Florida Senate - 2018 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Bill No. CS for SB 1056
Ì2939604Î293960
576-03007-18
Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Appropriations
(Appropriations Subcommittee on Pre-K - 12 Education)
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to computer science instruction;
3 amending s. 1007.2616, F.S.; defining the term
4 “computer science”; providing requirements for
5 specified instruction relating to computer science;
6 requiring school districts to provide computer science
7 courses in a specified number of schools by certain
8 dates; requiring certain computer science courses to
9 be included in the Course Code Directory and published
10 on the Department of Education’s website by a
11 specified date; providing that student enrollment in
12 certain courses offered by the Florida Virtual School
13 meet specified requirements; providing that a charter
14 school is not required to offer computer science
15 courses; providing that charter schools that offer
16 such courses may be used in meeting a school
17 district’s percentage thresholds; requiring the
18 Florida Virtual School to offer certain computer
19 science courses; requiring school districts to provide
20 access to computer science courses offered by the
21 Florida Virtual School or by other means under certain
22 circumstances; providing funds for school districts to
23 provide professional development for classroom
24 teachers, subject to legislative appropriation;
25 providing Department of Education responsibilities for
26 the distribution of such funds; requiring that high
27 school students be provided opportunities to take
28 counter science courses to meet certain graduation
29 requirements; providing funds for bonuses for certain
30 classroom teachers, subject to legislative
31 appropriation; providing funding for high-need
32 technology grants for school districts, subject to
33 legislative appropriation; requiring, rather than
34 authorizing, the State Board of Education to adopt
35 rules; providing an effective date.
36
37 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39 Section 1. Section 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, is amended
40 to read:
41 1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.—
42 (1) For the purposes of this section, the term “computer
43 science” means the study of computers and algorithmic processes,
44 including their principles, hardware and software designs,
45 applications, and their impact on society, and includes computer
46 coding and computer programming.
47 (2)(a)(1) Public schools shall provide students in grades
48 K-12 opportunities for learning computer science, including, but
49 not limited to, computer coding and computer programming. Such
50 opportunities may include coding instruction in elementary
51 school and middle school and, instruction to develop students’
52 computer usage and digital literacy skills in middle school, and
53 must include courses in computer science, computer coding, and
54 computer programming in middle school and high school,
55 including, but not limited to, earning-related industry
56 certifications. Such courses must be integrated into each school
57 district’s middle and high schools, including combination
58 schools in which any of grades 6 through 12 are taught, as
59 follows:
60 1. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a school
61 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
62 no less than 4 percent of the district’s total number of middle,
63 high, and combination schools.
64 2. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a school
65 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
66 no less than 7 percent of the district’s total number of middle,
67 high, and combination schools.
68 3. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, a school
69 district shall provide at least one computer science course in
70 no less than 10 percent of the district’s total number of
71 middle, high, and combination schools.
72 4. Notwithstanding subparagraphs 1.-3., a school district
73 with 10 or fewer public middle, high, and combination schools
74 shall provide at least one computer science course in at least
75 one middle, high, or combination school no later than the 2020
76 2021 school year.
77 (b) Computer science courses that count toward the
78 percentage thresholds in paragraph (a) must be identified in the
79 Course Code Directory and published on the Department of
80 Education’s website no later than July 1, 2018. The State Board
81 of Education shall develop rules so that additional computer
82 science courses may be subsequently identified and posted on the
83 department’s website.
84 (c) Student enrollment in computer science courses offered
85 by the Florida Virtual School pursuant to subsection (3) may be
86 used to satisfy the requirements of subparagraphs (a)1.-3.
87 (d) A charter school is not required to offer a computer
88 science course; however, enrollment of a charter school’s
89 students in a computer science course under this section may be
90 included in the school district’s percentage calculation.
91 (3) The Florida Virtual School shall offer computer science
92 courses identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to
93 paragraph (2)(b). If a school district does not offer an
94 identified course, the district must provide students access to
95 the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other
96 means.
