1) Adopt the statewide kindergarten school readiness
28 uniform screening developed by the Florida Partnership for
29 School Readiness, in accordance with s. 1002.67 the criteria
30 itemized in chapter 1008.
31
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1 Section 15. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (d) of
2 subsection (3) of section 1002.22, Florida Statutes, is
3 amended to read:
4 1002.22 Student records and reports; rights of parents
5 and students; notification; penalty.--
6 (3) RIGHTS OF PARENT OR STUDENT.--The parent of any
7 student who attends or has attended any public school, area
8 technical center, or public postsecondary educational
9 institution shall have the following rights with respect to
10 any records or reports created, maintained, and used by any
11 public educational institution in the state. However,
12 whenever a student has attained 18 years of age, or is
13 attending a postsecondary educational institution, the
14 permission or consent required of, and the rights accorded to,
15 the parents of the student shall thereafter be required of and
16 accorded to the student only, unless the student is a
17 dependent student of such parents as defined in 26 U.S.C. s.
18 152 (s. 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954). The State
19 Board of Education shall adopt rules whereby parents or
20 students may exercise these rights:
21 (d) Right of privacy.--Every student has shall have a
22 right of privacy with respect to the educational records kept
23 on him or her. Personally identifiable records or reports of a
24 student, and any personal information contained therein, are
25 confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1).
26 No state or local educational agency, board, public school,
27 technical center, or public postsecondary educational
28 institution shall permit the release of the such records,
29 reports, or information without the written consent of the
30 student's parent, or of the student himself or herself if he
31 or she is qualified as provided in this subsection, to any
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1 individual, agency, or organization. However, personally
2 identifiable records or reports of a student may be released
3 to the following persons or organizations without the consent
4 of the student or the student's parent:
5 1. Officials of schools, school systems, technical
6 centers, or public postsecondary educational institutions in
7 which the student seeks or intends to enroll; and a copy of
8 the such records or reports shall be furnished to the parent
9 or student upon request.
10 2. Other school officials, including teachers within
11 the educational institution or agency, who have legitimate
12 educational interests in the information contained in the
13 records.
14 3. The United States Secretary of Education, the
15 Director of the National Institute of Education, the Assistant
16 Secretary for Education, the Comptroller General of the United
17 States, or state or local educational authorities who are
18 authorized to receive such information subject to the
19 conditions set forth in applicable federal statutes and
20 regulations of the United States Department of Education, or
21 in applicable state statutes and rules of the State Board of
22 Education.
23 4. Other school officials, in connection with a
24 student's application for or receipt of financial aid.
25 5. Individuals or organizations conducting studies for
26 or on behalf of an institution or a board of education for the
27 purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive
28 tests, administering student aid programs, or improving
29 instruction, if the such studies are conducted in such a
30 manner that does as will not permit the personal
31 identification of students and their parents by persons other
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1 than representatives of the such organizations and if the such
2 information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the
3 purpose of conducting the such studies.
4 6. Accrediting organizations, in order to carry out
5 their accrediting functions.
6 7. Regional child development boards School readiness
7 coalitions and the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida
8 Partnership for School Readiness in order to carry out their
9 assigned duties.
10 8. For use as evidence in student expulsion hearings
11 conducted by a district school board under pursuant to the
12 provisions of chapter 120.
13 9. Appropriate parties in connection with an
14 emergency, if knowledge of the information in the student's
15 educational records is necessary to protect the health or
16 safety of the student or other individuals.
17 10. The Auditor General and the Office of Program
18 Policy Analysis and Government Accountability in connection
19 with their official functions; however, except when the
20 collection of personally identifiable information is
21 specifically authorized by law, any data collected by the
22 Auditor General and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
23 Government Accountability is confidential and exempt from the
24 provisions of s. 119.07(1) and shall be protected in such a
25 way that does as will not permit the personal identification
26 of students and their parents by other than the Auditor
27 General, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
28 Accountability, and their staff, and the such personally
29 identifiable data shall be destroyed when no longer needed for
30 the Auditor General's and the Office of Program Policy
31 Analysis and Government Accountability's official use.
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1 11.a. A court of competent jurisdiction in compliance
2 with an order of that court or the attorney of record in
3 accordance with pursuant to a lawfully issued subpoena, upon
4 the condition that the student and the student's parent are
5 notified of the order or subpoena in advance of compliance
6 therewith by the educational institution or agency.
7 b. A person or entity pursuant to a court of competent
8 jurisdiction in compliance with an order of that court or the
9 attorney of record in accordance with pursuant to a lawfully
10 issued subpoena, upon the condition that the student, or his
11 or her parent if the student is either a minor and not
12 attending a postsecondary educational institution or a
13 dependent of such parent as defined in 26 U.S.C. s. 152 (s.
