Florida Senate - 2017                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 468
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì395600xÎ395600                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/20/2017           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on Pre-K - 12 Education (Stargel)
       recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 1001.215, Florida Statutes, is amended
    6  to read:
    7         1001.215 Just Read, Florida! Office.—There is created in
    8  the Department of Education the Just Read, Florida! Office. The
    9  office shall be fully accountable to the Commissioner of
   10  Education and shall:
   11         (1) Train highly effective reading coaches.
   12         (2) Create multiple designations of effective reading
   13  instruction, with accompanying credentials, which encourage all
   14  teachers to integrate reading instruction into their content
   15  areas.
   16         (3) Train Voluntary Prekindergarten through grade 3
   17  teachers, reading coaches, and school principals on effective
   18  research-based reading instructional strategies and
   19  interventions for all students. Contingent upon legislative
   20  appropriation, this training must be designed to be consistently
   21  delivered statewide in an appropriate format. The office shall
   22  collaborate with the Office of Early Learning to develop the
   23  training.
   24         (4)(3) Train grade 4-12 K-12 teachers and school principals
   25  on effective content-area-specific reading strategies. For
   26  secondary teachers, emphasis shall be on technical text. These
   27  strategies must be developed for all content areas in the grade
   28  4-12 K-12 curriculum.
   29         (5)(4) Provide parents with information and strategies for
   30  assisting their children in reading in the content area.
   31         (6)(5) Provide technical assistance to school districts in
   32  the development and implementation of district plans for use of
   33  the research-based reading instruction allocation provided in s.
   34  1011.62(9) and annually review and approve such plans.
   35         (7)(6) Review, evaluate, and provide technical assistance
   36  to school districts’ implementation of the K-12 comprehensive
   37  reading plan required in s. 1011.62(9).
   38         (8)(7) Work with the Florida Center for Reading Research to
   39  provide information on research-based reading programs and
   40  effective reading in the content area strategies.
   41         (9) Work with the Florida Center for Reading Research to
   42  develop and provide access to sequenced curriculum programming,
   43  instructional practices, and resources that help elementary
   44  schools use state-adopted instructional materials and content
   45  rich texts to increase students’ background knowledge and
   46  literacy skills consistent with the state academic standards.
   47         (10)(8) Periodically review the Next Generation Sunshine
   48  State Standards for reading at all grade levels.
   49         (11)(9) Periodically review teacher certification
   50  examinations, including alternative certification exams, to
   51  ascertain whether the examinations measure the skills needed for
   52  research-based reading instruction and instructional strategies
   53  for teaching reading in the content areas.
   54         (12)(10) Work with teacher preparation programs approved
   55  pursuant to s. 1004.04 to integrate research-based reading
   56  instructional strategies and reading in the content area
   57  instructional strategies into teacher preparation programs.
   58         (13)(11) Administer grants and perform other functions as
   59  necessary to meet the goal that all students read at grade
   60  level.
   61         Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 1002.51,
   62  Florida Statutes, to read:
   63         1002.51 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term:
   64         (8) “Public school prekindergarten provider” includes a
   65  charter school that is authorized to provide a prekindergarten
   66  program in its charter consistent with s. 1002.33 and that is
   67  eligible to deliver the school-year prekindergarten program
   68  under s. 1002.63 or the summer prekindergarten program under s.
   69  1002.61.
   70         Section 3. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (4) of
   71  section 1002.53, Florida Statutes, to read:
   72         1002.53 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program;
   73  eligibility and enrollment.—
   74         (4)
   75         (d) Each early learning coalition shall coordinate with the
   76  Office of Early Learning to assign student identification
   77  numbers to each student who enrolls in the Voluntary
   78  Prekindergarten Education Program.
   79         Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (2) of
   80  section 1002.67, Florida Statutes, are amended, paragraphs (d)
   81  and (e) are added to subsection (3) of that section, present
   82  subsection (4) of that section is redesignated as subsection
   83  (5), and a new subsection (4) is added to that section, to read:
   84         1002.67 Performance standards; curricula and
   85  accountability.—
   86         (2)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
   87  school may select or design the curriculum that the provider or
   88  school uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
   89  Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school
   90  that is placed on probation under paragraph (5)(c) (4)(c).
   91         (c) The office shall review and approve curricula for use
   92  by private prekindergarten providers and public schools that are
   93  placed on probation under paragraph (5)(c) (4)(c). The office
   94  shall maintain a list of the curricula approved under this
   95  paragraph. Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements
   96  of paragraph (b).
   97         (3)
   98         (d) Each private prekindergarten provider and public school
   99  in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program shall provide
  100  parents with the results of the pre- and post-assessments,
  101  including any resources that might be helpful for their
  102  students, within 10 days after administration of the assessment.
  103         (e) The results of the pre- and post-assessments must be
  104  reported at the aggregate level, distributed to the respective
  105  early learning coalitions and school districts, and displayed on
  106  the office’s website within 30 days after administration of the
  107  assessment.
  108         (4) The office shall determine the eligibility criteria for
  109  enrollment, as authorized by s. 1002.71(4)(c), and for
  110  reenrollment in the school year Voluntary Prekindergarten
  111  Education Program.
  112         Section 5. Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraphs (a), (e),
  113  and (f) of subsection (7) of section 1002.69, Florida Statutes,
  114  are amended to read:
  115         1002.69 Statewide kindergarten screening; kindergarten
  116  readiness rates; state-approved prekindergarten enrollment
  117  screening; good cause exemption.—
  118         (1) The department shall adopt a single statewide
  119  kindergarten screening that assesses the readiness of each
  120  student for kindergarten based upon the performance standards
  121  adopted by the department under s. 1002.67(1) for the Voluntary
  122  Prekindergarten Education Program. The department shall require
  123  that each school district administer the statewide kindergarten
  124  screening to each kindergarten student in the school district
  125  within the first 30 school days of each school year. Nonpublic
  126  schools may administer the statewide kindergarten screening to
  127  each kindergarten student in a nonpublic school who was enrolled
  128  in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
  129         (2) The statewide kindergarten screening must shall provide
  130  objective data concerning each student’s readiness for
  131  kindergarten and progress in attaining the performance standards
  132  adopted by the office under s. 1002.67(1), with an emphasis on
  133  early literacy and numeracy skills. The screening must be a
  134  direct assessment of these skills.
  135         (7)(a) Notwithstanding s. 1002.67(5)(c)3. s.
  136  1002.67(4)(c)3., the office, upon the request of a private
  137  prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on
  138  probation for 2 consecutive years or more and subsequently fails
  139  to meet the minimum rate adopted under subsection (6) and for
  140  good cause shown, may grant to the provider or school an
  141  exemption from being determined ineligible to deliver the
  142  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state
  143  funds for the program. Such exemption is valid for 1 year and,
  144  upon the request of the private prekindergarten provider or
  145  public school and for good cause shown, may be renewed.
  146         (e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
  147  granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its
  148  improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required
  149  under s. 1002.67(5)(c)1. s. 1002.67(4)(c)1., including the use
  150  of a curriculum approved by the office, until the provider or
  151  school meets the minimum rate adopted under subsection (6).
  152         (f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private
  153  prekindergarten provider who remains on probation for 2
  154  consecutive years, the office shall notify the early learning
  155  coalition of the good cause exemption and direct that the
  156  coalition, notwithstanding s. 1002.67(5)(c)3. s.
  157  1002.67(4)(c)3., not remove the provider from eligibility to
  158  deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program or to
  159  receive state funds for the program, if the provider meets all
  160  other applicable requirements of this part.
  161         Section 6. Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (4) of
  162  section 1002.71, Florida Statutes, to read:
  163         1002.71 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.—
  164         (4) Notwithstanding s. 1002.53(3) and subsection (2):
  165         (c) Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, a child who has
  166  completed a school-year Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
  167  Program but is determined to be at risk of not attaining the
  168  performance standards specified by s. 1002.67(1) may reenroll in
  169  one of the school-year programs, which is offered by a provider
  170  that has met the adopted minimum readiness rate provided under
  171  s. 1002.69(6), for the subsequent year at the request of the
  172  child’s parent. The prekindergarten program may report the child
  173  for funding purposes as a full-time equivalent student in the
  174  school-year program for which he or she is enrolled.
