1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to early childhood education; creating |
3 | part V of ch. 1002, F.S.; creating the Voluntary |
4 | Prekindergarten Education Program; implementing s. 1(b) |
5 | and (c), Art. IX of the State Constitution; providing |
6 | definitions for purposes of the program; providing |
7 | eligibility and enrollment requirements; authorizing |
8 | parents to enroll their children in a program delivered by |
9 | a child development provider, a summer program delivered |
10 | by a public school, or a school-year program delivered by |
11 | a public school; requiring school districts to admit all |
12 | eligible children in the summer program; prohibiting |
13 | specified acts of discrimination and certain limits on |
14 | enrollment; specifying eligibility requirements for child |
15 | development providers and public schools that deliver the |
16 | program; providing for the adoption of rules; requiring |
17 | the Department of Education establish a credential for |
18 | prekindergarten directors and an emergent literacy |
19 | training course for teachers and child care personnel of |
20 | the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; requiring |
21 | the credential and course to provide training and |
22 | resources containing strategies that maximize the |
23 | program's benefits for students with disabilities and |
24 | other special needs; providing that the credential and |
25 | course satisfy certain credentialing and training |
26 | requirements; specifying eligibility requirements for |
27 | school districts that deliver the school-year |
28 | prekindergarten program; creating a demonstration program |
29 | in specified school districts; directing the Office of |
30 | Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to |
31 | evaluate the demonstration program; requiring the |
32 | demonstration districts to submit data; providing for the |
33 | future expiration of the demonstration program; |
34 | authorizing providers and schools to select or design |
35 | curricula used for the program under specified conditions; |
36 | directing the Department of Education to adopt performance |
37 | standards and approve curricula; requiring providers and |
38 | schools to be placed on probation and use the approved |
39 | curricula under certain circumstances; requiring |
40 | improvement plans and corrective actions from providers |
41 | and schools under certain circumstances; requiring |
42 | regional child development boards and school districts to |
43 | verify the compliance of child development providers and |
44 | public schools; authorizing the removal of providers and |
45 | schools from eligibility to deliver the program for |
46 | noncompliance; requiring the Department of Education to |
47 | adopt a statewide kindergarten screening; requiring |
48 | certain students to take the statewide screening; |
49 | specifying requirements for screening instruments and |
50 | kindergarten readiness rates; providing funding and |
51 | reporting requirements; specifying the calculation of per- |
52 | student allocations; providing for advance payments to |
53 | child development providers and public schools based upon |
54 | student enrollment; providing for the documentation and |
55 | certification of student attendance; requiring parents to |
56 | verify student attendance and certify the choice of |
57 | provider or school; providing for the reconciliation of |
58 | advance payments based upon certified student attendance; |
59 | requiring students to comply with attendance policies and |
60 | authorizing the dismissal of students for noncompliance; |
61 | prohibiting regional child development boards from |
62 | withholding funds for administrative costs; providing for |
63 | the allocation of administrative funds among regional |
64 | child development boards; prohibiting certain fees or |
65 | charges; limiting the use of state funds; providing powers |
66 | and duties of the Department of Education; requiring the |
67 | department to adopt procedures for the Voluntary |
68 | Prekindergarten Education Program; authorizing interagency |
69 | agreements for the integration of, and requiring |
70 | interagency access to, certain databases; limiting the |
71 | department's authority; creating the Florida Child |
72 | Development Advisory Council; providing for the |
73 | appointment and membership of the advisory council; |
74 | providing membership and meeting requirements; authorizing |
75 | council members to receive per diem and travel expenses; |
76 | requiring the Department of Education to provide staff for |
77 | the advisory council; providing for the adoption of rules; |
78 | amending s. 411.01, F.S.; conforming provisions to the |
79 | transfer of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness |
80 | to the Agency for Workforce Innovation; deleting |
81 | provisions for the appointment and membership of the |
82 | partnership; redesignating school readiness coalitions as |
83 | regional child development boards; deleting obsolete |
84 | references to repealed programs; deleting obsolete |
85 | provisions governing the phase in of school readiness |
86 | programs; deleting provisions governing the measurement of |
87 | school readiness, the school readiness uniform screening, |
88 | and performance-based budgeting in school readiness |
89 | programs; specifying requirements for school readiness |
90 | performance standards; clarifying rulemaking requirements; |
91 | limiting the Agency for Workforce Innovation's authority; |
92 | revising requirements for school readiness programs; |
93 | specifying that school readiness programs must enhance the |
94 | progress of children in certain skills; requiring regional |
95 | child development boards to obtain certain health |
96 | information before enrolling a child in the school |
97 | readiness program; requiring the Agency for Workforce |
98 | Innovation to administer a quality-assurance system and |
99 | identify best practices for regional child development |
100 | boards; requiring a reduction in the number of boards in |
101 | accordance with specified standards; directing the Agency |
102 | for Workforce Innovation to adopt procedures for the |
103 | merger of boards; revising appointment and membership |
104 | requirements for the boards; directing the Agency for |
105 | Workforce Innovation to adopt criteria for the appointment |
106 | of certain members; requiring each board to specify terms |
107 | of board members; prohibiting board members from voting |
108 | under certain circumstances; providing a definition for |
109 | purposes of the single point of entry; requiring regional |
110 | child development boards to use a statewide information |
111 | system; requiring the Agency for Workforce Innovation to |
112 | approve payment rates and consider the access of eligible |
113 | children before approving proposals to increase rates; |
114 | deleting requirements for the minimum number of children |
115 | served; providing requirements for developmentally |
116 | appropriate curriculum used for school readiness programs; |
117 | authorizing contracts for the continuation of school |
118 | readiness services under certain circumstances; requiring |
119 | the Agency for Workforce Innovation to adopt criteria for |
120 | the approval of school readiness plans; revising |
121 | requirements for school readiness plans; providing |
122 | requirements for the approval and implementation of plan |
123 | revisions; revising competitive procurement requirements |
124 | for regional child development boards; authorizing the |
125 | boards to designate certified public accountants as fiscal |
126 | agents; clarifying age and income eligibility requirements |
127 | for school readiness programs; revising eligibility |
128 | requirements for certain at-risk children; revising |
129 | funding requirements; revising requirements for the |
130 | adoption of a formula for the allocation of certain funds |
131 | among the regional child development boards; specifying |
132 | allocations for fiscal year 2004-2005; prohibiting certain |
133 | transfers without specific legislative authority; deleting |
134 | an obsolete provision requiring a report; deleting the |
135 | expiration of eligibility requirements for certain |
136 | children from families receiving temporary cash |
137 | assistance; amending s. 11.45, F.S.; authorizing the |
138 | Auditor General to conduct audits of the school readiness |
139 | system; conforming provisions; amending s. 20.15, F.S.; |
140 | specifying that the Commissioner of Education does not |
141 | appoint members of the Florida Child Development Advisory |
142 | Council; amending s. 20.50, F.S.; creating the Office of |
143 | Child Development within the Agency for Workforce |
144 | Innovation; providing that the office administers the |
145 | school readiness system; amending s. 125.901, F.S.; |
146 | conforming provisions; amending ss. 216.133 and 216.136, |
147 | F.S.; redesignating the School Readiness Program |
148 | Estimating Conference as the Child Development Programs |
149 | Estimating Conference; requiring the estimating conference |
150 | to develop certain estimates and forecasts for the |
151 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; directing the |
152 | Department of Education to provide certain information to |
153 | the estimating conference; conforming provisions; creating |
154 | s. 402.265, F.S.; prohibiting certain transfers without |
155 | specific legislative authority; amending ss. 402.3016, |
156 | 411.011, 411.226, 411.227, 624.91, 1001.23, 1002.22, and |
157 | 1003.54, F.S.; conforming provisions to the transfer of |
158 | the Florida Partnership for School Readiness to the Agency |
159 | for Workforce Innovation and to the redesignation of the |
160 | school readiness coalitions as regional child development |
161 | boards; requiring the Department of Education to submit a |
162 | report; requiring the Governor to submit certain |
163 | recommendations as part of the Governor's recommended |
164 | budget; abolishing the Florida Partnership for School |
165 | Readiness and providing for the transfer of the |
166 | partnership to the Agency for Workforce Innovation; |
167 | repealing ss. 411.012 and 1008.21, F.S., relating to the |
168 | voluntary universal prekindergarten education program and |
169 | the school readiness uniform screening; providing |
170 | appropriations; providing for the allocation of |
171 | appropriations among certain school districts; requiring |
172 | the Legislative Budget Commission to approve the |
173 | allocation of certain appropriations; providing effective |
174 | dates. |
175 |
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176 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
177 |
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178 | Section 1. Part V of chapter 1002, Florida Statutes, |
179 | consisting of sections 1002.51, 1002.53, 1002.55, 1002.57, |
180 | 1002.59, 1002.61, 1002.63, 1002.65, 1002.67, 1002.69, 1002.71, |
181 | 1002.73, and 1002.75, Florida Statutes, is created to read: |
182 | PART V |
183 | VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION PROGRAM |
184 | 1002.51 Definitions.--As used in this part, the term: |
185 | (1) "Advisory council" means the Florida Child Development |
186 | Advisory Council created under s. 1002.73. |
187 | (2) "Child development provider" means a provider eligible |
188 | to deliver the prekindergarten program under s. 1002.55. |
189 | (3) "Department" means the Department of Education. |
190 | (4) "Kindergarten eligibility" means the eligibility of a |
191 | child for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s. |
192 | 1003.21(1)(a)2. |
193 | (5) "Prekindergarten director" means an onsite person |
194 | ultimately responsible for the overall operation of a child |
195 | development provider or, alternatively, of the provider's |
196 | prekindergarten program, regardless of whether the person is the |
197 | owner of the provider. |
198 | (6) "Regional child development board" or "board" means a |
199 | regional child development board created under s. 411.01. |
200 | 1002.53 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; |
201 | eligibility and enrollment.-- |
202 | (1) There is created the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
203 | Education Program within the Department of Education. The |
204 | program shall take effect in each county at the beginning of the |
205 | 2005-2006 school year and shall be organized, designed, and |
206 | delivered in accordance with s. 1(b) and (c), Art. IX of the |
207 | State Constitution. |
208 | (2) Each child who is a resident of the state who will |
209 | have attained the age of 4 years on or before September 1 of the |
210 | school year is eligible for the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
211 | Education Program during that school year. The child remains |
212 | eligible until the child attains kindergarten eligibility or is |
213 | admitted to kindergarten, whichever occurs first. |
214 | (3) The parent of each child eligible under subsection (2) |
215 | may enroll the child in one of the following programs: |
216 | (a) A prekindergarten program delivered by a child |
217 | development provider under s. 1002.55; |
218 | (b) A summer prekindergarten program delivered by a public |
219 | school under s. 1002.61; or |
220 | (c) A school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a |
221 | public school under s. 1002.63. |
222 |
|
223 | However, a child may not be enrolled in more than one of these |
224 | programs. |
225 | (4)(a) Each parent enrolling a child in the Voluntary |
226 | Prekindergarten Education Program must complete and submit an |
227 | application to the regional child development board through the |
228 | single point of entry established under s. 411.01. |
229 | (b) The application must be submitted on forms prescribed |
230 | by the department and must be accompanied by a certified copy of |
231 | the child's birth certificate. The forms must include a |
232 | certification, in substantially the form provided in s. |
233 | 1002.69(5)(b)2., that the parent chooses the child development |
234 | provider or public school in accordance with this section and |
235 | directs that payments for the program be made to the provider or |
236 | school. The department may authorize alternative methods for |
237 | submitting proof of the child's age in lieu of a certified copy |
238 | of the child's birth certificate. |
239 | (c) Each regional child development board shall coordinate |
240 | with each of the school districts within the board's county or |
241 | multicounty region in the development of procedures for the |
242 | enrollment of children in prekindergarten programs delivered by |
243 | public schools. |
244 | (5) The regional child development board shall provide |
245 | each parent enrolling a child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
246 | Education Program with a profile of every child development |
247 | provider and public school delivering the program within the |
248 | board's county or multicounty region. The profiles shall be |
249 | provided to parents in a format prescribed by the department. |
250 | The profiles must include, at a minimum, the following |
251 | information about each provider and school: |
252 | (a) The provider's or school's services, curriculum, |
253 | teacher credentials, and teacher-to-student ratio; and |
254 | (b) The provider's or school's kindergarten readiness rate |
255 | calculated in accordance with s. 1002.65(3)(c) and s. 1002.67, |
256 | based upon the most recent available results of the statewide |
257 | kindergarten screening. |
258 | (6)(a) A parent may enroll his or her child with any child |
259 | development provider that is eligible to deliver the Voluntary |
260 | Prekindergarten Education Program under this part; however, the |
261 | child development provider may determine whether to admit any |
262 | child. A regional child development board or the department may |
263 | not limit the number of students admitted by any child |
264 | development provider for enrollment in the program; however, a |
265 | child development provider may not exceed its licensed capacity |
266 | in accordance with ss. 402.301-402.319 as a result of admissions |
267 | in the prekindergarten program. |
268 | (b) A parent may enroll his or her child with any public |
269 | school within the school district which is eligible to deliver |
270 | the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program under this part, |
271 | subject to available space. Each school district may limit the |
272 | number of students admitted by any public school for enrollment |
273 | in the program; however, the school district must provide for |
274 | the admission of every eligible child within the district whose |
275 | parent enrolls the child in the summer prekindergarten program |
276 | under s. 1002.61. |
277 | (c) A child development provider or public school may not |
278 | discriminate against a parent or child, including the refusal to |
279 | admit a child for enrollment in the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
280 | Education Program, because of the parent's or child's race, |
281 | color, or national origin. |
282 | 1002.55 Prekindergarten program delivered by child |
283 | development providers.-- |
284 | (1) Each regional child development board shall administer |
285 | the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program at the county or |
286 | regional level for students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(a) in a |
287 | prekindergarten program delivered by a child development |
288 | provider. |
289 | (2) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program, |
290 | a child development provider must meet each of the following |
291 | requirements: |
292 | (a) The child development provider must be one of the |
293 | following types of providers: |
294 | 1. A nonpublic school exempt from licensure under s. |
295 | 402.3025(2) which is accredited by an accrediting association in |
296 | the National Council for Private School Accreditation, the |
297 | Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, or |
298 | the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools or which |
299 | holds a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under s. |
300 | 402.281; |
301 | 2. A child care facility licensed under s. 402.305, family |
302 | day care home licensed under s. 402.313, or large family child |
303 | care home licensed under s. 402.3131, which facility or home |
304 | holds a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under s. |
305 | 402.281 or meets or exceeds the Gold Seal Quality Care program |
306 | standards, as verified by the regional child development board, |
307 | but does not hold the designation; or |
308 | 3. A faith-based child care provider exempt from licensure |
309 | under s. 402.316 which is accredited by an accrediting |
310 | association in the National Council for Private School |
311 | Accreditation, the Commission on International and Trans- |
312 | Regional Accreditation, or the Florida Association of Academic |
313 | Nonpublic Schools or which holds a current Gold Seal Quality |
314 | Care designation under s. 402.281. |
315 | (b) The child development provider must have, for each |
316 | prekindergarten class, at least one teacher or child care |
317 | personnel who meets each of the following requirements: |
318 | 1. The teacher or child care personnel must hold, at a |
319 | minimum, one of the following credentials: |
320 | a. A Child Development Associate credential issued by the |
321 | National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional |
322 | Regulation; or |
323 | b. A credential approved by the Department of Children and |
324 | Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the |
325 | credential described in sub-subparagraph a. |
326 |
|
327 | The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules |
328 | under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 which provide criteria and |
329 | procedures for the approval of equivalent credentials under sub- |
330 | subparagraph b. |
331 | 2. The teacher or child care personnel must successfully |
332 | complete an emergent literacy training course approved by the |
333 | department as meeting or exceeding the minimum standards adopted |
334 | under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not apply to a teacher |
335 | or child care personnel who successfully completes approved |
336 | training in early literacy and language development under s. |
337 | 402.305(2)(d)4., s. 402.313(6), or s. 402.3131(5) before the |
338 | establishment of the emergent literacy training course under s. |
339 | 1002.59 or January 1, 2005, whichever occurs later. |
340 | (c) The child development provider must have a |
341 | prekindergarten director who has a prekindergarten director |
342 | credential that is approved by the department as meeting or |
343 | exceeding the minimum standards adopted under s. 1002.57. |
344 | Successful completion of a child care facility director |
345 | credential under s. 402.305(2)(f) before the establishment of |
346 | the prekindergarten director credential under s. 1002.57 or July |
347 | 1, 2005, whichever occurs later, satisfies the requirement for a |
348 | prekindergarten director credential under this paragraph. |
349 | (d) The child development provider must register with the |
350 | regional child development board on forms prescribed by the |
351 | department. |
352 | (e) The child development provider must deliver the |
353 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with |
354 | this part. |
355 | (3) A teacher or child care personnel, in lieu of the |
356 | minimum credentials and courses required under paragraph (2)(b), |
357 | may hold one of the following educational credentials: |
358 | (a) A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood |
359 | education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool |
360 | education, or family and consumer science; |
361 | (b) A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary education, |
362 | if the teacher or child care personnel has been certified to |
363 | teach children any age from birth through 6th grade, regardless |
364 | of whether the teaching certificate is current; |
365 | (c) An associate's or higher degree in child development; |
366 | (d) An associate's or higher degree in an unrelated field, |
367 | at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child |
368 | development, and at least 480 hours experience in teaching or |
369 | providing child care services for children any age from birth |
370 | through 8 years of age; or |
371 | (e) An educational credential approved by the department |
372 | as being equivalent to or greater than an educational credential |
373 | described in this subsection. The department may adopt criteria |
374 | and procedures for the approval of equivalent educational |
375 | credentials under this paragraph. |
376 | 1002.57 Prekindergarten director credential.-- |
377 | (1) By July 1, 2005, the department, with the advice of |
378 | the advisory council, shall adopt minimum standards for a |
379 | credential for prekindergarten directors of child development |
380 | providers delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
381 | Program. The credential must encompass requirements for |
382 | education and onsite experience. |
383 | (2) The educational requirements must include training in |
384 | the following: |
385 | (a) Professionally accepted standards for prekindergarten |
386 | programs, child development, and strategies and techniques to |
387 | address the age-appropriate progress of prekindergarten students |
388 | in attaining the performance standards adopted by the department |
389 | under s. 1002.65; |
390 | (b) Strategies that allow students with disabilities and |
391 | other special needs to derive maximum benefit from the Voluntary |
392 | Prekindergarten Education Program; and |
393 | (c) Program administration and operations, including |
394 | management, organizational leadership, and financial and legal |
395 | issues. |
396 | (3) The prekindergarten director credential must meet or |
397 | exceed the requirements of the Department of Children and Family |
398 | Services for the child care facility director credential under |
399 | s. 402.305(2)(f), and successful completion of the |
400 | prekindergarten director credential satisfies these requirements |
401 | for the child care facility director credential. |
402 | (4) The department shall, to the maximum extent |
403 | practicable, award credit to a person who successfully completes |
404 | the child care facility director credential under s. |
405 | 402.305(2)(f) for those requirements of the prekindergarten |
406 | director credential which are duplicative of requirements for |
407 | the child care facility director credential. |
408 | 1002.59 Emergent literacy training course.--By January 1, |
409 | 2005, the department, with the advice of the advisory council, |
410 | shall adopt minimum standards for a training course in emergent |
411 | literacy for teachers and child care personnel of the Voluntary |
412 | Prekindergarten Education Program. The course shall comprise 5 |
413 | clock hours and shall provide instruction in strategies and |
414 | techniques to address the age-appropriate progress of |
415 | prekindergarten students in the development of emergent literacy |
416 | skills, including oral communication, knowledge of print and |
417 | letters, phonemic and phonological awareness, and vocabulary and |
418 | comprehension development. The course shall also provide |
419 | resources containing strategies that allow students with |
420 | disabilities and other special needs to derive maximum benefit |
421 | from the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The course |
422 | must meet or exceed the requirements of the Department of |
423 | Children and Family Services for approved training in early |
424 | literacy and language development under ss. 402.305(2)(d)4., |
425 | 402.313(6), and 402.3131(5), and successful completion of the |
426 | training course satisfies these requirements for approved |
427 | training. |
428 | 1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public |
429 | schools; demonstration program.-- |
430 | (1) Each school district shall administer the Voluntary |
431 | Prekindergarten Education Program at the district level for |
432 | students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(b) in a summer |
433 | prekindergarten program delivered by a public school. |
434 | (2) Each district school board shall determine which |
435 | public schools in the school district are eligible to deliver |
436 | the summer prekindergarten program. The school district shall |
437 | use educational facilities available in the public schools |
438 | during the summer term for the summer prekindergarten program. |
439 | (3) Each public school delivering the summer |
440 | prekindergarten program must have at least one certified teacher |
441 | for every 10 students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
442 | Program. As used in this subsection, the term "certified |
443 | teacher" means a teacher holding a valid Florida teaching |
444 | certificate under s. 1012.56 who has the qualifications required |
445 | by the district school board to instruct students in the summer |
446 | prekindergarten program. In selecting instructional staff for |
447 | the summer prekindergarten program, each school district shall |
448 | give priority to teachers who have experience or coursework in |
449 | early childhood education. |
450 | (4) Each public school delivering the summer |
451 | prekindergarten program must also: |
452 | (a) Register with the regional child development board on |
453 | forms prescribed by the department; and |
454 | (b) Deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
455 | Program in accordance with this part. |
456 | (5)(a) There is created a summer prekindergarten |
457 | demonstration program that shall be implemented during summer |
458 | 2004 in the Baker, Duval, Hillsborough, Martin, Miami-Dade, |
459 | Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Santa Rosa, and Wakulla school |
460 | districts. The demonstration program shall implement the summer |
461 | prekindergarten program delivered by public schools within the |
462 | demonstration districts. |
463 | (b) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government |
464 | Accountability shall develop a research design for the |
465 | demonstration program which ensures that students in the |
466 | demonstration program are demographically representative of |
467 | students statewide and that the sample size is sufficient to |
468 | generate statistically valid conclusions. The sample must be |
469 | selected to ensure that the results obtained from the |
470 | demonstration program are applicable statewide with statistical |
471 | confidence. |
472 | (c) Each demonstration district and demonstration school |
473 | shall implement the demonstration program in accordance with the |
474 | research design developed under paragraph (b) and, to the |
475 | maximum extent practicable, in accordance with this part. |
476 | (d) Each demonstration district shall submit to the Office |
477 | of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability the |
478 | results of the statewide kindergarten screening administered |
479 | under s. 1002.67 for students who completed the summer |
480 | prekindergarten demonstration program. |
481 | (e) By January 15, 2005, the Office of Program Policy |
482 | Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct an |
483 | evaluation of the demonstration program in consultation with the |
484 | Legislature. Each demonstration district shall submit data about |
485 | the demonstration program as requested by the Office of Program |
486 | Policy Analysis and Government Accountability for purposes of |
487 | the evaluation. |
488 | (f) This subsection expires July 1, 2005. |
489 | 1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by |
490 | public schools.-- |
491 | (1) Each school district eligible under subsection (3) may |
492 | administer the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program at |
493 | the district level for students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(c) |
494 | in a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a public |
495 | school. |
496 | (2) The district school board of each school district |
497 | eligible under subsection (3) shall determine which public |
498 | schools in the district are eligible to deliver the |
499 | prekindergarten program during the school year. |
500 | (3) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program |
501 | during the school year, each school district must meet both of |
502 | the following requirements: |
503 | (a) The district school board must certify to the State |
504 | Board of Education: |
505 | 1. That the school district has reduced the average class |
506 | size in each classroom in accordance with s. 1003.03 and the |
507 | schedule in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and |
508 | 2. That the school district has sufficient satisfactory |
509 | educational facilities and capital outlay funds to continue |
510 | reducing the average class size in each classroom in an |
511 | elementary school for each year in accordance with the class- |
512 | size reduction schedule and to achieve full compliance with the |
513 | maximum class sizes in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State |
514 | Constitution by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. |
515 | (b) The Commissioner of Education must certify to the |
516 | State Board of Education that the department has reviewed the |
517 | school district's educational facilities, capital outlay funds, |
518 | and projected student enrollment and concurs with the district |
519 | school board's certification under paragraph (a). |
520 | (4) Each public school delivering the school-year |
521 | prekindergarten program must: |
522 | (a) Register with the regional child development board on |
523 | forms prescribed by the department; and |
524 | (b) Deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
525 | Program in accordance with this part. |
526 | 1002.65 Performance standards; curriculum and |
527 | accountability.-- |
528 | (1) By January 1, 2005, the department, with the advice of |
529 | the advisory council, shall develop and adopt performance |
530 | standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
531 | Education Program. The performance standards must address the |
532 | age-appropriate progress of students in the development of: |
533 | (a) The capabilities, capacities, and skills required |
534 | under s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and |
535 | (b) Emergent literacy skills, including oral |
536 | communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and |
537 | phonological awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension |
538 | development. |
539 | (2)(a) Each child development provider and public school |
540 | may select or design the curriculum that the provider or school |
541 | uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
542 | Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school |
543 | that is placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c). |
544 | (b) Each child development provider's and public school's |
545 | curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and must: |
546 | 1. Be based upon reading research; |
547 | 2. Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in |
548 | attaining the performance standards adopted by the department |
549 | under subsection (1); and |
550 | 3. Prepare students to be assessed as ready for |
551 | kindergarten based upon the statewide kindergarten screening |
552 | administered under s. 1002.67. |
553 | (c) The department shall review and approve curricula for |
554 | use by child development providers and public schools that are |
555 | placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c). The department shall |
556 | maintain a list of the curricula approved under this paragraph. |
557 | Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements of paragraph |
558 | (b). |
559 | (3)(a) Each regional child development board and school |
560 | district shall verify compliance with this part of the child |
561 | development providers or public schools, as applicable, |
562 | delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program |
563 | within the district. |
564 | (b) A regional child development board or the department |
565 | may remove a child development provider, and a school district |
566 | or the department may remove a public school, from eligibility |
567 | to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and |
568 | receive state funds for the program, if the provider or school |
569 | fails or refuses to comply with this part. |
570 | (c) Beginning with the kindergarten readiness rates for |
571 | students completing the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
572 | Program during the 2005-2006 school year who are administered |
573 | the statewide kindergarten screening during the 2006-2007 school |
574 | year: |
575 | 1. Of the students who are administered the statewide |
576 | kindergarten screening under s. 1002.67, if less than 85 percent |
577 | of the students from a child development provider's or public |
578 | school's prekindergarten program are assessed as ready for |
579 | kindergarten based upon the results of the statewide |
580 | kindergarten screening, the regional child development board or |
581 | school district, as applicable, shall require the provider or |
582 | school to submit an improvement plan for approval by the |
583 | regional child development board or school district, as |
584 | applicable, and to implement the plan. |
585 | 2. If a child development provider or public school fails |
586 | to meet the 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate for 2 |
587 | consecutive years, the regional child development board or |
588 | school district, as applicable, shall place the provider or |
589 | school on probation and must require the provider or school to |
590 | take certain corrective actions, including the use of a |
591 | curriculum approved by the department under paragraph (2)(c). |
592 | 3. A child development provider or public school that is |
593 | placed on probation must continue the corrective actions |
594 | required under subparagraph 2., including the use of a |
595 | curriculum approved by the department, until the provider or |
596 | school meets the 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate, based |
597 | upon the results of the statewide kindergarten screening. |
598 | 1002.67 Statewide kindergarten screening.-- |
599 | (1) The department, with the advice of the advisory |
600 | council, shall adopt a statewide kindergarten screening that |
601 | assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten based |
602 | upon the performance standards adopted by the department under |
603 | s. 1002.65(1) for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
604 | Program. The department shall require that each school district |
605 | administer the statewide kindergarten screening to every |
606 | kindergarten student in the school district within 30 school |
607 | days after the student's entry into kindergarten. |
608 | (2) The statewide kindergarten screening shall provide |
609 | objective data on each student's progress in attaining the |
610 | performance standards adopted by the department under s. |
611 | 1002.65(1). |
612 | (3) The statewide kindergarten screening shall incorporate |
613 | mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in kindergarten |
614 | readiness rates for students with disabilities. |
615 | (4) Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the |
616 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must submit the |
617 | child for the statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of |
618 | whether the child is admitted to kindergarten in a public school |
619 | or nonpublic school. Each school district shall designate public |
620 | schools to administer the statewide kindergarten screening for |
621 | children admitted to kindergarten in a nonpublic school. |
622 | (5) The department shall adopt procedures for the |
623 | calculation of each child development provider's and public |
624 | school's kindergarten readiness rate. The kindergarten readiness |
625 | rates must be based exclusively upon the results of the |
626 | statewide kindergarten screening and must not consider students |
627 | who are not administered the statewide kindergarten screening. |
628 | (6)(a) During the 2004-2005 through 2006-2007 school |
629 | years, the department shall continue the statewide |
630 | administration of the Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten |
631 | developmental screening instrument as the statewide kindergarten |
632 | screening. The department may administer additional instruments |
633 | but only if the instruments are administered statewide. For |
634 | purposes of s. 1002.65(3)(c), the Early Screening Inventory- |
635 | Kindergarten developmental screening instrument shall be used to |
636 | calculate kindergarten readiness rates. |
637 | (b) By January 15, 2006, the department, with the advice |
638 | of the advisory council, shall recommend to the Legislature |
639 | valid and reliable screening instruments for the statewide |
640 | kindergarten screening. The Legislature shall review the |
641 | recommendations of the department at the 2006 Regular Session |
642 | and shall adopt screening instruments for the statewide |
643 | kindergarten screening. |
644 | (c) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, the |
645 | department shall administer the screening instruments adopted by |
646 | the Legislature under paragraph (b). During the 2006-2007 school |
647 | year, the department shall continue administration of the Early |
648 | Screening Inventory-Kindergarten developmental screening |
649 | instrument for purposes of obtaining baseline data that compares |
650 | the kindergarten readiness rates of the instruments. |
651 | (d) The Legislature shall review, at the 2007 Regular |
652 | Session, the baseline data obtained under paragraph (c) and the |
653 | 85-percent kindergarten readiness rate in s. 1002.65(3)(c). The |
654 | screening instruments adopted by the Legislature under paragraph |
655 | (b) shall be used to calculate the kindergarten readiness rates |
656 | for students completing the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
657 | Program during the 2006-2007 school year who are administered |
658 | the statewide kindergarten screening during the 2007-2008 school |
659 | year and for subsequent school years. |
660 | 1002.69 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.-- |
661 | (1) There is created a categorical fund for the Voluntary |
662 | Prekindergarten Education Program. Categorical funds |
663 | appropriated for the program shall be in addition to funds |
664 | appropriated based upon full-time equivalent student membership |
665 | in the Florida Education Finance Program. |
666 | (2) A full-time equivalent student in the Voluntary |
667 | Prekindergarten Education Program shall be calculated as |
668 | follows: |
669 | (a) For a student in a prekindergarten program delivered |
670 | by a child development provider: 540 hours. |
671 | (b) For a student in a summer prekindergarten program |
672 | delivered by a public school: 300 hours. |
673 | (c) For a student in a school-year prekindergarten program |
674 | delivered by a public school: 540 hours. |
675 |
|
676 | A student may not be reported for funding purposes as more than |
677 | one full-time equivalent student. |
678 | (3)(a) The base student allocation per full-time |
679 | equivalent student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
680 | Program shall be provided in the General Appropriations Act and |
681 | shall be equal, regardless of whether the student is enrolled in |
682 | a prekindergarten program delivered by a child development |
683 | provider, a summer prekindergarten program delivered by a public |
684 | school, or a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a |
685 | public school. |
686 | (b) Each county's allocation per full-time equivalent |
687 | student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program shall |
688 | be calculated annually by multiplying the base student |
689 | allocation provided in the General Appropriations Act by the |
690 | county's district cost differential provided in s. 1011.62(2). |
691 | Each child development provider and public school shall be paid |
692 | in accordance with the county's allocation per full-time |
693 | equivalent student. |
694 | (4)(a) Each regional child development board shall |
695 | maintain through the single point of entry established under s. |
696 | 411.01 a current database of the students enrolled in the |
697 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program for each county |
698 | within the board's region. |
699 | (b) The department shall adopt procedures for the payment |
700 | of child development providers and public schools delivering the |
