CS/HB 7151

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to education; amending s. 1001.03, F.S.;
3	requiring the State Board of Education to review the
4	Sunshine State Standards and replace them with World Class
5	Education Standards; establishing requirements for the
6	standards; requiring reports; providing requirements for
7	the adoption, review, and revision of the standards;
8	requiring evaluation of proposed standards; requiring
9	reports on student achievement; amending ss. 39.0016 and
10	445.049, F.S.; conforming provisions; amending s. 1000.21,
11	F.S.; revising the systemwide definition of standards;
12	conforming provisions; amending s. 1001.02, F.S.; revising
13	provisions authorizing the State Board of Education to
14	adopt rules; amending s. 1001.215, F.S.; conforming
15	provisions; amending s. 1001.41, F.S.; requiring a school
16	district to emphasize certain content in social studies
17	education; amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; conforming
18	provisions; creating s. 1001.55, F.S.; requiring certain
19	high-performing school districts to submit plans to the
20	State Board of Education and give certain authority to
21	specified school principals; requiring annual reports;
22	amending ss. 1002.33 and 1002.415, F.S.; conforming
23	provisions; amending s. 1003.03, F.S.; providing teaching
24	strategies permitted within class-size reduction
25	requirements; providing definitions; amending s. 1003.41,
26	F.S.; specifying requirements for World Class Education
27	Standards; amending s. 1003.428, F.S.; requiring school
28	districts to include a distinguished-honors notation on
29	diplomas and academic transcripts under specified
30	conditions; conforming provisions; amending s. 1003.43,
31	F.S.; conforming provisions; creating s. 1003.451, F.S.;
32	requiring the State Board of Education to adopt standards
33	for world-language instruction and provide flexibility in
34	foreign-language teacher certification; requiring school
35	districts and schools in the K-8 Virtual School Program to
36	submit plans for elementary school world-language
37	curricula; authorizing use of instructional materials
38	funds; creating s. 1003.59, F.S.; requiring the State
39	Board of Education to adopt a model policy for accelerated
40	learning opportunities for academically talented students;
41	requiring school districts to implement an accelerated
42	learning policy; requiring the Department of Education to
43	submit an annual report; amending ss. 1004.04 and 1007.35,
44	F.S.; conforming provisions; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.;
45	requiring the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to
46	assess students in social studies; requiring the content
47	knowledge and skills of the statewide assessment program
48	and Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test to align to the
49	World Class Education Standards; providing for the
50	expedited revision of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment
51	Test; requiring the Commissioner of Education to report
52	certain information; establishing limitations on testing
53	schedules for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test;
54	providing for a proficiency designation in a subject area
55	for a grade level based on student scores on the Florida
56	Comprehensive Assessment Test; creating s. 1008.222, F.S.;
57	providing requirements for end-of-course examinations;
58	establishing timelines for implementation and requiring
59	dissemination of information; amending s. 1008.25, F.S.;
60	conforming provisions; requiring remediation in social
61	studies; revising requirements for an annual report;
62	amending s. 1008.385, F.S.; conforming provisions;
63	amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; revising expenditures from the
64	guaranteed allocation for gifted students in grades 9
65	through 12; amending ss. 1012.05, 1012.28, and 1012.52,
66	F.S.; conforming provisions; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.;
67	requiring the State Board of Education to align subject
68	area examinations to the World Class Education Standards;
69	conforming provisions; amending s. 1012.585, F.S.;
70	applying certain inservice points toward renewal of an
71	educator professional certificate specialization area;
72	amending s. 1012.72, F.S.; conforming provisions; amending
73	s. 1012.98, F.S.; requiring a school district's inservice
74	activities to support state standards; directing districts
75	to align inservice activities to the World Class Education
76	Standards; providing that an individual professional
77	development plan requires instructional employees to
78	complete specified inservice activities; requiring passage
79	of an inservice examination for award of certain inservice
80	points; directing the department to establish examination
81	competencies; requiring statewide standardized delivery of
82	certain inservice activities and outcome measurement of
83	such activities; requiring the department to provide
84	specified statewide standardized professional development
85	and requiring educators to participate therein; requiring
86	school districts to inventory professional development
87	programs; establishing priority for use of professional
88	development funds; requiring school districts to submit
89	reports; requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis
90	and Government Accountability to submit reports relating
91	to after-school programs and gifted student education;
92	providing report requirements; requiring the Commissioner
93	of Education to submit a report on visual and performing
94	arts education; providing report requirements; creating
95	the Public-Private Partnering Task Force within the
96	Department of Management Services; designating members;
97	providing for per diem and travel expenses; requiring the
98	task force to submit a report to the Governor and
99	Legislature; providing report requirements; providing for
100	the future abolishment of the task force; providing an
101	appropriation; providing effective dates.
102
103	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
104
105	Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 1001.03, Florida
106	Statutes, is amended to read:
107	1001.03  Specific powers of State Board of Education.--
108	(1)  PUBLIC K-12 STUDENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.--
109	(a)  The State Board of Education shall review approve the
110	student performance standards known as the Sunshine State
111	Standards and systematically replace them by adopting World
112	Class Education Standards that prepare Florida's students to
113	effectively engage, communicate, and compete in a global
114	economy. As used in this section, the term "World Class
115	Education Standards" means curricular standards by subject area
116	and grade level that integrate critical thinking and problem-
117	solving skills, creativity and innovation skills, communication
118	and information skills, collaboration skills, contextual and
119	applied-learning skills, information and media-literacy skills,
120	and civic-engagement skills. The World Class Education Standards
121	shall, at a minimum:
122	1.  Establish the essential content knowledge and skills,
123	by each in key academic subject areas and grade level, that are
124	necessary for student academic achievement;
125	2.  Identify the general content knowledge that a student
126	is expected to acquire for reading proficiency;
127	3.  Identify the specific content knowledge and skills that
128	a student is expected to acquire and be able to demonstrate for
129	each subject area listed in s. 1003.41 by grade level;
130	4.  Provide for the sequential development of a student's
131	content knowledge and skills grade by grade for each subject
132	area; and
133	5.  Provide for alignment to curricula appropriate for
134	preparing high school graduates to enter the workforce and
135	compete in high-demand careers in Florida's global economy and
136	to succeed in postsecondary education levels.
137	(b)  By January 31, 2008, the State Board of Education
138	shall establish an expedited a schedule for to facilitate the
139	adoption periodic review of the World Class Education Standards,
140	and for the periodic review and revision of the standards, to
141	ensure superior adequate rigor, relevance, logical student
142	progression, and integration of reading, writing, and
143	mathematics across all subject areas. By January 1, 2009, and by
144	January 1 of each year thereafter, the state board shall submit
145	a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
146	Speaker of the House of Representatives detailing the status of
147	the adoption, implementation, and any subsequent revisions of
148	the World Class Education Standards.
149	(c)  The State Board of Education shall include Florida
150	educators in the development and review of the standards. The
151	state board shall consider the recommendations of educators,
152	citizens, and members of the business community; consult
153	national or international curricular experts in each review by
154	subject area; and consider standards implemented by other states
155	or nations, which standards are regarded as exceptionally
156	rigorous by the curricular experts. The state board shall also
157	must include the participation of curriculum leaders in other
158	content areas, including the arts, to ensure valid content area
159	integration and to address the instructional requirements of
160	different learning styles.
161	(d)  The process for adoption and revision of the World
162	Class Education Standards review and proposed revisions must
163	include leadership and input from the state's classroom teachers
164	and selected, school administrators, postsecondary institutions
165	and community colleges and universities, and from
166	representatives from business and industry representatives who
167	are identified by Enterprise Florida, Inc.
168	(e)  The State Board of Education, before adopting or
169	revising the World Class Education Standards for a subject area,
170	shall submit the proposed standards for evaluation by more than
171	one nationally recognized foundation, institute, organization,
172	or board with expertise in performance standards for K-12
173	curricula. The state board shall submit the evaluations to the
174	Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
175	House of Representatives before adopting the proposed standards.
176	local education foundations. A report including proposed
177	revisions must be submitted to the Governor, the President of
178	the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
179	annually to coincide with the established review schedule. The
180	review schedule and an annual status report must be submitted to
181	the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
182	the House of Representatives annually not later than January 1.
183	(f)  Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the State
184	Board of Education shall submit an annual report on the
185	achievement results of Florida's students based on instruction
186	aligned to the World Class Education Standards. The report shall
187	be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
188	the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 30 of
189	each year and shall include data to monitor achievement gains
190	and to provide academic comparisons of Florida students who are
191	achieving at or above grade level to other students nationally
192	and to students at commensurate grade levels in other countries.
193	Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) and paragraph
194	(d) of subsection (5) of section 39.0016, Florida Statutes, are
195	amended to read:
196	39.0016  Education of abused, neglected, and abandoned
197	children.--
198	(4)  The department shall enter into agreements with
199	district school boards or other local educational entities
200	regarding education and related services for children known to
201	the department who are of school age and children known to the
202	department who are younger than school age but who would
203	otherwise qualify for services from the district school board.
204	Such agreements shall include, but are not limited to:
205	(b)  A requirement that the district school board shall:
206	1.  Provide the department with a general listing of the
207	services and information available from the district school
208	board, including, but not limited to, the World Class Education
209	current Sunshine State Standards, the Surrogate Parent Training
210	Manual, and other resources accessible through the Department of
211	Education or local school districts to facilitate educational
212	access for a child known to the department.
213	2.  Identify all educational and other services provided by
214	the school and school district which the school district
215	believes are reasonably necessary to meet the educational needs
216	of a child known to the department.
217	3.  Determine whether transportation is available for a
218	child known to the department when such transportation will
219	avoid a change in school assignment due to a change in
220	residential placement. Recognizing that continued enrollment in
221	the same school throughout the time the child known to the
222	department is in out-of-home care is preferable unless
223	enrollment in the same school would be unsafe or otherwise
224	impractical, the department, the district school board, and the
225	Department of Education shall assess the availability of
226	federal, charitable, or grant funding for such transportation.
227	4.  Provide individualized student intervention or an
228	individual educational plan when a determination has been made
229	through legally appropriate criteria that intervention services
230	are required. The intervention or individual educational plan
231	must include strategies to enable the child known to the
232	department to maximize the attainment of educational goals.
233	(5)  The department shall incorporate an education
234	component into all training programs of the department regarding
235	children known to the department. Such training shall be
236	coordinated with the Department of Education and the local
237	school districts. The department shall offer opportunities for
238	education personnel to participate in such training. Such
239	coordination shall include, but not be limited to, notice of
240	training sessions, opportunities to purchase training materials,
241	proposals to avoid duplication of services by offering joint
242	training, and incorporation of materials available from the
243	Department of Education and local school districts into the
244	department training when appropriate. The department training
245	components shall include:
246	(d)  Training of caseworkers regarding the services and
247	information available through the Department of Education and
248	local school districts, including, but not limited to, the World
249	Class Education current Sunshine State Standards, the Surrogate
250	Parent Training Manual, and other resources accessible through
251	the Department of Education or local school districts to
252	facilitate educational access for a child known to the
253	department.