  175  
  176  A child may reenroll only once in a prekindergarten program
  177  under this section. A child who reenrolls in a prekindergarten
  178  program under this subsection may not subsequently withdraw from
  179  the program and reenroll, unless the child is granted a good
  180  cause exemption under this subsection. The Office of Early
  181  Learning shall establish criteria specifying whether a good
  182  cause exists for a child to withdraw from a program under
  183  paragraph (a), whether a child has substantially completed a
  184  program under paragraph (b), and whether an extreme hardship
  185  exists which is beyond the child’s or parent’s control under
  186  paragraph (b).
  187         Section 7. Paragraph (d) of subsection (9) of section
  188  1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  189         1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
  190  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
  191  district for operation of schools is not determined in the
  192  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
  193  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
  194  follows:
  195         (9) RESEARCH-BASED READING INSTRUCTION ALLOCATION.—
  196         (d) Annually, by a date determined by the Department of
  197  Education but before May 1, school districts shall submit a K-12
  198  comprehensive reading plan for the specific use of the research
  199  based reading instruction allocation in the format prescribed by
  200  the department for review and approval by the Just Read,
  201  Florida! Office created pursuant to s. 1001.215. The plan
  202  annually submitted by school districts shall be deemed approved
  203  unless the department rejects the plan on or before June 1. If a
  204  school district and the Just Read, Florida! Office cannot reach
  205  agreement on the contents of the plan, the school district may
  206  appeal to the State Board of Education for resolution. School
  207  districts shall be allowed reasonable flexibility in designing
  208  their plans and shall be encouraged to offer reading
  209  intervention through innovative methods, including career
  210  academies. The plan format shall be developed with input from
  211  school district personnel, including teachers and principals,
  212  and shall allow courses in core, career, and alternative
  213  programs that deliver intensive reading remediation through
  214  integrated curricula, provided that the teacher is deemed highly
  215  qualified to teach reading or is working toward that status. No
  216  later than July 1 annually, the department shall release the
  217  school district’s allocation of appropriated funds to those
  218  districts having approved plans. A school district that spends
  219  100 percent of this allocation on its approved plan shall be
  220  deemed to have been in compliance with the plan. The department
  221  may withhold funds upon a determination that reading instruction
  222  allocation funds are not being used to implement the approved
  223  plan. The department shall monitor and track the implementation
  224  of each district plan, including conducting site visits and
  225  collecting specific data on expenditures and reading improvement
  226  results. By December February 1 of each year, the department
  227  shall report its findings from the previous school year to the
  228  Legislature.
  229         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.
  230  
  231  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  232  And the title is amended as follows:
  233         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  234  and insert:
  235                        A bill to be entitled                      
  236         An act relating to voluntary prekindergarten
  237         education; amending s. 1001.215, F.S.; requiring the
  238         Just Read, Florida! Office to provide teachers,
  239         reading coaches, and principals in prekindergarten
  240         through grade 3 with specified training; requiring the
  241         office to work with the Florida Center for Reading
  242         Research to develop and provide access to certain
  243         programming, practices, and resources; amending s.
  244         1002.51; defining the term “public school
  245         prekindergarten provider”; amending s. 1002.53, F.S.;
  246         requiring each early learning coalition to coordinate
  247         with the Office of Early Learning to assign student
  248         identification numbers for the Voluntary
  249         Prekindergarten Education Program; amending s.
  250         1002.67, F.S.; requiring voluntary prekindergarten
  251         providers to provide parents with pre- and post
  252         assessment results within a specified timeframe;
  253         providing for the reporting and distribution of the
  254         results; requiring the office to determine eligibility
  255         criteria for reenrollment; amending s. 1002.69, F.S.;
  256         revising requirements for the adoption and use of the
  257         statewide kindergarten screening; conforming cross
  258         references; amending s. 1002.71, F.S.; authorizing a
  259         child to reenroll in certain school-year programs
  260         under certain circumstances; amending s. 1011.62,
  261         F.S.; revising the date by which the Department of
  262         Education must submit specified information regarding
  263         the implementation of school district K-12
  264         comprehensive reading plans to the Legislature;
  265         providing an effective date.