Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1594
By Senator Harrell
25-01149B-19 20191594__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Voluntary Prekindergarten
3 Education Program; amending s. 1002.53, F.S.;
4 requiring a parent of a student enrolled in the
5 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to submit
6 his or her student for a specified screening;
7 conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
8 amending s. 1002.55, F.S.; conforming provisions to
9 changes made by the act; amending s. 1002.59, F.S.;
10 requiring the Office of Early Learning to make
11 available professional development and training
12 courses that meet certain criteria; amending ss.
13 1002.61 and 1002.63, F.S.; conforming provisions to
14 changes made by the act; amending s. 1002.67, F.S.;
15 requiring the office to develop performance standards
16 for certain mathematical and executive functioning
17 skills; requiring the Department of Education and the
18 office to provide for a coordinated assessment system
19 for specified purposes; conforming provisions to
20 changes made by the act; creating s. 1002.68, F.S.;
21 requiring each private prekindergarten provider and
22 public school participating in the program to
23 participate in a program assessment; providing
24 requirements for such assessment; requiring the office
25 and department to develop a statewide end-of
26 prekindergarten screening for specified purposes;
27 providing requirements for such screening; requiring
28 certain data to be stored in a specified department
29 data warehouse; requiring the office to calculate a
30 program score for each private prekindergarten
31 provider and public school participating in the
32 program; requiring the office to establish a minimum
33 program score that such providers and schools must
34 meet; providing requirements for such providers and
35 schools that do not meet such score; authorizing the
36 office to grant good cause exemptions to private
37 prekindergarten providers and public schools that meet
38 certain criteria; providing requirements for such good
39 cause exemptions; amending s. 1002.69, F.S.; revising
40 the standards used to establish the statewide
41 kindergarten screening; requiring certain screenings
42 to be administered to students who enroll in a public
43 school for the first time; providing reporting
44 requirements for such screening; providing for
45 screenings to be re-administered to certain students;
46 providing requirements for screenings that are re
47 administered; requiring the department, rather than
48 the office, to calculate each public school’s
49 kindergarten readiness rate; revising the requirements
50 for such calculation; requiring certain data to be
51 stored in a specified department data warehouse;
52 conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
53 amending s. 1002.73, F.S.; requiring the department to
54 adopt procedures for the identification of an
55 alternate kindergarten screening; conforming
56 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
57 1002.75, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
58 by the act; providing an effective date.
59
60 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
61
62 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section
63 1002.53, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (d) is
64 added to subsection (6) of that section, to read:
65 1002.53 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program;
66 eligibility and enrollment.—
67 (5) The early learning coalition shall provide each parent
68 enrolling a child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
69 Program with a profile of every private prekindergarten provider
70 and public school delivering the program within the county where
71 the child is being enrolled. The profiles shall be provided to
72 parents in a format prescribed by the Office of Early Learning.
73 The profiles must include, at a minimum, the following
74 information about each provider and school:
75 (b) The provider’s or school’s program score kindergarten
76 readiness rate calculated in accordance with s. 1002.68 s.
77 1002.69, based upon the most recent available results of the
78 statewide kindergarten screening.
79 (6)
80 (d) Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the
81 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must submit his or
82 her child for the statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening
83 administered pursuant to s. 1002.68.
84 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 1002.55,
85 Florida Statutes, to read:
86 1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
87 private prekindergarten providers.—
88 (6) Each early learning coalition must verify that each
89 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
90 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
91 or multicounty region complies with this part. If a private
92 prekindergarten provider fails or refuses to comply with this
93 part, or if a provider engages in misconduct, the office shall
94 require the early learning coalition to remove the provider from
95 eligibility to deliver the program and receive state funds under
96 this part for a period of at least 2 years and up to 5 years.
97 Section 3. Section 1002.59, Florida Statutes, is amended to
98 read:
99 1002.59 Emergent literacy and performance standards
100 training courses and professional development.—
101 (1) The office shall adopt minimum standards for one or
102 more training courses in emergent literacy for prekindergarten
103 instructors. Each course must comprise 5 clock hours and provide
104 instruction in strategies and techniques to address the age
105 appropriate progress of prekindergarten students in developing
106 emergent literacy skills, including oral communication,
107 knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological
108 awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development. Each
109 course must also provide resources containing strategies that
110 allow students with disabilities and other special needs to
111 derive maximum benefit from the Voluntary Prekindergarten
112 Education Program. Successful completion of an emergent literacy
113 training course approved under this section satisfies
114 requirements for approved training in early literacy and
115 language development under ss. 402.305(2)(e)5., 402.313(6), and
116 402.3131(5).