254	Section 3.  Paragraph (g) of subsection (7) of section
255	445.049, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
256	445.049  Digital Divide Council.--
257	(7)  PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND GOALS.--The programs authorized
258	by this section shall have the following objectives and goals:
259	(g)  Using information technology to facilitate achievement
260	of the World Class Education Sunshine State Standards by all
261	children enrolled in the state's K-12 school system who are
262	members of at-risk families.
263	Section 4.  Subsection (7) of section 1000.21, Florida
264	Statutes, is amended to read:
265	1000.21  Systemwide definitions.--As used in the Florida K-
266	K-20 Education Code:
267	(7)  "World Class Education Sunshine State Standards" means
268	the student content are standards, as described in ss.
269	1001.03(1) and 1003.41, that identify what public school
270	students are expected to should know and be able to demonstrate
271	do. The term includes the Sunshine State Standards for a subject
272	area until the standards are replaced under s. 1001.03(1) by the
273	World Class Education Standards for the subject area. These
274	standards delineate the academic achievement of students for
275	which the state will hold its public schools accountable in
276	grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, in the subjects of language
277	arts, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, health and
278	physical education, foreign languages, reading, writing,
279	history, government, geography, economics, and computer
280	literacy.
281	Section 5.  Subsection (1) of section 1001.02, Florida
282	Statutes, is amended to read:
283	1001.02  General powers of State Board of Education.--
284	(1)  The State Board of Education is the chief implementing
285	and coordinating body of public education in Florida, and it
286	shall focus on high-level policy decisions. The state board It
287	has authority to adopt rules under pursuant to ss. 120.536(1)
288	and 120.54 to implement the provisions of law conferring duties
289	upon the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of
290	Education, and the Department of Education it for the
291	improvement of the state system of K-20 public education. Except
292	as otherwise provided by law herein, the State Board of
293	Education it may, as it finds appropriate, delegate its general
294	powers to the Commissioner of Education or the directors of the
295	divisions of the department.
296	Section 6.  Subsection (8) of section 1001.215, Florida
297	Statutes, is amended to read:
298	1001.215  Just Read, Florida! Office.--There is created in
299	the Department of Education the Just Read, Florida! Office. The
300	office shall be fully accountable to the Commissioner of
301	Education and shall:
302	(8)  Periodically review the World Class Education Sunshine
303	State Standards for reading at all grade levels.
304	Section 7.  Subsection (3) of section 1001.41, Florida
305	Statutes, is amended to read:
306	1001.41  General powers of district school board.--The
307	district school board, after considering recommendations
308	submitted by the district school superintendent, shall exercise
309	the following general powers:
310	(3)  Prescribe and adopt standards and policies to provide
311	each student the opportunity to receive a complete education
312	program, including language arts, reading, and writing;,
313	mathematics;, science;, social studies, including geography and
314	economics, with an emphasis on history, government, civics, and
315	United States patriotism and national sovereignty; health;,
316	physical education;, foreign languages; visual and performing,
317	and the arts; and computer literacy, as defined by the World
318	Class Education Sunshine State Standards. The standards and
319	policies must emphasize integration and reinforcement of
320	reading, writing, and mathematics skills across all subjects,
321	including career awareness, career exploration, and career and
322	technical education.
323	Section 8.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (16) of section
324	1001.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
325	1001.42  Powers and duties of district school board.--The
326	district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
327	powers and perform all duties listed below:
328	(16)  IMPLEMENT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND
329	ACCOUNTABILITY.--Maintain a system of school improvement and
330	education accountability as provided by statute and State Board
331	of Education rule. This system of school improvement and
332	education accountability shall be consistent with, and
333	implemented through, the district's continuing system of
334	planning and budgeting required by this section and ss.
335	1008.385, 1010.01, and 1011.01. This system of school
336	improvement and education accountability shall include, but is
337	not limited to, the following:
338	(a)  School improvement plans.--Annually approve and
339	require implementation of a new, amended, or continuation school
340	improvement plan for each school in the district. A district
341	school board may establish a district school improvement plan
342	that includes all schools in the district operating for the
343	purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department
344	of Juvenile Justice programs. The school improvement plan shall
345	be designed to achieve the state education priorities under
346	pursuant to s. 1000.03(5) and student proficiency on the World
347	Class Education Sunshine State Standards under pursuant to s.
348	1003.41. Each plan shall address student achievement goals and
349	strategies based on state and school district proficiency
350	standards. The plan may also address issues relative to other
351	academic-related matters, as determined by district school board
352	policy, and shall include an accurate, data-based analysis of
353	student achievement and other school performance data. Beginning
354	with plans approved for implementation in the 2007-2008 school
355	year, each secondary school plan must include a redesign
356	component based on the principles established in s. 1003.413.
357	For each school in the district that earns a school grade of "C"
358	or below, or is required to have a school improvement plan under
359	federal law, the school improvement plan shall, at a minimum,
360	also include:
361	1.  Professional development that supports enhanced and
362	differentiated instructional strategies to improve teaching and
363	learning.
364	2.  Continuous use of disaggregated student achievement
365	data to determine effectiveness of instructional strategies.
366	3.  Ongoing informal and formal assessments to monitor
367	individual student progress, including progress toward mastery
368	of the World Class Education Sunshine State Standards, and to
369	redesign instruction if needed.
370	4.  Alternative instructional delivery methods to support
371	remediation, acceleration, and enrichment strategies.
372	Section 9.  Section 1001.55, Florida Statutes, is created
373	to read:
374	1001.55  Site-based management.--A school district
375	receiving a designation for high performance from the State
376	Board of Education under part VI of chapter 1003 that is based,
377	at least in part, on school grades or district grades assigned
378	under s. 1008.34 shall submit to the state board and implement a
379	plan that gives the district's highest performing principals
380	significant decisionmaking and budgetary authority over their
381	respective schools. The school district shall annually audit,
382	monitor, and report to the state board on the implementation of
383	this section at each school site. The state board shall submit a
384	statewide annual report to the Governor, the President of the
385	Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the
386	implementation of this section. The state board may adopt rules
387	under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section.
388	Section 10.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) and paragraph
389	(a) of subsection (7) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are
390	amended to read:
391	1002.33  Charter schools.--
392	(6)  APPLICATION PROCESS AND REVIEW.--Charter school
393	applications are subject to the following requirements:
394	(a)  A person or entity wishing to open a charter school
395	shall prepare an application that:
396	1.  Demonstrates how the school will use the guiding
397	principles and meet the statutorily defined purpose of a charter
398	school.
399	2.  Provides a detailed curriculum plan that illustrates
400	how students will be provided services to attain the World Class
401	Education Sunshine State Standards.
402	3.  Contains goals and objectives for improving student
403	learning and measuring that improvement. These goals and
404	objectives must indicate how much academic improvement students
405	are expected to show each year, how success will be evaluated,
406	and the specific results to be attained through instruction.
407	4.  Describes the reading curriculum and differentiated
408	strategies that will be used for students reading at grade level
409	or higher and a separate curriculum and strategies for students
410	who are reading below grade level. A sponsor shall deny a
411	charter if the school does not propose a reading curriculum that
412	is consistent with effective teaching strategies that are
413	grounded in scientifically based reading research.
414	5.  Contains an annual financial plan for each year
415	requested by the charter for operation of the school for up to 5
416	years. This plan must contain anticipated fund balances based on
417	revenue projections, a spending plan based on projected revenues
418	and expenses, and a description of controls that will safeguard
419	finances and projected enrollment trends.
420	(7)  CHARTER.--The major issues involving the operation of
421	a charter school shall be considered in advance and written into
422	the charter. The charter shall be signed by the governing body
423	of the charter school and the sponsor, following a public
424	hearing to ensure community input.
425	(a)  The charter shall address, and criteria for approval
426	of the charter shall be based on:
427	1.  The school's mission, the students to be served, and
428	the ages and grades to be included.
429	2.  The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods
430	to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be
431	employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate
432	technologies needed to improve educational and administrative
433	performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical,
434	and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and
435	professional standards. The charter shall ensure that reading is
436	a primary focus of the curriculum and that resources are
437	provided to identify and provide specialized instruction for
438	students who are reading below grade level. The curriculum and
439	instructional strategies for reading must be consistent with the
440	World Class Education Sunshine State Standards and grounded in
441	scientifically based reading research.
442	3.  The current incoming baseline standard of student
443	academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
444	method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in
445	this subparagraph shall include a detailed description for each
446	of the following:
447	a.  How the baseline student academic achievement levels
448	and prior rates of academic progress will be established.
449	b.  How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of
450	academic progress achieved by these same students while
451	attending the charter school.
452	c.  To the extent possible, how these rates of progress
453	will be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
454	closely comparable student populations.
455
456	The district school board is required to provide academic
457	student performance data to charter schools for each of their
458	students coming from the district school system, as well as
459	rates of academic progress of comparable student populations in
460	the district school system.
461	4.  The methods used to identify the educational strengths
462	and needs of students and how well educational goals and
463	performance standards are met by students attending the charter
464	school. Included in the methods is a means for the charter
465	school to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing
466	student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and
467	efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in
468	charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the
469	statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22.
470	5.  In secondary charter schools, a method for determining
471	that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation in
472	s. 1003.43.
473	6.  A method for resolving conflicts between the governing
474	body of the charter school and the sponsor.
475	7.  The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
476	including the school's code of student conduct.
477	8.  The ways by which the school will achieve a
478	racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
479	within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
480	same school district.
481	9.  The financial and administrative management of the
482	school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional
483	experience or competence of those individuals or organizations
484	applying to operate the charter school or those hired or
485	retained to perform such professional services and the
486	description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the
487	policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter
488	school. A description of internal audit procedures and
489	establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are
490	properly managed must be included. Both public sector and
491	private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in
492	such a consideration.
493	10.  The asset and liability projections required in the
494	application which are incorporated into the charter and which
495	shall be compared with information provided in the annual report
496	of the charter school. The charter shall ensure that, if a
497	charter school internal audit or annual financial audit reveals
498	a state of financial emergency as defined in s. 218.503 or
499	deficit financial position, the auditors are required to notify
500	the charter school governing board, the sponsor, and the
501	Department of Education. The internal auditor shall report such
502	findings in the form of an exit interview to the principal or
503	the principal administrator of the charter school and the chair
504	of the governing board within 7 working days after finding the
505	state of financial emergency or deficit position. A final report
506	shall be provided to the entire governing board, the sponsor,
507	and the Department of Education within 14 working days after the
508	exit interview. When a charter school is in a state of financial
509	emergency, the charter school shall file a detailed financial
510	recovery plan with the sponsor. The department, with the
511	involvement of both sponsors and charter schools, shall
512	establish guidelines for developing such plans.