701 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The procedures |
702 | shall provide for the advance payment of providers and schools |
703 | based upon student enrollment in the program, the certification |
704 | of student attendance, and the reconciliation of advance |
705 | payments based upon the certified student attendance. The |
706 | procedures shall provide for the monthly distribution of funds |
707 | by the department to the regional child development boards for |
708 | payment by the boards to child development providers and public |
709 | schools. |
710 | (5)(a) Each parent enrolling his or her child in the |
711 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must agree to comply |
712 | with the attendance policy of the child development provider or |
713 | district school board, as applicable. Upon enrollment of the |
714 | child, the child development provider or public school, as |
715 | applicable, must provide the child's parent with a copy of the |
716 | provider's or school district's attendance policy, as |
717 | applicable. |
718 | (b)1. Each child development provider's and district |
719 | school board's attendance policy must require the parent of each |
720 | student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to |
721 | verify, each month, the student's attendance on the prior |
722 | month's certified student attendance. |
723 | 2. The parent must submit the verification of the |
724 | student's attendance to the child development provider or public |
725 | school on forms prescribed by the department. The forms must |
726 | include, in addition to the verification of the student's |
727 | attendance, a certification, in substantially the following |
728 | form, that the parent continues to choose the child development |
729 | provider or public school in accordance with s. 1002.53 and |
730 | directs that payments for the program be made to the provider or |
731 | school: |
732 | VERIFICATION OF STUDENT'S ATTENDANCE |
733 | AND CERTIFICATION OF PARENTAL CHOICE |
734 |
|
735 | I, . . . (Name of Parent) . . . , swear (or affirm) that my |
736 | child, . . . (Name of Student) . . . , attended the Voluntary |
737 | Prekindergarten Education Program on the days listed above and |
738 | certify that I continue to choose . . . (Name of Provider or |
739 | School) . . . to deliver the program for my child and direct |
740 | that program funds be paid to the provider or school for my |
741 | child. |
742 |
|
743 | . . . (Signature of Parent) . . . |
744 | . . . (Date) . . . |
745 |
|
746 | 3. The child development provider or public school must |
747 | submit each original signed form to the regional child |
748 | development board. The regional child development board shall |
749 | keep the original signed forms or reproductions of the forms, |
750 | such as digital images or microfilm, in accordance with chapter |
751 | 119. The department shall adopt procedures for the review of the |
752 | original signed forms against the certified student attendance. |
753 | The review procedures shall provide for the use of selective |
754 | inspection techniques, including, but not limited to, random |
755 | sampling. Each regional child development board must comply with |
756 | the review procedures. |
757 | (c) A child development provider or school district, as |
758 | applicable, may dismiss a student who does not comply with the |
759 | provider's or district's attendance policy. A student dismissed |
760 | under this paragraph is not removed from the Voluntary |
761 | Prekindergarten Education Program and may continue in the |
762 | program through reenrollment with another child development |
763 | provider or public school. Notwithstanding s. 1002.53(6)(b), a |
764 | school district is not required to provide for the admission of |
765 | a student dismissed under this paragraph. |
766 | (6) A regional child development board may not withhold |
767 | for administrative costs any portion of the funds distributed to |
768 | the board for payment to child development providers and public |
769 | schools. The department shall annually allocate administrative |
770 | funds to each regional child development board from funds |
771 | provided in the General Appropriations Act for that purpose. The |
772 | administrative funds must only be used for administration of the |
773 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The department |
774 | shall allocate the administrative funds based upon each regional |
775 | child development board's student enrollment in the program. The |
776 | amount of each regional child development board's administrative |
777 | funds may not exceed 3 percent of the funds paid by the board to |
778 | child development providers and public schools. |
779 | (7) Except as otherwise expressly authorized by law, a |
780 | child development provider or public school may not: |
781 | (a) Impose or collect a fee or charge for services |
782 | provided for a child enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
783 | Education Program during a period reported for funding purposes; |
784 | or |
785 | (b) Require a child to enroll for, or require the payment |
786 | of any fee or charge for, supplemental services as a condition |
787 | of admitting a child for enrollment in the Voluntary |
788 | Prekindergarten Education Program. |
789 | (8) State funds provided for the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
790 | Education Program may not be used for the transportation of |
791 | students to and from the program. A parent is responsible for |
792 | the transportation of his or her child to and from the Voluntary |
793 | Prekindergarten Education Program, regardless of whether the |
794 | program is delivered by a child development provider or a public |
795 | school. |
796 | 1002.71 Department of Education; powers and duties.-- |
797 | (1) The Department of Education, with the advice of the |
798 | advisory council, shall administer the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
799 | Education Program at the statewide level. |
800 | (2) The department shall adopt procedures for: |
801 | (a) Enrolling children in and determining the eligibility |
802 | of children for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program |
803 | under s. 1002.53. |
804 | (b) Providing parents with profiles of child development |
805 | providers and public schools under s. 1002.53. |
806 | (c) Registering and determining the eligibility of child |
807 | development providers to deliver the program under s. 1002.55. |
808 | (d) Verifying Gold Seal Quality Care program standards |
809 | under s. 1002.55. |
810 | (e) Approving prekindergarten director credentials under |
811 | s. 1002.55 and s. 1002.57. |
812 | (f) Approving emergent literacy training courses under s. |
813 | 1002.55 and s. 1002.59. |
814 | (g) Certifying the eligibility of school districts to |
815 | deliver the school-year prekindergarten program under s. |
816 | 1002.63. |
817 | (h) Verifying the compliance of child development |
818 | providers and public schools, and removing providers or schools |
819 | from eligibility to deliver the program for noncompliance, under |
820 | s. 1002.65. |
821 | (i) Approving improvement plans of child development |
822 | providers and public schools under s. 1002.65. |
823 | (j) Placing child development providers and public schools |
824 | on probation and requiring corrective actions under s. 1002.65. |
825 | (k) Administering the statewide kindergarten screening and |
826 | calculating kindergarten readiness rates under s. 1002.67. |
827 | (l) Distributing funds to regional child development |
828 | boards under s. 1002.69. |
829 | (m) Paying child development providers and public schools |
830 | under s. 1002.69. |
831 | (n) Documenting and certifying student enrollment and |
832 | student attendance under s. 1002.69. |
833 | (o) Reconciling advance payments in accordance under s. |
834 | 1002.69. |
835 | (p) Reenrolling students dismissed by a child development |
836 | provider or public school for noncompliance with the provider's |
837 | or school district's attendance policy under s. 1002.69. |
838 | (q) Allocating administrative funds among regional child |
839 | development boards under s. 1002.69. |
840 | (3) Notwithstanding s. 402.265 and s. 411.01(10), the |
841 | Department of Education, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, |
842 | the Department of Children and Family Services, and the regional |
843 | child development boards may enter into interagency agreements |
844 | that provide for the integration of, and shall provide |
845 | interagency access among these agencies to, databases containing |
846 | records, data, or other information relating to the following: |
847 | (a) Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; |
848 | (b) School readiness programs; or |
849 | (c) Licensure or registration, inspection, and |
850 | disciplinary actions of child care facilities, family day care |
851 | homes, and large family child care homes. |
852 |
|
853 | These databases may comprise individual records of students, |
854 | child development providers, and public schools in the Voluntary |
855 | Prekindergarten Education Program and individual records of |
856 | students and providers in school readiness programs. The |
857 | agencies must protect the confidentiality of school readiness |
858 | records in accordance with s. 411.011. These databases may also |
859 | include the statewide child care resource and referral network |
860 | established under s. 402.27 and each regional child development |
861 | board's single point of entry established under s. 411.01. |
862 | (4) Except as otherwise provided by law, the department |
863 | does not have authority to: |
864 | (a) Impose requirements on a child development provider |
865 | that does not deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
866 | Program or receive state funds under this part. |
867 | (b) Impose requirements on a regional child development |
868 | board which are not necessary for the administration of the |
869 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program under this part. |
870 | (c) Administer powers and duties assigned to the Agency |
871 | for Workforce Innovation or a regional child development board |
872 | under s. 411.01. |
873 | 1002.73 Florida Child Development Advisory Council.-- |
874 | (1) There is created the Florida Child Development |
875 | Advisory Council within the Department of Education. The purpose |
876 | of the advisory council is to advise the Department of Education |
877 | and the Agency for Workforce Innovation on the child development |
878 | policy of this state, including advice relating to |
879 | administration of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
880 | Program under this part and the school readiness programs under |
881 | s. 411.01. |
882 | (2) The advisory council shall be composed of the |
883 | following members: |
884 | (a) Eleven members appointed by the Governor, as follows: |
885 | 1. The chair of the advisory council and one other member, |
886 | who must both meet the same qualifications as private-sector |
887 | business members appointed to a regional child development board |
888 | under s. 411.01(5)(a)6. |
889 | 2. A representative of nonpublic schools accredited by |
890 | accrediting associations in either the National Council for |
891 | Private School Accreditation or the Commission on International |
892 | and Trans-Regional Accreditation. |
893 | 3. A representative of nonpublic schools accredited by |
894 | accrediting associations in the Florida Association of Academic |
895 | Nonpublic Schools. |
896 | 4. A representative of licensed child care facilities. |
897 | 5. A representative of licensed or registered family day |
898 | care homes. |
899 | 6. A representative of licensed large family child care |
900 | homes. |
901 | 7. A representative of faith-based child care providers. |
902 | 8. A representative of programs for prekindergarten |
903 | children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with |
904 | Disabilities Education Act. |
905 | 9. A public school classroom teacher. |
906 | 10. A district superintendent of schools. |
907 |
|
908 | The members appointed under this paragraph must be |
909 | geographically and demographically representative of the state. |
910 | The members shall be appointed to terms of 3 years each, except |
911 | that, to establish staggered terms, one-half of the members |
912 | shall be appointed to initial terms of 2 years each. Appointed |
913 | members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. |
914 | (b) The director of the Florida Head Start-State |
915 | Collaboration Office. |
916 | (c) A chair of a regional child development board who |
917 | shall be selected by the chairs of the regional child |
918 | development boards. |
919 | (d) An executive director of a regional child development |
920 | board who shall be selected by the executive directors of the |
921 | regional child development boards. |
922 | (e) The chair of the Child Care Executive Partnership. |
923 | (f) The chair or executive director of Workforce Florida, |
924 | Inc., or his or her designee. |
925 | (g) The director of the Division of Community Colleges of |
926 | the Department of Education. |
927 | (h) The Secretary of Health or his or her designee. |
928 | (i) The director of the Child Care Services Program Office |
929 | of the Department of Children and Family Services. |
930 | (j) The Deputy Director for Child Development of the |
931 | Agency for Workforce Innovation. |
932 | (k) The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee. |
933 | (l) Two members appointed by and who serve at the pleasure |
934 | of the President of the Senate and two members appointed by and |
935 | who serve at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House of |
936 | Representatives, who must each meet the same qualifications as |
937 | private-sector business members appointed to a regional child |
938 | development board under s. 411.01(5)(a)6. |
939 | (3) The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly but |
940 | may meet as often as necessary to carry out its duties and |
941 | responsibilities. |
942 | (4)(a) Each member of the advisory council shall serve |
943 | without compensation but is entitled to per diem and travel |
944 | expenses for attendance of council meetings as provided in s. |
945 | 112.061. |
946 | (b) Each member of the advisory council is subject to the |
947 | ethics provisions in part III of chapter 112. |
948 | (c) For purposes of tort liability, each member of the |
949 | advisory council shall be governed by s. 768.28. |
950 | (5) The department shall provide staff and administrative |
951 | support for the advisory council. |
952 | 1002.75 Rulemaking authority.--The State Board of |
953 | Education shall adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 to |
954 | administer the provisions of this part conferring duties upon |
955 | the department. The state board shall adopt initial rules for |
956 | the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program by January 1, |
957 | 2005. |
958 | Section 2. Effective July 1, 2004, section 411.01, Florida |
959 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
960 | 411.01 Florida Partnership for School readiness programs; |
961 | regional child development boards school readiness coalitions.-- |
962 | (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the "School |
963 | Readiness Act." |
964 | (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-- |
965 | (a) The Legislature recognizes that school readiness |
966 | programs increase children's chances of achieving future |
967 | educational success and becoming productive members of society. |
968 | It is the intent of the Legislature that the such programs be |
969 | developmentally appropriate, research-based, involve parents as |
970 | their child's first teacher, serve as preventive measures for |
971 | children at risk of future school failure, enhance the |
972 | educational readiness of eligible children, and support family |
973 | education. Each school readiness program shall provide the |
974 | elements necessary to prepare at-risk children for school, |
975 | including health screening and referral and an appropriate |
976 | educational program. |
977 | (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that school |
978 | readiness programs be operated on a full-day, year-round basis |
979 | to the maximum extent possible to enable parents to work and |
980 | become financially self-sufficient. |
981 | (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that school |
982 | readiness programs not exist as isolated programs, but build |
983 | upon existing services and work in cooperation with other |
984 | programs for young children, and that school readiness programs |
985 | be coordinated and funding integrated to achieve full |
986 | effectiveness. |
987 | (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the |
988 | administrative staff at the state level for school readiness |
989 | programs be kept to the minimum necessary to administer carry |
990 | out the duties of the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
991 | Partnership for School Readiness, as the school readiness |
992 | programs are to be regionally locally designed, operated, and |
993 | managed, with the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
994 | Partnership for School Readiness adopting a system for measuring |
995 | school readiness; developing school readiness program |
996 | performance standards and, outcome measures measurements, and |
997 | data design and review; and approving and reviewing regional |
998 | child development boards and local school readiness coalitions |
999 | and plans. |
1000 | (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that |
1001 | appropriations for combined school readiness programs shall not |
1002 | be less than the programs would receive in any fiscal year on an |
1003 | uncombined basis. |
1004 | (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the school |
1005 | readiness program coordinate and operate in conjunction with the |
1006 | district school systems. However, it is also the intent of the |
1007 | Legislature that the school readiness program not be construed |
1008 | as part of the system of free public schools but rather as a |
1009 | separate program for children under the age of kindergarten |
1010 | eligibility, funded separately from the system of free public |
1011 | schools, utilizing a mandatory sliding fee scale, and providing |
1012 | an integrated and seamless system of school readiness services |
1013 | for the state's birth-to-kindergarten population. |
1014 | (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the federal |
1015 | child care income tax credit be preserved for school readiness |
1016 | programs. |
1017 | (h) It is the intent of the Legislature that school |
1018 | readiness services shall be an integrated and seamless system of |
1019 | services with a developmentally appropriate education component |
1020 | for the state's eligible birth-to-kindergarten population |
1021 | described in subsection (6) and shall not be construed as part |
1022 | of the seamless K-20 education system except for the |
1023 | administration of the uniform screening system upon entry into |
1024 | kindergarten. |
1025 | (3) PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS |
1026 | PROGRAM.-- |
1027 | (a) The school readiness program shall be phased in on a |
1028 | coalition-by-coalition basis. Each coalition's school readiness |
1029 | program shall have available to it funding from all the |
1030 | coalition's early education and child care programs that are |
1031 | funded with state, federal, lottery, or local funds, including |
1032 | but not limited to Florida First Start programs, Even-Start |
1033 | literacy programs, prekindergarten early intervention programs, |
1034 | Head Start programs, programs offered by public and private |
1035 | providers of child care, migrant prekindergarten programs, Title |
1036 | I programs, subsidized child care programs, and teen parent |
1037 | programs, together with any additional funds appropriated or |
1038 | obtained for purposes of this section. These programs and their |
1039 | funding streams shall be components of the coalition's |
1040 | integrated school readiness program, with the goal of preparing |
1041 | children for success in school. |
1042 | (b) Nothing contained in This section does not act is |
1043 | intended to: |
1044 | (a)1. Relieve parents and guardians of their own |
1045 | obligations to prepare ready their children for school; or |
1046 | (b)2. Create any obligation to provide publicly funded |
1047 | school readiness programs or services beyond those authorized by |
1048 | the Legislature. |
1049 | (4) AGENCY FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION FLORIDA PARTNERSHIP |
1050 | FOR SCHOOL READINESS.-- |
1051 | (a) The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall Florida |
1052 | Partnership for School Readiness was created to fulfill three |
1053 | major purposes: to administer school readiness programs at the |
1054 | statewide level and shall program services that help parents |
1055 | prepare eligible children for school; to coordinate the regional |
1056 | child development boards in providing provision of school |
1057 | readiness services on a full-day, full-year, full-choice basis |
1058 | to the extent possible in order to enable parents to work and be |
1059 | financially self-sufficient; and to establish a uniform |
1060 | screening instrument to be implemented by the Department of |