117 (2) The office shall adopt minimum standards for one or
118 more training courses on the performance standards adopted under
119 s. 1002.67(1) and the domains listed in s. 1002.68(1)(b), which
120 must include, but not be limited to, training relating to
121 mathematical thinking and executive functioning. Each course
122 must be comprised of comprise at least 3 clock hours, provide
123 instruction in strategies and techniques to address age
124 appropriate progress of each child in attaining the standards,
125 and be available online.
126 (3) The office shall make available professional
127 development and training courses that support prekindergarten
128 instructors in increasing the competency of teacher-child
129 interactions. Each course must be comprised of at least 8 clock
130 hours, provide instruction in strategies and techniques to
131 address the age-appropriate progress of each child in attaining
132 the standards, and be available online.
133 Section 4. Subsection (9) is added to section 1002.61,
134 Florida Statutes, to read:
135 1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
136 schools and private prekindergarten providers.—
137 (9)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each
138 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
139 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
140 or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district
141 school board shall verify that each public school delivering the
142 program within the school district complies with this part.
143 (b) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
144 fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or
145 school engages in misconduct, the office shall require the early
146 learning coalition to remove the provider or require the school
147 district to remove the school from eligibility to deliver the
148 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state
149 funds under this part for a period of at least 2 years and up to
150 5 years.
151 Section 5. Subsection (9) is added to section 1002.63,
152 Florida Statutes, to read:
153 1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
154 public schools.—
155 (9)(a) Each district school board shall verify that each
156 public school delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
157 Program within the school district complies with this part.
158 (b) If a public school fails or refuses to comply with this
159 part, or if a school engages in misconduct, the office shall
160 require the school district to remove the school from
161 eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
162 Program and receive state funds under this part for a period of
163 at least 2 years and up to 5 years.
164 Section 6. Section 1002.67, Florida Statutes, is amended to
165 read:
166 1002.67 Performance standards and; curricula and
167 accountability.—
168 (1)(a) The office shall develop and adopt performance
169 standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten
170 Education Program. The performance standards must address the
171 age-appropriate progress of students in the development of:
172 1. The capabilities, capacities, and skills required under
173 s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and
174 2. Emergent literacy skills, including oral communication,
175 knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological
176 awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development;
177 3. Mathematical thinking and early math skills; and
178 4. Executive functioning skills.
179
180 By October 1, 2013, the office shall examine the existing
181 performance standards in the area of mathematical thinking and
182 develop a plan to make appropriate professional development and
183 training courses available to prekindergarten instructors.
184 (b) At least every 3 years, the office and the department
185 shall jointly periodically review and, if necessary, revise the
186 performance standards for the statewide end-of-prekindergarten
187 kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.68(3)(a) s.
188 1002.69 and align the standards to the standards established by
189 the state board for student performance on the statewide
190 assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22. The office and
191 the department shall ensure that there is a coordinated
192 assessment system that allows for tracking the progress of
193 students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
194 through grade 2 in order to provide timely interventions and
195 supports to students not meeting grade level expectations.
196 (2)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
197 school may select or design the curriculum that the provider or
198 school uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
199 Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school
200 that is placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c).
201 (b) Each private prekindergarten provider’s and public
202 school’s curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and
203 must:
204 1. Be designed to prepare a student for early literacy and
205 provide for instruction in early math skills;
206 2. Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in
207 attaining the performance standards adopted by the department
208 under subsection (1); and
209 3. Prepare students to be ready for kindergarten based upon
210 the statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening statewide
211 kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.68 s. 1002.69.
212 (c) The office shall review and approve curricula for use
213 by private prekindergarten providers and public schools that are
214 placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c). The office shall
215 maintain a list of the curricula approved under this paragraph.
216 Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements of paragraph
217 (b).
218 (3)(a) Contingent upon legislative appropriation, each
219 private prekindergarten provider and public school in the
220 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must implement an
221 evidence-based pre- and post-assessment that has been approved
222 by rule of the State Board of Education.
223 (b) In order to be approved, the assessment must be valid,
224 reliable, developmentally appropriate, and designed to measure
225 student progress on domains which must include, but are not
226 limited to, early literacy, numeracy, and language.
227 (c) The pre- and post-assessment must be administered by
228 individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the
229 State Board of Education.
230 (4)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each
231 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
232 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
233 or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district
234 school board shall verify that each public school delivering the
235 program within the school district complies with this part.
236 (b) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
237 fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or
238 school engages in misconduct, the office shall require the early
239 learning coalition to remove the provider and require the school
240 district to remove the school from eligibility to deliver the
241 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state
242 funds under this part for a period of 5 years.
243 (c)1. If the kindergarten readiness rate of a private
244 prekindergarten provider or public school falls below the
245 minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s.
246 1002.69(6), the early learning coalition or school district, as
247 applicable, shall require the provider or school to submit an
248 improvement plan for approval by the coalition or school
249 district, as applicable, and to implement the plan; shall place
250 the provider or school on probation; and shall require the
251 provider or school to take certain corrective actions, including
252 the use of a curriculum approved by the office under paragraph
253 (2)(c) or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction in
254 language development and phonological awareness approved by the
255 office.
256 2. A private prekindergarten provider or public school that
257 is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions
258 required under subparagraph 1., including the use of a
259 curriculum or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction
260 in language development and phonological awareness approved by
261 the office, until the provider or school meets the minimum rate
262 adopted by the office as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6).
263 Failure to implement an approved improvement plan or staff
264 development plan shall result in the termination of the
265 provider’s contract to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten
266 Education Program for a period of 5 years.
267 3. If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
268 remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet
269 the minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s.
270 1002.69(6) and is not granted a good cause exemption by the
271 office pursuant to s. 1002.69(7), the office shall require the
272 early learning coalition or the school district to remove, as
273 applicable, the provider or school from eligibility to deliver
274 the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive
275 state funds for the program for a period of 5 years.
276 (d) Each early learning coalition and the office shall
277 coordinate with the Child Care Services Program Office of the
278 Department of Children and Families to minimize interagency
279 duplication of activities for monitoring private prekindergarten
280 providers for compliance with requirements of the Voluntary
281 Prekindergarten Education Program under this part, the school
282 readiness program under part VI of this chapter, and the
283 licensing of providers under ss. 402.301-402.319.
284 Section 7. Section 1002.68, Florida Statutes, is created to
285 read:
286 1002.68 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
287 Accountability.—
288 (1)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
289 school participating in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
290 Program must implement an evidence-based pre- and post
291 assessment that can be used for determining developmentally
292 appropriate learning gains and that has been approved by rule of
293 the State Board of Education.
294 (b) In order to be approved, the assessment must be valid,
295 reliable, developmentally appropriate, and designed to measure
296 student progress on domains that include, but are not limited
297 to, early literacy, numeracy, and language.
298 (c) The pre- and post-assessment must be administered by
299 individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the
300 state board.
301 (2)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
302 school in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must
303 participate in a program assessment of each voluntary
304 prekindergarten education classroom. The program assessment
305 shall measure the quality of teacher-child interactions,
306 including emotional and behavioral support, engaged support for
307 learning, classroom organization, and instructional support for
308 children ages 3 to 5 years.
309 (b) The program assessment must be administered by
310 individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the
311 state board.
312 (3)(a) The office and the department shall adopt a
313 statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening that assesses the
314 readiness of each student for kindergarten based upon the
315 performance standards adopted under s. 1002.67(1) for the
316 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The office shall
317 require that each early learning coalition or school district
318 administer the statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening to
319 each prekindergarten student in the Voluntary Prekindergarten
320 Education Program within the last 30 school days of a school
321 year prekindergarten program and within the last 10 days of a
322 summer prekindergarten program.
323 (b) The statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening shall
324 provide objective data concerning each student’s readiness for
325 kindergarten and progress in attaining the performance standards
326 adopted by the office under s. 1002.67(1). Data from the
327 screening, along with other available data, must be used to
328 identify students in need of intervention and support pursuant
329 to s. 1008.25(5).
330 (c) The statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening shall
331 incorporate mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in
332 kindergarten readiness rates for students with disabilities.
333 (d) The statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening must be
334 administered by individuals meeting requirements established by
335 rule of the state board.
336 (4) Data collected pursuant to this section must be
337 maintained in the department’s PK-20 Education Data Warehouse.
338 (5)(a) The office shall adopt a methodology for calculating
339 each provider’s program score, which must include program
340 assessment scores, developmentally appropriate learning gain
341 data from the pre- and post-assessment under subsection (1), and
342 the results of the statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening.
343 The office shall select an independent expert with experience in
344 relevant quantitative analysis, early childhood assessment, and
345 designing state-level accountability systems to develop the
346 methodology, which must include a weighted formula, for
347 calculating each provider’s score.
348 (b) The office shall adopt procedures to annually calculate
349 each private prekindergarten provider’s and public school’s
350 program score based on the methodology adopted in paragraph (a).
351 (c) The office shall periodically adopt a minimum program
352 score that, if achieved by a private prekindergarten provider or
353 public school, would demonstrate the provider’s or school’s
354 satisfactory delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
355 Program.
356 (6)(a) If a private prekindergarten provider’s or public
357 school’s program score falls below the minimum program score,
358 the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable,
359 shall:
360 1. Require the provider or school to submit an improvement
361 plan for approval by the coalition or school district, as
362 applicable, and to implement the plan;
363 2. Place the provider or school on probation; and
364 3. Require the provider or school to take certain
365 corrective actions, including the use of a curriculum approved
366 by the office under s. 1002.67(2)(c) or a staff development plan
367 to strengthen instruction in language development, phonological
368 awareness, and mathematical thinking approved by the office.
369 (b) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
370 that is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions
371 required under paragraph (a) until the provider or school meets
372 the minimum program score adopted by the office. Failure to meet
373 the requirements of subparagraphs (a)1. and 3. shall result in
374 the termination of the provider’s or school’s contract to
375 deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program for a
376 period of at least 2 years and up to 5 years.
377 (c) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
378 remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet
379 the minimum program score or is not granted a good cause
380 exemption by the office, the office shall require the early
381 learning coalition or the school district to revoke the
382 provider’s or school’s eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
383 Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds for
384 the program for a period of at least 2 years and up to 5 years.
385 (7)(a) The office, upon the request of a private
386 prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on
387 probation for at least 2 consecutive years and subsequently
388 fails to meet the minimum program score adopted pursuant to
389 paragraph (5)(c), and for good cause shown, may grant to the
390 provider or school an exemption from being determined ineligible
391 to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and
392 receive state funds for the program. Such exemption is valid for
393 1 year and, upon the request of the private prekindergarten
394 provider or public school and for good cause shown, may be
395 renewed.
396 (b) A private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
397 request for a good cause exemption, or renewal of such an
398 exemption, must be submitted to the office in the manner and
399 within the timeframes prescribed by the office and must include
400 the following:
401 1. Data from the private prekindergarten provider or public
402 school which documents the achievement and progress of the
403 children served, as measured by any required screenings or
404 assessments.
405 2. Data from the program assessment data required under
406 paragraph (2)(a) which demonstrates effective teaching practices
407 as recognized by the program assessment tool developer.
408 3. Data from the early learning coalition or district
409 school board, as applicable, the Department of Children and
410 Families, the local licensing authority, or an accrediting
411 association, as applicable, relating to the private
412 prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s compliance with
413 state and local health and safety standards.
414 (c) The office shall adopt criteria for granting good cause
415 exemptions. Such criteria must include, but is not limited to,
416 all of the following:
417 1. Learning gains of children served in the Voluntary
418 Prekindergarten Education Program by the private prekindergarten
419 provider or public school.
420 2. Program assessment data under paragraph (2)(a) which
421 demonstrates effective teaching practices as recognized by the
422 program assessment tool developer.
423 3. Verification that local and state health and safety
424 requirements are met.
425 (d) A good cause exemption may not be granted to any
426 private prekindergarten provider or public school that has any
427 class I violations or two or more class II violations within the
428 2 years preceding the provider’s or school’s request for the
429 exemption. For purposes of this paragraph, class I and class II
430 violations have the same meaning as provided in s. 402.281(4).
