Senate Bill sb1146

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1146

    By Senators King and Wise





    8-808A-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to maximum class size; amending

  3         s. 1003.03, F.S.; providing that each teacher

  4         assigned to any classroom must be included in

  5         the calculation for compliance with

  6         constitutional class-size limits; providing

  7         criteria for teaching strategies that involve

  8         assigning more than one teacher to a classroom;

  9         providing for retroactive application;

10         prohibiting the imposition of penalties for the

11         use of any legal strategy relating to the

12         implementation of class-size reduction;

13         providing an effective date.

14  

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

16  

17         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section

18  1003.03, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (5) is

19  added to that section, to read:

20         1003.03  Maximum class size.--

21         (2)  IMPLEMENTATION.--

22         (b)  Determination of the number of students per

23  classroom in paragraph (a) shall be calculated as follows:

24         1.  For fiscal years 2003-2004 through 2005-2006, the

25  calculation for compliance for each of the 3 grade groupings

26  shall be the average at the district level.

27         2.  For fiscal years 2006-2007 through 2007-2008, the

28  calculation for compliance for each of the 3 grade groupings

29  shall be the average at the school level.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1146
    8-808A-06




 1         3.  For fiscal years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and

 2  thereafter, the calculation for compliance shall be at the

 3  individual classroom level.

 4         4.  For fiscal years 2006-2007 through 2009-2010 and

 5  thereafter, each teacher assigned to any classroom shall be

 6  included in the calculation for compliance.

 7         (5)  TEAM-TEACHING STRATEGIES.--

 8         (a)  School districts may use teaching strategies that

 9  include the assignment of more than one teacher to a classroom

10  of students and that were implemented before July 1, 2005.

11  Effective July 1, 2005, school districts may implement

12  additional teaching strategies that include the assignment of

13  more than one teacher to a classroom of students for the

14  following purposes only:

15         1.  Pairing teachers for the purpose of staff

16  development.

17         2.  Pairing new teachers with veteran teachers.

18         3.  Reducing turnover among new teachers.

19         4.  Pairing teachers who are teaching out-of-field with

20  teachers who are in-field.

21         5.  Providing for more flexibility and innovation in

22  the classroom.

23         6.  Improving learning opportunities for students,

24  including students who have disabilities.

25         (b)  Teaching strategies implemented on or after July

26  1, 2005, pursuant to paragraph (a) may be implemented with the

27  following restrictions:

28         1.  Reasonable limits shall be placed on the number of

29  students in a classroom so that classrooms are not

30  overcrowded. Teacher-to-student ratios within a curriculum

31  area or grade level must not exceed constitutional limits.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1146
    8-808A-06




 1         2.  At least one member of the team must have at least

 2  4 years of teaching experience.

 3         3.  At least one member of the team must be teaching

 4  in-field.

 5         4.  The teachers must be trained in team-teaching

 6  methods within 1 year after assignment.

 7  

 8  The use of strategies implemented as outlined in this

 9  subsection meets the letter and intent of the Florida

10  Constitution and the Florida Statutes which relate to

11  implementing class-size reduction and this subsection applies

12  retroactively. A school district may not be penalized

13  financially or otherwise as a result of the use of any legal

14  strategy, including, but not limited to, those set forth in

15  subsection (3) and this subsection.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

17  law.

18  

19            *****************************************

20                          SENATE SUMMARY

21    Relates to constitutional limitations on class size.
      Provides that each teacher assigned to any classroom must
22    be included in the calculation for compliance with
      constitutional class-size limits. Provides criteria for
23    teaching strategies that involve assigning more than one
      teacher to a classroom. Prohibits the imposition of
24    penalties for the use of any legal strategy relating to
      the implementation of class-size reduction.
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