| 1 | The PreK-12 Committee recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to required instruction in the public |
| 7 | schools; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; revising provisions |
| 8 | relating to the development and adoption of character- |
| 9 | development curricula by district school boards; providing |
| 10 | for electronic access to character-development curricula |
| 11 | and programs approved by the Department of Education; |
| 12 | revising components of the curricula; authorizing |
| 13 | curricula meeting certain standards; providing an |
| 14 | effective date. |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Section 1. Paragraph (q) of subsection (2) of section |
| 19 | 1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 20 | 1003.42 Required instruction.-- |
| 21 | (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public |
| 22 | schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education |
| 23 | and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and |
| 24 | faithfully, using the books and materials required, following |
| 25 | the prescribed courses of study, and employing approved methods |
| 26 | of instruction, the following: |
| 27 | (q) A character-development program in the elementary |
| 28 | schools, similar to Character First or Character Counts, which |
| 29 | is secular in nature and stresses such character qualities as |
| 30 | attentiveness, patience, and initiative. Beginning in school |
| 31 | year 2004-2005, the character-development program shall be |
| 32 | required in kindergarten through grade 12. Each district school |
| 33 | board shall develop or adopt a curriculum for the character- |
| 34 | development program that shall be submitted to the department |
| 35 | for approval. A curriculum developed or adopted by a district |
| 36 | school board and approved by the department may be shared with |
| 37 | other school districts. The department shall provide electronic |
| 38 | access to school districts to character-development curricula |
| 39 | and programs that have been approved by the department. |
| 40 | Additionally, the department shall provide technical assistance |
| 41 | to district school boards to assist school districts in |
| 42 | developing a model character-development curriculum to meet the |
| 43 | requirements of this paragraph. The character-development |
| 44 | curriculum shall define character to include its cognitive, |
| 45 | emotional, and behavioral dimensions; stress the qualities of |
| 46 | patriotism, responsibility, citizenship, kindness, respect, |
| 47 | honesty, self-control, tolerance, and cooperation; provide for |
| 48 | an orderly learning environment to enable students to make |
| 49 | positive lifestyle choices and avoid unhealthy behavior; create |
| 50 | a positive moral culture in the classroom and the school; and |
| 51 | develop moral character and civic virtue in students as one |
| 52 | means of creating a responsible and compassionate society. |
| 53 | School districts may choose curricula and programs not on the |
| 54 | list of department-approved curricula and programs that meet the |
| 55 | No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 standards of strong evidence of |
| 56 | effectiveness. |
| 57 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |