Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 856
       
       
       
       By Senator Rich
       
       
       
       
       34-00459A-12                                           2012856__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Voluntary Prekindergarten
    3         Education Program; amending ss. 1002.55 and 1002.63,
    4         F.S.; requiring that prekindergarten instructors in
    5         school-year prekindergarten programs delivered by
    6         private providers and public schools meet new
    7         professional credentialing requirements beginning July
    8         1, 2015; deleting provisions relating to alternate
    9         educational credentials, to conform; amending ss.
   10         1002.61 and 1007.23, F.S.; conforming cross-references
   11         to changes made by the act; repealing s. 1002.65,
   12         F.S., relating to aspirational goals for the
   13         professional credentials of prekindergarten
   14         instructors; providing an effective date.
   15  
   16         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that there is a strong
   17  correlation between the state’s fiscal and economic well-being,
   18  the state’s workforce development, the skills and preparation of
   19  the state’s prekindergarten instructors, and the educational
   20  outcomes of students in the state’s Voluntary Prekindergarten
   21  Education Program, and
   22         WHEREAS, national studies have shown that the only
   23  prekindergarten education programs that demonstrate large long
   24  term economic gains and improve educational outcomes for
   25  prekindergarten education students are programs taught by
   26  teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and
   27         WHEREAS, children who are enrolled in prekindergarten
   28  education programs taught by teachers who hold a bachelor’s
   29  degree or higher save taxpayer dollars by reducing costs
   30  associated with K-12 student remediation, student dropouts,
   31  juvenile and criminal justice, law enforcement, and other public
   32  safety and assistance programs, and
   33         WHEREAS, for the 2009-2010 school year, the rate of
   34  Florida’s third grade students who were not promoted to fourth
   35  grade was 5.9 percent, and
   36         WHEREAS, the number of prekindergarten through third grade
   37  students who are not promoted to the next grade costs Florida’s
   38  taxpayers in excess of $211 million annually, and
   39         WHEREAS, investment in high-quality prekindergarten
   40  education programs is a cost-effective way to create a highly
   41  skilled future workforce and is an effective public policy
   42  strategy for generating wealth and achieving social and economic
   43  development, and
   44         WHEREAS, Florida can meet teacher capacity for the
   45  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, based on graduation
   46  rates of students receiving bachelor’s degrees in early
   47  childhood education, by offering full reciprocity for teacher
   48  certificateholders from other states, by employing teachers who
   49  are currently being terminated due to the declining trends in K
   50  12 student growth, and by continuing to support a bachelor’s
   51  degree career ladder for existing nondegreed teachers, NOW,
   52  THEREFORE,
   53  
   54  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   55  
   56         Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1002.55,
   57  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   58         1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
   59  private prekindergarten providers.—
   60         (3) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program,
   61  a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the
   62  following requirements:
   63         (a) The private prekindergarten provider must be a child
   64  care facility licensed under s. 402.305, family day care home
   65  licensed under s. 402.313, large family child care home licensed
   66  under s. 402.3131, nonpublic school exempt from licensure under
   67  s. 402.3025(2), or faith-based child care provider exempt from
   68  licensure under s. 402.316.
   69         (b) The private prekindergarten provider must:
   70         1. Be accredited by an accrediting association that is a
   71  member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation,
   72  or the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools, or be
   73  accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
   74  or Western Association of Colleges and Schools, or North Central
   75  Association of Colleges and Schools, or Middle States
   76  Association of Colleges and Schools, or New England Association
   77  of Colleges and Schools; and have written accreditation
   78  standards that meet or exceed the state’s licensing requirements
   79  under s. 402.305, s. 402.313, or s. 402.3131 and require at
   80  least one onsite visit to the provider or school before
   81  accreditation is granted;
   82         2. Hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under
   83  s. 402.281; or
   84         3. Be licensed under s. 402.305, s. 402.313, or s. 402.3131
   85  and demonstrate, before delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten
   86  Education Program, as verified by the early learning coalition,
   87  that the provider meets each of the requirements of the program
   88  under this part, including, but not limited to, the requirements
   89  for credentials and background screenings of prekindergarten
   90  instructors under paragraphs (c) and (d), minimum and maximum
   91  class sizes under paragraph (f), prekindergarten director
   92  credentials under paragraph (g), and a developmentally
   93  appropriate curriculum under s. 1002.67(2)(b).