513	11.  A description of procedures that identify various
514	risks and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the
515	impact of losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of
516	students and staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect
517	others from violent or disruptive student behavior; and the
518	manner in which the school will be insured, including whether or
519	not the school will be required to have liability insurance,
520	and, if so, the terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of
521	coverage.
522	12.  The term of the charter which shall provide for
523	cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
524	made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
525	charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
526	achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a
527	charter shall be for 4 or 5 years. In order to facilitate access
528	to long-term financial resources for charter school
529	construction, charter schools that are operated by a
530	municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
531	eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the
532	district school board. A charter lab school is eligible for a
533	charter for a term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate
534	access to long-term financial resources for charter school
535	construction, charter schools that are operated by a private,
536	not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for
537	up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the district
538	school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
539	review and may be terminated during the term of the charter, but
540	only according to the provisions set forth in subsection (8).
541	13.  The facilities to be used and their location.
542	14.  The qualifications to be required of the teachers and
543	the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and
544	retain qualified staff to achieve best value.
545	15.  The governance structure of the school, including the
546	status of the charter school as a public or private employer as
547	required in paragraph (12)(i).
548	16.  A timetable for implementing the charter which
549	addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
550	date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this
551	timetable.
552	17.  In the case of an existing public school being
553	converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
554	current students who choose not to attend the charter school and
555	for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter
556	school after conversion in accordance with the existing
557	collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in
558	the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However,
559	alternative arrangements shall not be required for current
560	teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except
561	as authorized by the employment policies of the state university
562	which grants the charter to the lab school.
563	Section 11.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
564	1002.415, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
565	1002.415  K-8 Virtual School Program.--Subject to annual
566	legislative appropriation, a kindergarten through grade 8
567	virtual school program is established within the Department of
568	Education for the purpose of making academic instruction
569	available to full-time students in kindergarten through grade 8
570	using on-line and distance learning technology. The department
571	shall use an application process to select schools to deliver
572	program instruction.
573	(2)  APPLICATION.--
574	(b)  In addition to a completed application form, each
575	applicant must provide the department with:
576	1.  A detailed plan describing how the school curriculum
577	and course content will conform to the World Class Education
578	Sunshine State Standards; and
579	2.  An annual financial plan for each year of operation of
580	the school for a minimum of 3 years. The plan must contain
581	anticipated fund balances based on revenue projections, a
582	spending plan based on projected revenues and expenses, and a
583	description of controls that will safeguard finances and
584	projected enrollment trends.
585	Section 12.  Subsection (5) of section 1003.03, Florida
586	Statutes, is amended to read:
587	1003.03  Maximum class size.--
588	(5)  TEAM-TEACHING STRATEGIES.--
589	(a)  School districts may use teaching strategies that
590	include the assignment of more than one teacher to a classroom
591	of students and that were implemented before July 1, 2005.
592	Effective July 1, 2005, school districts may implement
593	additional teaching strategies that include the assignment of
594	more than one teacher to a classroom of students for the
595	following purposes only:
596	1.  Pairing teachers for the purpose of staff development.
597	2.  Pairing new teachers with veteran teachers.
598	3.  Reducing turnover among new teachers.
599	4.  Pairing teachers who are teaching out-of-field with
600	teachers who are in-field.
601	5.  Providing for more flexibility and innovation in the
602	classroom.
603	6.  Improving learning opportunities for students,
604	including students who have disabilities.
605	(b)  Teaching strategies, including team teaching, co-
606	teaching, or inclusion teaching, implemented on or after July 1,
607	2005, under pursuant to paragraph (a) may be implemented subject
608	to the following restrictions:
609	1.  Reasonable limits shall be placed on the number of
610	students in a classroom so that classrooms are not overcrowded.
611	Teacher-to-student ratios within a curriculum area or grade
612	level must not exceed constitutional limits.
613	2.  At least one member of the team must have at least 3
614	years of teaching experience.
615	3.  At least one member of the team must be teaching in-
616	field.
617	4.  The teachers must be trained in team-teaching methods
618	within 1 year after assignment.
619	(c)  As used in this subsection, the term:
620	1.  "Team teaching" or "co-teaching" means two or more
621	teachers are assigned to a group of students and each teacher is
622	responsible for all of the students during the entire class
623	period. In a team teaching or co-teaching arrangement, each
624	teacher is responsible for planning, delivering, and evaluating
625	instruction for all students in the class or subject for the
626	entire class period.
627	2.  "Inclusion teaching" means two or more teachers are
628	assigned to a group of students, but one of the teachers is
629	responsible for only one student or a small group of students in
630	the classroom.
631
632	The use of strategies implemented as outlined in this subsection
633	meets the letter and intent of the Florida Constitution and the
634	Florida Statutes which relate to implementing class-size
635	reduction, and this subsection applies retroactively. A school
636	district may not be penalized financially or otherwise as a
637	result of the use of any legal strategy, including, but not
638	limited to, those set forth in subsection (3) and this
639	subsection.
640	Section 13.  Section 1003.41, Florida Statutes, is amended
641	to read:
642	1003.41  World Class Education Sunshine State
643	Standards.--Public K-12 educational instruction in Florida is
644	based on the World Class Education Standards as defined in s.
645	1001.03(1). The "Sunshine State Standards." These standards are
646	have been adopted by the State Board of Education and delineate
647	the academic achievement of students, for which the state holds
648	will hold schools accountable, in each K-12 grade level grades
649	K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 in, at a minimum, the subject areas
650	subjects of language arts, reading, and writing;, mathematics;,
651	science;, social studies, including geography and economics,
652	with an emphasis on history, government, civics, and United
653	States patriotism and national sovereignty; visual and
654	performing the arts;, health and physical education;, and
655	foreign languages; and computer literacy. The World Class
656	Education Standards must be content oriented and knowledge based
657	and must They include problem-solving and higher order skills as
658	described in s. 1001.03(1) standards in reading, writing,
659	history, government, geography, economics, and computer
660	literacy.
661	Section 14.  Subsection (7) and paragraph (a) of subsection
662	(8) of section 1003.428, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
663	1003.428  General requirements for high school graduation;
664	revised.--
665	(7)(a)  A student who meets all requirements prescribed in
666	subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall be awarded a standard
667	diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.
668	(b)  The standard diploma awarded to a student, and the
669	student's high school academic transcript, shall include a
670	notation of distinguished honors if the student earns a score
671	demonstrating superior academic achievement, as determined by
672	the Commissioner of Education, on the grade 10 Florida
673	Comprehensive Assessment Test. By the beginning of the 2008-2009
674	school year, the commissioner shall widely publicize and
675	disseminate information about the distinguished-honors notation,
676	including notice to district superintendents, school principals,
677	teachers, guidance counselors, parents, and students of the
678	scores required to earn distinguished honors. The commissioner
679	shall also publish the information on the department's Internet
680	website.
681	(c)(b)  A student who completes the minimum number of
682	credits and other requirements prescribed by subsections (1),
683	(2), and (3), but who is unable to meet the standards of
684	paragraph (4)(b), paragraph (4)(c), or paragraph (4)(d), shall
685	be awarded a certificate of completion in a form prescribed by
686	the State Board of Education. However, any student who is
687	otherwise entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to
688	remain in the secondary school either as a full-time student or
689	a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and receive
690	special instruction designed to remedy his or her identified
691	deficiencies.
692	(8)(a)  Each district school board must provide instruction
693	to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency
694	in the content knowledge and skills and competencies necessary
695	for successful grade-to-grade progression and high school
696	graduation.
697	Section 15.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (11) of section
698	1003.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
699	1003.43  General requirements for high school graduation.--
700	(11)(a)  Each district school board must provide
701	instruction to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate
702	proficiency in the content knowledge and skills and competencies
703	necessary for successful grade-to-grade progression and high
704	school graduation.
705	Section 16.  Section 1003.451, Florida Statutes, is created
706	to read:
707	1003.451  World-language curricula.--
708	(1)  It is the intent of the Legislature that the state
709	move toward the goal of establishing world-language curricula
710	that begins in elementary school and continues through the
711	middle and high school grades.
712	(2)  The State Board of Education shall:
713	(a)  Encourage school districts to expand foreign-language
714	course offerings to include world languages commonly spoken in
715	nations actively engaged in international commerce in order to
716	prepare Florida's students to effectively engage, communicate,
717	and compete in a global economy;
718	(b)  Establish content standards for world languages as
719	part of the World Class Education Standards for foreign
720	languages;
721	(c)  Encourage school districts to offer world-language
722	instruction to students in elementary school; and
723	(d)  Provide flexibility in foreign-language teacher
724	certification so that Florida schools may benefit from
725	instruction offered by Floridians who are fluent in world
726	languages and are available to provide such instruction.
727	(3)  By December 1, 2007, each district school board and
728	each school in the K-8 Virtual School Program shall develop and
729	submit to the Commissioner of Education a plan for articulated
730	world-language curricula beginning by grade 4 for elementary
731	school students performing at or above grade level. The plan may
732	include the use of video conferencing, technology devices with
733	digital content, or on-line technology.
734	(4)  Notwithstanding chapter 1006, instructional materials
735	used to implement elementary school world-language curricula may
736	include technology devices with digital content and on-line
737	content. The Commissioner of Education shall prescribe uniform
738	standards for technologies that facilitate the sharing of
739	content among school districts. District school boards may use
740	up to 10 percent of instructional materials funds available for
741	the purchase of materials not on the state-adopted list for
742	purposes of this subsection.
743	Section 17.  Section 1003.59, Florida Statutes, is created
744	to read:
745	1003.59  Accelerated learning opportunities for
746	academically talented students.--
747	(1)  By June 30, 2008, the State Board of Education shall
748	adopt a model policy for the accelerated learning of
749	academically talented students in grades K-12, regardless of
750	whether the students are classified as gifted. The model policy
751	shall address, but not be limited to, whole-grade acceleration,
752	continuous progress exceeding chronological-age peers, subject-
753	matter acceleration, virtual-education acceleration, and early
754	postsecondary enrollment. The model policy shall include a plan
755	for:
756	(a)  Providing teachers and guidance counselors with
757	professional training that addresses effective implementation of
758	the policy, strategies for identifying gifted and academically
759	talented students in the elementary grades, and methods for
760	placing the students in accelerated programming that allows them
761	to work at suitably challenging academic levels; and
762	(b)  Assisting school district interactions with students
763	and parents to help guide them in making the most appropriate
764	choice for each student.