1061 | Education and administered by the school districts upon entry |
1062 | into kindergarten to assess the readiness for school of all |
1063 | children. Readiness for kindergarten is the outcome measure of |
1064 | the success of each school readiness program that receives state |
1065 | or federal funds. The partnership is assigned to the Agency for |
1066 | Workforce Innovation for administrative purposes. |
1067 | (b) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
1068 | Partnership for School Readiness shall: |
1069 | 1. Coordinate the birth-to-kindergarten services for |
1070 | children who are eligible under pursuant to subsection (6) and |
1071 | the programmatic, administrative, and fiscal standards under |
1072 | pursuant to this section for all public providers of school |
1073 | readiness programs. |
1074 | 2. Continue to provide unified leadership for school |
1075 | readiness through regional child development boards local school |
1076 | readiness coalitions. |
1077 | 3. Focus on improving the educational quality of all |
1078 | publicly funded school readiness programs. |
1079 | (c)1. The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall |
1080 | include the Lieutenant Governor, the Commissioner of Education, |
1081 | the Secretary of Children and Family Services, and the Secretary |
1082 | of Health, or their designees, and the chair of the Child Care |
1083 | Executive Partnership Board, and the chairperson of the Board of |
1084 | Directors of Workforce Florida, Inc. When the Lieutenant |
1085 | Governor or an agency head appoints a designee, the designee |
1086 | must be an individual who attends consistently, and, in the |
1087 | event that the Lieutenant Governor or agency head and his or her |
1088 | designee both attend a meeting, only one of them may vote. |
1089 | 2. The partnership shall also include 14 members of the |
1090 | public who shall be business, community, and civic leaders in |
1091 | the state who are not elected to public office. These members |
1092 | and their families must not have a direct contract with any |
1093 | local coalition to provide school readiness services. The |
1094 | members must be geographically and demographically |
1095 | representative of the state. Each member shall be appointed by |
1096 | the Governor from a list of nominees submitted by the President |
1097 | of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
1098 | By July 1, 2001, four members shall be appointed as follows: two |
1099 | members shall be from the child care industry, one representing |
1100 | the private for-profit sector appointed by the Governor from a |
1101 | list of two nominees submitted by the President of the Senate |
1102 | and one representing faith-based providers appointed by the |
1103 | Governor from a list of two nominees submitted by the Speaker of |
1104 | the House of Representatives; and two members shall be from the |
1105 | business community, one appointed by the Governor from a list of |
1106 | two nominees submitted by the President of the Senate and one |
1107 | appointed by the Governor from a list of two nominees submitted |
1108 | by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Members shall be |
1109 | appointed to 4-year terms of office. The members of the |
1110 | partnership shall elect a chairperson annually from the |
1111 | nongovernmental members of the partnership. Any vacancy on the |
1112 | partnership shall be filled in the same manner as the original |
1113 | appointment. |
1114 | (d) The partnership shall meet at least quarterly but may |
1115 | meet as often as it deems necessary to carry out its duties and |
1116 | responsibilities. Members of the partnership shall participate |
1117 | without proxy at the quarterly meetings. The partnership may |
1118 | take official action by a majority vote of the members present |
1119 | at any meeting at which a quorum is present. |
1120 | (e) Members of the partnership are subject to the ethics |
1121 | provisions in part III of chapter 112, and no member may derive |
1122 | any financial benefit from the funds administered by the Florida |
1123 | Partnership for School Readiness. |
1124 | (f) Members of the partnership shall serve without |
1125 | compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and |
1126 | travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as |
1127 | provided in s. 112.061, and reimbursement for other reasonable, |
1128 | necessary, and actual expenses. |
1129 | (g) For the purposes of tort liability, the members of the |
1130 | partnership and its employees shall be governed by s. 768.28. |
1131 | (h) The partnership shall appoint an executive director |
1132 | who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The executive |
1133 | director shall perform the duties assigned to him or her by the |
1134 | partnership. The executive director shall be responsible for |
1135 | hiring, subject to the approval of the partnership, all |
1136 | employees and staff members, who shall serve under his or her |
1137 | direction and control. |
1138 | (c)(i) For purposes of administration of the federal Child |
1139 | Care and Development Fund, 45 C.F.R. parts 98 and 99, the Agency |
1140 | for Workforce Innovation partnership may be designated by the |
1141 | Governor as the lead agency, and if so designated shall comply |
1142 | with the lead agency responsibilities under pursuant to federal |
1143 | law. |
1144 | (d)(j) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
1145 | Partnership for School Readiness is the principal organization |
1146 | responsible for the enhancement of school readiness for the |
1147 | state's children, and shall: |
1148 | 1. Be responsible for the prudent use of all public and |
1149 | private funds in accordance with all legal and contractual |
1150 | requirements. |
1151 | 2. Provide final approval and periodic review of regional |
1152 | child development boards coalitions and school readiness plans. |
1153 | 3. Provide leadership for the enhancement of school |
1154 | readiness in this state by aggressively establishing a unified |
1155 | approach to the state's efforts toward enhancement of school |
1156 | readiness. In support of this effort, the Agency for Workforce |
1157 | Innovation partnership may develop and implement specific |
1158 | strategies that address the state's school readiness programs. |
1159 | 4. Safeguard the effective use of federal, state, local, |
1160 | and private resources to achieve the highest possible level of |
1161 | school readiness for the state's children in this state. |
1162 | 5. Provide technical assistance to regional child |
1163 | development boards coalitions. |
1164 | 6. Assess gaps in service. |
1165 | 7. Provide technical assistance to counties that form a |
1166 | regional child development board serving a multicounty region |
1167 | coalition. |
1168 | 8.a. Adopt a system for measuring school readiness that |
1169 | provides objective data regarding the expectations for school |
1170 | readiness, and establish a method for collecting the data and |
1171 | guidelines for using the data. The measurement, the data |
1172 | collection, and the use of the data must serve the statewide |
1173 | school readiness goal. The criteria for determining which data |
1174 | to collect should be the usefulness of the data to state |
1175 | policymakers and local program administrators in administering |
1176 | programs and allocating state funds, and must include the |
1177 | tracking of school readiness system information back to |
1178 | individual school readiness programs to assist in determining |
1179 | program effectiveness. |
1180 | b. Adopt a system for evaluating the performance of |
1181 | students through the third grade to compare the performance of |
1182 | those who participated in school readiness programs with the |
1183 | performance of students who did not participate in school |
1184 | readiness programs in order to identify strategies for continued |
1185 | successful student performance. |
1186 | 8.9. Develop and adopt, with the advice of the Florida |
1187 | Child Development Advisory Council created under s. 1002.73 and |
1188 | the Department of Education, performance standards and outcome |
1189 | measures for school readiness programs. The performance |
1190 | standards must address the age-appropriate progress of children |
1191 | in the development of the school readiness skills required under |
1192 | paragraph (j). The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall |
1193 | integrate the performance standards for school readiness |
1194 | programs into the performance standards adopted by the |
1195 | Department of Education for the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
1196 | Education Program under s. 1002.65. |
1197 | (e)(k) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership may |
1198 | adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 necessary to |
1199 | administer the provisions of law conferring duties upon the |
1200 | agency, including, but not limited this section which relate to, |
1201 | rules governing the preparation preparing and implementation of |
1202 | implementing the system for school readiness system, the |
1203 | collection of collecting data, the approval of regional child |
1204 | development boards and approving local school readiness |
1205 | coalitions and plans, the provision of providing a method |
1206 | whereby a regional child development board may coalition can |
1207 | serve two or more counties, the award of awarding incentives to |
1208 | regional child development boards coalitions, and the issuance |
1209 | of issuing waivers. |
1210 | (f)(l) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
1211 | Partnership for School Readiness shall have all powers necessary |
1212 | to administer carry out the purposes of this section, including, |
1213 | but not limited to, the power to receive and accept grants, |
1214 | loans, or advances of funds from any public or private agency |
1215 | and to receive and accept from any source contributions of |
1216 | money, property, labor, or any other thing of value, to be held, |
1217 | used, and applied for the purposes of this section. |
1218 | (g) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Agency for |
1219 | Workforce Innovation does not have authority: |
1220 | 1. To impose requirements on a child care or early |
1221 | childhood education provider that does not deliver services |
1222 | under a school readiness program or receive state or federal |
1223 | funds under this section. |
1224 | 2. To administer powers and duties assigned to the |
1225 | Department of Education or a regional child development board |
1226 | under part V of chapter 1002. |
1227 | (h)(m) The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
1228 | Partnership for School Readiness shall have a budget for the |
1229 | school readiness system, which and shall be financed through an |
1230 | annual appropriation made for purposes of this section purpose |
1231 | in the General Appropriations Act. |
1232 | (i)(n) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the |
1233 | advice of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council, |
1234 | partnership shall coordinate the efforts toward school readiness |
1235 | in this state and provide independent policy analyses and |
1236 | recommendations to the Governor, the State Board of Education, |
1237 | and the Legislature. |
1238 | (j)(o) Each regional child development board's The |
1239 | partnership shall prepare and submit to the State Board of |
1240 | Education a system for measuring school readiness program. The |
1241 | system must, at a minimum, enhance the age-appropriate progress |
1242 | of each child in the development of include a uniform screening, |
1243 | which shall provide objective data regarding the following |
1244 | expectations for school readiness skills which shall include, at |
1245 | a minimum: |
1246 | 1. The child's immunizations and other health requirements |
1247 | as necessary, including appropriate vision and hearing screening |
1248 | and examinations. |
1249 | 2. The child's physical development. |
1250 | 1.3. The child's Compliance with rules, limitations, and |
1251 | routines. |
1252 | 2.4. The child's Ability to perform tasks. |
1253 | 3.5. The child's Interactions with adults. |
1254 | 4.6. The child's Interactions with peers. |
1255 | 5.7. The child's Ability to cope with challenges. |
1256 | 6.8. The child's Self-help skills. |
1257 | 7.9. The child's Ability to express the child's his or her |
1258 | needs. |
1259 | 8.10. The child's Verbal communication skills. |
1260 | 9.11. The child's Problem-solving skills. |
1261 | 10.12. The child's Following of verbal directions. |
1262 | 11.13. The child's Demonstration of curiosity, |
1263 | persistence, and exploratory behavior. |
1264 | 12.14. The child's Interest in books and other printed |
1265 | materials. |
1266 | 13.15. The child's Paying attention to stories. |
1267 | 14.16. The child's Participation in art and music |
1268 | activities. |
1269 | 15.17. The child's Ability to identify colors, geometric |
1270 | shapes, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and spatial and |
1271 | temporal relationships. |
1272 |
|
1273 | Each regional child development board shall also require that, |
1274 | before a child is enrolled in the board's school readiness |
1275 | program, information must first be obtained regarding the |
1276 | child's immunizations, physical development, and other health |
1277 | requirements as necessary, including appropriate vision and |
1278 | hearing screening and examinations. |
1279 | (p) The partnership shall prepare a plan for implementing |
1280 | the system for measuring school readiness in such a way that all |
1281 | children in this state will undergo the uniform screening |
1282 | established by the partnership when they enter kindergarten. |
1283 | Children who enter public school for the first time in first |
1284 | grade must undergo a uniform screening approved by the |
1285 | partnership for use in first grade. Because children with |
1286 | disabilities may not be able to meet all of the identified |
1287 | expectations for school readiness, the plan for measuring school |
1288 | readiness shall incorporate mechanisms for recognizing the |
1289 | potential variations in expectations for school readiness when |
1290 | serving children with disabilities and shall provide for |
1291 | communities to serve children with disabilities. |
1292 | (k)(q) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership |
1293 | shall conduct studies and planning activities related to the |
1294 | overall improvement and effectiveness of the outcome school |
1295 | readiness measures adopted by the agency for school readiness |
1296 | programs. |
1297 | (l) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the advice |
1298 | of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council, shall adopt |
1299 | and administer a quality-assurance system. The Agency for |
1300 | Workforce Innovation shall use the quality-assurance system to |
1301 | monitor and evaluate the performance of each regional child |
1302 | development board in administering the school readiness program |
1303 | and implementing the board's school readiness plan. The quality- |
1304 | assurance system must include, at a minimum, onsite monitoring |
1305 | of each board's finances, management, operations, and programs. |
1306 | (m) The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the advice |
1307 | of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council, shall |
1308 | identify best practices of regional child development boards in |
1309 | order to improve the outcomes of school readiness programs. |
1310 | (r) The partnership shall establish procedures for |
1311 | performance-based budgeting in school readiness programs. |
1312 | (n)(s) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership |
1313 | shall submit an annual report of its activities conducted under |
1314 | this section to the Governor, the executive director of the |
1315 | Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the President of the Senate, |
1316 | the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority |
1317 | leaders of both houses of the Legislature. In addition, the |
1318 | Agency for Workforce Innovation's partnership's reports and |
1319 | recommendations shall be made available to the State Board of |
1320 | Education, the Florida Child Development Advisory Council, other |
1321 | appropriate state agencies and entities, district school boards, |
1322 | central agencies for child care, and county health departments. |
1323 | The annual report must provide an analysis of school readiness |
1324 | activities across the state, including the number of children |
1325 | who were served in the programs and the number of children who |
1326 | were ready for school. |
1327 | (o)(t) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership |
1328 | shall work with regional child development boards school |
1329 | readiness coalitions to increase parents' training for and |
1330 | involvement in their children's preschool education and to |
1331 | provide family literacy activities and programs. |
1332 |
|
1333 | To ensure that the system for measuring school readiness is |
1334 | comprehensive and appropriate statewide, as the system is |
1335 | developed and implemented, the partnership must consult with |
1336 | representatives of district school systems, providers of public |
1337 | and private child care, health care providers, large and small |
1338 | employers, experts in education for children with disabilities, |
1339 | and experts in child development. |
1340 | (5) CREATION OF REGIONAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT BOARDS SCHOOL |
1341 | READINESS COALITIONS.-- |
1342 | (a) Regional child development boards School readiness |
1343 | coalitions.-- |
1344 | 1. The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the advice of |
1345 | the Florida Child Development Advisory Council created under s. |
1346 | 1002.73, shall establish the minimum number of children to be |
1347 | served by each regional child development board through the |
1348 | board's school readiness program. The Agency for Workforce |
1349 | Innovation may only approve school readiness plans in accordance |
1350 | with this minimum number. The minimum number must be uniform for |
1351 | every regional child development board and must: |
1352 | a. Permit 30 or fewer boards to be established; and |
1353 | b. Require each board to serve at least 2,000 children |
1354 | based upon the average number of all children served per month |
1355 | through the board's school readiness program during the previous |
1356 | 12 months. |
1357 |
|
1358 | The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt procedures for |
1359 | the merger of regional child development boards, including |
1360 | procedures for the consolidation of merging boards and for the |
1361 | early termination of the terms of board members, which are |
1362 | necessary to accomplish the mergers. Each regional child |
1363 | development board must comply with the merger procedures and |
1364 | shall be organized in accordance with this subparagraph by |
1365 | January 1, 2005. By June 30, 2005, each board must complete the |
1366 | transfer of powers, duties, functions, rules, records, |
1367 | personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations, |
1368 | allocations, and other funds to the successor board, if |
1369 | applicable. |
1370 | 2.1. If a regional child development board coalition's |
1371 | plan would serve fewer less than 400 birth-to-kindergarten age |
1372 | children than the minimum number established under subparagraph |
1373 | 1., the board coalition must either join with another county to |
1374 | form a multicounty board coalition, enter an agreement with a |
1375 | fiscal agent to serve more than one coalition, or demonstrate to |
1376 | the partnership its ability to effectively and efficiently |
1377 | implement its plan as a single-county coalition and meet all |
1378 | required performance standards and outcome measures. |
1379 | 3. Each regional child development board shall be composed |
1380 | of at least 18 members but not more than 35 members. The Agency |
1381 | for Workforce Innovation, with the advice of the Florida Child |
1382 | Development Advisory Council, shall adopt standards establishing |
1383 | within this range the minimum and maximum number of members that |
1384 | may be appointed to a regional child development board. These |
1385 | standards shall include variations for a board serving a |
1386 | multicounty region. Each regional child development board must |
1387 | comply with these standards. |
1388 | 4. The Governor shall appoint the chair and two other |
1389 | members of each regional child development board, who must each |
1390 | meet the same qualifications as private-sector business members |
1391 | appointed by the board under subparagraph 6. |
1392 | 5.2. Each regional child development board coalition shall |
1393 | have at least 18 but not more than 25 members and such members |
1394 | must include the following members: |
1395 | a. A Department of Children and Family Services district |
1396 | administrator or his or her designee who is authorized to make |
1397 | decisions on behalf of the department. |
1398 | b. A district superintendent of schools or his or her |
1399 | designee who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the |
1400 | district. |
1401 | c. A regional workforce development board executive chair |
1402 | or director or his or her designee, where applicable. |
1403 | d. A county health department director or his or her |