97 (4)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a school
98 district or a consortium of school districts may apply to the
99 department, in a format prescribed by the department, for
100 funding to deliver or facilitate training for classroom teachers
101 to earn an educator certificate in computer science pursuant to
102 s. 1012.56 or an industry certification associated with a course
103 identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph
104 (2)(b). Such funding may only be used to provide training for
105 classroom teachers and to pay fees for examinations that lead to
106 a credential pursuant to this paragraph.
107 (b) Once the department has identified courses in the
108 Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), the
109 department shall establish a deadline for submitting
110 applications. The department shall award funding to school
111 districts in a manner that allows for an equitable distribution
112 of funding statewide based on student population.
113 (5)(2) Elementary schools and middle schools may establish
114 digital classrooms in which students are provided opportunities
115 to improve digital literacy and competency; to learn digital
116 skills, such as coding, multiple media presentation, and the
117 manipulation of multiple digital graphic images; and to earn
118 digital tool certificates and certifications pursuant to s.
119 1003.4203 and grade-appropriate, technology-related industry
120 certifications.
121 (6)(3) High school students must be provided schools may
122 provide students opportunities to take computer science courses
123 to satisfy high school graduation requirements, including, but
124 not limited to, the following:
125 (a) High school computer science courses of sufficient
126 rigor, as identified by the commissioner, such that one credit
127 in computer science and the earning of related industry
128 certifications constitute the equivalent of up to one credit of
129 the mathematics requirement, with the exception of Algebra I or
130 higher-level mathematics, or up to one credit of the science
131 requirement, with the exception of Biology I or higher-level
132 science, for high school graduation. Computer science courses
133 and technology-related industry certifications that are
134 identified as eligible for meeting mathematics or science
135 requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the
136 Course Code Directory.
137 (b) High school computer technology courses in 3D rapid
138 prototype printing of sufficient rigor, as identified by the
139 commissioner, such that one or more credits in such courses and
140 related industry certifications earned may satisfy up to two
141 credits of mathematics required for high school graduation with
142 the exception of Algebra I. Computer technology courses in 3D
143 rapid prototype printing and related industry certifications
144 that are identified as eligible for meeting mathematics
145 requirements for high school graduation shall be included in the
146 Course Code Directory.
147 (7) Subject to legislative appropriation, a classroom
148 teacher who was evaluated as effective or highly effective
149 pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the previous school year or who is
150 newly hired by the district school board and has not been
151 evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34 must receive a bonus as
152 follows:
153 (a) If the classroom teacher holds an educator certificate
154 in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or if he or she has
155 passed the computer science subject area examination and holds
156 an adjunct certificate issued by a school district pursuant to
157 s. 1012.57, he or she shall receive a bonus of $1,000 after each
158 year the individual completes teaching a computer science course
159 identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph
160 (2)(b) at a public middle, high, or combination school in the
161 state, for up to 3 years.
162 (b) If the classroom teacher holds an industry
163 certification associated with a course identified in the Course
164 Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), he or she shall
165 receive a bonus of $500 after each year the individual completes
166 teaching the identified course at a public middle, high, or
167 combination school in the state, for up to 3 years.
168
169 A school district shall report a qualifying classroom teacher to
170 the department by a date and in a format established by the
171 department. An eligible classroom teacher shall receive his or
172 her bonus upon completion of the school year in which he or she
173 taught the course. A teacher may not receive more than one bonus
174 per year under this subsection.
175 (8) Subject to legislative appropriation, the department
176 shall award high-need technology grants to eligible school
177 districts if the funds provided in the Florida digital
178 classrooms allocation pursuant to s. 1011.62(12) are
179 insufficient to meet the costs specified in that subsection and
180 the district has no remaining instructional materials funds
181 under s. 1011.67. The department shall establish an application
182 process and eligibility criteria. Such criteria must be based on
183 a school district’s technology needs and must provide for an
184 equitable distribution of funding based on the geographic
185 distribution of the student population among school districts
186 determined to have a high need for technology.
187 (9)(4) The State Board of Education shall may adopt rules
188 to administer this section.
189 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.