CS/HB 403

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Florida Partnership for Minority
3	and Underrepresented Student Achievement; amending s.
4	1007.35, F.S.; specifying that the partnership must
5	cooperate with school districts to identify minority and
6	underrepresented students for participation in AP or other
7	advanced courses; specifying that the partnership must
8	cooperate with school districts to provide information to
9	parents regarding AP and other advanced courses;
10	specifying that the partnership must provide information
11	regarding Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship
12	Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) or Preliminary ACT (PLAN)
13	administration; providing an effective date.
14
15	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17	Section 1.  Subsection (6) of section 1007.35, Florida
18	Statutes, is amended to read:
19	1007.35  Florida Partnership for Minority and
20	Underrepresented Student Achievement.--
21	(6)  The partnership shall:
22	(a)  Provide teacher training and professional development
23	to enable teachers of AP or other advanced courses to have the
24	necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to prepare
25	students for success on AP or other advanced course examinations
26	and mastery of postsecondary course content.
27	(b)  Provide to middle school teachers and administrators
28	professional development that will enable them to educate middle
29	school students at the level necessary to prepare the students
30	to enter high school ready to participate in advanced courses.
31	(c)  Provide teacher training and materials that are
32	aligned with the Sunshine State Standards and are consistent
33	with best theory and practice regarding multiple learning styles
34	and research on learning, instructional strategies,
35	instructional design, and classroom assessment. Curriculum
36	materials must be based on current, accepted, and essential
37	academic knowledge. Materials for prerequisite courses should,
38	at a minimum, address the skills assessed on the Florida
39	Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
40	(d)  Provide assessment of individual strengths and
41	weaknesses as related to potential success in AP or other
42	advanced courses and readiness for college.
43	(e)  Provide college entrance exam preparation through a
44	variety of means that may include, but are not limited to,
45	training teachers to provide courses at schools; training
46	community organizations to provide courses at community centers,
47	faith-based organizations, and businesses; and providing on-line
48	courses.
49	(f)  Consider ways to incorporate community colleges in the
50	mission of preparing all students for postsecondary success.
51	(g)  Provide a plan for communication and coordination of
52	efforts with the Florida Virtual School's provision of on-line
53	AP or other advanced courses.
54	(h)  Work with school districts to identify minority and
55	underrepresented students for participation in AP or other
56	advanced courses.
57	(i)  Work with school districts to provide information to
58	students and parents that explains available opportunities for
59	students to take AP and other advanced courses and that explains
60	enrollment procedures that students must follow to enroll in
61	such courses. Such information must also explain the value of
62	such courses as they relate to:
63	1.  Preparing the student for postsecondary level
64	coursework.
65	2.  Enabling the student to gain access to postsecondary
66	education opportunities.
67	3.  Qualifying for scholarships and other financial aid
68	opportunities.
69	(j)  Provide information to students, parents, teachers,
70	counselors, administrators, districts, community colleges, and
71	state universities regarding PSAT/NMSQT or PLAN administration,
72	including, but not limited to:
73	1.  Test administration dates and times.
74	2.  That participation in the PSAT/NMSQT or PLAN is open to
75	all grade 10 students.
76	3.  The value of such tests in providing diagnostic
77	feedback on student skills.
78	4.  The value of student scores in predicting the
79	probability of success on AP or other advanced course
80	examinations.
81	(k)  Cooperate with the department to provide information
82	to administrators, teachers, and counselors, whenever possible,
83	about partnership activities, opportunities, and priorities.
84	(h)  Provide a plan of communication which includes, but
85	need not be limited to, disseminating to parents materials that
86	emphasize the importance of AP or other advanced courses to a
87	student's ability to gain access to and to succeed in
88	postsecondary education and materials that emphasize the
89	importance of the PSAT/NMSQT or PLAN, which provide diagnostic
90	feedback on skills and relate student scores to the probability
91	of success on AP or other advanced course examinations, and also
92	the dissemination of such information to students, teachers,
93	counselors, administrators, districts, community colleges, and
94	state universities. The department shall assist the partnership
95	in communicating opportunities and priorities to administrators,
96	teachers, and counselors whenever possible.
97	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.