765	(2)  Each district school board shall implement an
766	academically talented student acceleration policy beginning with
767	the 2008-2009 school year. The school board shall widely
768	publicize and disseminate the policy so that teachers, students,
769	and parents are aware of accelerated-learning opportunities. The
770	school board shall submit the policy to the Department of
771	Education and publish the policy on the school district's
772	Internet website.
773	(3)  By December 31, 2009, and by December 31 of each year
774	thereafter, the Department of Education shall submit a report to
775	the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
776	the House of Representatives on academically talented student
777	acceleration and gifted programs in each school district. The
778	report shall include information concerning district
779	implementation strategies and student achievement gains and
780	provide a comparison of district performance.
781	Section 18.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (2), paragraph (b)
782	of subsection (3), paragraph (e) of subsection (5), and
783	paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section 1004.04, Florida
784	Statutes, are amended to read:
785	1004.04  Public accountability and state approval for
786	teacher preparation programs.--
787	(2)  UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA.--
788	(b)  The rules to establish uniform core curricula for each
789	state-approved teacher preparation program must include, but are
790	not limited to, a State Board of Education identified foundation
791	in scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading literacy
792	and computational skills acquisition; classroom management;
793	school safety; professional ethics; educational law; human
794	development and learning; and understanding of the World Class
795	Education Sunshine State Standards content measured by state
796	achievement tests, reading and interpretation of data, and use
797	of data to improve student achievement.
798	(3)  DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.--A system
799	developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with
800	postsecondary educational institutions shall assist departments
801	and colleges of education in the restructuring of their programs
802	in accordance with this section to meet the need for producing
803	quality teachers now and in the future.
804	(b)  Departments and colleges of education shall emphasize
805	the state system of school improvement and education
806	accountability concepts and standards, including the World Class
807	Education Sunshine State Standards.
808	(5)  CONTINUED PROGRAM APPROVAL.--Notwithstanding
809	subsection (4), failure by a public or nonpublic teacher
810	preparation program to meet the criteria for continued program
811	approval shall result in loss of program approval. The
812	Department of Education, in collaboration with the departments
813	and colleges of education, shall develop procedures for
814	continued program approval that document the continuous
815	improvement of program processes and graduates' performance.
816	(e)  Continued approval of teacher preparation programs is
817	contingent upon compliance with the student admission
818	requirements of subsection (4) and upon the receipt of at least
819	a satisfactory rating from public schools and private schools
820	that employ graduates of the program. Each teacher preparation
821	program shall guarantee the high quality of its graduates during
822	the first 2 years immediately following graduation from the
823	program or following initial certification, whichever occurs
824	first. Any educator in a Florida school who fails to demonstrate
825	the essential skills specified in subparagraphs 1.-5. shall be
826	provided additional training by the teacher preparation program
827	at no expense to the educator or the employer. Such training
828	must consist of an individualized plan agreed upon by the school
829	district and the postsecondary educational institution that
830	includes specific learning outcomes. The postsecondary
831	educational institution assumes no responsibility for the
832	educator's employment contract with the employer. Employer
833	satisfaction shall be determined by an annually administered
834	survey instrument approved by the Department of Education that,
835	at a minimum, must include employer satisfaction of the
836	graduates' ability to do the following:
837	1.  Write and speak in a logical and understandable style
838	with appropriate grammar.
839	2.  Recognize signs of students' difficulty with the
840	reading and computational process and apply appropriate measures
841	to improve students' reading and computational performance.
842	3.  Use and integrate appropriate technology in teaching
843	and learning processes.
844	4.  Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the World
845	Class Education Sunshine State Standards.
846	5.  Maintain an orderly and disciplined classroom conducive
847	to student learning.
848	(6)  PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCE.--All postsecondary
849	instructors, school district personnel and instructional
850	personnel, and school sites preparing instructional personnel
851	through preservice field experience courses and internships
852	shall meet special requirements. District school boards are
853	authorized to pay student teachers during their internships.
854	(c)  Preservice field experience programs must provide
855	specific guidance and demonstration of effective classroom
856	management strategies, strategies for incorporating technology
857	into classroom instruction, strategies for incorporating
858	scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading literacy and
859	computational skills acquisition into classroom instruction, and
860	ways to link instructional plans to the World Class Education
861	Sunshine State Standards, as appropriate. The length of
862	structured field experiences may be extended to ensure that
863	candidates achieve the competencies needed to meet certification
864	requirements.
865	Section 19.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section
866	1007.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
867	1007.35  Florida Partnership for Minority and
868	Underrepresented Student Achievement.--
869	(6)  The partnership shall:
870	(c)  Provide teacher training and materials that are
871	aligned with the World Class Education Sunshine State Standards
872	and are consistent with best theory and practice regarding
873	multiple learning styles and research on learning, instructional
874	strategies, instructional design, and classroom assessment.
875	Curriculum materials must be based on current, accepted, and
876	essential academic knowledge. Materials for prerequisite courses
877	should, at a minimum, address the skills assessed on the Florida
878	Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
879	Section 20.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1), paragraphs
880	(a) and (c) of subsection (3), and subsection (4) of section
881	1008.22, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
882	1008.22  Student assessment program for public schools.--
883	(1)  PURPOSE.--The primary purposes of the student
884	assessment program are to provide information needed to improve
885	the public schools by enhancing the learning gains of all
886	students and to inform parents of the educational progress of
887	their public school children. The program must be designed to:
888	(a)  Assess the annual learning gains of each student
889	toward achieving the World Class Education Sunshine State
890	Standards appropriate for the student's grade level.
891	(3)  STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner shall
892	design and implement a statewide program of educational
893	assessment that provides information for the improvement of the
894	operation and management of the public schools, including
895	schools operating for the purpose of providing educational
896	services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
897	The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued
898	administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation
899	programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may
900	be initiated in 1 fiscal year and continue into the next and may
901	be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years.
902	The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale or
903	lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and
904	related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the
905	statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall:
906	(a)  Submit to the State Board of Education for approval
907	the content knowledge and a list that specifies student skills
908	expected of a student by and competencies to which the goals for
909	education specified in the state plan apply, including, but not
910	limited to, reading, writing, science, and mathematics. The
911	skills and competencies must include problem-solving and higher-
912	order skills as appropriate and shall be known as the World
913	Class Education Sunshine State Standards as defined in s.
914	1000.21. The commissioner shall select such skills and
915	competencies after receiving recommendations from educators,
916	citizens, and members of the business community. The
917	commissioner shall submit to the State Board of Education
918	revisions to the list of student skills and competencies in
919	order to maintain continuous progress toward improvements in
920	student proficiency.
921	(c)  Develop and implement a student achievement testing
922	program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
923	(FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program to measure
924	reading;, writing;, science; social studies, with an emphasis on
925	history, government, civics, and United States patriotism and
926	national sovereignty;, and mathematics. Other content areas may
927	be included as directed by the commissioner. The assessment of
928	reading and mathematics shall be administered annually in grades
929	3 through 10. The assessment of writing, and science, and social
930	studies shall be administered at least once at the elementary,
931	middle, and high school levels. The content knowledge and skills
932	assessed by the FCAT must be aligned to the content knowledge
933	and skills expected of a student by the World Class Education
934	Standards. As the Sunshine State Standards are replaced by the
935	World Class Education Standards under s. 1001.03(1), the
936	commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, shall expedite
937	revision of the FCAT for alignment to the standards. The
938	commissioner shall report any barriers to expedited alignment to
939	the State Board of Education, the Governor, the President of the
940	Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
941	state board shall consider the use of other validated
942	assessments, including, but not limited to, assessments
943	administered by other states, to expedite alignment of the FCAT
944	to the World Class Education Standards. The commissioner must
945	document the procedures used to ensure that the versions of the
946	FCAT which are taken by students retaking the grade 10 FCAT are
947	equally as challenging and difficult as the tests taken by
948	students in grade 10 which contain performance tasks. The
949	testing program must be designed so that:
950	1.  The tests measure student content knowledge and skills
951	and competencies adopted by the State Board of Education as
952	specified in paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report
953	student proficiency levels of all students assessed in reading;,
954	writing;, mathematics;, and science; and social studies, with an
955	emphasis on history, government, civics, and United States
956	patriotism and national sovereignty. The commissioner shall
957	provide for the tests to be developed or obtained, as
958	appropriate, through contracts and project agreements with
959	private vendors, public vendors, public agencies, postsecondary
960	educational institutions, or school districts. The commissioner
961	shall obtain input for with respect to the design and
962	implementation of the testing program from state educators,
963	assistive technology experts, and the public.
964	2.  The testing program will include a combination of norm-
965	referenced and criterion-referenced tests and include, to the
966	extent determined by the commissioner, questions that require
967	the student to produce information or perform tasks in such a
968	manner in which the content knowledge and way that the skills
969	used by the student and competencies he or she uses can be
970	measured.
971	3.  Each testing program, whether at the elementary,
972	middle, or high school level, includes a test of writing in
973	which students are required to produce writings that are then
974	scored by appropriate and timely methods.
975	4.  A score is designated for each subject area tested,
976	below which score a student's performance is deemed inadequate.
977	The school districts shall provide appropriate remedial
978	instruction to students who score below these levels.
979	5.  Except as provided in s. 1003.428(8)(b) or s.
980	1003.43(11)(b), students must earn a passing score on the grade
981	10 assessment test described in this paragraph or attain
982	concordant scores as described in subsection (9) in reading,
983	writing, and mathematics to qualify for a standard high school
984	diploma. The State Board of Education shall designate a passing
985	score for each part of the grade 10 assessment test. In
986	establishing passing scores, the state board shall consider any
987	possible negative impact of the test on minority students. The
988	State Board of Education shall adopt rules which specify the
989	passing scores for the grade 10 FCAT. Any such rules, which have
990	the effect of raising the required passing scores, shall only
991	apply to students taking the grade 10 FCAT for the first time
992	after such rules are adopted by the State Board of Education.
993	6.  Participation in the testing program is mandatory for
994	all students attending public school, including students served
995	in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise
996	prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not
997	participate in the statewide assessment, the district must
998	notify the student's parent and provide the parent with
999	information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation.
1000	A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive
1001	classroom instructional accommodations that would not be
1002	available or permitted on the statewide assessments and must
1003	acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the
1004	implications of such instructional accommodations. The State
1005	Board of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations
1006	of the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations
1007	for students in exceptional education programs and for students
1008	who have limited English proficiency. Accommodations that negate
1009	the validity of a statewide assessment are not allowable in the
1010	administration of the FCAT. However, instructional
1011	accommodations are allowable in the classroom if included in a
1012	student's individual education plan. Students using
1013	instructional accommodations in the classroom that are not
1014	allowable as accommodations on the FCAT may have the FCAT
1015	requirement waived under pursuant to the requirements of s.
