| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public school educational instruction; |
| 3 | creating s. 1003.457, F.S.; providing legislative intent; |
| 4 | providing district school board responsibility for |
| 5 | developing a fine and performing arts program and |
| 6 | assessing students with respect to knowledge and skills |
| 7 | obtained; requiring a written policy relating to time and |
| 8 | access to the program; requiring annual reports; providing |
| 9 | an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | WHEREAS, the educational program for Florida's children |
| 12 | shall consist of a fully developed curriculum, allowing students |
| 13 | time and access to a wide variety of curriculum choices, and |
| 14 | WHEREAS, the curriculum for Florida's students is defined |
| 15 | by the Sunshine State Standards, and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, American culture is significantly taught through |
| 17 | the fine and performing arts, and |
| 18 | WHEREAS, fine and performing arts classes have an impact on |
| 19 | the academic success and individual achievement of students in |
| 20 | the public schools, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, the arts are designated as part of the core |
| 22 | curriculum in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, NOW, |
| 23 | THEREFORE, |
| 24 |
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| 25 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 26 |
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| 27 | Section 1. Section 1003.457, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 28 | to read: |
| 29 | 1003.457 Fine and performing arts; assessment.-- |
| 30 | (1) Recognizing the importance of maintaining a balanced, |
| 31 | well-rounded curriculum for Florida's students and the |
| 32 | contributions of a fine and performing arts program to the |
| 33 | academic success of students, it is the intent of the |
| 34 | Legislature to ensure that such elective program remains strong |
| 35 | and accessible in the school day. |
| 36 | (2) It is the responsibility of each district school board |
| 37 | to develop a fine and performing arts program that addresses the |
| 38 | state's rich cultural diversity and promotes creative thinking |
| 39 | and problem solving. Students must be allowed sufficient time |
| 40 | and access to instruction to acquire fine and performing arts |
| 41 | knowledge and skills which shall be defined by and assessed |
| 42 | according to the Sunshine State Standards. |
| 43 | (3) Each district school board shall adopt a written |
| 44 | policy for providing time and access to the fine and performing |
| 45 | arts program for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 |
| 46 | and shall provide a copy of the policy to the Department of |
| 47 | Education by January 1, 2006. |
| 48 | (4) Each district school board shall report annually to |
| 49 | the department on prekindergarten through grade 12 student |
| 50 | achievement and trends in the fine and performing arts. The |
| 51 | department shall summarize the reports and disseminate the |
| 52 | summary to each district school board. |
| 53 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |