Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 654
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       8-00334-18                                             2018654__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Early Childhood Music Education
    3         Incentive Pilot Program; amending s. 1003.481, F.S.;
    4         extending the scheduled expiration of the pilot
    5         program; providing an appropriation; providing an
    6         effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is amended
   11  to read:
   12         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   13  Program.—
   14         (1) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, The Early
   15  Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created
   16  within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school
   17  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected
   18  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   19  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   20         (2) In order for A school district is to be eligible for
   21  participation in the pilot program if, the superintendent must
   22  certifies certify to the Commissioner of Education, in a format
   23  prescribed by the department, that each elementary school within
   24  the district has established a comprehensive music education
   25  program that:
   26         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   27  kindergarten through grade 2.
   28         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   29         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   30  minutes 2 days a week.
   31         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   32         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   33  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   34  through grade 2.
   35         (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for
   36  participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative
   37  appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the
   38  University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by
   39  the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall
   40  annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in
   41  kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive
   42  music education program.
   43         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   44  program, a selected school district must annually certify to the
   45  commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that
   46  each elementary school within the district provides a
   47  comprehensive music education program that meets the
   48  requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district
   49  fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the
   50  school district must return all funds received through the pilot
   51  program for that fiscal year.
   52         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall
   53  evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring
   54  student academic performance and the success of the program. The
   55  evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative
   56  analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of
   57  students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs.
   58         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   59  administer this section.
   60         (6) This section expires June 30, 2021 2020.
   61         Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, $300,000 in
   62  nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated
   63  to the Department of Education to implement this act.
   64         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.