1016	1003.428(8)(b) or s. 1003.43(11)(b).
1017	7.  A student seeking an adult high school diploma must
1018	meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school
1019	student must meet.
1020	8.  District school boards must provide instruction to
1021	prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the content
1022	knowledge and skills and competencies necessary for successful
1023	grade-to-grade progression and high school graduation. If a
1024	student is provided with instructional accommodations in the
1025	classroom that are not allowable as accommodations in the
1026	statewide assessment program, as described in the test manuals,
1027	the district must inform the parent in writing and must provide
1028	the parent with information regarding the impact on the
1029	student's ability to meet expected proficiency levels in
1030	reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies math.
1031	The commissioner shall conduct studies as necessary to verify
1032	that the required content knowledge and skills and competencies
1033	are part of the district instructional programs.
1034	9.  District school boards must provide opportunities for
1035	students to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an
1036	alternative standardized assessment approved by the State Board
1037	of Education following enrollment in summer academies.
1038	10.  The Department of Education must develop, or select,
1039	and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be
1040	used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools
1041	must accurately measure the content knowledge and skills and
1042	competencies established in the World Class Education Sunshine
1043	State Standards.
1044	11.  For students seeking a special diploma under pursuant
1045	to s. 1003.438, the Department of Education must develop or
1046	select and implement an alternate assessment tool that
1047	accurately measures the content knowledge and skills and
1048	competencies established in the World Class Education Sunshine
1049	State Standards for students with disabilities under s.
1050	1003.438.
1051	12.  The commissioner shall establish a testing schedule
1052	that provides for administration of the FCAT as close to the end
1053	of the school year as practicable while reporting test scores
1054	before the end of the school year. The commissioner shall
1055	consider computer-based testing and other strategies for
1056	reducing the time for reporting test results. Beginning with the
1057	2009-2010 school year, the FCAT Writing assessment may not be
1058	administered before March 1 and the other FCAT assessments may
1059	not be administered before April 15.
1060	13.  A student earns the designation of "proficient" in a
1061	subject area for a grade level if the student earns a score on
1062	the FCAT that demonstrates proficiency in the subject area for
1063	that grade level. The commissioner shall determine scores
1064	demonstrating proficiency in each subject area and grade level
1065	of the FCAT. The commissioner's determination shall limit the
1066	proficiency designation to scores earned by the highest
1067	performing students.
1068
1069	The commissioner may, based on collaboration and input from
1070	school districts, design and implement student testing programs,
1071	for any grade level and subject area, necessary to effectively
1072	monitor educational achievement in the state, including the
1073	measurement of educational achievement of the World Class
1074	Education Sunshine State Standards for students with
1075	disabilities. Development and refinement of assessments shall
1076	include universal design principles and accessibility standards
1077	that will prevent any unintended obstacles for students with
1078	disabilities while ensuring the validity and reliability of the
1079	test. These principles should be applicable to all technology
1080	platforms and assistive devices available for the assessments.
1081	The field testing process and psychometric analyses for the
1082	statewide assessment program must include an appropriate
1083	percentage of students with disabilities and an evaluation or
1084	determination of the effect of test items on such students.
1085	(4)  DISTRICT TESTING PROGRAMS.--Each district school board
1086	shall periodically assess student performance and achievement
1087	within each school of the district. The assessment programs must
1088	be based upon local goals and objectives that are compatible
1089	with the state plan for education and that supplement the
1090	content knowledge and skills and competencies adopted by the
1091	State Board of Education. All school districts must participate
1092	in the statewide assessment program designed to measure annual
1093	student learning and school performance. All district school
1094	boards shall report assessment results as required by the state
1095	management information system.
1096	Section 21.  Section 1008.222, Florida Statutes, is created
1097	to read:
1098	1008.222  End-of-course examinations.--
1099	(1)  It is the intent of the Legislature that effective
1100	assessment measures be developed and implemented for subject
1101	areas that are not included within the statewide assessment
1102	system under s. 1008.22 or included as acceptable examinations
1103	as provided in section 2 of chapter 2007-3, Laws of Florida.
1104	(2)  As used in this section, the term "end-of-course
1105	examination" means a locally developed, state-developed, or
1106	nationally developed comprehensive examination based on the
1107	instructional content of a complete semester or year-long
1108	course. Comprehensive end-of-course examinations must be aligned
1109	to the most currently adopted state standards and must account
1110	for at least 15 percent of a student's grade. Comprehensive end-
1111	of-course examinations must provide for at least 50 percent of
1112	the student assessment to be based on extended written
1113	responses, application or performance of content skills, and
1114	measures of critical thinking.
1115	(3)  The Department of Education shall disseminate to all
1116	school districts information regarding the most effective
1117	practices in the development and administration of locally
1118	developed, state-developed, and nationally developed
1119	comprehensive end-of-course examinations as described in this
1120	section. This information must be provided to school districts
1121	in an electronic format by July 1, 2008, and must be updated a
1122	minimum of twice annually.
1123	(4)  Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, school
1124	districts that administer end-of-course examinations for merit
1125	award programs under s. 1012.225 must comply with this section.
1126	Section 22.  Subsection (1), paragraph (b) of subsection
1127	(2), paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (4), paragraph (b) of
1128	subsection (6), paragraph (b) of subsection (7), and paragraph
1129	(a) of subsection (8) of section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are
1130	amended to read:
1131	1008.25  Public school student progression; remedial
1132	instruction; reporting requirements.--
1133	(1)  INTENT.--It is the intent of the Legislature that each
1134	student's progression from one grade to another be determined,
1135	in part, upon proficiency in reading, writing, science, social
1136	studies, and mathematics; that district school board policies
1137	facilitate such proficiency; and that each student and his or
1138	her parent be informed of that student's academic progress.
1139	(2)  COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.--Each district school board
1140	shall establish a comprehensive program for student progression
1141	which must include:
1142	(b)  Specific levels of performance in reading, writing,
1143	science, social studies, and mathematics for each grade level,
1144	including the levels of performance on statewide assessments as
1145	defined by the commissioner, below which a student must receive
1146	remediation, or be retained within an intensive program that is
1147	different from the previous year's program and that takes into
1148	account the student's learning style.
1149	(4)  ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION.--
1150	(a)  Each student must participate in the statewide
1151	assessment tests required by s. 1008.22. Each student who does
1152	not meet specific levels of performance as determined by the
1153	district school board in reading, writing, science, social
1154	studies, and mathematics for each grade level, or who scores
1155	below Level 3 in reading or math, must be provided with
1156	additional diagnostic assessments to determine the nature of the
1157	student's difficulty, the areas of academic need, and strategies
1158	for appropriate intervention and instruction as described in
1159	paragraph (b).
1160	(c)  Upon subsequent evaluation, if the documented
1161	deficiency has not been remediated, the student may be retained.
1162	Each student who does not meet the minimum performance
1163	expectations defined by the Commissioner of Education for the
1164	statewide assessment tests in reading, writing, science, social
1165	studies, and mathematics must continue to be provided with
1166	remedial or supplemental instruction until the expectations are
1167	met or the student graduates from high school or is not subject
1168	to compulsory school attendance.
1169	(6)  ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL PROMOTION.--
1170	(b)  The district school board may only exempt students
1171	from mandatory retention, as provided in paragraph (5)(b), for
1172	good cause. Good cause exemptions shall be limited to the
1173	following:
1174	1.  Limited English proficient students who have had less
1175	than 2 years of instruction in an English for Speakers of Other
1176	Languages program.
1177	2.  Students with disabilities whose individual education
1178	plan indicates that participation in the statewide assessment
1179	program is not appropriate, consistent with the requirements of
1180	State Board of Education rule.
1181	3.  Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of
1182	performance on an alternative standardized reading assessment
1183	approved by the State Board of Education.
1184	4.  Students who demonstrate, through a student portfolio,
1185	that the student is reading on grade level as evidenced by
1186	demonstration of mastery of the World Class Education Sunshine
1187	State Standards in reading equal to at least a Level 2
1188	performance on the FCAT.
1189	5.  Students with disabilities who participate in the FCAT
1190	and who have an individual education plan or a Section 504 plan
1191	that reflects that the student has received intensive
1192	remediation in reading for more than 2 years but still
1193	demonstrates a deficiency in reading and was previously retained
1194	in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3.
1195	6.  Students who have received intensive remediation in
1196	reading for 2 or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency
1197	in reading and who were previously retained in kindergarten,
1198	grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3 for a total of 2 years. Intensive
1199	reading instruction for students so promoted must include an
1200	altered instructional day that includes specialized diagnostic
1201	information and specific reading strategies for each student.
1202	The district school board shall assist schools and teachers to
1203	implement reading strategies that research has shown to be
1204	successful in improving reading among low-performing readers.
1205	(7)  SUCCESSFUL PROGRESSION FOR RETAINED READERS.--
1206	(b)  Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, each school
1207	district shall:
1208	1.  Conduct a review of student progress monitoring plans
1209	for all students who did not score above Level 1 on the reading
1210	portion of the FCAT and did not meet the criteria for one of the
1211	good cause exemptions in paragraph (6)(b). The review shall
1212	address additional supports and services, as described in this
1213	subsection, needed to remediate the identified areas of reading
1214	deficiency. The school district shall require a student
1215	portfolio to be completed for each such student.
1216	2.  Provide students who are retained under the provisions
1217	of paragraph (5)(b) with intensive instructional services and
1218	supports to remediate the identified areas of reading
1219	deficiency, including a minimum of 90 minutes of daily,
1220	uninterrupted, scientifically research-based reading instruction
1221	and other strategies prescribed by the school district, which
1222	may include, but are not limited to:
1223	a.  Small group instruction.
1224	b.  Reduced teacher-student ratios.
1225	c.  More frequent progress monitoring.
1226	d.  Tutoring or mentoring.
1227	e.  Transition classes containing 3rd and 4th grade
1228	students.
1229	f.  Extended school day, week, or year.
1230	g.  Summer reading camps.
1231	3.  Provide written notification to the parent of any
1232	student who is retained under the provisions of paragraph (5)(b)
1233	that his or her child has not met the proficiency level required
1234	for promotion and the reasons the child is not eligible for a
1235	good cause exemption as provided in paragraph (6)(b). The
1236	notification must comply with the provisions of s. 1002.20(15)
1237	and must include a description of proposed interventions and
1238	supports that will be provided to the child to remediate the
1239	identified areas of reading deficiency.
1240	4.  Implement a policy for the midyear promotion of any
1241	student retained under the provisions of paragraph (5)(b) who
1242	can demonstrate that he or she is a successful and independent
1243	reader, reading at or above grade level, and ready to be
1244	promoted to grade 4. Tools that school districts may use in
1245	reevaluating any student retained may include subsequent
1246	assessments, alternative assessments, and portfolio reviews, in
1247	accordance with rules of the State Board of Education. Students
1248	promoted during the school year after November 1 must
1249	demonstrate proficiency above that required to score at Level 2
1250	on the grade 3 FCAT, as determined by the State Board of
1251	Education. The State Board of Education shall adopt standards
1252	that provide a reasonable expectation that the student's
1253	progress is sufficient to master appropriate 4th grade level
1254	reading skills.
1255	5.  Provide students who are retained under the provisions
1256	of paragraph (5)(b) with a high-performing teacher as determined
1257	by student performance data and above-satisfactory performance
1258	appraisals.
1259	6.  In addition to required reading enhancement and
1260	acceleration strategies, provide parents of students to be
1261	retained with at least one of the following instructional
1262	options:
1263	a.  Supplemental tutoring in scientifically research-based
1264	reading services in addition to the regular reading block,
1265	including tutoring before and/or after school.
1266	b.  A "Read at Home" plan outlined in a parental contract,
1267	including participation in "Families Building Better Readers
1268	Workshops" and regular parent-guided home reading.
1269	c.  A mentor or tutor with specialized reading training.
1270	7.  Establish a Reading Enhancement and Acceleration
1271	Development (READ) Initiative. The focus of the READ Initiative
1272	shall be to prevent the retention of grade 3 students and to
1273	offer intensive accelerated reading instruction to grade 3
1274	students who failed to meet standards for promotion to grade 4
1275	and to each K-3 student who is assessed as exhibiting a reading
1276	deficiency. The READ Initiative shall:
1277	a.  Be provided to all K-3 students at risk of retention as
1278	identified by the statewide assessment system used in Reading
1279	First schools. The assessment must measure phonemic awareness,
1280	phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
1281	b.  Be provided during regular school hours in addition to
1282	the regular reading instruction.
1283	c.  Provide a state-identified reading curriculum that has
1284	been reviewed by the Florida Center for Reading Research at
1285	Florida State University and meets, at a minimum, the following
1286	specifications:
1287	(I)  Assists students assessed as exhibiting a reading
1288	deficiency in developing the ability to read at grade level.
1289	(II)  Provides skill development in phonemic awareness,
1290	phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
1291	(III)  Provides scientifically based and reliable
1292	assessment.
1293	(IV)  Provides initial and ongoing analysis of each
1294	student's reading progress.
1295	(V)  Is implemented during regular school hours.
1296	(VI)  Provides a curriculum in core academic subjects to
1297	assist the student in maintaining or meeting proficiency levels
1298	for the appropriate grade in all academic subjects.
1299	8.  Establish at each school, where applicable, an
1300	Intensive Acceleration Class for retained grade 3 students who
1301	subsequently score at Level 1 on the reading portion of the
1302	FCAT. The focus of the Intensive Acceleration Class shall be to
1303	increase a child's reading level at least two grade levels in 1
1304	school year. The Intensive Acceleration Class shall:
1305	a.  Be provided to any student in grade 3 who scores at
1306	Level 1 on the reading portion of the FCAT and who was retained
1307	in grade 3 the prior year because of scoring at Level 1 on the
1308	reading portion of the FCAT.
1309	b.  Have a reduced teacher-student ratio.
1310	c.  Provide uninterrupted reading instruction for the
1311	majority of student contact time each day and incorporate
1312	opportunities to master the World Class Education Standards for
1313	grade 4 Sunshine State Standards in other core subject areas.
1314	d.  Use a reading program that is scientifically research-
1315	based and has proven results in accelerating student reading
1316	achievement within the same school year.
1317	e.  Provide intensive language and vocabulary instruction
1318	using a scientifically research-based program, including use of
1319	a speech-language therapist.
1320	f.  Include weekly progress monitoring measures to ensure
1321	progress is being made.
1322	g.  Report to the Department of Education, in the manner
1323	described by the department, the progress of students in the
1324	class at the end of the first semester.
1325	9.  Report to the State Board of Education, as requested,
1326	on the specific intensive reading interventions and supports
1327	implemented at the school district level. The Commissioner of
1328	Education shall annually prescribe the required components of
1329	requested reports.
1330	10.  Provide a student who has been retained in grade 3 and
1331	has received intensive instructional services but is still not
1332	ready for grade promotion, as determined by the school district,
1333	the option of being placed in a transitional instructional
1334	setting. Such setting shall specifically be designed to produce
1335	learning gains sufficient to meet grade 4 performance standards
1336	while continuing to remediate the areas of reading deficiency.
1337	(8)  ANNUAL REPORT.--
1338	(a)  In addition to the requirements in paragraph (5)(b),
1339	each district school board must annually report to the parent of
1340	each student the progress of the student toward achieving state
1341	and district expectations for proficiency in reading, writing,
1342	science, social studies, and mathematics. The district school
1343	board must report to the parent the student's results on each
1344	statewide assessment test. The evaluation of each student's
1345	progress must be based upon the student's classroom work,
1346	observations, tests, district and state assessments, and other
1347	relevant information. Progress reporting must be provided to the
1348	parent in writing in a format adopted by the district school
1349	board.
1350	Section 23.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
1351	1008.385, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1352	1008.385  Educational planning and information systems.--
1353	(1)  EDUCATIONAL PLANNING.--
1354	(b)  Each district school board shall maintain a continuing
1355	system of planning and budgeting designed to aid in identifying
1356	and meeting the educational needs of students and the public.
1357	Provision shall be made for coordination between district school
1358	boards and community college boards of trustees concerning the
1359	planning for career education and adult educational programs.
1360	The major emphasis of the system shall be upon locally
1361	determined goals and objectives, the state plan for education,
1362	and the World Class Education Sunshine State Standards developed
1363	by the Department of Education and adopted by the State Board of
1364	Education. The district planning and budgeting system must
1365	include consideration of student achievement data obtained
1366	pursuant to ss. 1008.22 and 1008.34. The system shall be
1367	structured to meet the specific management needs of the district
1368	and to align the budget adopted by the district school board
1369	with the plan the board has also adopted. Each district school
1370	board shall utilize its system of planning and budgeting to
1371	emphasize a system of school-based management in which
1372	individual school centers become the principal planning units
1373	and to integrate planning and budgeting at the school level.
1374	Section 24.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
1375	1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1376	1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual
1377	allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
1378	district for operation of schools is not determined in the
1379	annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
1380	the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
1381	follows:
1382	(1)  COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
1383	OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in
1384	determining the annual allocation to each district for
1385	operation:
1386	(e)  Funding model for exceptional student education
1387	programs.--
1388	1.a.  The funding model uses basic, at-risk, support levels
1389	IV and V for exceptional students and career Florida Education
1390	Finance Program cost factors, and a guaranteed allocation for
1391	exceptional student education programs. Exceptional education
1392	cost factors are determined by using a matrix of services to
1393	document the services that each exceptional student will
1394	receive. The nature and intensity of the services indicated on
1395	the matrix shall be consistent with the services described in
1396	each exceptional student's individual educational plan.
1397	b.  In order to generate funds using one of the two
1398	weighted cost factors, a matrix of services must be completed at
1399	the time of the student's initial placement into an exceptional
1400	student education program and at least once every 3 years by
1401	personnel who have received approved training. Nothing listed in
1402	the matrix shall be construed as limiting the services a school
1403	district must provide in order to ensure that exceptional
1404	students are provided a free, appropriate public education.
1405	c.  Students identified as exceptional, in accordance with
1406	chapter 6A-6, Florida Administrative Code, who do not have a
1407	matrix of services as specified in sub-subparagraph b. shall
1408	generate funds on the basis of full-time-equivalent student
1409	membership in the Florida Education Finance Program at the same
1410	funding level per student as provided for basic students.
1411	Additional funds for these exceptional students will be provided
1412	through the guaranteed allocation designated in subparagraph 2.
1413	2.  For students identified as exceptional who do not have
1414	a matrix of services, there is created a guaranteed allocation
1415	to provide these students with a free appropriate public
1416	education, in accordance with s. 1001.42(4)(m) and rules of the
1417	State Board of Education, which shall be allocated annually to
1418	each school district in the amount provided in the General
1419	Appropriations Act. These funds shall be in addition to the
1420	funds appropriated on the basis of FTE student membership in the
1421	Florida Education Finance Program, and the amount allocated for
1422	each school district shall not be recalculated during the year.
1423	These funds shall be used to provide special education and
1424	related services for exceptional students. Beginning with the
1425	2007-2008 fiscal year, a school district's expenditure of funds
1426	from the guaranteed allocation for students in grades 9 through
1427	12 who are gifted may not be greater than the amount expended
1428	during the 2006-2007 fiscal year for gifted students in grades 9
1429	through 12.
1430	Section 25.  Paragraph (o) of subsection (2) of section
1431	1012.05, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1432	1012.05  Teacher recruitment and retention.--
1433	(2)  The Department of Education shall:
1434	(o)  Develop and implement an online Teacher Toolkit that
1435	contains a menu of resources, based on the World Class Education
1436	Sunshine State Standards, that all teachers can use to enhance
1437	classroom instruction and increase teacher effectiveness, thus
1438	resulting in improved student achievement.
1439	Section 26.  Subsection (5) of section 1012.28, Florida
1440	Statutes, is amended to read:
1441	1012.28  Public school personnel; duties of school
1442	principals.--
1443	(5)  Each school principal shall perform such duties as may
1444	be assigned by the district school superintendent, pursuant to
1445	the rules of the district school board. Such rules shall
1446	include, but are not limited to, rules relating to
1447	administrative responsibility, instructional leadership in
1448	implementing the World Class Education Sunshine State Standards
1449	and the overall educational program of the school to which the
1450	school principal is assigned, submission of personnel
1451	recommendations to the district school superintendent,
1452	administrative responsibility for records and reports,
1453	administration of corporal punishment, and student suspension.
1454	Section 27.  Subsection (1) of section 1012.52, Florida
1455	Statutes, is amended to read:
1456	1012.52  Teacher quality; legislative findings.--
1457	(1)  The Legislature intends to implement a comprehensive
1458	approach to increase students' academic achievement and improve
1459	teaching quality. The Legislature recognizes that professional
1460	educators play an important role in shaping the future of this
1461	state and the nation by developing the knowledge and skills of
1462	our future workforce and laying the foundation for good
1463	citizenship and full participation in community and civic life.