1404 | designee. |
1405 | e. A children's services council or juvenile welfare board |
1406 | chair or executive director, if applicable. |
1407 | f. An agency head of a local child care licensing agency |
1408 | as defined in s. 402.302, where applicable head. |
1409 | g. A president of a community college or his or her |
1410 | designee. |
1411 | g. One member appointed by a Department of Children and |
1412 | Family Services district administrator. |
1413 | h. One member appointed by a board of county |
1414 | commissioners. |
1415 | i. One member appointed by a district school board. |
1416 | i.j. A central child care agency administrator, where |
1417 | applicable. |
1418 | j.k. A Head Start director. |
1419 | k.l. A representative of private child care providers, |
1420 | including family day care homes. |
1421 | l.m. A representative of faith-based child care providers. |
1422 | m. A representative of programs for children with |
1423 | disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities |
1424 | Education Act. |
1425 | 6. Including the members appointed by the Governor under |
1426 | subparagraph 4., more than one-third of the coalition members of |
1427 | each regional child development board must be private-sector |
1428 | business members who do not have, and none of whose relatives as |
1429 | defined in s. 112.3143 has, a substantial financial interest in |
1430 | the design or delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
1431 | Education Program created under part V of chapter 1002 or the |
1432 | board's school readiness program from the private sector, and |
1433 | neither they nor their families may earn an income from the |
1434 | early education and child care industry. To meet this |
1435 | requirement a regional child development board coalition must |
1436 | appoint additional members from a list of nominees submitted |
1437 | presented to the board coalition by a chamber of commerce or |
1438 | economic development council within the geographic region served |
1439 | by area of the board coalition. The Agency for Workforce |
1440 | Innovation shall adopt criteria for the appointment of private- |
1441 | sector business members. These criteria must include standards |
1442 | for determining whether a member or relative has a substantial |
1443 | financial interest in the design or delivery of the Voluntary |
1444 | Prekindergarten Education Program or the board's school |
1445 | readiness program. |
1446 | 7.3. A No member of a regional child development board |
1447 | coalition may not appoint a designee to act in his or her place. |
1448 | A member may send a representative to board coalition meetings, |
1449 | but that representative does not will have no voting privileges. |
1450 | When a district superintendent of schools or a district |
1451 | administrator for the Department of Children and Family Services |
1452 | appoints a designee to a regional child development board school |
1453 | readiness coalition, the designee is will be the voting member |
1454 | of the board coalition, and any individual attending in the |
1455 | designee's his or her place, including the district |
1456 | administrator or superintendent, does not will have no voting |
1457 | privileges. |
1458 | 8.4. Each member Members of a regional child development |
1459 | board is the coalition are subject to s. 112.313, s. 112.3135, |
1460 | and s. 112.3143 the ethics provisions in part III of chapter |
1461 | 112. For purposes of s. 112.3143(3)(a), each member is a local |
1462 | public officer who must abstain from voting when a voting |
1463 | conflict exists. |
1464 | 9.5. For the purposes of tort liability, each member or |
1465 | employee of a regional child development board the members of |
1466 | the school readiness coalition and its employees shall be |
1467 | governed by s. 768.28. |
1468 | 10.6. A regional child development board serving a |
1469 | multicounty region coalitions shall include representation from |
1470 | each county. |
1471 | 11.7. Each regional child development board shall |
1472 | establish The terms for of all appointed members of the board. |
1473 | The terms coalition must be staggered and must be a uniform |
1474 | length that does not exceed 4 years per term. Appointed members |
1475 | may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. When a vacancy |
1476 | occurs in an appointed position, the board coalition must |
1477 | advertise the vacancy. |
1478 | (b) Program participation.--The school readiness program |
1479 | shall be established for children younger than from birth to 5 |
1480 | years of age or until the child enters kindergarten eligibility |
1481 | as defined in s. 1002.51. The program shall be administered by |
1482 | the regional child development board school readiness coalition. |
1483 | Within funding limitations, the regional child development board |
1484 | school readiness coalition, along with all providers, shall make |
1485 | reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of children for |
1486 | extended-day and extended-year services without compromising the |
1487 | quality of the program. |
1488 | (c) Program expectations.-- |
1489 | 1. The school readiness program must meet the following |
1490 | expectations: |
1491 | a. The program must, at a minimum, enhance the age- |
1492 | appropriate progress of each child in the development of the |
1493 | school readiness skills required under paragraph (4)(j) prepare |
1494 | preschool children to enter kindergarten ready to learn, as |
1495 | measured by the performance standards and outcome measures |
1496 | adopted criteria established by the Agency for Workforce |
1497 | Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness. |
1498 | b. The program must provide extended-day and extended-year |
1499 | services to the maximum extent possible to meet the needs of |
1500 | parents who work. |
1501 | c. There must be coordinated staff development and |
1502 | teaching opportunities. |
1503 | d. There must be expanded access to community services and |
1504 | resources for families to help achieve economic self- |
1505 | sufficiency. |
1506 | e. There must be a single point of entry and unified |
1507 | waiting list. As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term "single |
1508 | point of entry" means an integrated information system that |
1509 | allows a parent to enroll his or her child in the school |
1510 | readiness program at various locations throughout the county or |
1511 | multicounty region served by a regional child development board, |
1512 | that may allow a parent to enroll his or her child by telephone |
1513 | or through an Internet website, and that uses a unified waiting |
1514 | list to track eligible children waiting for enrollment in the |
1515 | school readiness program. The Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1516 | shall establish a single statewide information system that |
1517 | integrates each regional child development board's single point |
1518 | of entry, and each board must use the statewide system. |
1519 | f. The Agency for Workforce Innovation must consider the |
1520 | access of eligible children to the school readiness program, as |
1521 | demonstrated in part by waiting lists, before approving a |
1522 | proposed increase in payment rates submitted by a regional child |
1523 | development board. |
1524 | f. As long as funding or eligible populations do not |
1525 | decrease, the program must serve at least as many children as |
1526 | were served prior to implementation of the program. |
1527 | g. There must be a community plan to address the needs of |
1528 | all eligible children. |
1529 | h. The program must meet all state licensing guidelines, |
1530 | where applicable. |
1531 | 2. The regional child development board school readiness |
1532 | coalition must implement a comprehensive program of school |
1533 | readiness services that enhance the cognitive, social, and |
1534 | physical development of children to achieve the performance |
1535 | standards and outcome measures adopted specified by the Agency |
1536 | for Workforce Innovation partnership. At a minimum, these |
1537 | programs must contain the following elements: |
1538 | a. Developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to |
1539 | enhance the age-appropriate progress of children in attaining |
1540 | the performance standards adopted by the Agency for Workforce |
1541 | Innovation under subparagraph (4)(d)8. |
1542 | b. A character development program to develop basic |
1543 | values. |
1544 | c. An age-appropriate assessment of each child's |
1545 | development. |
1546 | d. A pretest administered to children when they enter a |
1547 | program and a posttest administered to children when they leave |
1548 | the program. |
1549 | e. An appropriate staff-to-children staff-to-child ratio. |
1550 | f. A healthy healthful and safe environment. |
1551 | g. A resource and referral network to assist parents in |
1552 | making an informed choice. |
1553 | (d) Implementation.-- |
1554 | 1. A regional child development board may not implement |
1555 | the school readiness program is to be phased in. until the board |
1556 | is authorized coalition implements its plan, the county shall |
1557 | continue to receive the services identified in subsection (3) |
1558 | through the various agencies that would be responsible for |
1559 | delivering those services under current law. Plan |
1560 | implementation is subject to approval of the board's school |
1561 | readiness coalition and the plan by the Agency for Workforce |
1562 | Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness. |
1563 | 2. Each regional child development board school readiness |
1564 | coalition shall develop a plan for implementing the school |
1565 | readiness program to meet the requirements of this section and |
1566 | the performance standards and outcome measures adopted |
1567 | established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. |
1568 | The plan must include a written description of the role of the |
1569 | program in the coalition's effort to meet the first state |
1570 | education goal, readiness to start school, including a |
1571 | description of the plan to involve the prekindergarten early |
1572 | intervention programs, Head Start Programs, programs offered by |
1573 | public or private providers of child care, preschool programs |
1574 | for children with disabilities, programs for migrant children, |
1575 | Title I programs, subsidized child care programs, and teen |
1576 | parent programs. The plan must also demonstrate how the program |
1577 | will ensure that each 3-year-old and 4-year-old child in a |
1578 | publicly funded school readiness program receives scheduled |
1579 | activities and instruction designed to enhance the age- |
1580 | appropriate progress of the prepare children in attaining the |
1581 | performance standards adopted by the Agency for Workforce |
1582 | Innovation under subparagraph (4)(d)8 to enter kindergarten |
1583 | ready to learn. Before Prior to implementation of the school |
1584 | readiness program, the regional child development board school |
1585 | readiness coalition must submit the plan to the Agency for |
1586 | Workforce Innovation partnership for approval. The Agency for |
1587 | Workforce Innovation partnership may approve the plan, reject |
1588 | the plan, or approve the plan with conditions. The Agency for |
1589 | Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness |
1590 | shall review school readiness coalition plans at least annually. |
1591 | 3. If the Agency for Workforce Innovation determines |
1592 | during the annual review of school readiness plans, or through |
1593 | monitoring and performance evaluations conducted under the |
1594 | quality-assurance system, that a regional child development |
1595 | board has not substantially implemented its plan or has not |
1596 | substantially met the performance standards and outcome measures |
1597 | adopted by the agency, the Agency for Workforce Innovation may |
1598 | reject the board's plan and contract with a qualified entity to |
1599 | continue school readiness services in the board's county or |
1600 | multicounty region until the board is reestablished through |
1601 | resubmission of a school readiness plan and approval by the |
1602 | agency. |
1603 | 4.3. The Agency for Workforce Innovation, with the advice |
1604 | of the Florida Child Development Advisory Council, shall adopt |
1605 | criteria for the approval of school readiness plans. The |
1606 | criteria must be consistent with the performance standards and |
1607 | outcome measures adopted by the agency and must require each |
1608 | approved plan to for the school readiness program must include |
1609 | the following minimum standards and provisions: |
1610 | a. A sliding fee scale establishing a copayment for |
1611 | parents based upon their ability to pay, which is the same for |
1612 | all program providers, to be implemented and reflected in each |
1613 | program's budget. |
1614 | b. A choice of settings and locations in licensed, |
1615 | registered, religious-exempt, or school-based programs to be |
1616 | provided to parents. |
1617 | c. Instructional staff who have completed the training |
1618 | course as required in s. 402.305(2)(d)1., as well as staff who |
1619 | have additional training or credentials as required by the |
1620 | Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The plan must |
1621 | provide a method for assuring the qualifications of all |
1622 | personnel in all program settings. |
1623 | d. Specific eligibility priorities for children within the |
1624 | regional child development board's coalition's county or |
1625 | multicounty region in accordance with pursuant to subsection |
1626 | (6). |
1627 | e. Performance standards and outcome measures adopted |
1628 | established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership |
1629 | or alternatively, standards and outcome measures to be used |
1630 | until such time as the partnership adopts such standards and |
1631 | outcome measures. |
1632 | f. Payment Reimbursement rates adopted that have been |
1633 | developed by the regional child development board and approved |
1634 | by the Agency for Workforce Innovation coalition. Payment |
1635 | Reimbursement rates shall not have the effect of limiting |
1636 | parental choice or creating standards or levels of services that |
1637 | have not been authorized by the Legislature. |
1638 | g. Systems support services, including a central agency, |
1639 | child care resource and referral, eligibility determinations, |
1640 | training of providers, and parent support and involvement. |
1641 | h. Direct enhancement services to families and children. |
1642 | System support and direct enhancement services shall be in |
1643 | addition to payments for the placement of children in school |
1644 | readiness programs. |
1645 | i. The A business organization of the regional child |
1646 | development board plan, which must include the board's articles |
1647 | of incorporation and bylaws if the board is organized as a |
1648 | corporation. If the board is not organized as a corporation or |
1649 | other business entity, the plan must include the contract with a |
1650 | fiscal school readiness agent if the coalition is not a legally |
1651 | established corporate entity. A regional child development board |
1652 | Coalitions may contract with other regional child development |
1653 | boards coalitions to achieve efficiency in multicounty multiple- |
1654 | county services, and these such contracts may be part of the |
1655 | board's school readiness coalition's business plan. |
1656 | j. Strategies to meet the needs of unique populations, |
1657 | such as migrant workers. |
1658 |
|
1659 | As part of the school readiness plan, the regional child |
1660 | development board coalition may request the Governor to apply |
1661 | for a waiver to allow the board coalition to administer the Head |
1662 | Start Program to accomplish the purposes of the school readiness |
1663 | program. If a any school readiness plan demonstrates can |
1664 | demonstrate that specific statutory goals may can be achieved |
1665 | more effectively by using procedures that require modification |
1666 | of existing rules, policies, or procedures, a request for a |
1667 | waiver to the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership may be |
1668 | submitted made as part of the plan. Upon review, the Agency for |
1669 | Workforce Innovation partnership may grant the proposed |
1670 | modification. |
1671 | 5.4. Persons with an early childhood teaching certificate |
1672 | may provide support and supervision to other staff in the school |
1673 | readiness program. |
1674 | 6.5. A regional child development board The coalition may |
1675 | not implement its school readiness plan until the board it |
1676 | submits the plan to and receives approval from the Agency for |
1677 | Workforce Innovation partnership. Once the plan is has been |
1678 | approved, the plan and the services provided under the plan |
1679 | shall be controlled by the regional child development board |
1680 | coalition rather than by the state agencies or departments. The |
1681 | plan shall be reviewed and revised as necessary, but at least |
1682 | biennially. A regional child development board may not implement |
1683 | the revisions until the board submits the revised plan to and |
1684 | receives approval from the Agency for Workforce Innovation. If |
1685 | the Agency for Workforce Innovation rejects a revised plan, the |
1686 | board must continue to operate under its prior approved plan. |
1687 | 7.6. Sections The following statutes will not apply to |
1688 | local coalitions with approved plans: ss. 125.901(2)(a)3., |
1689 | 411.221, and 411.232 do not apply to a regional child |
1690 | development board with an approved school readiness plan. To |
1691 | facilitate innovative practices and to allow the regional local |
1692 | establishment of school readiness programs, a regional child |
1693 | development board school readiness coalition may apply to the |
1694 | Governor and Cabinet for a waiver of, and the Governor and |
1695 | Cabinet may waive, any of the provisions of ss. 411.223, |
1696 | 411.232, and 1003.54, if the waiver is necessary for |
1697 | implementation of the board's coalition's school readiness plan. |
1698 | 8.7. Two or more counties may join for purposes the |
1699 | purpose of planning and implementing a school readiness program. |
1700 | 9.8. A regional child development board coalition may, |
1701 | subject to approval by of the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1702 | partnership as part of the board's school readiness coalition's |
1703 | plan, receive subsidized child care funds for all children |
1704 | eligible for any federal subsidized child care program and be |
1705 | the provider of the program services. |
1706 | 10.9. A regional child development board may Coalitions |
1707 | are authorized to enter into multiparty contracts with |
1708 | multicounty service providers in order to meet the needs of |
1709 | unique populations such as migrant workers. |
1710 | (e) Requests for proposals; payment schedule.-- |
1711 | 1. At least once every 3 years, beginning July 1, 2001, |
1712 | Each regional child development board coalition must comply with |
1713 | follow the competitive procurement requirements of s. 287.057 |
1714 | for the procurement of commodities or contractual services from |
1715 | the funds described in paragraph (9)(d) school readiness |
1716 | programs. The period of a contract for purchase of these |
1717 | commodities or contractual services, together with any renewal |
1718 | of the original contract, may not exceed 3 years. |
1719 | 2. Each regional child development board coalition shall |
1720 | adopt develop a payment schedule that encompasses all programs |
1721 | funded by the board under this section that coalition. The |
1722 | payment schedule must take into consideration the relevant |
1723 | market rate, must include the projected number of children to be |
1724 | served, and must be submitted for approval by to the Agency for |
1725 | Workforce Innovation partnership for information. Informal child |
1726 | care arrangements shall be reimbursed at not more than 50 |
1727 | percent of the rate developed for a family day care home |
1728 | childcare. |
1729 | (f) Requirements relating to fiscal agents.--If a regional |
1730 | child development board the local coalition is not a legally |
1731 | organized as a corporation or other business established |
1732 | corporate entity, the board coalition must designate a fiscal |
1733 | agent, which may be a public entity, or a private nonprofit |
1734 | organization, or a certified public accountant who holds a |
1735 | license under chapter 473. The fiscal agent must shall be |
1736 | required to provide financial and administrative services under |
1737 | pursuant to a contract or agreement with the regional child |
1738 | development board school readiness coalition. The fiscal agent |
1739 | may not provide direct early childhood education or child care |
1740 | services; however, a fiscal agent may provide those such |
1741 | services upon written request of the regional child development |
1742 | board coalition to the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1743 | partnership and upon the approval of the such request by the |
1744 | agency partnership. The cost of the financial and administrative |
1745 | services shall be negotiated between the fiscal agent and the |
1746 | regional child development board school readiness coalition. If |
1747 | the fiscal agent is a provider of early childhood education and |