431 (e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
432 granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its
433 improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required
434 under subsection (6) until the provider or school meets the
435 minimum program score.
436 (f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private
437 prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on
438 probation for 2 consecutive years, the office shall notify the
439 early learning coalition or school district of the good cause
440 exemption and direct that the coalition or school district not
441 remove the provider from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
442 Prekindergarten Education Program or to receive state funds for
443 the program, if the provider meets all other applicable
444 requirements of this part.
445 Section 8. Section 1002.69, Florida Statutes, is amended to
446 read:
447 1002.69 Statewide kindergarten screening and; kindergarten
448 readiness rates; state-approved prekindergarten enrollment
449 screening; good cause exemption.—
450 (1) The department shall adopt a statewide kindergarten
451 screening that assesses the readiness of each student for
452 kindergarten based upon the performance standards adopted by the
453 department under s. 1003.41 s. 1002.67(1) for the Voluntary
454 Prekindergarten Education Program. The department shall require
455 that each school district administer the statewide kindergarten
456 screening or an alternative kindergarten screening approved by
457 the department to each kindergarten student in the school
458 district within the first 30 school days of each school year or
459 upon enrollment into public school for the first time. Each
460 school district must provide a student’s performance results to
461 the student’s teachers within 1 week and to the student’s
462 parents no later than 30 days after the administration.
463 Nonpublic schools may administer the statewide kindergarten
464 screening to each kindergarten student in a nonpublic school who
465 was enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
466 (2) The statewide kindergarten screening shall provide
467 objective data concerning each student’s readiness for
468 kindergarten and progress in attaining the performance standards
469 adopted by the office under s. 1002.67(1). Data from the
470 screening, along with other available data, must be used to
471 identify students in need of intervention and support pursuant
472 to s. 1008.25(5).
473 (3) The statewide kindergarten screening shall incorporate
474 mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in kindergarten
475 readiness rates for students with disabilities.
476 (4) School districts must re-administer the statewide
477 screening or an alternative kindergarten screening approved by
478 the department no sooner than the last 45 days of school and no
479 later than the last 30 days of school to all students who did
480 not score above the readiness level. School districts must
481 provide a student’s performance results to the student’s
482 teachers within 1 week and to the student’s parents no later
483 than 30 days after the administration Each parent who enrolls
484 his or her child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
485 Program must submit the child for the statewide kindergarten
486 screening, regardless of whether the child is admitted to
487 kindergarten in a public school or nonpublic school. Each school
488 district shall designate sites to administer the statewide
489 kindergarten screening for children admitted to kindergarten in
490 a nonpublic school.
491 (5) The department office shall adopt procedures to
492 annually calculate:
493 (a) Each private prekindergarten provider’s and public
494 school’s kindergarten readiness rate, which must be expressed as
495 the percentage of the provider’s or school’s students who are
496 assessed as ready for kindergarten.
497 (b) The percentage of students at each school who scored
498 below the kindergarten readiness level during the first 30 days
499 of school who met the kindergarten readiness level by the end of
500 the school year.
501 (c) The percentage of students at each school who did not
502 meet the kindergarten readiness level by the end of the school
503 year and who were promoted to first grade The methodology for
504 calculating each provider’s kindergarten readiness rate must
505 include student learning gains when available and the percentage
506 of students who meet all state readiness measures. The rates
507 must not include students who are not administered the statewide
508 kindergarten screening. The office shall determine learning
509 gains using a value-added measure based on growth demonstrated
510 by the results of the preassessment and postassessment from at
511 least 2 successive years of administration of the preassessment
512 and postassessment.
513 (6) Data collected pursuant to this section must be
514 maintained in the department’s PK-20 Education Data Warehouse
515 The office shall periodically adopt a minimum kindergarten
516 readiness rate that, if achieved by a private prekindergarten
517 provider or public school, would demonstrate the provider’s or
518 school’s satisfactory delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
519 Education Program.
520 (7)(a) Notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., the office, upon
521 the request of a private prekindergarten provider or public
522 school that remains on probation for 2 consecutive years or more
523 and subsequently fails to meet the minimum rate adopted under
524 subsection (6) and for good cause shown, may grant to the
525 provider or school an exemption from being determined ineligible
526 to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and
527 receive state funds for the program. Such exemption is valid for
528 1 year and, upon the request of the private prekindergarten
529 provider or public school and for good cause shown, may be
530 renewed.
