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.