Florida Senate - 2010 SB 2304
By Senator Altman
24-01849A-10 20102304__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public school mathematics and
3 science instructional materials; creating the Florida
4 Center for World Excellence in Mathematics and Science
5 to provide for the review of mathematics and science
6 instructional materials; providing duties of the
7 center to include recommendations to the Commissioner
8 of Education of instructional materials for use in K
9 12 public schools beginning with the 2011-2012 school
10 year; requiring the Commissioner of Education to adopt
11 instructional materials in mathematics and science
12 according to a schedule developed by the commissioner;
13 requiring the center to form advisory panels for
14 mathematics and science to make recommendations to the
15 center; specifying requirements for recommended
16 instructional materials; authorizing the Commissioner
17 of Education to add curricula to the existing 2010
18 2011 list of adopted instructional materials under
19 certain circumstances; providing for funding;
20 providing an effective date.
21
22 WHEREAS, Florida’s citizens need world-class skills to
23 secure a place in the increasingly competitive global economy,
24 and Florida’s school children, teachers, and parents need access
25 to the best possible instructional materials and technologies to
26 acquire these basic skills, and
27 WHEREAS, mathematics and science are among the most
28 fundamental of these skills and are among the core subjects
29 which form the basis of Florida’s educational standards, and
30 WHEREAS, technology and teaching practices for mathematics
31 and science have evolved significantly during the past 20 years,
32 and the newest versions of Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine
33 State Standards reflect best practices, and
34 WHEREAS, Florida’s public school classrooms have not always
35 kept pace with changes in these standards, which is due
36 partially to a state instructional materials adoption process
37 that resists many of the changes embodied in the latest
38 standards and is also due to the rapid pace of change in the
39 instructional materials market, and
40 WHEREAS, in order to improve the mathematics and science
41 skills of Florida’s students, a 21st Century instructional
42 materials adoption process should be developed and implemented
43 to enable Florida’s school children, teachers, and parents to
44 benefit from the best possible instructional materials and
45 technologies, and
46 WHEREAS, the Legislature is considering legislation which
47 will require, as a condition for promotion and graduation, that
48 Florida students pass end-of-course assessments in mathematics
49 and science, thereby increasing the need for effective classroom
50 instruction, and
51 WHEREAS, the Legislature has taken comparable steps in the
52 past to improve the quality of reading instruction in the state
53 by creating the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida
54 State University, and
55 WHEREAS, the current instructional materials adoption
56 process results in the rejection of many of the most effective
57 methods of instruction in mathematics and science, warranting a
58 reconstruction of the entire process, NOW, THEREFORE,
59
60 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
61
62 Section 1. Florida Center for World Excellence in
63 Mathematics and Science.—
64 (1) The Florida Center for World Excellence in Mathematics
65 and Science is created at the University of Florida. The purpose
66 of the Florida Center for World Excellence in Mathematics and
67 Science is to provide for an independent review of mathematics
68 and science instructional materials from around the world to
69 ensure delivery of the best possible instruction in the state’s
70 K-12 public schools and to ensure that instructional personnel
71 adopt the most effective teaching strategies. The center shall:
72 (a) Conduct basic and applied research in mathematics and
73 science learning.
74 (b) Recommend the most effective instructional materials
75 and technologies, both core and supplemental, for use in the K
76 12 public schools, such as those used in the Singapore Math
77 programs.
78 (c) Disseminate best practices in mathematics and science
79 instruction through teacher preparation programs.
80 (d) Monitor educational outcomes to identify effective
81 programs.
82 (e) Recommend measures to ensure fidelity of the
83 implementation of best classroom practices.
84 (2)(a) The center shall form advisory panels to make
85 recommendations to the center for mathematics and science
86 instructional materials for the 2011-2012 school year and for
87 school years thereafter. An advisory panel for mathematics shall
88 be composed of at least three postsecondary education scholars
89 in the field of mathematics and an experienced Florida public
90 school mathematics teacher in each of the grade groups, K
91 through grade 5, grades 6 through 8, and grades 9 through 12. An
92 advisory panel for science shall be composed of at least three
93 postsecondary education scholars in the field of science and an
94 experienced Florida public school science teacher in each of the
95 grade groups, K through grade 5, grades 6 through 8, and grades
96 9 through 12.
97 (b) The advisory panels shall review instructional
98 materials adopted by the Department of Education under the
99 existing adoption process and make recommendations to the center
100 for the addition or deletion of instructional materials to
101 ensure that they include the best possible instructional
102 materials and technologies.
103 (3) Notwithstanding any provision of law or rule to the
104 contrary, beginning in 2011, it shall be the responsibility of
105 the center to evaluate and recommend instructional materials in
106 mathematics and science for adoption by the Commissioner of
107 Education. The center shall recommend to the commissioner
108 instructional materials for mathematics and science for the
109 state’s K-12 public schools for the 2011-2012 school year and
110 for school years thereafter, according to a schedule developed
111 by the commissioner in consultation with the center. When making
112 recommendations to the commissioner, the center shall offer
113 solutions that:
114 (a) Provide differentiated instruction to each student.
115 (b) Have a track record of effectiveness when measured in
116 statistically valid controlled third-party studies, with sample
117 sizes of at least 1,000 students.
118 (c) Are research based.
119 (d) Are developed specifically to meet the Next Generation
120 Sunshine State Standards for mathematics and science.
121 (e) Include the ability to continually enhance and improve
122 the instruction based on feedback from the public schools, the
123 center, or the Department of Education during the adoption term.
124 (4) The Commissioner of Education may add curricula to the
125 existing 2010-2011 list of adopted instructional materials if
126 recommended or advised by the center, as a result of any
127 administrative challenge of the 2010-2011 adoption
128 recommendations, or otherwise as the commissioner deems in the
129 best interests of the state’s public school students.
130 (5) Funding for the 2010-2011 activities of the advisory
131 panels and the center shall be made through legislative
132 appropriation of general revenue funds or through the
133 redirection of funds appropriated to the Department of Education
134 for its instructional materials adoption process. Funding for
135 the center in subsequent years shall be derived from a variety
136 of sources, including, but not limited to: National Science
137 Foundation grants for basic and applied educational research;
138 United States Department of Education’s Institute of Education
139 Sciences research grants to study the effectiveness of adopted
140 mathematics and science curricula in Florida’s schools; private
141 foundation grants to expand innovation and best practices in
142 mathematics and science education; federal Race to the Top funds
143 for implementing high academic standards, measuring results,
144 recruiting the best teachers, and turning around struggling
145 schools; and fees charged to public schools and school districts
146 for educator preparation on the best practices in mathematics
147 and science instruction.
148 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.