14 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954), is notified of the
15 order or subpoena in advance of compliance therewith by the
16 educational institution or agency.
17 12. Credit bureaus, in connection with an agreement
18 for financial aid that the student has executed, if the
19 provided that such information is may be disclosed only to the
20 extent necessary to enforce the terms or conditions of the
21 financial aid agreement. Credit bureaus shall not release any
22 information obtained under pursuant to this paragraph to any
23 person.
24 13. Parties to an interagency agreement among the
25 Department of Juvenile Justice, school and law enforcement
26 authorities, and other signatory agencies for the purpose of
27 reducing juvenile crime and especially motor vehicle theft by
28 promoting cooperation and collaboration, and the sharing of
29 appropriate information in a joint effort to improve school
30 safety, to reduce truancy and in-school and out-of-school
31 suspensions, and to support alternatives to in-school and
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1 out-of-school suspensions and expulsions that provide
2 structured and well-supervised educational programs
3 supplemented by a coordinated overlay of other appropriate
4 services designed to correct behaviors that lead to truancy,
5 suspensions, and expulsions, and that support students in
6 successfully completing their education. Information provided
7 in furtherance of the such interagency agreements is intended
8 solely for use in determining the appropriate programs and
9 services for each juvenile or the juvenile's family, or for
10 coordinating the delivery of the such programs and services,
11 and as such is inadmissible in any court proceedings before
12 prior to a dispositional hearing unless written consent is
13 provided by a parent or other responsible adult on behalf of
14 the juvenile.
15
16 This paragraph does not prohibit any educational institution
17 from publishing and releasing to the general public directory
18 information relating to a student if the institution elects to
19 do so. However, no educational institution shall release, to
20 any individual, agency, or organization that is not listed in
21 subparagraphs 1.-13., directory information relating to the
22 student body in general or a portion thereof unless it is
23 normally published for the purpose of release to the public in
24 general. Any educational institution making directory
25 information public shall give public notice of the categories
26 of information that it has designated as directory information
27 for with respect to all students attending the institution and
28 shall allow a reasonable period of time after the such notice
29 has been given for a parent or student to inform the
30 institution in writing that any or all of the information
31 designated should not be released.
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1 Section 16. By January 15, 2005, the Department of
2 Education, with the advice of the Florida Child Development
3 Advisory Council created under section 1002.73, Florida
4 Statutes, shall submit recommendations to the Legislature on
5 professional development programs for the Florida
6 Prekindergarten Education Program. The recommendations must
7 comprise options for the professional development of
8 prekindergarten directors, teachers, and child care personnel.
9 The recommendations shall address curricula and appropriate
10 delivery systems for the programs and shall consider the use
11 of Internet-based applications for instruction or assessment.
12 The recommendations must also include the estimated costs of
13 the professional development programs, including nonrecurring
14 startup costs and recurring operational costs.
15 Section 17. Notwithstanding sections 216.162-216.168,
16 Florida Statutes, and under section 216.351, Florida Statutes,
17 the Governor shall submit to the Legislature, as part of the
18 Governor's recommended budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year,
19 the Governor's annual cost projections for the Florida
20 Prekindergarten Education Program for the 5-year period ending
21 with the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The cost projections must be
22 based upon the Governor's estimate of the number of children
23 to be served annually in the Florida Prekindergarten Education
24 Program, including annual estimates for the potential shift of
25 children to the Florida Prekindergarten Education Program from
26 school readiness programs provided under section 411.01,
27 Florida Statutes.
28 Section 18. (1) Effective July 1, 2004, the Florida
29 Partnership for School Readiness is abolished. All powers,
30 duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, property, and
31 unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other
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1 funds of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness are
2 transferred, effective July 1, 2004, by a type two transfer,
3 as defined in section 20.06(2), Florida Statutes, to the
4 Agency for Workforce Innovation.
5 (2) This act does not abolish the school readiness
6 coalitions but, effective July 1, 2004, redesignates the
7 coalitions as regional child development boards and, effective
8 January 1, 2005, requires a reduction in the number of boards.
9 All powers, duties, functions, rules, records, personnel,
10 property, and unexpended balances of appropriations,
11 allocations, and other funds of each school readiness
12 coalition are not transferred but shall be retained by the
13 coalition upon its redesignation as a regional child
14 development board.
15 Section 19. Sections 411.012 and 1008.21, Florida
16 Statutes, are repealed.
17 Section 20. (1) The sum of $7 million in nonrecurring
18 funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the
19 Department of Education to implement the summer
20 prekindergarten demonstration program under section
21 1002.61(5), Florida Statutes, during the 2003-2004 fiscal
22 year.
