Florida Senate - 2009 CS for SB 1680
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations; and
Senator Wise
602-05114-09 20091680c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the English Language Learners Pilot
3 Program; creating s. 1003.561, F.S.; requiring that
4 the State Board of Education implement a pilot program
5 that provides professional development training for
6 reading teachers to become qualified to teach reading
7 to students who are English Language Learners;
8 requiring that the Commissioner of Education appoint
9 members to a committee to develop and identify the
10 content for the pilot program; requiring that the
11 commissioner select three school districts to
12 participate in the pilot program; requiring that each
13 participating district submit an annual progress
14 report to the Department of Education; requiring that
15 the reports contain certain information; requiring
16 that the department submit a report to the State Board
17 of Education; requiring that the commissioner
18 recommend to the board whether to adopt a permanent
19 program and the content for such program; providing an
20 effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Section 1003.561, Florida Statutes, is created
25 to read:
26 1003.561 English Language Learners Pilot Program.—
27 (1) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year through the
28 2012-2013 school year, the State Board of Education shall
29 implement an English Language Learners Pilot Program providing
30 professional development training for reading teachers to become
31 qualified to teach reading to students who are English Language
32 Learners (ELL).
33 (2) The pilot program must be based upon a capstone that
34 defines the necessary content to teach reading to ELL students.
35 A committee of national and state-level experts in reading
36 instruction and English language acquisition shall develop and
37 identify the content for the pilot program. The Commissioner of
38 Education shall appoint members to the committee.
39 (3) The commissioner shall select three Florida school
40 districts representing rural, medium, and large school districts
41 to participate in the pilot program based upon each district’s
42 application. Participating districts shall submit annual
43 progress reports to the Department of Education which must
44 include:
45 (a) The number of teacher participants;
46 (b) The number of capstone completers;
47 (c) The number of ELL students taught reading by teacher
48 participants;
49 (d) The number of ELL students taught reading by capstone
50 completers;
51 (e) ELL student achievement scores on CELLA reading and
52 grades 3-10 FCAT reading taught by teacher participants and
53 capstone completers; and
54 (f) The comparison of ELL student achievement data for
55 students taught reading by teachers who have completed an ESOL
56 endorsement professional development program.
57 (4) Based on the districts’ progress reports, the
58 department shall submit a report to the State Board of
59 Education.
60 (5) At the end of the pilot program, the commissioner shall
61 recommend to the State Board of Education whether to adopt a
62 permanent capstone professional development program for teachers
63 to become qualified to teach reading to ELL students and the
64 content for such program.
65 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.