Florida Senate - 2010 SB 1342
By Senator Smith
29-00644-10 20101342__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to career and technical education in
3 public schools; providing for pilot projects in
4 Broward County and Duval County which are designed to
5 incorporate the elements of career and technical
6 education into the middle school curriculum; providing
7 goals for the pilot projects; requiring that the
8 Broward County District School Board and the Duval
9 County District School Board implement the pilot
10 projects in a certain number of middle schools within
11 each of their respective districts; authorizing the
12 Broward County District School Board and the Duval
13 County District School Board to enter into a contract
14 with a postsecondary educational institution to carry
15 out the goals of the pilot projects; requiring that
16 instructional and administrative staff from each
17 middle school selected for a pilot project consult
18 with their respective regional workforce board to
19 implement the projects; requiring that each district
20 school board and postsecondary educational
21 institution, if applicable, develop criteria and
22 evaluate each pilot project in consultation with the
23 Council for Education Policy Research and Improvement;
24 requiring that the council review the evaluations for
25 the pilot projects and submit a report to the
26 Legislature by a specified date; providing an
27 effective date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. (1) The purpose of this section is to authorize
32 the Broward County District School Board and the Duval County
33 District School Board to implement pilot projects that more
34 clearly and systematically incorporate the elements of career
35 and technical education into the middle school curriculum in
36 order to achieve the following goals:
37 (a) Exploring with middle school students how they can
38 successfully live and work in a culturally diverse world.
39 (b) Helping middle school students recognize their
40 interests, aptitudes, and abilities, and understand adult roles
41 in the world of work.
42 (c) Helping middle school students understand the broad
43 scope of work and career possibilities available currently and
44 in the future.
45 (d) Helping middle school students to broaden their
46 aspirations beyond the stereotypes of gender, socioeconomic
47 status, and ethnicity.
48 (e) Integrating career and technical education into the
49 general middle school academic curriculum in order to promote
50 intellectual development and the acquisition of higher-level
51 thinking and problem-solving skills.
52 (f) Assisting with middle school students’ development of
53 social skills, personal values, and self-esteem.
54 (g) Working with the families of middle school students to
55 support their children’s career aspirations.
56 (2) Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, the Broward
57 County District School Board and the Duval County District
58 School Board shall implement pilot projects in at least two but
59 no more than four middle schools in each of their respective
60 school districts. The district school boards may enter into a
61 contract with a postsecondary educational institution to carry
62 out the goals of the pilot projects. The middle schools that are
63 selected to participate in the pilot projects shall be
64 representative of both high and low scoring schools as measured
65 by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. All students who
66 are enrolled in each of the middle schools may participate in
67 the pilot projects.
68 (3) Instructional and administrative staff from each middle
69 school selected for participation in the pilot project shall
70 consult with their respective regional workforce board, as
71 provided in s. 445.007, Florida Statutes, to develop and
72 implement each pilot project. The regional workforce board shall
73 provide technical assistance and resources to the middle schools
74 in order to achieve the goals provided in subsection (1).
75 (4) Each district school board and postsecondary
76 educational institution, if applicable, shall develop criteria
77 for evaluating each pilot project in consultation with the
78 Council for Education Policy Research and Improvement, created
79 in s. 1000.01, Florida Statutes.
80 (5) The council shall review each evaluation and submit a
81 report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
82 House of Representatives by January l, 2012, regarding the
83 effectiveness of each pilot project, including recommendations
84 for implementing the projects on a statewide basis.
85 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.