1748 | child care programs, the contract must specify that the fiscal |
1749 | agent shall will act on policy direction from the regional child |
1750 | development board coalition and must will not receive policy |
1751 | direction from its own corporate board regarding disbursal of |
1752 | the regional child development board's coalition funds. The |
1753 | fiscal agent shall disburse funds in accordance with the |
1754 | regional child development board's approved coalition school |
1755 | readiness plan and based on billing and disbursement procedures |
1756 | approved by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The |
1757 | fiscal agent must conform to all data-reporting requirements |
1758 | established by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. |
1759 | (g) Evaluation and annual report.--Each regional child |
1760 | development board school readiness coalition shall conduct an |
1761 | evaluation of the effectiveness of the school readiness program, |
1762 | including performance standards and outcome measures, and shall |
1763 | provide an annual report and fiscal statement to the Agency for |
1764 | Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness. |
1765 | This report must conform to the content and format |
1766 | specifications set by the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1767 | Florida Partnership for School Readiness. The Agency for |
1768 | Workforce Innovation partnership must include an analysis of the |
1769 | regional child development board's coalition reports in the |
1770 | agency's its annual report. |
1771 | (6) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.--Each regional child development |
1772 | board's The school readiness program shall be established for |
1773 | children younger than under the age of kindergarten eligibility |
1774 | as defined in s. 1002.51. Priority for participation in the |
1775 | school readiness program shall be given to children age 3 years |
1776 | to school entry who are served by the Family Safety Program |
1777 | Office of the Department of Children and Family Services or a |
1778 | community-based lead agency under pursuant to chapter 39 and for |
1779 | whom child care is needed to minimize risk of further abuse, |
1780 | neglect, or abandonment. Other eligible populations include |
1781 | children who meet one or more of the following criteria: |
1782 | (a) Children under the age of kindergarten eligibility who |
1783 | are: |
1784 | 1. Children determined to be at risk of abuse, neglect, or |
1785 | exploitation who are currently clients of the Family Safety |
1786 | Program Office of the Department of Children and Family |
1787 | Services, but who are not otherwise given priority under this |
1788 | subsection. |
1789 | 2.1. Children at risk of welfare dependency, including |
1790 | economically disadvantaged children, children of participants in |
1791 | the welfare transition program, children of migrant farmworkers, |
1792 | and children of teen parents. |
1793 | 3.2. Children of working families whose family income does |
1794 | not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level. |
1795 | 4.3. Children for whom the state is paying a relative |
1796 | caregiver payment under s. 39.5085. |
1797 | (b) Three-year-old children and 4-year-old children who |
1798 | may not be economically disadvantaged but who have disabilities, |
1799 | have been served in a specific part-time or combination of part- |
1800 | time exceptional education programs with required special |
1801 | services, aids, or equipment, and were previously reported for |
1802 | funding part time with the Florida Education Finance Program as |
1803 | exceptional students. |
1804 | (c) Economically disadvantaged children, children with |
1805 | disabilities, and children at risk of future school failure, |
1806 | from birth to 4 years of age, who are served at home through |
1807 | home visitor programs and intensive parent education programs |
1808 | such as the Florida First Start Program. |
1809 | (d) Children who meet federal and state eligibility |
1810 | requirements for eligibility for the migrant preschool program |
1811 | but who do not meet the criteria of economically disadvantaged. |
1812 |
|
1813 | As used in this subsection, the term An "economically |
1814 | disadvantaged" child means a child whose family income does not |
1815 | exceed is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. |
1816 | Notwithstanding any change in a family's economic status, but |
1817 | subject to additional family contributions in accordance with |
1818 | the sliding fee scale, a child who meets the eligibility |
1819 | requirements upon initial registration for the program remains |
1820 | shall be considered eligible until the child reaches |
1821 | kindergarten eligibility as defined in s. 1002.51 age. |
1822 | (7) PARENTAL CHOICE.-- |
1823 | (a) The school readiness program shall provide parental |
1824 | choice through pursuant to a purchase service order that |
1825 | ensures, to the maximum extent possible, flexibility in school |
1826 | readiness programs and payment arrangements. According to |
1827 | federal regulations requiring parental choice, a parent may |
1828 | choose an informal child care arrangement. The purchase order |
1829 | must bear the name of the beneficiary and the program provider |
1830 | and, when redeemed, must bear the signature of both the |
1831 | beneficiary and an authorized representative of the provider. |
1832 | (b) If it is determined that a provider has provided any |
1833 | cash to the beneficiary in return for receiving the purchase |
1834 | order, the regional child development board coalition or its |
1835 | fiscal agent shall refer the matter to the Division of Public |
1836 | Assistance Fraud for investigation. |
1837 | (c) The office of the Chief Financial Officer shall |
1838 | establish an electronic transfer system for the disbursement of |
1839 | funds in accordance with this subsection. Each regional child |
1840 | development board School readiness coalitions shall fully |
1841 | implement the electronic funds transfer system within 2 years |
1842 | after plan approval of the board's school readiness plan, unless |
1843 | a waiver is obtained from the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1844 | partnership. |
1845 | (8) STANDARDS; OUTCOME MEASURES.--All publicly funded |
1846 | school readiness programs must shall be required to meet the |
1847 | performance standards and outcome measures adopted developed and |
1848 | approved by the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The |
1849 | Agency for Workforce Innovation shall consult with the Office of |
1850 | Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall |
1851 | provide consultation to the partnership in the development of |
1852 | the measures and standards. These performance standards and |
1853 | outcome measures shall apply be applicable on a statewide basis. |
1854 | (9) FUNDING; SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM.-- |
1855 | (a) It is the intent of this section to establish an |
1856 | integrated and quality seamless service delivery system for all |
1857 | publicly funded early childhood education and child care |
1858 | programs operating in this state. |
1859 | (b) Notwithstanding s. 20.50: |
1860 | 1. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall administer |
1861 | school readiness funds, plans, and policies pursuant to the |
1862 | contract with the Florida Partnership for School Readiness and |
1863 | shall prepare and submit a unified budget request for the school |
1864 | readiness system program in accordance with chapter 216. |
1865 | 2. All instructions to regional child development boards |
1866 | for the administration of this section local school readiness |
1867 | coalitions shall emanate from the Agency for Workforce |
1868 | Innovation in accordance with the pursuant to policies of the |
1869 | Legislature, plans of the Florida Partnership for School |
1870 | Readiness, and the contract between the Florida Partnership for |
1871 | School Readiness and the agency. |
1872 | (c) The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt |
1873 | prepare a formula plan that provides for the allocation among |
1874 | the regional child development boards distribution and |
1875 | expenditure of all state and federal school readiness funds for |
1876 | children participating in public or private school readiness |
1877 | programs based upon an equity and performance funding formula. |
1878 | The allocation formula must plan shall be submitted to the |
1879 | Governor and the Legislative Budget Commission. Upon approval, |
1880 | the Legislative Budget Commission shall authorize the transfer |
1881 | of funds to the Agency for Workforce Innovation to distribute |
1882 | funds for distribution in accordance with the allocation |
1883 | provisions of the formula. For fiscal year 2004-2005, the Agency |
1884 | for Workforce Innovation shall allocate funds to the regional |
1885 | child development boards consistent with the fiscal year 2003- |
1886 | 2004 funding allocations to the local school readiness |
1887 | coalitions. |
1888 | (d) All state funds budgeted for a county for the programs |
1889 | specified in subsection (3), along with the pro rata share of |
1890 | the state administrative costs of those programs in the amount |
1891 | as determined by the partnership, all federal, funds and |
1892 | required local maintenance-of-effort or matching funds provided |
1893 | to a regional child development board for a county for programs |
1894 | specified in subsection (3), and any additional funds |
1895 | appropriated or obtained for purposes of this section, shall be |
1896 | used by transferred for the benefit of the board coalition for |
1897 | implementation of its school readiness plan, including the |
1898 | hiring of staff to effectively operate the board's coalition's |
1899 | school readiness program. As part of plan approval and periodic |
1900 | plan review, the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership |
1901 | shall require that administrative costs be kept to the minimum |
1902 | necessary for efficient and effective administration of the |
1903 | school readiness plan, but total administrative expenditures |
1904 | must shall not exceed 5 percent unless specifically waived by |
1905 | the Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership. The Agency for |
1906 | Workforce Innovation partnership shall annually report to the |
1907 | Legislature any problems relating to administrative costs. |
1908 | (e) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership shall |
1909 | annually distribute, to a maximum extent practicable, all |
1910 | eligible funds provided under this section as block grants to |
1911 | the regional child development boards. assist coalitions in |
1912 | integrating services and funding to develop a quality service |
1913 | delivery system. Subject to appropriation, the partnership may |
1914 | also provide financial awards to coalitions demonstrating |
1915 | success in merging and integrating funding streams to serve |
1916 | children and school readiness programs. |
1917 | (f) State funds appropriated for the school readiness |
1918 | program may not be used for the construction of new facilities |
1919 | or the purchase of buses. The Agency for Workforce Innovation |
1920 | partnership shall present to the Legislature recommendations for |
1921 | providing necessary transportation services for school readiness |
1922 | programs. |
1923 | (g) All cost savings and all revenues received through a |
1924 | mandatory sliding fee scale shall be used to help fund each |
1925 | regional child development board's the local school readiness |
1926 | program. |
1927 | (10) UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFERS.--Notwithstanding any other |
1928 | law to the contrary, the Agency for Workforce Innovation may not |
1929 | transfer to the Department of Education, through an interagency |
1930 | agreement or through any other means, any of the agency's |
1931 | powers, duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, property, |
1932 | or unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, or other |
1933 | funds, any of which have been or which may be authorized for |
1934 | administration of s. 402.25, s. 402.27, s. 402.3016, s. |
1935 | 402.3017, s. 402.3018, s. 402.3051, s. 409.178, or this section, |
1936 | without specific legislative authority by express reference to |
1937 | this subsection. |
1938 | (10) SCHOOL READINESS UNIFORM SCREENING.--The Department |
1939 | of Education shall implement a school readiness uniform |
1940 | screening, including a pilot program during the 2001-2002 school |
1941 | year, to validate the system recommended by the Florida |
1942 | Partnership for School Readiness as part of a comprehensive |
1943 | evaluation design. Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year, the |
1944 | department shall require that all school districts administer |
1945 | the school readiness uniform screening to each kindergarten |
1946 | student in the district school system upon the student's entry |
1947 | into kindergarten. Children who enter public school for the |
1948 | first time in first grade must undergo a uniform screening |
1949 | adopted for use in first grade. The department shall incorporate |
1950 | school readiness data into the K-20 data warehouse for |
1951 | longitudinal tracking. Notwithstanding s. 1002.22, the |
1952 | department shall provide the partnership and the Agency for |
1953 | Workforce Innovation with complete and full access to |
1954 | kindergarten uniform screening data at the student, school, |
1955 | district, and state levels in a format that will enable the |
1956 | partnership and the agency to prepare reports needed by state |
1957 | policymakers and local school readiness coalitions to access |
1958 | progress toward school readiness goals and provide input for |
1959 | continuous improvement of local school readiness services and |
1960 | programs. |
1961 | (11) REPORTS.--The Office of Program Policy Analysis and |
1962 | Government Accountability shall assess the implementation, |
1963 | efficiency, and outcomes of the school readiness program and |
1964 | report its findings to the President of the Senate and the |
1965 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2002. |
1966 | Subsequent reviews shall be conducted at the direction of the |
1967 | Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. |
1968 | (11)(12) CONFLICTING PROVISIONS.--In the event of a |
1969 | conflict between the provisions of this section and federal |
1970 | requirements, the federal requirements shall control. |
1971 | (12)(13) PLACEMENTS.--Notwithstanding any other provision |
1972 | of this section to the contrary, and for fiscal year 2003-2004 |
1973 | only, the first children to be placed in the school readiness |
1974 | program shall be those from families receiving temporary cash |
1975 | assistance and subject to federal work requirements. Subsequent |
1976 | placements shall be made in accordance with subsection (6) |
1977 | pursuant to the provisions of this section. This subsection |
1978 | expires July 1, 2004. |
1979 | Section 3. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (a) of |
1980 | subsection (3) of section 11.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
1981 | read: |
1982 | 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.-- |
1983 | (3) AUTHORITY FOR AUDITS AND OTHER ENGAGEMENTS.-- |
1984 | (a) The Auditor General may, by pursuant to his or her own |
1985 | authority, or at the direction of the Legislative Auditing |
1986 | Committee, conduct audits or other engagements as determined |
1987 | appropriate by the Auditor General of: |
1988 | 1. The accounts and records of any governmental entity |
1989 | created or established by law. |
1990 | 2. The information technology programs, activities, |
1991 | functions, or systems of any governmental entity created or |
1992 | established by law. |
1993 | 3. The accounts and records of any charter school created |
1994 | or established by law. |
1995 | 4. The accounts and records of any direct-support |
1996 | organization or citizen support organization created or |
1997 | established by law. The Auditor General may is authorized to |
1998 | require and receive any records from the direct-support |
1999 | organization or citizen support organization, or from its |
2000 | independent auditor. |
2001 | 5. The public records associated with any appropriation |
2002 | made by the General Appropriations Act to a nongovernmental |
2003 | agency, corporation, or person. All records of a nongovernmental |
2004 | agency, corporation, or person for with respect to the receipt |
2005 | and expenditure of the such an appropriation are shall be public |
2006 | records and shall be treated in the same manner as other public |
2007 | records are under general law. |
2008 | 6. State financial assistance provided to any nonstate |
2009 | entity. |
2010 | 7. The Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation created |
2011 | under pursuant to s. 215.56005. |
2012 | 8. The Florida Virtual School created under pursuant to s. |
2013 | 1002.37. |
2014 | 9. Any purchases of federal surplus lands for use as sites |
2015 | for correctional facilities as described in s. 253.037. |
2016 | 10. Enterprise Florida, Inc., including any of its boards, |
2017 | advisory committees, or similar groups created by Enterprise |
2018 | Florida, Inc., and programs. The audit report may not reveal the |
2019 | identity of any person who has anonymously made a donation to |
2020 | Enterprise Florida, Inc., under pursuant to this subparagraph. |
2021 | The identity of a donor or prospective donor to Enterprise |
2022 | Florida, Inc., who desires to remain anonymous and all |
2023 | information identifying the such donor or prospective donor are |
2024 | confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and |
2025 | s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. The Such anonymity |
2026 | shall be maintained in the auditor's report. |
2027 | 11. The Florida Development Finance Corporation or the |
2028 | capital development board or the programs or entities created by |
2029 | the board. The audit or report may not reveal the identity of |
2030 | any person who has anonymously made a donation to the board |
2031 | under pursuant to this subparagraph. The identity of a donor or |
2032 | prospective donor to the board who desires to remain anonymous |
2033 | and all information identifying the such donor or prospective |
2034 | donor are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. |
2035 | 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. The |
2036 | Such anonymity shall be maintained in the auditor's report. |
2037 | 12. The records pertaining to the use of funds from |
2038 | voluntary contributions on a motor vehicle registration |
2039 | application or on a driver's license application authorized |
2040 | under pursuant to ss. 320.023 and 322.081. |
2041 | 13. The records pertaining to the use of funds from the |
2042 | sale of specialty license plates described in chapter 320. |
2043 | 14. The transportation corporations under contract with |
2044 | the Department of Transportation that are acting on behalf of |
2045 | the state to secure and obtain rights-of-way for urgently needed |
2046 | transportation systems and to assist in the planning and design |
2047 | of the such systems under pursuant to ss. 339.401-339.421. |
2048 | 15. The acquisitions and divestitures related to the |
2049 | Florida Communities Trust Program created under pursuant to |
2050 | chapter 380. |
2051 | 16. The Florida Water Pollution Control Financing |
2052 | Corporation created under pursuant to s. 403.1837. |
2053 | 17. The school readiness system, including the regional |
2054 | child development boards, Florida Partnership for School |
2055 | Readiness created under pursuant to s. 411.01. |
2056 | 18. The Florida Special Disability Trust Fund Financing |
2057 | Corporation created under pursuant to s. 440.49. |
2058 | 19. Workforce Florida, Inc., or the programs or entities |
2059 | created by Workforce Florida, Inc., created under pursuant to s. |
2060 | 445.004. |
2061 | 20. The corporation defined in s. 455.32 which that is |
2062 | under contract with the Department of Business and Professional |
2063 | Regulation to provide administrative, investigative, |
2064 | examination, licensing, and prosecutorial support services in |
2065 | accordance with the provisions of s. 455.32 and the practice act |
2066 | of the relevant profession. |
2067 | 21. The Florida Engineers Management Corporation created |
2068 | under pursuant to chapter 471. |
2069 | 22. The Investment Fraud Restoration Financing Corporation |
2070 | created under pursuant to chapter 517. |
2071 | 23. The books and records of any permitholder that |
2072 | conducts race meetings or jai alai exhibitions under chapter |
2073 | 550. |
2074 | 24. The corporation defined in part II of chapter 946, |
2075 | cited known as the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and |
2076 | Diversified Enterprises, Inc., or PRIDE Enterprises. |
2077 | Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 20.15, Florida |
2078 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
2079 | 20.15 Department of Education.--There is created a |
2080 | Department of Education. |
2081 | (6) COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES.--Notwithstanding any anything |
2082 | contained in law to the contrary, the commissioner shall appoint |
2083 | all members of all councils and committees of the Department of |