1464	The Legislature also recognizes its role in meeting the state's
1465	educational priorities so as to provide opportunity for all
1466	students to achieve at the levels set by the World Class
1467	Education Sunshine State Standards.
1468	Section 28.  Subsection (4) and paragraph (a) of subsection
1469	(7) of section 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1470	1012.56  Educator certification requirements.--
1471	(4)  MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.--Acceptable means
1472	of demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are:
1473	(a)  Achievement of passing scores on subject area
1474	examinations required by state board rule;
1475	(b)  Completion of the subject area specialization
1476	requirements specified in state board rule and verification of
1477	the attainment of the essential subject matter competencies by
1478	the district school superintendent of the employing school
1479	district or chief administrative officer of the employing state-
1480	supported or private school for a subject area for which a
1481	subject area examination has not been developed and required by
1482	state board rule;
1483	(c)  Completion of the subject area specialization
1484	requirements specified in state board rule for a subject
1485	coverage requiring a master's or higher degree and achievement
1486	of a passing score on the subject area examination specified in
1487	state board rule;
1488	(d)  A valid professional standard teaching certificate
1489	issued by another state; or
1490	(e)  A valid certificate issued by the National Board for
1491	Professional Teaching Standards or a national educator
1492	credentialing board approved by the State Board of Education.
1493
1494	School districts are encouraged to provide mechanisms for those
1495	middle school teachers holding only a K-6 teaching certificate
1496	to obtain a subject area coverage for middle grades through
1497	postsecondary coursework or district add-on certification. As
1498	the Sunshine State Standards are replaced by the World Class
1499	Education Standards under s. 1001.03(1), the State Board of
1500	Education shall align the subject area examinations to the World
1501	Class Education Standards.
1502	(7)  PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION AND
1503	EDUCATION COMPETENCY PROGRAM.--
1504	(a)  The Department of Education shall develop and each
1505	school district must provide a cohesive competency-based
1506	professional preparation alternative certification program by
1507	which members of a school district's instructional staff may
1508	satisfy the mastery of professional preparation and education
1509	competence requirements specified in this subsection and rules
1510	of the State Board of Education. Participants must hold a state-
1511	issued temporary certificate. A school district shall provide a
1512	competency-based alternative certification preparation program
1513	developed by the Department of Education or developed by the
1514	district and approved by the Department of Education. The
1515	program shall include the following components:
1516	1.  A minimum period of initial preparation prior to
1517	assuming duties as the teacher of record.
1518	2.  An option for collaboration between school districts
1519	and other supporting agencies for implementation.
1520	3.  Experienced peer mentors.
1521	4.  An assessment that provides for:
1522	a.  An initial evaluation of each educator's competencies
1523	to determine an appropriate individualized professional
1524	development plan.
1525	b.  A postevaluation to assure successful completion of the
1526	program.
1527	5.  Professional education preparation content knowledge
1528	that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1529	a.  Requirements specified in state board rule for
1530	professional preparation.
1531	b.  The educator-accomplished practices approved by the
1532	state board.
1533	c.  A variety of data indicators for student progress.
1534	d.  Methodologies, including technology-based
1535	methodologies, for teaching subject content that supports the
1536	World Class Education Sunshine State Standards for students.
1537	e.  Techniques for effective classroom management.
1538	f.  Techniques and strategies for operationalizing the role
1539	of the teacher in assuring a safe learning environment for
1540	students.
1541	g.  Methodologies for assuring the ability of all students
1542	to read, write, and compute.
1543	6.  Required achievement of passing scores on the
1544	professional education competency examination required by state
1545	board rule.
1546	Section 29.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
1547	1012.585, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1548	1012.585  Process for renewal of professional
1549	certificates.--
1550	(3)  For the renewal of a professional certificate, the
1551	following requirements must be met:
1552	(a)  The applicant must earn a minimum of 6 college credits
1553	or 120 inservice points or a combination thereof. For each area
1554	of specialization to be retained on a certificate, the applicant
1555	must earn at least 3 of the required credit hours or equivalent
1556	inservice points in the specialization area. Education in
1557	"clinical educator" training under pursuant to s. 1004.04(6)(b)
1558	and credits or points that provide training in the area of
1559	scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading literacy and
1560	computational skills acquisition, exceptional student education,
1561	normal child development, and the disorders of development may
1562	be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points
1563	that provide training in the areas of drug abuse, child abuse
1564	and neglect, strategies in teaching students having limited
1565	proficiency in English, or dropout prevention, or training in
1566	areas identified in the educational goals and performance
1567	standards adopted under pursuant to ss. 1000.03(5) and 1008.345
1568	may be applied toward any specialization area. Credits or points
1569	earned through approved summer institutes may be applied toward
1570	the fulfillment of these requirements. Inservice points earned
1571	under s. 1012.98(4)(b)5.d. for inservice activities on the
1572	content and instruction of the World Class Education Standards
1573	may be applied toward any specialization area. Inservice points
1574	may also be earned by participation in professional growth
1575	components approved by the State Board of Education and
1576	specified under pursuant to s. 1012.98 in the district's
1577	approved master plan for inservice educational training,
1578	including, but not limited to, serving as a trainer in an
1579	approved teacher training activity, serving on an instructional
1580	materials committee or a state board or commission that deals
1581	with educational issues, or serving on an advisory council
1582	created under pursuant to s. 1001.452.
1583	Section 30.  Subsection (1) of section 1012.72, Florida
1584	Statutes, is amended to read:
1585	1012.72  Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching Program.--
1586	(1)  The Legislature recognizes that teachers play a
1587	critical role in preparing students to achieve the high levels
1588	of academic performance expected by the World Class Education
1589	Sunshine State Standards. The Legislature further recognizes the
1590	importance of identifying and rewarding teaching excellence and
1591	of encouraging good teachers to become excellent teachers. The
1592	Legislature finds that the National Board of Professional
1593	Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has established high and rigorous
1594	standards for accomplished teaching and has developed a national
1595	voluntary system for assessing and certifying teachers who
1596	demonstrate teaching excellence by meeting those standards. It
1597	is therefore the Legislature's intent to provide incentives for
1598	teachers to seek NBPTS certification and to reward teachers who
1599	demonstrate teaching excellence by attaining NBPTS certification
1600	and sharing their expertise with other teachers.
1601	Section 31.  Subsection (1) and paragraph (b) of subsection
1602	(4) of section 1012.98, Florida Statutes, are amended, and
1603	subsections (12) and (13) are added to that section, to read:
1604	1012.98  School Community Professional Development Act.--
1605	(1)  The Department of Education, public postsecondary
1606	educational institutions, public school districts, public
1607	schools, state education foundations, consortia, and
1608	professional organizations in this state shall work
1609	collaboratively to establish a coordinated system of
1610	professional development. The purpose of the professional
1611	development system is to increase student achievement, enhance
1612	classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and
1613	relevance throughout the curriculum, and prepare students for
1614	continuing education and the workforce. The system of
1615	professional development must align to the World Class Education
1616	Standards adopted by the state and support the framework for
1617	standards adopted by the National Staff Development Council.
1618	(4)  The Department of Education, school districts,
1619	schools, community colleges, and state universities share the
1620	responsibilities described in this section. These
1621	responsibilities include the following:
1622	(b)  Each school district shall develop a professional
1623	development system as specified in subsection (3). The system
1624	shall be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher-
1625	educators of community colleges and state universities, business
1626	and community representatives, and local education foundations,
1627	consortia, and professional organizations. The professional
1628	development system must:
1629	1.  Be approved by the department. All substantial
1630	revisions to the system must shall be submitted to the
1631	department for review for continued approval.
1632	2.  Be based on analyses of student achievement data and
1633	instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous,
1634	relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools
1635	and districts, in developing and refining the professional
1636	development system, shall also review and monitor school
1637	discipline data; school environment surveys; assessments of
1638	parental satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers,
1639	managers, and administrative personnel; and other performance
1640	indicators to identify school and student needs that can be met
1641	by improved professional performance.
1642	3.  Provide inservice activities coupled with followup
1643	support appropriate to accomplish state, district, district-
1644	level and school school-level improvement goals and standards.
1645	The inservice activities for instructional personnel shall focus
1646	on analysis of student achievement data, ongoing formal and
1647	informal assessments of student achievement, identification and
1648	use of enhanced and differentiated instructional strategies that
1649	emphasize rigor, relevance, and reading in the content areas,
1650	enhancement of subject content expertise, integrated use of
1651	classroom technology that enhances teaching and learning,
1652	classroom management, parent involvement, and school safety. As
1653	the Sunshine State Standards are replaced by the World Class
1654	Education Standards under s. 1001.03(1), a school district must
1655	align its inservice activities to the World Class Education
1656	Standards.
1657	4.  Include a master plan for inservice activities, in
1658	accordance with pursuant to rules of the State Board of
1659	Education, for all district employees from all fund sources. The
1660	master plan shall be updated annually by September 1, must be
1661	based on input from teachers and district and school
1662	instructional leaders, and must use the latest available student
1663	achievement data and research to enhance rigor and relevance in
1664	the classroom. Each district inservice plan must be aligned to
1665	and support the school-based inservice plans and school
1666	improvement plans under pursuant to s. 1001.42(16). District
1667	plans must be approved by the district school board annually in
1668	order to ensure compliance with subsection (1) and to allow for
1669	dissemination of research-based best practices to other
1670	districts. District school boards must submit verification of
1671	their approval to the Commissioner of Education by no later than
1672	October 1 of each year, annually.
1673	5.  Require each school principal to establish and maintain
1674	an individual professional development plan for each
1675	instructional employee assigned to the school as a seamless
1676	component to the school improvement plans developed under
1677	pursuant to s. 1001.42(16). The individual professional
1678	development plan must:
1679	a.  Be related to specific performance data for the
1680	students to whom the teacher is assigned.
1681	b.  Define the inservice objectives and specific measurable
1682	improvements expected in student performance as a result of the
1683	inservice activity.
1684	c.  Include an evaluation component that determines the
1685	effectiveness of the professional development plan.
1686	d.  Require the instructional employee to earn at least 20
1687	inservice points for inservice activities on the content and
1688	instruction of the World Class Education Standards. The award of
1689	inservice points is conditioned upon the employee's passage of
1690	an inservice examination of the knowledge and skills presented
1691	through the inservice activities. An instructional employee is
1692	required to take only those parts of an inservice examination on
1693	subject areas for which the employee holds certification or
1694	endorsement. If an instructional employee passes the inservice
1695	examination after completing less than 20 inservice hours, the
1696	employee is awarded a total of 20 inservice points. The
1697	Department of Education shall establish minimum competencies for
1698	the inservice examinations. An instructional employee must earn
1699	the inservice points for at least one subject area by the end of
1700	the next school year after:
1701	(I)  Initial adoption of the World Class Education
1702	Standards for the subject area; and
1703	(II)  Subsequent adoption of the World Class Education
1704	Standards for the subject area if the Commissioner of Education
1705	determines that the standards for the subject area are
1706	substantially revised from the previously adopted standards.
