Senate Bill sb1688

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1688

    By Senator Hill





    1-322B-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating the

  3         Minority or Underrepresented Student

  4         Achievement Council; providing for the

  5         appointment and qualification of members;

  6         providing requirements for meetings; providing

  7         for reimbursement for per diem and travel

  8         expenses; providing the duties of the council;

  9         requiring the Commissioner of Education to

10         organize the initial meeting of the council;

11         requiring the council to submit an annual

12         report to the Governor and Legislature;

13         requiring the Department of Education to

14         provide administrative support; requiring each

15         school board to discuss the number of high

16         school students taking advanced-placement

17         courses; providing an appropriation; providing

18         an effective date.

19  

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

21  

22         Section 1.  Minority or Underrepresented Student

23  Achievement Council.--

24         (1)  There is created the Minority or Underrepresented

25  Student Achievement Council for the purpose of identifying and

26  recruiting minority or underrepresented high school students

27  who are eligible to participate in advanced-placement courses.

28         (a)  The council shall consist of the following

29  members:

30         1.  The Commissioner of Education or his or her

31  designee.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1688
    1-322B-06




 1         2.  One public high school teacher.

 2         3.  One community-based representative.

 3         4.  One representative from a school district.

 4         5.  One representative from a community college.

 5         6.  One representative from a college or university.

 6         7.  A parent.

 7         (b)  The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

 8  House of Representatives shall jointly appoint the members of

 9  the council described in subparagraphs (a)2.-7. by July 15,

10  2006. Four of the seven members must be persons of

11  African-American or Hispanic origin.

12         (c)  The council shall hold its first meeting by August

13  1, 2006, at which time the members shall select by majority

14  vote a chairperson from among the council members.

15         (d)  All recommendations of the council shall be by

16  majority vote.

17         (e)  The council shall meet quarterly and additional

18  meetings may be held at the call of the chairperson and at

19  other times as determined by a majority of members of the

20  council.

21         (f)  Members of the council shall serve without

22  compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem

23  and travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida

24  Statutes.

25         (2)  The members of the council shall:

26         (a)  Work to recruit minority or underrepresented high

27  school students who are eligible to participate in

28  advanced-placement courses by identifying students who perform

29  above average academically according to their grades or SAT or

30  ACT scores and whose assessments indicate the potential to

31  earn a bachelor's degree in 4 years or less.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1688
    1-322B-06




 1         (b)  Identify each minority or underrepresented student

 2  who receives the grade of "A" or "B" in the majority of his or

 3  her core courses during the first semester of the student's

 4  freshman year and notify his or her parents in writing that

 5  the student is eligible to take advanced-placement courses

 6  beginning in the second semester of the student's freshman

 7  year.

 8         (c)  Examine best practices from high-performing public

 9  high schools across the United States to learn how to close

10  the achievement gap between minority or underrepresented

11  students and nonminority students.

12         (3)  The Commissioner of Education or his or her

13  designee shall:

14         (a)  Notify each member of the council of the time,

15  date, and place where the initial meeting will be held;

16         (b)  Make any other arrangements concerning the initial

17  meeting of the council; and

18         (c)  Serve as the presiding officer at the initial

19  meeting of the council until a chairperson is elected.

20         (4)  The council shall issue its initial annual report

21  by December 15, 2007, and by December 15th of each following

22  year, stating the findings, conclusions, and recommendations

23  of the council. This report shall be submitted to the

24  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

25  House of Representatives and placed on the Department of

26  Education's website.

27         (5)  The Department of Education shall provide staff

28  and administrative support to the council.

29         Section 2.  Each school board in this state shall

30  annually discuss during a meeting of the school board the

31  number of students, by ethnicity, gender, and zip code, who

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1688
    1-322B-06




 1  have taken two or more advanced-placement courses by their

 2  junior year in high school.

 3         Section 3.  The sum of $50,000 is appropriated from the

 4  General Revenue Fund for the Minority or Underrepresented

 5  Student Achievement Council.

 6         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

 7  

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 9                          SENATE SUMMARY

10    Creates the Minority or Underrepresented Student
      Achievement Council. Requires the Commissioner of
11    Education to organize the initial meeting of the council.
      Requires the Department of Education to provide
12    administrative support. Requires each school board to
      discuss the number of high school students taking
13    advanced-placement courses. Provides an appropriation.

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