2084 | Education, except for the Commission for Independent Education, |
2085 | and the Education Practices Commission, and the Florida Child |
2086 | Development Advisory Council. |
2087 | Section 5. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (2) of |
2088 | section 20.50, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2089 | 20.50 Agency for Workforce Innovation.--There is created |
2090 | the Agency for Workforce Innovation within the Department of |
2091 | Management Services. The agency shall be a separate budget |
2092 | entity, and the director of the agency shall be the agency head |
2093 | for all purposes. The agency shall not be subject to control, |
2094 | supervision, or direction by the Department of Management |
2095 | Services in any manner, including, but not limited to, |
2096 | personnel, purchasing, transactions involving real or personal |
2097 | property, and budgetary matters. |
2098 | (2) The Agency for Workforce Innovation is shall be the |
2099 | designated administrative agency designated for receipt of |
2100 | federal workforce development grants and other federal funds. |
2101 | The agency, and shall administer carry out the duties and |
2102 | responsibilities assigned by the Governor under each federal |
2103 | grant assigned to the agency. The agency shall be a separate |
2104 | budget entity and shall expend each revenue source as provided |
2105 | by federal and state law and as provided in plans developed by |
2106 | and agreements with Workforce Florida, Inc. The agency shall |
2107 | prepare and submit as a separate budget entity a unified budget |
2108 | request for workforce development, in accordance with chapter |
2109 | 216 for, and in conjunction with, Workforce Florida, Inc., and |
2110 | its board. The head of the agency is the director of Workforce |
2111 | Innovation, who shall be appointed by the Governor. The |
2112 | accountability and reporting functions of the agency shall be |
2113 | administered by the director or his or her designee. Included in |
2114 | These functions shall include are budget management, financial |
2115 | management, audit, performance management standards and |
2116 | controls, assessing outcomes of service delivery, and financial |
2117 | administration of workforce programs under pursuant to s. |
2118 | 445.004(5) and (9). Within the agency's overall organizational |
2119 | structure, The agency shall include the following offices within |
2120 | its organizational structure, which shall have the specified |
2121 | responsibilities: |
2122 | (a) The Office of Workforce Services shall administer the |
2123 | unemployment compensation program, the Rapid Response program, |
2124 | the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program, the Alien Labor |
2125 | Certification program, and any other programs that are delivered |
2126 | directly by agency staff rather than through the one-stop |
2127 | delivery system. The office shall be directed by the Deputy |
2128 | Director for Workforce Services, who shall be appointed by and |
2129 | serve at the pleasure of the director. |
2130 | (b) The Office of Program Support and Accountability shall |
2131 | administer state merit system program staff within the workforce |
2132 | service delivery system, under the pursuant to policies of |
2133 | Workforce Florida, Inc. The office is shall be responsible for |
2134 | delivering services through the one-stop delivery system and for |
2135 | ensuring that participants in welfare transition programs |
2136 | receive case management services, diversion assistance, support |
2137 | services, including subsidized child care and transportation |
2138 | services, Medicaid services, and transition assistance to enable |
2139 | them to succeed in the workforce. The office is shall also be |
2140 | responsible for program quality assurance, grants and contract |
2141 | management, contracting, financial management, and reporting. |
2142 | The office shall be directed by the Deputy Director for Program |
2143 | Support and Accountability, who shall be appointed by and serve |
2144 | at the pleasure of the director. The office is shall be |
2145 | responsible for: |
2146 | 1. Establishing monitoring, quality assurance, and quality |
2147 | improvement systems that routinely assess the quality and |
2148 | effectiveness of contracted programs and services. |
2149 | 2. Annual review of each regional workforce board and |
2150 | administrative entity to ensure that adequate systems of |
2151 | reporting and control are in place; that, and monitoring, |
2152 | quality assurance, and quality improvement activities are |
2153 | conducted routinely;, and that corrective action is taken to |
2154 | eliminate deficiencies. |
2155 | (c) The Office of Child Development shall administer the |
2156 | school readiness system in accordance with s. 411.01. The office |
2157 | shall be directed by the Deputy Director for Child Development, |
2158 | who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the |
2159 | director. |
2160 | (d)(c) The Office of Agency Support Services is shall be |
2161 | responsible for procurement, human resource services, and |
2162 | information services including delivering information on labor |
2163 | markets, employment, occupations, and performance, and shall |
2164 | implement and maintain information systems that are required for |
2165 | the effective operation of the one-stop delivery system and the |
2166 | school readiness services system, including, but not limited to, |
2167 | those systems described in s. 445.009. The office shall will be |
2168 | directed by under the direction of the Deputy Director for |
2169 | Agency Support Services, who shall be appointed by and serve at |
2170 | the pleasure of the director. The office is shall be responsible |
2171 | for establishing: |
2172 | 1. Information systems and controls that report reliable, |
2173 | timely and accurate fiscal and performance data for assessing |
2174 | outcomes, service delivery, and financial administration of |
2175 | workforce programs under pursuant to s. 445.004(5) and (9). |
2176 | 2. Information systems that support service integration |
2177 | and case management by providing for case tracking for |
2178 | participants in welfare transition programs. |
2179 | 3. Information systems that support the school readiness |
2180 | system services. |
2181 | (e)(d) The Unemployment Appeals Commission, authorized by |
2182 | s. 443.012, is shall not be subject to the control, supervision, |
2183 | or direction by the Agency for Workforce Innovation in the |
2184 | performance of its powers and duties but shall receive any and |
2185 | all support and assistance from the agency that is may be |
2186 | required for the performance of its duties. |
2187 | Section 6. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (b) of |
2188 | subsection (1) of section 125.901, Florida Statutes, is amended |
2189 | to read: |
2190 | 125.901 Children's services; independent special district; |
2191 | council; powers, duties, and functions.-- |
2192 | (1) Each county may by ordinance create an independent |
2193 | special district, as defined in ss. 189.403(3) and |
2194 | 200.001(8)(e), to provide funding for children's services |
2195 | throughout the county in accordance with this section. The |
2196 | boundaries of such district shall be coterminous with the |
2197 | boundaries of the county. The county governing body shall obtain |
2198 | approval, by a majority vote of those electors voting on the |
2199 | question, to annually levy ad valorem taxes which shall not |
2200 | exceed the maximum millage rate authorized by this section. Any |
2201 | district created pursuant to the provisions of this subsection |
2202 | shall be required to levy and fix millage subject to the |
2203 | provisions of s. 200.065. Once such millage is approved by the |
2204 | electorate, the district shall not be required to seek approval |
2205 | of the electorate in future years to levy the previously |
2206 | approved millage. |
2207 | (b) However, any county as defined in s. 125.011(1) may |
2208 | instead have a governing board consisting of 33 members, |
2209 | including: the superintendent of schools; two representatives of |
2210 | public postsecondary education institutions located in the |
2211 | county; the county manager or the equivalent county officer; the |
2212 | district administrator from the appropriate district of the |
2213 | Department of Children and Family Services, or the |
2214 | administrator's designee who is a member of the Senior |
2215 | Management Service or the Selected Exempt Service; the director |
2216 | of the county health department or the director's designee; the |
2217 | state attorney for the county or the state attorney's designee; |
2218 | the chief judge assigned to juvenile cases, or another juvenile |
2219 | judge who is the chief judge's designee and who shall sit as a |
2220 | voting member of the board, except that the judge may not vote |
2221 | or participate in setting ad valorem taxes under this section; |
2222 | an individual who is selected by the board of the local United |
2223 | Way or its equivalent; a member of a locally recognized faith- |
2224 | based coalition, selected by that coalition; a member of the |
2225 | local chamber of commerce, selected by that chamber or, if more |
2226 | than one chamber exists within the county, a person selected by |
2227 | a coalition of the local chambers; a member of the regional |
2228 | child development board local school readiness coalition, |
2229 | selected by that board coalition; a representative of a labor |
2230 | organization or union active in the county; a member of a local |
2231 | alliance or coalition engaged in cross-system planning for |
2232 | health and social service delivery in the county, selected by |
2233 | that alliance or coalition; a member of the local Parent- |
2234 | Teachers Association/Parent-Teacher-Student Association, |
2235 | selected by that association; a youth representative selected by |
2236 | the local school system's student government; a local school |
2237 | board member appointed by the chair of the school board; the |
2238 | mayor of the county or the mayor's designee; one member of the |
2239 | county governing body, appointed by the chair of that body; a |
2240 | member of the state Legislature who represents residents of the |
2241 | county, selected by the chair of the local legislative |
2242 | delegation; an elected official representing the residents of a |
2243 | municipality in the county, selected by the county municipal |
2244 | league; and 4 members-at-large, appointed to the council by the |
2245 | majority of sitting council members. The remaining 7 members |
2246 | shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with procedures |
2247 | set forth in paragraph (a), except that the Governor may remove |
2248 | a member for cause or upon the written petition of the council. |
2249 | Appointments by the Governor must, to the extent reasonably |
2250 | possible, represent the geographic and demographic diversity of |
2251 | the population of the county. Members who are appointed to the |
2252 | council by reason of their position are not subject to the |
2253 | length of terms and limits on consecutive terms as provided in |
2254 | this section. The remaining appointed members of the governing |
2255 | board shall be appointed to serve 2-year terms, except that |
2256 | those members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to |
2257 | serve 4-year terms, and the youth representative and the |
2258 | legislative delegate shall be appointed to serve 1-year terms. A |
2259 | member may be reappointed; however, a member may not serve for |
2260 | more than three consecutive terms. A member is eligible to be |
2261 | appointed again after a 2-year hiatus from the council. |
2262 | Section 7. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (1) of |
2263 | section 216.133, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2264 | 216.133 Definitions; ss. 216.133-216.137.--As used in ss. |
2265 | 216.133-216.137: |
2266 | (1) "Consensus estimating conference" includes the |
2267 | Economic Estimating Conference, the Demographic Estimating |
2268 | Conference, the Revenue Estimating Conference, the Education |
2269 | Estimating Conference, the Criminal Justice Estimating |
2270 | Conference, the Juvenile Justice Estimating Conference, the |
2271 | Child Welfare System Estimating Conference, the Occupational |
2272 | Forecasting Conference, the Child Development Programs School |
2273 | Readiness Program Estimating Conference, the Self-Insurance |
2274 | Estimating Conference, the Florida Retirement System Actuarial |
2275 | Assumption Conference, and the Social Services Estimating |
2276 | Conference. |
2277 | Section 8. Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (10) of |
2278 | section 216.136, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2279 | 216.136 Consensus estimating conferences; duties and |
2280 | principals.-- |
2281 | (10) CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM |
2282 | ESTIMATING CONFERENCE.-- |
2283 | (a) Duties.-- |
2284 | 1. The Child Development Programs School Readiness Program |
2285 | Estimating Conference shall develop estimates and forecasts of |
2286 | the unduplicated count of children eligible for school readiness |
2287 | programs in accordance with the standards of eligibility |
2288 | established in s. 411.01(6), and of children eligible for the |
2289 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with |
2290 | s. 1002.53(2), as the conference determines are needed to |
2291 | support the state planning, budgeting, and appropriations |
2292 | processes. |
2293 | 2. The Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership |
2294 | for School Readiness shall provide information on needs and |
2295 | waiting lists for school readiness programs as program services |
2296 | requested by the Child Development Programs School Readiness |
2297 | Program Estimating Conference or individual conference |
2298 | principals in a timely manner. |
2299 | 3. The Department of Education shall provide information |
2300 | on needs for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program as |
2301 | requested by the Child Development Programs Estimating |
2302 | Conference or individual conference principals in a timely |
2303 | manner. |
2304 | (b) Principals.--The Executive Office of the Governor, the |
2305 | Director of Economic and Demographic Research, and professional |
2306 | staff who have forecasting expertise from the Florida |
2307 | Partnership for School Readiness, the Agency for Workforce |
2308 | Innovation, the Department of Children and Family Services, the |
2309 | Department of Education, the Senate, and the House of |
2310 | Representatives, or their designees, are the principals of the |
2311 | Child Development Programs School Readiness Program Estimating |
2312 | Conference. The principal representing the Executive Office of |
2313 | the Governor shall preside over sessions of the conference. |
2314 | Section 9. Section 402.265, Florida Statutes, is created |
2315 | to read: |
2316 | 402.265 Unauthorized transfers.--Notwithstanding any other |
2317 | law to the contrary, the Department of Children and Family |
2318 | Services may not transfer to the Department of Education, |
2319 | through an interagency agreement or through any other means, any |
2320 | of the department's powers, duties, functions, rules, records, |
2321 | personnel, property, or unexpended balances of appropriations, |
2322 | allocations, or other funds, any of which have been or which may |
2323 | be authorized for the Child Care Services Program Office or for |
2324 | administration of ss. 402.25-402.319, without specific |
2325 | legislative authority by express reference to this section. |
2326 | Section 10. Effective July 1, 2004, section 402.3016, |
2327 | Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2328 | 402.3016 Early Head Start collaboration grants.-- |
2329 | (1) Contingent upon specific appropriations, the Agency |
2330 | for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School |
2331 | Readiness shall establish a program to award collaboration |
2332 | grants to assist local agencies in securing Early Head Start |
2333 | programs through Early Head Start program federal grants. The |
2334 | collaboration grants shall provide the required matching funds |
2335 | for public and private nonprofit agencies that have been |
2336 | approved for Early Head Start program federal grants. |
2337 | (2) Public and private nonprofit agencies providing Early |
2338 | Head Start programs applying for collaborative grants must: |
2339 | (a) Ensure quality performance by meeting the requirements |
2340 | in the Head Start program performance standards and other |
2341 | applicable rules and regulations; |
2342 | (b) Ensure collaboration with other service providers at |
2343 | the local level; and |
2344 | (c) Ensure that a comprehensive array of health, |
2345 | nutritional, and other services are provided to the program's |
2346 | pregnant women and very young children, and their families. |
2347 | (3) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership shall |
2348 | report to the Legislature on an annual basis the number of |
2349 | agencies receiving Early Head Start collaboration grants and the |
2350 | number of children served. |
2351 | (4) The Agency for Workforce Innovation partnership may |
2352 | adopt rules under s. 120.536(1) and s. 120.54 as necessary for |
2353 | the award of collaboration grants to competing agencies and the |
2354 | administration of the collaboration grants program under this |
2355 | section. |
2356 | Section 11. Effective, July 1, 2004, section 411.011, |
2357 | Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2358 | 411.011 Records of children in school readiness programs.- |
2359 | -The individual records of children enrolled in school readiness |
2360 | programs provided under s. 411.01, when held in the possession |
2361 | of the regional child development board school readiness |
2362 | coalition or the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
2363 | Partnership for School Readiness, are confidential and exempt |
2364 | from the provisions of s. 119.07 and s. 24(a), Art. I of the |
2365 | State Constitution. For the purposes of this section, records |
2366 | include assessment data, health data, records of teacher |
2367 | observations, and identifying data, including the child's social |
2368 | security number. A parent, guardian, or individual acting as a |
2369 | parent in the absence of a parent or guardian has the right to |
2370 | inspect and review the individual school readiness program |
2371 | record of his or her child and to obtain a copy of the record. |
2372 | School readiness records may be released to the United States |
2373 | Secretary of Education, the United States Secretary of Health |
2374 | and Human Services, and the Comptroller General of the United |
2375 | States for the purpose of federal audits; to individuals or |
2376 | organizations conducting studies for institutions to develop, |
2377 | validate, or administer assessments or improve instruction; to |
2378 | accrediting organizations in order to carry out their |
2379 | accrediting functions; to appropriate parties in connection with |
2380 | an emergency if the information is necessary to protect the |
2381 | health or safety of the student or other individuals; to the |
2382 | Auditor General in connection with his or her official |
2383 | functions; to a court of competent jurisdiction in compliance |
2384 | with an order of that court in accordance with pursuant to a |
2385 | lawfully issued subpoena; and to parties to an interagency |
2386 | agreement among regional child development boards school |
2387 | readiness coalitions, local governmental agencies, providers of |
2388 | school readiness programs, state agencies, and the Agency for |
2389 | Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness |
2390 | for the purpose of implementing the school readiness program. |
2391 | Agencies, organizations, or individuals that receive school |
2392 | readiness records in order to carry out their official functions |
2393 | must protect the data in a manner that does will not permit the |
2394 | personal identification of students and their parents by persons |
2395 | other than those authorized to receive the records. This section |
2396 | is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in |
2397 | accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, |
2398 | 2005, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment |
2399 | by the Legislature. |
2400 | Section 12. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (e) of |
2401 | subsection (2) of section 411.226, Florida Statutes, is amended |
2402 | to read: |
2403 | 411.226 Learning Gateway.-- |
2404 | (2) LEARNING GATEWAY STEERING COMMITTEE.-- |
2405 | (e) To support and facilitate system improvements, the |
2406 | steering committee must consult with representatives from the |
2407 | Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Agency |
2408 | for Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School |
2409 | Readiness, the Department of Children and Family Services, the |
2410 | Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of |
2411 | Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Corrections and with the |
2412 | director of the Learning Development and Evaluation Center of |
2413 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. |
2414 | Section 13. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (d) of |
2415 | subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection (2), and paragraph |