1707
1708	If the instructional employee holds certification or endorsement
1709	in more than one subject area, the employee must earn the
1710	required inservice points for the remaining subject areas before
1711	the employee's educator certificate is required to be renewed.
1712	However, if this sub-subparagraph requires the instructional
1713	employee to earn the inservice points within the last 2 years of
1714	the employee's recertification period, the employee must earn
1715	the inservice points for at least one subject area per year and
1716	must earn all of the inservice points for the remaining subject
1717	areas within 2 years after the employee's educator certificate
1718	is required to be renewed.
1719	6.  Include inservice activities for school administrative
1720	personnel that address updated skills necessary for
1721	instructional leadership and effective school management under
1722	pursuant to s. 1012.986.
1723	7.  Provide for systematic consultation with regional and
1724	state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and
1725	evaluation of local professional development programs.
1726	8.  Provide for delivery of professional development by
1727	distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to
1728	reach more educators at lower costs.
1729	9.  Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality
1730	and effectiveness of professional development programs in order
1731	to eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand
1732	effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such
1733	activities on the performance of participating educators and
1734	their students' achievement and behavior.
1735	(12)  The State Board of Education shall require the
1736	statewide standardized delivery of inservice activities for
1737	Florida educators on the content and instruction of the World
1738	Class Education Standards. The effectiveness of the inservice
1739	activities shall be evaluated using performance outcomes of both
1740	the educator and the educator's students.
1741	(13)  The Department of Education shall provide statewide
1742	standardized professional development for educators on the
1743	Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, and all Florida educators
1744	must participate in the professional development. The
1745	professional development shall include, at a minimum,
1746	instruction on how the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is
1747	developed and scored, what information is available to parents
1748	and students about the test, the ethical and professional
1749	standards of instruction aligned to state-adopted standards and
1750	the importance of not teaching to the test, and the process used
1751	in grading schools for the state's accountability system.
1752	Section 32.  Funding for professional development.--
1753	(1)  By January 15, 2008, each school district shall submit
1754	to the Department of Education, in the format prescribed by the
1755	department, an inventory of all professional development
1756	programs offered by the district during the 2006-2007 fiscal
1757	year. The department shall compile a statewide inventory of the
1758	programs using the information submitted by each district.
1759	(2)(a)  The Department of Education and school districts
1760	shall give priority in the allocation and use of professional
1761	development funds provided for the 2008-2009 fiscal year to
1762	professional development programs on the World Class Education
1763	Standards that have measurable outcomes, with an emphasis on
1764	programs delivered through the use of information technology.
1765	(b)  By December 31, 2009, each school district shall
1766	submit to the Department of Education, in the format prescribed
1767	by the department, a report detailing the district's use of
1768	professional development funds during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
1769	The report, at a minimum, shall identify each program within the
1770	district that is provided state funds, the portion of the
1771	program devoted to professional development on the World Class
1772	Education Standards, and the measurable outcomes of the program.
1773	Section 33.  After-school programs.--
1774	(1)  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
1775	Accountability, by January 1, 2008, shall submit a report to the
1776	Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
1777	House of Representatives on after-school programs. The report
1778	shall:
1779	(a)  Review different types of public and private after-
1780	school programs available for families;
1781	(b)  Identify strong accountability measures, including
1782	outcomes, that could be used to measure the success of after-
1783	school programs;
1784	(c)  Review existing research that analyzes the types of
1785	after-school programs that provide important educational
1786	benefits for students and families;
1787	(d)  Include options for providing incentives to create
1788	public-private partnerships to expand after-school programs;
1789	(e)  Review how the state could maximize federal funding of
1790	after-school programs, including, but not limited to, an
1791	examination of current methods for obtaining funding from the
1792	Federal Government, including grants, and other methods for
1793	obtaining federal funding; and
1794	(f)  Provide options for correcting the state's
1795	deficiencies in obtaining federal funding for after-school
1796	programs, if the report finds any deficiencies, and the
1797	projected cost of implementing those options.
1798	(2)  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
1799	Accountability, in conducting research for the report, shall
1800	consult with the Department of Education, the Department of
1801	Children and Family Services, and other interested entities that
1802	may offer unique experiences and perspectives on after-school
1803	programs.
1804	Section 34.  Gifted student education.--
1805	(1)  By December 1, 2007, the Office of Program Policy
1806	Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit a report to
1807	the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
1808	House of Representatives, and the Commissioner of Education on
1809	gifted services and programming provided to public school
1810	students in kindergarten through grade 12. The report shall
1811	include findings based on the following:
1812	(a)  A survey of each school district to identify:
1813	1.  The methods used to identify gifted students, which may
1814	include, but are not limited to, screenings of the general
1815	population and referral-based intelligence quotient testing, and
1816	the grade levels and number of schools using each method.
1817	2.  The number of gifted students identified under each of
1818	the methods specified under subparagraph 1. during the 2005-2006
1819	and 2006-2007 school years.
1820	3.  Whether the district implements a plan under rule 6A-
1821	6.03019(2)(b), Florida Administrative Code, to increase the
1822	participation of students from underrepresented groups in gifted
1823	programming and the number of students by grade level who were
1824	identified as gifted under such a plan in the 2005-2006 and
1825	2006-2007 school years.
1826	4.  The types of services and programming provided to
1827	gifted students according to grade level, the number of schools
1828	in which the services and programming are offered, and the
1829	number of students by grade level who received the services and
1830	programming during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.
1831	Services and programming identified for high school students
1832	shall be limited to core courses coded with state course code
1833	numbers identifying the courses as honors or gifted.
1834	5.  The amount of the exceptional student education
1835	guaranteed allocation expended by the district during the 2005-
1836	2006 and 2006-2007 school years for gifted services and
1837	programming according to each grade level and school within the
1838	district.
1839	(b)  An assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of
1840	current Florida law that classifies gifted students as
1841	exceptional students.
1842	(c)  An evaluation of the gifted eligibility criteria in
1843	rule 6A-6.03019, Florida Administrative Code, and in school
1844	district plans under paragraph (2)(b) of that rule and a
1845	determination of the effect that applying the criteria has on
1846	the racial and ethnic diversity of gifted services and
1847	programming.
1848	(d)  A review of the practices of other states for
1849	identifying gifted students and for providing and funding gifted
1850	services and programming.
1851	(e)  An examination of peer-reviewed literature concerning
1852	best practices for serving gifted and otherwise academically
1853	talented students.
1854	(2)  The report shall include, but is not limited to, a
1855	summary, discussion, and evaluation of the findings under
1856	subsection (1); recommendations for the improvement of gifted
1857	identification practices and services and programming provided
1858	to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are gifted or
1859	otherwise academically talented; and proposed statutory changes
1860	to implement the report's recommendations.
1861	Section 35.  Visual and performing arts education.--By
1862	February 1, 2008, the Commissioner of Education shall submit a
1863	report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
1864	Speaker of the House of Representatives on the opportunities
1865	available to students in this state for participation in visual
1866	and performing arts education in K-12 public schools. The report
1867	shall include the following elements:
1868	(1)  Enrollment data for students enrolled in visual and
1869	performing arts courses for the previous 5 school years,
1870	reported separately for music, visual arts, theatre, and dance
1871	by grade level; and
1872	(2)  An analysis of the correlation between a student's
1873	participation in visual and performing arts education and
1874	overall student performance. The analysis shall examine the
1875	number of credits in visual and performing arts taken by grade
1876	12 students in public high school during the previous 5 school
1877	years compared to the students' high school graduation rates,
1878	grade point averages, and attendance.
1879	Section 36.  Public-Private Partnering Task Force.--
1880	(1)  Effective upon this act becoming a law, there is
1881	created the Public-Private Partnering Task Force. The task force
1882	is composed of the following members: the Secretary of
1883	Management Services or the secretary's designee, who shall serve
1884	as chair; the chair of the State Board of Education or the
1885	chair's designee, who shall serve as vice chair; and five
1886	members who are not members of the Legislature or school
1887	district officers or employees and who have a broad variety of
1888	business experience in public-private partnering, one of whom
1889	shall be appointed by the Governor, two of whom shall be
1890	appointed by the President of the Senate, and two of whom shall
1891	be appointed by Speaker of the House of Representatives.
1892	(2)  The members of the task force shall be appointed by
1893	July 1, 2007, and shall convene the initial meeting of the task
1894	force by August 1, 2007.
1895	(3)  The task force is assigned to the Department of
1896	Management Services for administrative purposes. Members of the
1897	task force are entitled to per diem and travel expenses under s.
1898	112.061, Florida Statutes, and are subject to the Code of Ethics
1899	for Public Officers and Employees under part III of chapter 112,
1900	Florida Statutes.
1901	(4)  By February 1, 2008, the task force shall submit
1902	recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
1903	and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
1904	recommendations shall include, but are not limited to, the
1905	following:
1906	(a)  Recommendations on public-private partnering for
1907	school construction, leasing, and maintenance that relate to:
1908	1.  The feasibility and advisability of, and possible
1909	methodologies for, achieving greater facilities construction and
1910	maintenance cost efficiencies and reducing construction times
1911	through public-private partnering.
1912	2.  Optimal design and performance standards for safe and
1913	functional school facilities that are space efficient and
1914	technologically advanced.
1915	3.  Optimal construction standards that ensure appropriate
1916	industry standards and optimal life cycles, including, but not
1917	limited to, standards for optimal size of core facility space,
1918	design-build performance contracting, energy efficiency, and
1919	life-cycle systems costing.
1920	4.  Maintenance, repair, renovation, remodeling, and site
1921	acquisition standards, guidelines, and protocols.
1922	5.  Optimal use of permanent versus relocatable facilities
1923	and protocols for decisionmaking regarding both facility
1924	options.
1925	6.  Protocols for regular assessments of facility capacity
1926	to ensure maximization of space utilization.
1927	7.  Energy performance contracting with guaranteed annual
1928	energy savings.
1929	(b)  Recommendations on public-private partnering for
1930	school transportation services that relate to:
1931	1.  Fuel and bus efficiencies.
1932	2.  Route planning, times, and design efficiencies.
1933	(c)  Recommendations on public-private partnering for
1934	school food services that relate to:
1935	1.  Relevant federal law and implications.
1936	2.  Potential liability issues.
1937	3.  Quality control.
1938	(5)  Upon delivery of its final report and recommendations,
1939	the task force is abolished.
1940	Section 37.  The sum of $2,525,000 is appropriated from the
1941	General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for the
1942	2007-2008 fiscal year for purposes of implementing this act.
1943	Section 38.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
1944	act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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