   94         (c) Beginning July 1, 2015:
   95         1. The private prekindergarten provider must have, for each
   96  prekindergarten class composed of fewer than 12 students, at
   97  least one prekindergarten instructor who holds:
   98         a. A bachelor’s or higher degree in early childhood
   99  education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
  100  education, or family and consumer science; or
  101         b. A bachelor’s or higher degree in elementary education,
  102  if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach
  103  children any age from birth through grade 6, regardless of
  104  whether the instructor’s educator certificate is current, and if
  105  the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school
  106  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked.
  107         2. The private prekindergarten provider must have, for each
  108  prekindergarten class composed of 12 or more students:
  109         a. One prekindergarten instructor who meets the
  110  requirements of subparagraph 1.; and
  111         b. One prekindergarten instructor who meets the following
  112  requirements:
  113         (I) Holds, at a minimum, a child development associate
  114  credential issued by the National Credentialing Program of the
  115  Council for Professional Recognition or a credential approved by
  116  the Department of Children and Family Services as being
  117  equivalent to or greater than the child development associate
  118  credential.
  119         (II) Successfully completes an emergent literacy training
  120  course approved by the Department of Education as meeting or
  121  exceeding the minimum standards adopted under s. 1002.59.
  122         (c) The private prekindergarten provider must have, for
  123  each prekindergarten class of 11 children or fewer, at least one
  124  prekindergarten instructor who meets each of the following
  125  requirements:
  126         1. The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum,
  127  one of the following credentials:
  128         a. A child development associate credential issued by the
  129  National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional
  130  Recognition; or
  131         b. A credential approved by the Department of Children and
  132  Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the
  133  credential described in sub-subparagraph a.
  134  
  135  The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules
  136  under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and
  137  procedures for approving equivalent credentials under sub
  138  subparagraph b.
  139         2. The prekindergarten instructor must successfully
  140  complete an emergent literacy training course approved by the
  141  department as meeting or exceeding the minimum standards adopted
  142  under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not apply to a
  143  prekindergarten instructor who successfully completes approved
  144  training in early literacy and language development under s.
  145  402.305(2)(d)5., s. 402.313(6), or s. 402.3131(5) before the
  146  establishment of one or more emergent literacy training courses
  147  under s. 1002.59 or April 1, 2005, whichever occurs later.
  148         (d) Each prekindergarten instructor employed by the private
  149  prekindergarten provider must be of good moral character, must
  150  be screened using the level 2 screening standards in s. 435.04
  151  before employment and rescreened at least once every 5 years,
  152  must be denied employment or terminated if required under s.
  153  435.06, and must not be ineligible to teach in a public school
  154  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked.
  155         (e) A private prekindergarten provider may assign a
  156  substitute instructor to temporarily replace a credentialed
  157  instructor if the credentialed instructor assigned to a
  158  prekindergarten class is absent, as long as the substitute
  159  instructor is of good moral character and has been screened
  160  before employment in accordance with level 2 background
  161  screening requirements in chapter 435. The Office of Early
  162  Learning shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph which
  163  shall include required qualifications of substitute instructors
  164  and the circumstances and time limits for which a private
  165  prekindergarten provider may assign a substitute instructor.
  166         (f) Each of the private prekindergarten provider’s
  167  prekindergarten classes must be composed of at least 4 students
  168  but may not exceed 20 students. In order to protect the health
  169  and safety of students, each private prekindergarten provider
  170  must also provide appropriate adult supervision for students at
  171  all times and, for Each prekindergarten class composed of 12 or
  172  more students must meet the requirements in subparagraph (c)2.
  173  for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in addition to a
  174  prekindergarten instructor who meets the requirements of
  175  paragraph (c), at least one adult prekindergarten instructor who
  176  is not required to meet those requirements but who must meet
  177  each requirement of paragraph (d). This paragraph does not
  178  supersede any requirement imposed on a provider under ss.
  179  402.301-402.319.