23 (2) Notwithstanding section 1002.69, Florida Statutes,
24 each demonstration district's allocation of funds appropriated
25 under subsection (1) shall be based upon the district's
26 student enrollment in the demonstration program. Each
27 demonstration district's student enrollment in the
28 demonstration program, and the demographic composition of the
29 student enrollment, must be consistent with the research
30 design developed under section 1002.61(5)(b), Florida
31 Statutes. A full-time equivalent student in the summer
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1 prekindergarten demonstration program shall be 300 hours, and
2 the base student allocation for the demonstration program
3 shall be $2,500 per full-time equivalent student. Each
4 district's allocation per full-time equivalent student shall
5 be calculated by multiplying the base student allocation by
6 the district cost differential provided in section 1011.62(2),
7 Florida Statutes.
8 (3) Each demonstration school have at least one
9 certified teacher for every 10 students in the demonstration
10 program. As used in this subsection, the term "certified
11 teacher" has the same meaning ascribed in section 1002.61(3),
12 Florida Statutes.
13 (4) Each demonstration district must submit all
14 information requested by the Department of Education for
15 reporting and funding purposes.
16 (5) Any unexpended balance at the end of the 2003-2004
17 fiscal year from the funds appropriated under subsection (1)
18 shall be certified forward to the 2004-2005 fiscal year and
19 shall be used to continue implementation of the demonstration
20 program during summer 2004.
21 Section 21. Except as otherwise expressly provided in
22 this act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 CS for SB 3036
3
4 The committee substitute:
5 -- Creates a school-year prekindergarten program delivered
by public schools in each school district, subject to the
6 district's compliance with class-size reduction
requirements.
7
-- Requires a parent enrolling a child in a prekindergarten
8 program to certify monthly the parent's choice of child
development provider or public school and authorization
9 of program payments to the provider or school.
10 -- Revises the eligibility requirements for child
development providers to deliver the prekindergarten
11 program by requiring nonpublic schools and faith-based
providers to be accredited by certain accrediting
12 agencies or hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care
designation and by requiring licensed child care
13 providers to meet Gold Seal Quality Care program
standards.
14
-- Requires the Department of Education to award credit, to
15 the maximum extent practicable, for the prekindergarten
director credential to a person who completes duplicative
16 requirements of the child care facility director
credential.
17
-- Specifies that funding for a prekindergarten program
18 delivered by a child development provider shall be based
upon a 540-hour program length and deletes requirements
19 for the Department of Education to submit recommendations
to the Governor and Legislature on an appropriate
20 teacher-to-student ratio and program length.
21 -- Requires school districts to give priority to teachers
with experience or coursework in early childhood
22 education when selecting instructional staff for the
summer prekindergarten program.
23
-- Revises the required teacher-to-student ratio for the
24 summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
schools, and for the summer prekindergarten demonstration
25 program, from one teacher for every six students to one
teacher for every 10 students.
26
-- Specifies that emergent literacy, for purposes of
27 training courses and performance standards for
prekindergarten programs, must include both phonemic and
28 phonological awareness and include vocabulary and
comprehension development.
29
-- Specifies that each provider's or school's curriculum
30 must be developmentally appropriate and be based upon
reading research.
31
-- Requires a provider's or school's kindergarten readiness
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1 rate to be based exclusively upon the results of the
statewide kindergarten screening only for students who
2 take the screening.
3 -- Specifies that the per-student allocation for a
prekindergarten program delivered by a child development
4 provider or public school must be equal and that the
per-student allocation in a county varies in accordance
5 with the county's district cost differential.
6 -- Replaces requirements for the payment of prekindergarten
programs through school districts, and for the
7 administration of membership surveys, with provisions for
the advance payment of providers and schools by regional
8 child development boards based upon enrollment, for the
certification of student attendance, and for the
9 reconciliation of payments based upon the certified
attendance.
10
-- Requires parents to verify monthly the attendance of
11 their children in prekindergarten programs and directs
regional child development boards to review the parental
12 verifications against the certified attendance.
13 -- Deletes a requirement prohibiting the use of state funds
for a sectarian purpose or activity.
14
-- Revises the membership of the Florida Child Development
15 Advisory Council by adding to the advisory council four
additional representatives of child development providers
16 and a public school classroom teacher.
17 -- Prohibits the Agency for Workforce Innovation from
transferring functions, property, or positions for the
18 school readiness program to the Department of Education
without specific legislative authority.
19
-- Provides a $7 million appropriation and specifies funding
20 requirements for the summer prekindergarten demonstration
program.
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