Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 868
       
       
       
       By Senator Soto
       
       
       
       
       14-00703-13                                            2013868__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to English language instruction;
    3         amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; providing that a student’s
    4         parent has the right to request that the student be
    5         exempted from instruction in English language
    6         proficiency; amending s. 1003.56, F.S.; requiring the
    7         school district to exempt a student from participating
    8         in instruction in English language proficiency if the
    9         student’s parent requests the exemption in writing;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (10) of section 1002.20, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
   17  school students must receive accurate and timely information
   18  regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
   19  of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
   20  students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
   21  rights including, but not limited to, the following:
   22         (10) LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT STUDENTS.—In accordance
   23  with the provisions of s. 1003.56, a limited English proficient
   24  student has students have the right to receive ESOL (English for
   25  Speakers of Other Languages) instruction designed to develop the
   26  student’s mastery of listening, speaking, reading, and writing
   27  in English as rapidly as possible., and The student’s students’
   28  parents have the right to be involved of parental involvement in
   29  the ESOL program, and a right to request that their child be
   30  exempted from participating in the ESOL program.
   31         Section 2. Present subsection (5) of section 1003.56,
   32  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (6) and a new
   33  subsection (5) is added to that section, to read:
   34         1003.56 English language instruction for limited English
   35  proficient students.—
   36         (5) A school district shall exempt a student who is
   37  assessed as a limited English proficient student from
   38  participating in ESOL instruction if the student’s parent
   39  requests the exemption in writing.
   40         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.