Florida Senate - 2018 SB 1056
By Senator Passidomo
28-00686B-18 20181056__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to computer coding instruction;
3 creating s. 1012.545, F.S.; defining terms; requiring
4 a school district to provide student access to
5 computer coding courses under certain circumstances;
6 excluding charter schools from such requirements;
7 requiring the Commissioner of Education to identify
8 and publish information about such courses; providing
9 for educator professional development and bonuses
10 under certain circumstances; authorizing rulemaking;
11 providing an appropriation; providing a directive to
12 the Division of Law Revision and Information;
13 providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 1012.545, Florida Statutes, is created
18 to read:
19 1012.545 Educator credentials for computer coding
20 instruction.—
21 (1) As used in this section, the term:
22 (a) “Coding course” means a course that is identified by
23 the commissioner pursuant to subsection (3) and taught by an
24 educator who:
25 1. Holds a state certification in computer science pursuant
26 to s. 1012.56 or s. 1012.575 or a computer coding or computer
27 science industry certification in the particular course being
28 taught; or
29 2. Has professional experience in the field of computer
30 coding and holds an adjunct teaching certificate pursuant to s.
31 1012.57.
32 (b) “Combination school” means a public school in which any
33 of grades 6-12 are taught.
34 (2)(a) To ensure that public middle school and high school
35 students have the opportunity to learn computer coding, a school
36 district shall provide access to coding courses that are taught
37 by appropriately credentialed educators as follows:
38 1. A school district with 10 or fewer traditional public
39 middle schools and high schools, including combination schools,
40 shall provide at least one coding course in at least one of the
41 schools by the 2020-2021 school year. The school district may
42 use a blended learning model to meet this requirement.
43 2. A school district that has more than 10 traditional
44 public middle schools and high schools, including combination
45 schools, shall provide coding courses as follows:
46 a. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, in at least 4
47 percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
48 high schools, including combination schools.
49 b. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, in at least 7
50 percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
51 high schools, including combination schools.
52 c. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, in at least 10
53 percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
54 high schools, including combination schools.
55 (b) A school district may not require a charter school to
56 offer a coding course. If a charter school offers a coding
57 course that meets the requirements of this section at its own
58 discretion, a school district may include the charter school’s
59 coding course in its threshold calculation under paragraph (a).
60 (3) The commissioner shall annually, and from time to time
61 as appropriate, identify and publish on the department’s website
62 and in the course code directory a list of courses that include
63 a substantial amount of coding content and that meet the
64 definition of a coding course under this section. Such courses
65 may include computer science courses with a substantial amount
66 of coding. The commissioner is encouraged to select accelerated
67 courses and courses that lead to an industry certification.
68 (4) The department shall, subject to legislative
69 appropriation, award funding to a school district or a
70 consortium of school districts to deliver or facilitate training
71 for educators to earn a credential to teach a coding course.
72 (a) A school district or a consortium of school districts
73 who apply for such funding may use the funds to establish or
74 enhance a professional development program pursuant to s.
75 1012.575, to collaborate with a state college or university to
76 provide necessary training, or to provide educators with funding
77 to obtain an applicable industry certification. A public school
78 educator who currently teaches at or is assigned to teach at a
79 middle school, high school, or combination school, including a
80 charter school, and who was evaluated as effective or highly
81 effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year,
82 unless the educator is newly hired and has not been evaluated
83 pursuant to s. 1012.34, is eligible to participate in this
84 funding.
85 (b) The funds must be distributed in a manner that allows
86 for an equitable distribution based on the geographic
87 distribution of the student population.
88 (5) Subject to legislative appropriation, a public school
89 educator is eligible for one of the following:
90 (a) A one-time bonus of $3,000, if he or she earns a
91 certification in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or s.
92 1012.575; was evaluated as effective or highly effective
93 pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year, unless he or
94 she is newly hired and has not been evaluated pursuant to s.
95 1012.34; and commits to teach an applicable coding course
96 pursuant to this section at a public middle school, high school,
97 or combination school in this state for 3 school years.
98 (b) A one-time bonus of $1,500, if he or she earns an
99 applicable industry certification; was evaluated as effective or
100 highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school
101 year, unless he or she is newly hired and has not been evaluated
102 pursuant to s. 1012.34; and commits to teach an applicable
103 coding course pursuant to this section at a public middle
104 school, high school, or combination school in this state for 3
105 school years.
106 (c) A one-time bonus of $3,000, if he or she holds a
107 certification in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or s.
108 1012.575; was evaluated as effective or highly effective
109 pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year, unless he or
110 she is newly hired and has not been evaluated pursuant to s.
111 1012.34; is employed at a public middle school, high school, or
112 combination school as of the effective date of this act; and
113 commits to teach an applicable coding course pursuant to this
114 section at a public middle school, high school, or combination
115 school in this state for 3 school years.
116
117 A school district shall report the educators who meet the
118 eligibility requirements of this subsection to the department.
119 The educator shall receive his or her one-time bonus
120 disbursement after he or she teaches an applicable coding course
121 for 1 full school year.
122 (6) A school district shall be eligible to receive a high
123 need district technology grant, as provided by legislative
124 appropriation and as determined by the department. The
125 department shall provide such grants based on a school
126 district’s high need, while also considering an equitable
127 distribution of funding based on geographic distribution of
128 student population among the districts determined to have a high
129 need.
130 (7) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
131 administer this section.
132 Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the sum of $15
133 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
134 Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to implement this
135 act. Notwithstanding s. 216.301, Florida Statutes, and pursuant
136 to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes, the balance of any
137 appropriation under this act which is not disbursed by June 30
138 of the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated may be
139 carried forward for up to 3 years after the effective date of
140 the original appropriation.
141 Section 3. The Division of Law Revision and Information is
142 directed to replace the phrase “the effective date of this act”
143 wherever it occurs in this act with the date this act becomes a
144 law.
145 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.