2416 | (c) of subsection (3) of section 411.227, Florida Statutes, are |
2417 | amended to read: |
2418 | 411.227 Components of the Learning Gateway.--The Learning |
2419 | Gateway system consists of the following components: |
2420 | (1) COMMUNITY EDUCATION STRATEGIES AND FAMILY-ORIENTED |
2421 | ACCESS.-- |
2422 | (d) In collaboration with other local resources, the |
2423 | demonstration projects shall develop public awareness strategies |
2424 | to disseminate information about developmental milestones, |
2425 | precursors of learning problems and other developmental delays, |
2426 | and the service system that is available. The information should |
2427 | target parents of children from birth through age 9 and should |
2428 | be distributed to parents, health care providers, and caregivers |
2429 | of children from birth through age 9. A variety of media should |
2430 | be used as appropriate, such as print, television, radio, and a |
2431 | community-based Internet website, as well as opportunities such |
2432 | as those presented by parent visits to physicians for well-child |
2433 | checkups. The Learning Gateway Steering Committee shall provide |
2434 | technical assistance to the local demonstration projects in |
2435 | developing and distributing educational materials and |
2436 | information. |
2437 | 1. Public awareness strategies targeting parents of |
2438 | children from birth through age 5 shall be designed to provide |
2439 | information to public and private preschool programs, child care |
2440 | childcare providers, pediatricians, parents, and local |
2441 | businesses and organizations. These strategies should include |
2442 | information on the school readiness performance standards for |
2443 | kindergarten adopted by the Agency for Workforce Innovation |
2444 | School Readiness Partnership Board. |
2445 | 2. Public awareness strategies targeting parents of |
2446 | children from ages 6 through 9 must be designed to disseminate |
2447 | training materials and brochures to parents and public and |
2448 | private school personnel, and must be coordinated with the local |
2449 | school board and the appropriate school advisory committees in |
2450 | the demonstration projects. The materials should contain |
2451 | information on state and district proficiency levels for grades |
2452 | K-3. |
2453 | (2) SCREENING AND DEVELOPMENTAL MONITORING.-- |
2454 | (a) In coordination with the Agency for Workforce |
2455 | Innovation Partnership for School Readiness, the Department of |
2456 | Education, and the Florida Pediatric Society, and using |
2457 | information learned from the local demonstration projects, the |
2458 | Learning Gateway Steering Committee shall establish guidelines |
2459 | for screening children from birth through age 9. The guidelines |
2460 | should incorporate recent research on the indicators most likely |
2461 | to predict early learning problems, mild developmental delays, |
2462 | child-specific precursors of school failure, and other related |
2463 | developmental indicators in the domains of cognition; |
2464 | communication; attention; perception; behavior; and social, |
2465 | emotional, sensory, and motor functioning. |
2466 | (3) EARLY EDUCATION, SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.-- |
2467 | (c) The steering committee, in cooperation with the |
2468 | Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of |
2469 | Education, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
2470 | Partnership for School Readiness, shall identify the elements of |
2471 | an effective research-based curriculum for early care and |
2472 | education programs. |
2473 | Section 14. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (a) of |
2474 | subsection (2) of section 624.91, Florida Statutes, is amended |
2475 | to read: |
2476 | 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.-- |
2477 | (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-- |
2478 | (a) The Legislature finds that increased access to health |
2479 | care services could improve children's health and reduce the |
2480 | incidence and costs of childhood illness and disabilities among |
2481 | children in this state. Many children do not have comprehensive, |
2482 | affordable health care services available. It is the intent of |
2483 | the Legislature that the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation |
2484 | provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to these such |
2485 | children. The corporation is encouraged to cooperate with any |
2486 | existing health service programs funded by the public or the |
2487 | private sector and to work cooperatively with the Agency for |
2488 | Workforce Innovation Florida Partnership for School Readiness. |
2489 | Section 15. Subsection (1) of section 1001.23, Florida |
2490 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
2491 | 1001.23 Specific powers and duties of the Department of |
2492 | Education.--In addition to all other duties assigned to it by |
2493 | law or by rule of the State Board of Education, the department |
2494 | shall: |
2495 | (1) Adopt the statewide kindergarten school readiness |
2496 | uniform screening developed by the Florida Partnership for |
2497 | School Readiness, in accordance with s. 1002.67 the criteria |
2498 | itemized in chapter 1008. |
2499 | Section 16. Effective July 1, 2004, paragraph (d) of |
2500 | subsection (3) of section 1002.22, Florida Statutes, is amended |
2501 | to read: |
2502 | 1002.22 Student records and reports; rights of parents and |
2503 | students; notification; penalty.-- |
2504 | (3) RIGHTS OF PARENT OR STUDENT.--The parent of any |
2505 | student who attends or has attended any public school, area |
2506 | technical center, or public postsecondary educational |
2507 | institution shall have the following rights with respect to any |
2508 | records or reports created, maintained, and used by any public |
2509 | educational institution in the state. However, whenever a |
2510 | student has attained 18 years of age, or is attending a |
2511 | postsecondary educational institution, the permission or consent |
2512 | required of, and the rights accorded to, the parents of the |
2513 | student shall thereafter be required of and accorded to the |
2514 | student only, unless the student is a dependent student of such |
2515 | parents as defined in 26 U.S.C. s. 152 (s. 152 of the Internal |
2516 | Revenue Code of 1954). The State Board of Education shall adopt |
2517 | rules whereby parents or students may exercise these rights: |
2518 | (d) Right of privacy.--Every student has shall have a |
2519 | right of privacy with respect to the educational records kept on |
2520 | him or her. Personally identifiable records or reports of a |
2521 | student, and any personal information contained therein, are |
2522 | confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). No |
2523 | state or local educational agency, board, public school, |
2524 | technical center, or public postsecondary educational |
2525 | institution shall permit the release of the such records, |
2526 | reports, or information without the written consent of the |
2527 | student's parent, or of the student himself or herself if he or |
2528 | she is qualified as provided in this subsection, to any |
2529 | individual, agency, or organization. However, personally |
2530 | identifiable records or reports of a student may be released to |
2531 | the following persons or organizations without the consent of |
2532 | the student or the student's parent: |
2533 | 1. Officials of schools, school systems, technical |
2534 | centers, or public postsecondary educational institutions in |
2535 | which the student seeks or intends to enroll; and a copy of the |
2536 | such records or reports shall be furnished to the parent or |
2537 | student upon request. |
2538 | 2. Other school officials, including teachers within the |
2539 | educational institution or agency, who have legitimate |
2540 | educational interests in the information contained in the |
2541 | records. |
2542 | 3. The United States Secretary of Education, the Director |
2543 | of the National Institute of Education, the Assistant Secretary |
2544 | for Education, the Comptroller General of the United States, or |
2545 | state or local educational authorities who are authorized to |
2546 | receive such information subject to the conditions set forth in |
2547 | applicable federal statutes and regulations of the United States |
2548 | Department of Education, or in applicable state statutes and |
2549 | rules of the State Board of Education. |
2550 | 4. Other school officials, in connection with a student's |
2551 | application for or receipt of financial aid. |
2552 | 5. Individuals or organizations conducting studies for or |
2553 | on behalf of an institution or a board of education for the |
2554 | purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive |
2555 | tests, administering student aid programs, or improving |
2556 | instruction, if the such studies are conducted in such a manner |
2557 | that does as will not permit the personal identification of |
2558 | students and their parents by persons other than representatives |
2559 | of the such organizations and if the such information will be |
2560 | destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose of conducting |
2561 | the such studies. |
2562 | 6. Accrediting organizations, in order to carry out their |
2563 | accrediting functions. |
2564 | 7. Regional child development boards School readiness |
2565 | coalitions and the Agency for Workforce Innovation Florida |
2566 | Partnership for School Readiness in order to carry out their |
2567 | assigned duties. |
2568 | 8. For use as evidence in student expulsion hearings |
2569 | conducted by a district school board under pursuant to the |
2570 | provisions of chapter 120. |
2571 | 9. Appropriate parties in connection with an emergency, if |
2572 | knowledge of the information in the student's educational |
2573 | records is necessary to protect the health or safety of the |
2574 | student or other individuals. |
2575 | 10. The Auditor General and the Office of Program Policy |
2576 | Analysis and Government Accountability in connection with their |
2577 | official functions; however, except when the collection of |
2578 | personally identifiable information is specifically authorized |
2579 | by law, any data collected by the Auditor General and the Office |
2580 | of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability is |
2581 | confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and |
2582 | shall be protected in such a way that does as will not permit |
2583 | the personal identification of students and their parents by |
2584 | other than the Auditor General, the Office of Program Policy |
2585 | Analysis and Government Accountability, and their staff, and the |
2586 | such personally identifiable data shall be destroyed when no |
2587 | longer needed for the Auditor General's and the Office of |
2588 | Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability's official |
2589 | use. |
2590 | 11.a. A court of competent jurisdiction in compliance with |
2591 | an order of that court or the attorney of record in accordance |
2592 | with pursuant to a lawfully issued subpoena, upon the condition |
2593 | that the student and the student's parent are notified of the |
2594 | order or subpoena in advance of compliance therewith by the |
2595 | educational institution or agency. |
2596 | b. A person or entity pursuant to a court of competent |
2597 | jurisdiction in compliance with an order of that court or the |
2598 | attorney of record in accordance with pursuant to a lawfully |
2599 | issued subpoena, upon the condition that the student, or his or |
2600 | her parent if the student is either a minor and not attending a |
2601 | postsecondary educational institution or a dependent of such |
2602 | parent as defined in 26 U.S.C. s. 152 (s. 152 of the Internal |
2603 | Revenue Code of 1954), is notified of the order or subpoena in |
2604 | advance of compliance therewith by the educational institution |
2605 | or agency. |
2606 | 12. Credit bureaus, in connection with an agreement for |
2607 | financial aid that the student has executed, if the provided |
2608 | that such information is may be disclosed only to the extent |
2609 | necessary to enforce the terms or conditions of the financial |
2610 | aid agreement. Credit bureaus shall not release any information |
2611 | obtained under pursuant to this paragraph to any person. |
2612 | 13. Parties to an interagency agreement among the |
2613 | Department of Juvenile Justice, school and law enforcement |
2614 | authorities, and other signatory agencies for the purpose of |
2615 | reducing juvenile crime and especially motor vehicle theft by |
2616 | promoting cooperation and collaboration, and the sharing of |
2617 | appropriate information in a joint effort to improve school |
2618 | safety, to reduce truancy and in-school and out-of-school |
2619 | suspensions, and to support alternatives to in-school and out- |
2620 | of-school suspensions and expulsions that provide structured and |
2621 | well-supervised educational programs supplemented by a |
2622 | coordinated overlay of other appropriate services designed to |
2623 | correct behaviors that lead to truancy, suspensions, and |
2624 | expulsions, and that support students in successfully completing |
2625 | their education. Information provided in furtherance of the |
2626 | such interagency agreements is intended solely for use in |
2627 | determining the appropriate programs and services for each |
2628 | juvenile or the juvenile's family, or for coordinating the |
2629 | delivery of the such programs and services, and as such is |
2630 | inadmissible in any court proceedings before prior to a |
2631 | dispositional hearing unless written consent is provided by a |
2632 | parent or other responsible adult on behalf of the juvenile. |
2633 |
|
2634 | This paragraph does not prohibit any educational institution |
2635 | from publishing and releasing to the general public directory |
2636 | information relating to a student if the institution elects to |
2637 | do so. However, no educational institution shall release, to |
2638 | any individual, agency, or organization that is not listed in |
2639 | subparagraphs 1.-13., directory information relating to the |
2640 | student body in general or a portion thereof unless it is |
2641 | normally published for the purpose of release to the public in |
2642 | general. Any educational institution making directory |
2643 | information public shall give public notice of the categories of |
2644 | information that it has designated as directory information for |
2645 | with respect to all students attending the institution and shall |
2646 | allow a reasonable period of time after the such notice has been |
2647 | given for a parent or student to inform the institution in |
2648 | writing that any or all of the information designated should not |
2649 | be released. |
2650 | Section 17. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section |
2651 | 1003.54, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
2652 | 1003.54 Teenage parent programs.-- |
2653 | (3) |
2654 | (c) Provision for necessary child care, health care, |
2655 | social services, parent education, and transportation shall be |
2656 | ancillary service components of teenage parent programs. |
2657 | Ancillary services may be provided through the coordination of |
2658 | existing programs and services and through joint agreements |
2659 | between district school boards and regional child development |
2660 | boards local school readiness coalitions or other appropriate |
2661 | public and private providers. |
2662 | Section 18. By January 15, 2005, the Department of |
2663 | Education, with the advice of the Florida Child Development |
2664 | Advisory Council created under section 1002.73, Florida |
2665 | Statutes, shall submit recommendations to the Legislature on |
2666 | professional development programs for the Voluntary |
2667 | Prekindergarten Education Program. The recommendations must |
2668 | comprise options for the professional development of |
2669 | prekindergarten directors, teachers, and child care personnel. |
2670 | The recommendations shall address curricula and appropriate |
2671 | delivery systems for the programs and shall consider the use of |
2672 | Internet-based applications for instruction or assessment. The |
2673 | recommendations must also include the estimated costs of the |
2674 | professional development programs, including nonrecurring |
2675 | startup costs and recurring operational costs. |
2676 | Section 19. Notwithstanding sections 216.162-216.168, |
2677 | Florida Statutes, and under section 216.351, Florida Statutes, |
2678 | the Governor shall submit to the Legislature, as part of the |
2679 | Governor's recommended budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the |
2680 | Governor's annual cost projections for the Voluntary |
2681 | Prekindergarten Education Program for the 5-year period ending |
2682 | with the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The cost projections must be |
2683 | based upon the Governor's estimate of the number of children to |
2684 | be served annually in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education |
2685 | Program, including annual estimates for the potential shift of |
2686 | children to the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program from |
2687 | school readiness programs provided under section 411.01, Florida |
2688 | Statutes. |
2689 | Section 20. (1) Effective July 1, 2004, the Florida |
2690 | Partnership for School Readiness is abolished. All powers, |
2691 | duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, property, and |
2692 | unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other |
2693 | funds of the Florida Partnership for School Readiness are |
2694 | transferred, effective July 1, 2004, by a type two transfer, as |
2695 | defined in section 20.06(2), Florida Statutes, to the Agency for |
2696 | Workforce Innovation. |
2697 | (2) This act does not abolish the school readiness |
2698 | coalitions but, effective July 1, 2004, redesignates the |
2699 | coalitions as regional child development boards and, effective |
2700 | January 1, 2005, requires a reduction in the number of boards. |
2701 | All powers, duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, |
2702 | property, and unexpended balances of appropriations, |
2703 | allocations, and other funds of each school readiness coalition |
2704 | are not transferred but shall be retained by the coalition upon |
2705 | its redesignation as a regional child development board. |
2706 | Section 21. Sections 411.012 and 1008.21, Florida |
2707 | Statutes, are repealed. |
2708 | Section 22. (1) The sum of $7 million in nonrecurring |
2709 | funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the |
2710 | Department of Education for implementation of the summer |
2711 | prekindergarten demonstration program under section 1002.61(5), |
2712 | Florida Statutes, during the 2003-2004 fiscal year, and for |
2713 | nonrecurring startup costs for the Voluntary Prekindergarten |
2714 | Education Program during fiscal year 2004-2005. The Department |
2715 | of Education may use any funds remaining after implementation of |
2716 | the summer prekindergarten demonstration program in accordance |
2717 | with the research design developed under section 1002.61(5)(b), |
2718 | Florida Statutes, for nonrecurring startup costs for the |
2719 | Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, subject to approval |
2720 | by the Legislative Budget Commission of the allocation among |
2721 | specific appropriation categories of funds for these |
2722 | nonrecurring startup costs. |
2723 | (2) Notwithstanding section 1002.69, Florida Statutes, |
2724 | each demonstration district's allocation of funds appropriated |
2725 | under subsection (1) shall be based upon the district's student |
2726 | enrollment in the demonstration program. Each demonstration |
2727 | district's student enrollment in the demonstration program, and |
2728 | the demographic composition of the student enrollment, must be |
2729 | consistent with the research design developed under section |
2730 | 1002.61(5)(b), Florida Statutes. A full-time equivalent student |
2731 | in the summer prekindergarten demonstration program shall be 300 |
2732 | hours, and the base student allocation for the demonstration |
2733 | program shall be $2,500 per full-time equivalent student. Each |
2734 | district's allocation per full-time equivalent student shall be |
2735 | calculated by multiplying the base student allocation by the |
2736 | district cost differential provided in section 1011.62(2), |
2737 | Florida Statutes. |
2738 | (3) Each demonstration school must have at least one |
2739 | certified teacher for every 10 students in the demonstration |
2740 | program. As used in this subsection, the term "certified |
2741 | teacher" has the same meaning ascribed in section 1002.61(3), |
2742 | Florida Statutes. |
2743 | (4) Each demonstration district must submit all |
2744 | information requested by the Department of Education for |
2745 | reporting and funding purposes. |
2746 | (5) Any unexpended balance at the end of the 2003-2004 |
2747 | fiscal year from the funds appropriated under subsection (1) |
2748 | shall be certified forward to the 2004-2005 fiscal year and |
2749 | shall be used to continue implementation of the demonstration |
2750 | program during summer 2004. |
2751 | Section 23. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this |
2752 | act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |