Senate Bill sb2092er

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  1                                 

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         20.15, F.S.; revising the divisions of the

  4         Department of Education to replace the Division

  5         of Colleges and Universities with the Division

  6         of Workforce Education and to include the

  7         Division of Finance and Operations; providing

  8         name designations for the director of each

  9         division; amending s. 145.19, F.S., relating to

10         salary increases based on increase for state

11         career service employees, to include district

12         school board member salaries; amending s.

13         1001.10, F.S., relating to the Commissioner of

14         Education's powers and duties, to include

15         organizing and naming the structural units of

16         the Department of Education and appointing

17         staff to carry out department functions;

18         amending s. 1001.395, F.S.; revising the manner

19         in which compensation of district school board

20         members is determined; specifying base salary

21         amounts; amending s. 1002.33, F.S., relating to

22         charter schools; updating terminology;

23         clarifying the standard for review of charter

24         school applications; clarifying charter renewal

25         provisions; requiring the governing body to

26         participate in certain governance training;

27         clarifying charter school facility fee

28         exemptions; amending s. 1003.428, F.S.;

29         revising provisions governing credit

30         requirements for high school graduation;

31         removing language relating to credit recovery


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 1         courses; requiring policies to assist students

 2         in meeting high school graduation requirements;

 3         providing guidelines for district school board

 4         grade forgiveness policies; amending s.

 5         1003.51, F.S.; providing additional time for

 6         initial educational assessments of youths

 7         assigned to Department of Juvenile Justice

 8         education programs; amending s. 1003.62, F.S.;

 9         postponing termination of a charter school

10         district pilot program in certain counties;

11         amending s. 1012.225, F.S., relating to Merit

12         Award Program plans; revising eligibility

13         requirements for receipt of a merit-based pay

14         supplement; providing for retroactive

15         application; providing an effective date.

16  

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

18  

19         Section 1.  Subsections (3) and (4) of section 20.15,

20  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

21         20.15  Department of Education.--There is created a

22  Department of Education.

23         (3)  DIVISIONS.--The following divisions of the

24  Department of Education are established:

25         (a)  Division of Community Colleges.

26         (b)  Division of Public Schools.

27         (c)  Division of Workforce Education Colleges and

28  Universities.

29         (d)  Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

30         (e)  Division of Blind Services.

31  


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 1         (f)  Division of Accountability, Research, and

 2  Measurement.

 3         (g)  Division of Finance and Operations.

 4         (4)  DIRECTORS.--The directors of all divisions shall

 5  be appointed by the commissioner subject to approval by the

 6  state board. The director of each division may be designated

 7  as "Deputy Commissioner" or "Chancellor."

 8         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 145.19, Florida

 9  Statutes, is amended to read:

10         145.19  Annual percentage increases based on increase

11  for state career service employees; limitation.--

12         (2)  Each fiscal year, the salaries of all officials

13  listed in this chapter, s. 1001.395, and s. 1001.47 shall be

14  adjusted. The adjusted salary rate shall be the product,

15  rounded to the nearest dollar, of the salary rate granted by

16  the appropriate section of this chapter, s. 1001.395, or s.

17  1001.47 multiplied first by the initial factor, then by the

18  cumulative annual factor, and finally by the annual factor.

19  The Department of Management Services shall certify the annual

20  factor and the cumulative annual factors. Any special

21  qualification salary received under this chapter, s. 1001.47,

22  or the annual performance salary incentive available to

23  elected superintendents under s. 1001.47 shall be added to

24  such adjusted salary rate. The special qualification salary

25  shall be $2,000, but shall not exceed $2,000.

26         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 1001.10, Florida

27  Statutes, is amended to read:

28         1001.10  Commissioner of Education; general powers and

29  duties.--The Commissioner of Education is the chief

30  educational officer of the state and the sole custodian of the

31  K-20 data warehouse, and is responsible for giving full


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 1  assistance to the State Board of Education in enforcing

 2  compliance with the mission and goals of the seamless K-20

 3  education system. To facilitate innovative practices and to

 4  allow local selection of educational methods, the State Board

 5  of Education may authorize the commissioner to waive, upon the

 6  request of a district school board, State Board of Education

 7  rules that relate to district school instruction and school

 8  operations, except those rules pertaining to civil rights, and

 9  student health, safety, and welfare. The Commissioner of

10  Education is not authorized to grant waivers for any

11  provisions in rule pertaining to the allocation and

12  appropriation of state and local funds for public education;

13  the election, compensation, and organization of school board

14  members and superintendents; graduation and state

15  accountability standards; financial reporting requirements;

16  reporting of out-of-field teaching assignments under s.

17  1012.42; public meetings; public records; or due process

18  hearings governed by chapter 120. No later than January 1 of

19  each year, the commissioner shall report to the Legislature

20  and the State Board of Education all approved waiver requests

21  in the preceding year. Additionally, the commissioner has the

22  following general powers and duties:

23         (1)  To organize and name the structural units of the

24  Department of Education and appoint staff necessary to carry

25  out his or her powers and duties and functions of the

26  department in a manner that meets legislative intent and

27  promotes both efficiency and accountability.

28  

29  The commissioner's office shall operate all statewide

30  functions necessary to support the State Board of Education

31  and the K-20 education system, including strategic planning


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 1  and budget development, general administration, and assessment

 2  and accountability.

 3         Section 4.  Section 1001.395, Florida Statutes, is

 4  amended to read:

 5         1001.395  District school board members;

 6  compensation.--Each member of the district school board shall

 7  receive a base salary, the amounts indicated in this section,

 8  based on the population of the county the district school

 9  board member serves. In addition, compensation shall be made

10  for population increments over the minimum for each population

11  group, which shall be determined by multiplying the population

12  in excess of the minimum for the group times the group rate.

13  The product of such calculation shall be added to the base

14  salary to determine the adjusted base salary. The adjusted

15  base salaries of district school board members shall be

16  increased annually as provided for in s. 145.19.

17  

18  Pop. Group  County Pop. Range    Base Salary      Group Rate

19              Minimum     Maximum                   

20  I           -0-         9,999    $5,000           $0.08330

21  II          10,000      49,000   5,833            0.020830

22  III         50,000      99,999   6,666            0.016680

23  IV          100,000     199,999  7,500            0.008330

24  V           200,000     399,999  8,333            0.004165

25  VI          400,000     999,999  9,166            0.001390

26  VII         1,000,000            10,000           0.000000

27  District school board member salaries negotiated on or after

28  November of 2006 shall remain in effect up to the date of the

29  2007-2008 calculation provided pursuant to s. 145.19.

30         (1)  Each district school board shall annually

31  determine the salary of its members at the first regular


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 1  meeting following the organizational meeting held pursuant to

 2  s. 1001.371. The proposed salary to be adopted shall be

 3  noticed at the time of the meeting notice and shall not be

 4  increased during the meeting. The salary adopted by the

 5  district school board shall be in effect during the succeeding

 6  12 months.

 7         (2)  This section shall apply to any district school

 8  board member elected or reelected at the November 2002 general

 9  election or any subsequent general election and to any person

10  appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of any such member.

11         Section 5.  Paragraphs (b), (c), (e), and (f) of

12  subsection (6), paragraph (b) of subsection (7), paragraph (k)

13  of subsection (9), and paragraph (d) of subsection (18) of

14  section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

15         1002.33  Charter schools.--

16         (6)  APPLICATION PROCESS AND REVIEW.--Charter school

17  applications are subject to the following requirements:

18         (b)  A sponsor district school board shall receive and

19  review all applications for a charter school. Beginning with

20  the 2007-2008 school year, a sponsor district school board

21  shall receive and consider charter school applications

22  received on or before August 1 of each calendar year for

23  charter schools to be opened at the beginning of the school

24  district's next school year, or to be opened at a time agreed

25  to by the applicant and the sponsor district school board. A

26  sponsor district school board may receive applications later

27  than this date if it chooses. A sponsor may not charge an

28  applicant for a charter any fee for the processing or

29  consideration of an application, and a sponsor may not base

30  its consideration or approval of an application upon the

31  promise of future payment of any kind.


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 1         1.  In order to facilitate an accurate budget

 2  projection process, a sponsor district school board shall be

 3  held harmless for FTE students who are not included in the FTE

 4  projection due to approval of charter school applications

 5  after the FTE projection deadline. In a further effort to

 6  facilitate an accurate budget projection, within 15 calendar

 7  days after receipt of a charter school application, a district

 8  school board or other sponsor shall report to the Department

 9  of Education the name of the applicant entity, the proposed

10  charter school location, and its projected FTE.

11         2.  In order to ensure fiscal responsibility, an

12  application for a charter school shall include a full

13  accounting of expected assets, a projection of expected

14  sources and amounts of income, including income derived from

15  projected student enrollments and from community support, and

16  an expense projection that includes full accounting of the

17  costs of operation, including start-up costs.

18         3.  A sponsor district school board shall by a majority

19  vote approve or deny an application no later than 60 calendar

20  days after the application is received, unless the sponsor

21  district school board and the applicant mutually agree in

22  writing to temporarily postpone the vote to a specific date,

23  at which time the sponsor district school board shall by a

24  majority vote approve or deny the application. If the sponsor

25  district school board fails to act on the application, an

26  applicant may appeal to the State Board of Education as

27  provided in paragraph (c). If an application is denied, the

28  sponsor district school board shall, within 10 calendar days,

29  articulate in writing the specific reasons, based upon good

30  cause, supporting for its denial of the charter application

31  and shall provide the letter of denial and supporting


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 1  documentation to the applicant and to the Department of

 2  Education supporting those reasons.

 3         4.  For budget projection purposes, the district school

 4  board or other sponsor shall report to the Department of

 5  Education the approval or denial of a charter application

 6  within 10 calendar days after such approval or denial. In the

 7  event of approval, the report to the Department of Education

 8  shall include the final projected FTE for the approved charter

 9  school.

10         5.  Upon approval of a charter application, the initial

11  startup shall commence with the beginning of the public school

12  calendar for the district in which the charter is granted

13  unless the sponsor allows a waiver of this provision for good

14  cause.

15         (c)  An applicant may appeal any denial of that

16  applicant's application or failure to act on an application to

17  the State Board of Education no later than 30 calendar days

18  after receipt of the sponsor's district school board's

19  decision or failure to act and shall notify the sponsor

20  district school board of its appeal. Any response of the

21  sponsor district school board shall be submitted to the State

22  Board of Education within 30 calendar days after notification

23  of the appeal. Upon receipt of notification from the State

24  Board of Education that a charter school applicant is filing

25  an appeal, the Commissioner of Education shall convene a

26  meeting of the Charter School Appeal Commission to study and

27  make recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding

28  its pending decision about the appeal. The commission shall

29  forward its recommendation to the state board no later than 7

30  calendar days prior to the date on which the appeal is to be

31  heard. The State Board of Education shall by majority vote


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 1  accept or reject the decision of the sponsor district school

 2  board no later than 90 calendar days after an appeal is filed

 3  in accordance with State Board of Education rule. The Charter

 4  School Appeal Commission may reject an appeal submission for

 5  failure to comply with procedural rules governing the appeals

 6  process. The rejection shall describe the submission errors.

 7  The appellant may have up to 15 calendar days from notice of

 8  rejection to resubmit an appeal that meets requirements of

 9  State Board of Education rule. An application for appeal

10  submitted subsequent to such rejection shall be considered

11  timely if the original appeal was filed within 30 calendar

12  days after receipt of notice of the specific reasons for the

13  sponsor's district school board's denial of the charter

14  application. The State Board of Education shall remand the

15  application to the sponsor district school board with its

16  written decision that the sponsor district school board

17  approve or deny the application. The sponsor district school

18  board shall implement the decision of the State Board of

19  Education. The decision of the State Board of Education is not

20  subject to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act,

21  chapter 120.

22         (e)  The sponsor district school board shall act upon

23  the decision of the State Board of Education within 30

24  calendar days after it is received. The State Board of

25  Education's decision is a final action subject to judicial

26  review in the district court of appeal.

27         (f)1.  A Charter School Appeal Commission is

28  established to assist the commissioner and the State Board of

29  Education with a fair and impartial review of appeals by

30  applicants whose charter applications have been denied, whose

31  


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 1  charter contracts have not been renewed, or whose charter

 2  contracts have been terminated by their sponsors.

 3         2.  The Charter School Appeal Commission may receive

 4  copies of the appeal documents forwarded to the State Board of

 5  Education, review the documents, gather other applicable

 6  information regarding the appeal, and make a written

 7  recommendation to the commissioner. The recommendation must

 8  state whether the appeal should be upheld or denied and

 9  include the reasons for the recommendation being offered. The

10  commissioner shall forward the recommendation to the State

11  Board of Education no later than 7 calendar days prior to the

12  date on which the appeal is to be heard. The state board must

13  consider the commission's recommendation in making its

14  decision, but is not bound by the recommendation. The decision

15  of the Charter School Appeal Commission is not subject to the

16  provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 120.

17         3.  The commissioner shall appoint the members of the

18  Charter School Appeal Commission. Members shall serve without

19  compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and per diem

20  expenses in conjunction with their service. One-half of the

21  members must represent currently operating charter schools,

22  and one-half of the members must represent sponsors school

23  districts. The commissioner or a named designee shall chair

24  the Charter School Appeal Commission.

25         4.  The chair shall convene meetings of the commission

26  and shall ensure that the written recommendations are

27  completed and forwarded in a timely manner. In cases where the

28  commission cannot reach a decision, the chair shall make the

29  written recommendation with justification, noting that the

30  decision was rendered by the chair.

31  


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 1         5.  Commission members shall thoroughly review the

 2  materials presented to them from the appellant and the

 3  sponsor. The commission may request information to clarify the

 4  documentation presented to it. In the course of its review,

 5  the commission may facilitate the postponement of an appeal in

 6  those cases where additional time and communication may negate

 7  the need for a formal appeal and both parties agree, in

 8  writing, to postpone the appeal to the State Board of

 9  Education. A new date certain for the appeal shall then be set

10  based upon the rules and procedures of the State Board of

11  Education. Commission members shall provide a written

12  recommendation to the state board as to whether the appeal

13  should be upheld or denied. A fact-based justification for the

14  recommendation must be included. The chair must ensure that

15  the written recommendation is submitted to the State Board of

16  Education members no later than 7 calendar days prior to the

17  date on which the appeal is to be heard. Both parties in the

18  case shall also be provided a copy of the recommendation.

19         (7)  CHARTER.--The major issues involving the operation

20  of a charter school shall be considered in advance and written

21  into the charter. The charter shall be signed by the governing

22  body of the charter school and the sponsor, following a public

23  hearing to ensure community input.

24         (b)1.  A charter may be renewed provided that a program

25  review demonstrates that the criteria in paragraph (a) have

26  been successfully accomplished and that none of the grounds

27  for nonrenewal established by paragraph (8)(a) has been

28  documented. In order to facilitate long-term financing for

29  charter school construction, charter schools operating for a

30  minimum of 3 2 years and demonstrating exemplary academic

31  programming and fiscal management are eligible for a 15-year


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 1  charter renewal. Such long-term charter is subject to annual

 2  review and may be terminated during the term of the charter.

 3         2.  The 15-year charter renewal that may be granted

 4  pursuant to subparagraph 1. shall be granted to a charter

 5  school that has received a school grade of "A" or "B" pursuant

 6  to s. 1008.34 in 3 of the past 4 years and is not in a state

 7  of financial emergency or deficit position as defined by this

 8  section. Such long-term charter is subject to annual review

 9  and may be terminated during the term of the charter pursuant

10  to subsection (8).

11         (9)  CHARTER SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.--

12         (k)  The governing body of the charter school shall be

13  responsible for:

14         1.  Ensuring that the charter school has retained the

15  services of a certified public accountant or auditor for the

16  annual financial audit, pursuant to paragraph (g), who shall

17  submit the report to the governing body.

18         2.  Reviewing and approving the audit report, including

19  audit findings and recommendations for the financial recovery

20  plan.

21         3.  Monitoring a financial recovery plan in order to

22  ensure compliance.

23         4.  Participating in governance training approved by

24  the department that must include government in the sunshine,

25  conflicts of interest, ethics, and financial responsibility.

26         (18)  FACILITIES.--

27         (d)  Charter school facilities are exempt from

28  assessments of fees for building permits, except as provided

29  in s. 553.80, fees for building and occupational licenses, and

30  impact fees, or service availability fees, and assessments for

31  special benefits.


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 1         Section 6.  Subsections (2) and (4) of section

 2  1003.428, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

 3         1003.428  General Requirements for high school

 4  graduation; revised.--

 5         (2)  The 24 credits may be earned through applied,

 6  integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of

 7  Education and shall be distributed as follows:

 8         (a)  Sixteen core curriculum credits:

 9         1.  Four credits in English, with major concentration

10  in composition, reading for information, and literature.

11         2.  Four credits in mathematics, one of which must be

12  Algebra I, a series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a

13  higher-level mathematics course. School districts are

14  encouraged to set specific goals to increase enrollments in,

15  and successful completion of, geometry and Algebra II.

16         3.  Three credits in science, two of which must have a

17  laboratory component.

18         4.  Three credits in social studies as follows: one

19  credit in American history; one credit in world history;

20  one-half credit in economics; and one-half credit in American

21  government.

22         5.  One credit in fine or performing arts, which may

23  include speech and debate.

24         6.  One credit in physical education to include

25  integration of health. Participation in an interscholastic

26  sport at the junior varsity or varsity level for two full

27  seasons shall satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical

28  education if the student passes a competency test on personal

29  fitness with a score of "C" or better. The competency test on

30  personal fitness must be developed by the Department of

31  Education. A district school board may not require that the


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 1  one credit in physical education be taken during the 9th grade

 2  year. Completion of one semester with a grade of "C" or better

 3  in a marching band class, in a physical activity class that

 4  requires participation in marching band activities as an

 5  extracurricular activity, or in a dance class shall satisfy

 6  one-half credit in physical education or one-half credit in

 7  performing arts. This credit may not be used to satisfy the

 8  personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive

 9  physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or

10  504 plan. Completion of 2 years in a Reserve Officer Training

11  Corps (R.O.T.C.) class, a significant component of which is

12  drills, shall satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical

13  education and the one-credit requirement in performing arts.

14  This credit may not be used to satisfy the personal fitness

15  requirement or the requirement for adaptive physical education

16  under an individual education plan (IEP) or 504 plan.

17         (b)  Eight credits in majors, minors, or electives:

18         1.  Four credits in a major area of interest, such as

19  sequential courses in a career and technical program, fine and

20  performing arts, or academic content area, selected by the

21  student as part of the education plan required by s.

22  1003.4156. Students may revise major areas of interest each

23  year as part of annual course registration processes and

24  should update their education plan to reflect such revisions.

25  Annually by October 1, the district school board shall approve

26  major areas of interest and submit the list of majors to the

27  Commissioner of Education for approval. Each major area of

28  interest shall be deemed approved unless specifically rejected

29  by the commissioner within 60 days. Upon approval, each

30  district's major areas of interest shall be available for use

31  


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 1  by all school districts and shall be posted on the

 2  department's website.

 3         2.  Four credits in elective courses selected by the

 4  student as part of the education plan required by s.

 5  1003.4156. These credits may be combined to allow for a second

 6  major area of interest pursuant to subparagraph 1., a minor

 7  area of interest, elective courses, or intensive reading or

 8  mathematics intervention courses, or credit recovery courses

 9  as described in this subparagraph.

10         a.  Minor areas of interest are composed of three

11  credits selected by the student as part of the education plan

12  required by s. 1003.4156 and approved by the district school

13  board.

14         b.  Elective courses are selected by the student in

15  order to pursue a complete education program as described in

16  s. 1001.41(3) and to meet eligibility requirements for

17  scholarships.

18         c.  For each year in which a student scores at Level l

19  on FCAT Reading, the student must be enrolled in and complete

20  an intensive reading course the following year. Placement of

21  Level 2 readers in either an intensive reading course or a

22  content area course in which reading strategies are delivered

23  shall be determined by diagnosis of reading needs. The

24  department shall provide guidance on appropriate strategies

25  for diagnosing and meeting the varying instructional needs of

26  students reading below grade level. Reading courses shall be

27  designed and offered pursuant to the comprehensive reading

28  plan required by s. 1011.62(8).

29         d.  For each year in which a student scores at Level 1

30  or Level 2 on FCAT Mathematics, the student must receive

31  remediation the following year. These courses may be taught


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 1  through applied, integrated, or combined courses and are

 2  subject to approval by the department for inclusion in the

 3  Course Code Directory.

 4         e.  Credit recovery courses shall be offered so that

 5  students can simultaneously earn an elective credit and the

 6  recovered credit.

 7         (4)  Each district school board shall establish

 8  standards for graduation from its schools, which must include:

 9         (a)  Successful completion of the academic credit or

10  curriculum requirements of subsections (1) and (2).

11         (b)  Earning passing scores on the FCAT, as defined in

12  s. 1008.22(3)(c), or scores on a standardized test that are

13  concordant with passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.

14  1008.22(9).

15         (c)  Completion of all other applicable requirements

16  prescribed by the district school board pursuant to s.

17  1008.25.

18         (d)  Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of

19  2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required

20  by this section.

21  

22  Each district school board shall adopt policies designed to

23  assist students in meeting the requirements of this

24  subsection. These policies may include, but are not limited

25  to: forgiveness policies, summer school or before or after

26  school attendance, special counseling, volunteers or peer

27  tutors, school-sponsored help sessions, homework hotlines, and

28  study skills classes. Forgiveness policies for required

29  courses shall be limited to replacing a grade of "D" or "F,"

30  or the equivalent of a grade of "D" or "F," with a grade of

31  "C" or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of "C" or higher,


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 1  earned subsequently in the same or comparable course.

 2  Forgiveness policies for elective courses shall be limited to

 3  replacing a grade of "D" or "F," or the equivalent of a grade

 4  of "D" or "F," with a grade of "C" or higher, or the

 5  equivalent of a grade of "C" or higher, earned subsequently in

 6  another course. The only exception to these forgiveness

 7  policies shall be made for a student in the middle grades who

 8  takes any high school course for high school credit and earns

 9  a grade of "C," "D," or "F" or the equivalent of a grade of

10  "C," "D," or "F." In such case, the district forgiveness

11  policy must allow the replacement of the grade with a grade of

12  "C" or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of "C" or higher,

13  earned subsequently in the same or comparable course. In all

14  cases of grade forgiveness, only the new grade shall be used

15  in the calculation of the student's grade point average. Any

16  course grade not replaced according to a district school board

17  forgiveness policy shall be included in the calculation of the

18  cumulative grade point average required for graduation.

19         Section 7.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section

20  1003.51, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

21         1003.51  Other public educational services.--

22         (2)  The State Board of Education shall adopt and

23  maintain an administrative rule articulating expectations for

24  effective education programs for youth in Department of

25  Juvenile Justice programs, including, but not limited to,

26  education programs in juvenile justice commitment and

27  detention facilities. The rule shall articulate policies and

28  standards for education programs for youth in Department of

29  Juvenile Justice programs and shall include the following:

30         (e)  Assessment procedures, which:

31  


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 1         1.  Include appropriate academic and career assessments

 2  administered at program entry and exit that are selected by

 3  the Department of Education in partnership with

 4  representatives from the Department of Juvenile Justice,

 5  district school boards, and providers.

