Senate Bill sb2468
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2468
By Senator Wise
5-1025-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education for students with
3 disabilities; establishing the Transition
4 Service Integration Model Project Grant Program
5 within the Department of Education; providing
6 purposes of the program; specifying the type of
7 student for whom the program is intended;
8 defining the term "developmental disability";
9 providing for the administration of grants;
10 requiring the project to fund staff development
11 and an ongoing third-party evaluation of
12 results; requiring that the Division of
13 Vocational Rehabilitation and the Agency for
14 Persons with Disabilities provide support to
15 the program; requiring that grants be awarded
16 through a competitive process; limiting the use
17 of grants to certain contractual agreements;
18 requiring that all applicants use the
19 Transition Service Integration Model; providing
20 requirements for eligibility for a grant;
21 requiring that applicants provide a statement
22 of how they plan to sustain or expand the
23 program after the end of the grant period;
24 specifying a grant period; specifying an
25 approximate number of students to participate
26 in the program; specifying a number of district
27 pilot sites that will participate in the
28 program; providing an effective date.
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2468
5-1025-07
1 Section 1. Transition Service Integration Model
2 Project Grant Program.--
3 (1) The Transition Service Integration Model Project
4 Grant Program is established within the Department of
5 Education to provide startup grants to offset the cost of
6 formal service agreements between district school boards and
7 not-for-profit employment services providers for the purpose
8 of providing a seamless transition, through customized
9 employment, for students with severe disabilities who are
10 eligible for developmental disability services. The program
11 shall assist students in moving from school to integrated
12 direct-hire employment and postsecondary education and shall
13 provide inclusive access to a wide range of preferred
14 community activities and settings.
15 (2) As used in this section, the term "developmental
16 disability" has the same meaning as in s. 393.063(9), Florida
17 Statutes.
18 (3) In addition, the project shall fund staff
19 development required to support the project and a third-party
20 evaluation of results for the duration of the project. The
21 Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services shall
22 administer the grants. The Division of Vocational
23 Rehabilitation and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities
24 shall provide leadership to their field offices in support of
25 collaborative efforts with local school districts and provide
26 training in the area of customized employment.
27 (4) A school district may apply to the Bureau of
28 Exceptional Education and Student Services for a grant. Grants
29 must be provided through a competitive process and may be used
30 only for contractual agreements between district school boards
31 and employment services providers to provide customized
2
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2468
5-1025-07
1 employment for the student population described in subsection
2 (1).
3 (5) To be eligible for funding, applicants must use
4 the Transition Service Integration Model. Specifically,
5 applicants must:
6 (a) Create programs that are designed to provide for
7 the seamless transition of the student population from school
8 to integrated direct-hire employment and postsecondary
9 education and provide inclusive access to a wide range of
10 preferred community activities and settings;
11 (b) Unify the public school system, the rehabilitation
12 system, and the developmental disabilities system by entering
13 into a formal service arrangement with a not-for-profit agency
14 that agrees to work with pending graduates before and after
15 graduation and that is used as a provider by both the
16 rehabilitation and developmental disability systems;
17 (c) Dedicate staff members to share responsibility for
18 developing preferred work-related and outside activities for
19 their pending graduates with the not-for-profit agency;
20 (d) Demonstrate partnerships and collaborative
21 relationships with the rehabilitation system, the
22 developmental disability system, postsecondary institutions,
23 families, advocacy groups of the student population, and local
24 workforce One-Stops;
25 (e) Specify locations outside high school campuses at
26 which the program will be housed and determine how instruction
27 will take place in natural community settings in which the
28 skills being acquired are functional;
29 (f) Ensure representation from a student with a
30 disability and a family member of a student with a disability
31 in program planning;
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2468
5-1025-07
1 (g) Commit to customized employment and training in
2 the Transition Service Integration Model for staff members of
3 the district, the nonprofit agency, the rehabilitation system,
4 and the developmental disability system;
5 (h) Specify measurable goals and objectives; and
6 (i) Submit to a third-party evaluation for the
7 duration of the project.
8 (5) Applicants must specify how they will sustain and
9 expand the program after the grant period has ended.
10 (6) Each grant shall be implemented to the extent
11 funded over a period of 3 years. The program shall be directed
12 towards approximately 200 students each year in 10 district
13 pilot sites.
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
15 law.
16
17 *****************************************
18 SENATE SUMMARY
19 Establishes the Transition Service Integration Model
Project Grant Program within the Department of Education.
20 Provides purposes of the program. Specifies the type of
student for whom the program is intended. Provides for
21 the administration of grants. Requires the project to
fund staff development and an ongoing third-party
22 evaluation of results. Requires that the Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation and the Agency for Persons with
23 Disabilities provide support to the program. Requires
that grants be awarded through a competitive process.
24 Limits the use of grants to certain contractual
agreements. Requires that all applicants use the
25 Transition Service Integration Model. Provides
requirements for eligibility for a grant. Requires that
26 applicants provide a statement of how they plan to
sustain or expand the program after the end of the grant
27 period. Specifies a grant period. Provides an approximate
number of students to participate in the program.
28 Specifies a number of district pilot sites that will
participate in the program.
29
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.