HB 7141

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to improving graduation rates; amending s.
3	1003.21, F.S.; revising provisions relating to school
4	district responsibilities with respect to exit interviews
5	when a student seeks to terminate school enrollment;
6	creating s. 1003.4935, F.S.; creating the Transition
7	Success Program to ease school transitions, reduce dropout
8	rates, and provide information regarding certain
9	opportunities; providing requirements and suggested
10	practices; requiring the Department of Education to
11	develop criteria and standards for Transition Success
12	Programs; amending s. 1008.34, F.S.; adding graduation
13	rate and dropout rate to the evaluation criteria for
14	school grades for certain schools; amending s. 1008.36,
15	F.S.; including Transition Success Programs as potential
16	recipients of Florida School Recognition Program awards;
17	providing an effective date.
18
19	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21	Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
22	1003.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
23	1003.21  School attendance.--
24	(1)
25	(c)  A student who attains the age of 16 years during the
26	school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance
27	beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age if the
28	student files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school
29	enrollment with the district school board. Public school
30	students who have attained the age of 16 years and who have not
31	graduated are subject to compulsory school attendance until the
32	formal declaration of intent is filed with the district school
33	board. The declaration must acknowledge that terminating school
34	enrollment is likely to reduce the student's earning potential
35	and must be signed by the student and the student's parent. The
36	school district must notify the student's parent of receipt of
37	the student's declaration of intent to terminate school
38	enrollment. The student's guidance counselor or other school
39	personnel must conduct an exit interview with the student to
40	determine the reasons for the student's decision to terminate
41	school enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the
42	student in school. The student must be informed of opportunities
43	to continue his or her education in a different environment,
44	including, but not limited to, participation in a vocational
45	program, job training program, ready to work certification
46	program under s. 1004.99, adult education, or and GED test
47	preparation. The school district shall maintain records on the
48	exit interview, including the specific recommendations made for
49	participation in available educational programs and the
50	student's actions in response to the recommendations.
51	Additionally, the student must complete a survey in a format
52	prescribed by the Department of Education to provide data on
53	student reasons for seeking to terminate terminating enrollment
54	and actions taken by schools to keep students enrolled.
55	Section 2.  Section 1003.4935, Florida Statutes, is created
56	to read:
57	1003.4935  Transition Success Program.--
58	(1)  The Transition Success Program is created to ease the
59	transition from elementary school to middle school and middle
60	school to high school, to reduce dropout rates caused by the
61	difficulty with transition, and to provide students with
62	extensive self-awareness opportunities concerning career goals
63	and interests.
64	(2)  A Transition Success Program may be a school-within-a-
65	school, pursuant to s. 1003.02(4), that is organized to have
66	small teams of interdisciplinary teachers who share the same
67	group of students, have flexible scheduling with common planning
68	time, and use team planning concepts and curricular and
69	instructional innovation in working with groups of students in
70	grades 6-9.
71	(3)  Each Transition Success Program must:
72	(a)  Require close monitoring of student attendance and
73	behavior and provide early intervention and support for students
74	at risk of dropping out.
75	(b)  Require that each student receive intensive career
76	exploration and counseling.
77	(c)  Provide detailed information to students regarding the
78	opportunities available in the district for major areas of
79	interest and career academies.
80	(4)  By the 2008-2009 school year, the department shall
81	develop criteria and standards for the establishment of
82	Transition Success Programs in public schools where appropriate,
83	design model programs, and provide technical assistance to
84	school districts and public schools establishing Transition
85	Success Programs.
86	Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
87	1008.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
88	1008.34  School grading system; school report cards;
89	district grade.--
90	(3)  DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.--Each school that has
91	students who are tested and included in the school grading
92	system, except an alternative school that receives a school
93	improvement rating pursuant to s. 1008.341, shall receive a
94	school grade; however, an alternative school may choose to
95	receive a school grade under this section in lieu of a school
96	improvement rating. Additionally, a school that serves any
97	combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 which
98	does not receive a school grade because its students are not
99	tested and included in the school grading system shall receive
100	the school grade designation of a K-3 feeder pattern school
101	identified by the Department of Education and verified by the
102	school district. A school feeder pattern exists if at least 60
103	percent of the students in the school serving a combination of
104	students in kindergarten through grade 3 are scheduled to be
105	assigned to the graded school. School grades itemized in
106	subsection (2) shall be based on the following:
107	(a)  Criteria.--A school's grade shall be based on a
108	combination of:
109	1.  Student achievement scores, including achievement
110	scores for students seeking a special diploma.
111	2.  Student learning gains as measured by annual FCAT
112	assessments in grades 3 through 10; learning gains for students
113	seeking a special diploma, as measured by an alternate
114	assessment tool, shall be included not later than the 2009-2010
115	school year.
116	3.  Improvement of the lowest 25th percentile of students
117	in the school in reading, math, or writing on the FCAT, unless
118	these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.
119	4.  A satisfactory or measured rising graduation rate and a
120	satisfactory or measured decreasing dropout rate as defined by
121	State Board of Education rule for schools that include grade 9
122	or higher.
123
124	The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria
125	for each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight
126	to student achievement in reading. Schools designated with a
127	grade of "C," making satisfactory progress, shall be required to
128	demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in
129	the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading,
130	math, or writing on the FCAT, including Florida Writes, unless
131	these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.
132	Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 1008.36, Florida
133	Statutes, is amended to read:
134	1008.36  Florida School Recognition Program.--
135	(3)  All public schools, including charter schools, that
136	receive a school grade pursuant to s. 1008.34 are eligible to
137	participate in the program. Additionally, a Transition Success
138	Program that operates as a school-within-a-school and meets the
139	requirements of this section may be eligible for an award even
140	if the school within which the program is operated does not
141	qualify for an award.
142
143	Notwithstanding statutory provisions to the contrary, incentive
144	awards are not subject to collective bargaining.
145	Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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