 6         2.  Require district school boards to be responsible

 7  for ensuring the completion of the assessment process.

 8         3.  Require assessments for students in detention who

 9  will move on to commitment facilities, to be designed to

10  create the foundation for developing the student's education

11  program in the assigned commitment facility.

12         4.  Require assessments of students sent directly to

13  commitment facilities to be completed within the first 10

14  school days week of the student's commitment.

15  

16  The results of these assessments, together with a portfolio

17  depicting the student's academic and career accomplishments,

18  shall be included in the discharge package assembled for each

19  youth.

20         Section 8.  Subsection (7) of section 1003.62, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         1003.62  Academic performance-based charter school

23  districts.--The State Board of Education may enter into a

24  performance contract with district school boards as authorized

25  in this section for the purpose of establishing them as

26  academic performance-based charter school districts. The

27  purpose of this section is to examine a new relationship

28  between the State Board of Education and district school

29  boards that will produce significant improvements in student

30  achievement, while complying with constitutional and statutory

31  requirements assigned to each entity.


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 1         (7)  PILOT PROGRAM CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICTS;

 2  GRANDFATHER PROVISION.--The State Board of Education shall use

 3  the criteria approved in the initial charter applications

 4  issued to the school districts of Volusia, Hillsborough,

 5  Orange, and Palm Beach Counties to renew those pilot program

 6  charter school districts in accordance with this subsection.

 7  No additional pilot program charter school districts shall be

 8  approved, and the pilot program consists solely of school

 9  districts in Volusia, Hillsborough, Orange, and Palm Beach

10  Counties. The termination of the charter school districts

11  pilot program is effective July 1, 2010. July 1, 2007, or upon

12  the end of a 5-year renewal contract issued by the State Board

13  of Education to the Volusia County, Hillsborough County,

14  Orange County, or Palm Beach County school district prior to

15  July 1, 2003, whichever is later.

16         Section 9.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section

17  1012.225, Florida Statutes, as created by chapter 2007-3, Laws

18  of Florida, is amended to read:

19         1012.225  Merit Award Program for Instructional

20  Personnel and School-Based Administrators.--

21         (2)  PAY SUPPLEMENTS STRUCTURE.--Merit Award Program

22  plans shall provide for the annual disbursement of merit-based

23  pay supplements to high-performing employees in the manner

24  described in this subsection.

25         (a)  Each Merit Award Program plan must designate the

26  top instructional personnel and school-based administrators to

27  be outstanding performers and pay to each such employee who

28  remains employed by a Florida public school or who retired

29  after qualifying for the award, by September 1 of the

30  following school year, a merit-based pay supplement of at

31  least 5 percent of the average teacher's salary for that


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 1  school district not to exceed 10 percent of the average

 2  teacher's salary for that school district. The amount of a

 3  merit award may not be based on length of service or base

 4  salary. Pay supplements shall be funded from moneys

 5  appropriated by the Legislature under this section and from

 6  any additional funds that are designated by the district for

 7  the Merit Award Program. School districts are not required to

 8  implement this section unless the program is specifically

 9  funded by the Legislature. By October 1 of each year, each

10  school district shall provide documentation to the Department

11  of Education concerning the expenditure of legislative

12  appropriations for merit-based pay, and shall refund

13  undisbursed appropriations to the department. If such

14  undisbursed funds are not remitted to the department by

15  November 1, the department shall withhold an equivalent amount

16  from the district's allocation of appropriations made under s.

17  1011.62.

18         Section 10.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

19  law except that the amendment to s. 1002.33(18)(d), Florida

20  Statutes, by this act, shall apply retroactively to July 1,

21  1996.

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  


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