  180         (g) Before the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the
  181  private prekindergarten provider must have a prekindergarten
  182  director who has a prekindergarten director credential that is
  183  approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum
  184  standards adopted under s. 1002.57. Successful completion of a
  185  child care facility director credential under s. 402.305(2)(f)
  186  before the establishment of the prekindergarten director
  187  credential under s. 1002.57 or July 1, 2006, whichever occurs
  188  later, satisfies the requirement for a prekindergarten director
  189  credential under this paragraph.
  190         (h) The private prekindergarten provider must register with
  191  the early learning coalition on forms prescribed by the Office
  192  of Early Learning.
  193         (i) The private prekindergarten provider must deliver the
  194  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with
  195  this part.
  196         (4) A prekindergarten instructor, in lieu of the minimum
  197  credentials and courses required under paragraph (3)(c), may
  198  hold one of the following educational credentials:
  199         (a) A bachelor’s or higher degree in early childhood
  200  education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
  201  education, or family and consumer science;
  202         (b) A bachelor’s or higher degree in elementary education,
  203  if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach
  204  children any age from birth through 6th grade, regardless of
  205  whether the instructor’s educator certificate is current, and if
  206  the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school
  207  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked;
  208         (c) An associate’s or higher degree in child development;
  209         (d) An associate’s or higher degree in an unrelated field,
  210  at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child
  211  development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or
  212  providing child care services for children any age from birth
  213  through 8 years of age; or
  214         (e) An educational credential approved by the department as
  215  being equivalent to or greater than an educational credential
  216  described in this subsection. The department may adopt criteria
  217  and procedures for approving equivalent educational credentials
  218  under this paragraph.
  219         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 1002.61, Florida
  220  Statutes, is amended to read:
  221         1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
  222  schools and private prekindergarten providers.—
  223         (4) Notwithstanding ss. 1002.55(3)(c) 1002.55(3)(c)1. and
  224  1002.63(4), each public school and private prekindergarten
  225  provider must have, for each prekindergarten class, at least one
  226  prekindergarten instructor who:
  227         (a) Is a certified teacher; or
  228         (b) Holds one of the educational credentials specified in
  229  s. 1002.55(3)(c)1. 1002.55(4)(a) or (b).
  230  
  231  As used in this subsection, the term “certified teacher” means a
  232  teacher holding a valid Florida educator certificate under s.
  233  1012.56 who has the qualifications required by the district
  234  school board to instruct students in the summer prekindergarten
  235  program. In selecting instructional staff for the summer
  236  prekindergarten program, each school district shall give
  237  priority to teachers who have experience or coursework in early
  238  childhood education.
  239         Section 3. Subsections (4) and (7) of section 1002.63,
  240  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  241         1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
  242  public schools.—
  243         (4) Each prekindergarten class in a public school
  244  delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must meet the
  245  requirements in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for prekindergarten
  246  instructors. Each public school must have, for each
  247  prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten instructor
  248  who meets each requirement in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for a
  249  prekindergarten instructor of a private prekindergarten
  250  provider.
  251         (7) Each prekindergarten class in a public school
  252  delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must be
  253  composed of at least 4 students but may not exceed 20 students.
  254  In order to protect the health and safety of students, each
  255  school must also provide appropriate adult supervision for
  256  students at all times and, for Each prekindergarten class
  257  composed of 12 or more students must meet the requirements in s.
  258  1002.55(3)(c)2. for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in
  259  addition to a prekindergarten instructor who meets the
  260  requirements of s. 1002.55(3)(c), at least one adult
  261  prekindergarten instructor who is not required to meet those
  262  requirements but who must meet each requirement of subsection
  263  (5).
  264         Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 1007.23, Florida
  265  Statutes, is amended to read:
  266         1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
  267         (5) The articulation agreement must guarantee the
  268  articulation of 9 credit hours toward a postsecondary degree in
  269  early childhood education for programs approved by the State
  270  Board of Education and the Board of Governors which:
  271         (a) Award a child development associate credential issued
  272  by the National Credentialing Program of the Council for
  273  Professional Recognition or award a credential approved under s.
  274  1002.55(3)(c)2.b. 1002.55(3)(c)1.b. or s. 402.305(3)(c) as being
  275  equivalent to the child development associate credential; and
  276         (b) Include training in emergent literacy which meets or
  277  exceeds the minimum standards for training courses for
  278  prekindergarten instructors of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
  279  Education Program in s. 1002.59.
  280         Section 5. Section 1002.65, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
  281         Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.