531 (b) A private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
532 request for a good cause exemption, or renewal of such an
533 exemption, must be submitted to the office in the manner and
534 within the timeframes prescribed by the office and must include
535 the following:
536 1. Submission of data by the private prekindergarten
537 provider or public school which documents the achievement and
538 progress of the children served as measured by the state
539 approved prekindergarten enrollment screening and the
540 standardized postassessment approved by the office pursuant to
541 subparagraph (c)1.
542 2. Submission and review of data available from the
543 respective early learning coalition or district school board,
544 the Department of Children and Families, local licensing
545 authority, or an accrediting association, as applicable,
546 relating to the private prekindergarten provider’s or public
547 school’s compliance with state and local health and safety
548 standards.
549 3. Submission and review of data available to the office on
550 the performance of the children served and the calculation of
551 the private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
552 kindergarten readiness rate.
553 (c) The office shall adopt criteria for granting good cause
554 exemptions. Such criteria shall include, but are not limited to:
555 1. Learning gains of children served in the Voluntary
556 Prekindergarten Education Program by the private prekindergarten
557 provider or public school.
558 2. Verification that local and state health and safety
559 requirements are met.
560 (d) A good cause exemption may not be granted to any
561 private prekindergarten provider that has any class I violations
562 or two or more class II violations within the 2 years preceding
563 the provider’s or school’s request for the exemption. For
564 purposes of this paragraph, class I and class II violations have
565 the same meaning as provided in s. 402.281(4).
566 (e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
567 granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its
568 improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required
569 under s. 1002.67(4)(c)1., including the use of a curriculum
570 approved by the office, until the provider or school meets the
571 minimum rate adopted under subsection (6).
572 (f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private
573 prekindergarten provider who remains on probation for 2
574 consecutive years, the office shall notify the early learning
575 coalition of the good cause exemption and direct that the
576 coalition, notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., not remove the
577 provider from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
578 Prekindergarten Education Program or to receive state funds for
579 the program, if the provider meets all other applicable
580 requirements of this part.
581 Section 9. Paragraphs (d) and (g) of subsection (2) of
582 section 1002.73, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
583 1002.73 Department of Education; powers and duties;
584 accountability requirements.—
585 (2) The department shall adopt procedures for its:
586 (d) Identification of alternative kindergarten screenings
587 that equate to the statewide kindergarten screening established
588 under s. 1002.69(1) Implementation of, and determination of
589 costs associated with, the state-approved prekindergarten
590 enrollment screening and the standardized postassessment
591 approved by the department, and determination of the learning
592 gains of students who complete the state-approved
593 prekindergarten enrollment screening and the standardized
594 postassessment approved by the department.
595 (g) Granting of a private prekindergarten provider’s or
596 public school’s request for a good cause exemption under s.
597 1002.69(7).
598 Section 10. Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) and paragraphs
599 (a), (b), and (c) of subsection (3) of section 1002.75, Florida
600 Statutes, are amended to read:
601 1002.75 Office of Early Learning; powers and duties.—
602 (2) The Office of Early Learning shall adopt procedures
603 governing the administration of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
604 Education Program by the early learning coalitions and school
605 districts for:
606 (e) Verifying the compliance of private prekindergarten
607 providers and public schools and removing providers or schools
608 from eligibility to deliver the program due to noncompliance or
609 misconduct as provided in s. 1002.67.
610 (3) The Office of Early Learning shall adopt, in
611 consultation with and subject to approval by the department,
612 procedures governing the administration of the Voluntary
613 Prekindergarten Education Program by the early learning
614 coalitions and school districts for:
615 (a) Approving improvement plans of private prekindergarten
616 providers and public schools under s. 1002.68 s. 1002.67.
617 (b) Placing private prekindergarten providers and public
618 schools on probation and requiring corrective actions under s.
619 1002.68 s. 1002.67.
620 (c) Removing a private prekindergarten provider or public
621 school from eligibility to deliver the program due to the
622 provider’s or school’s remaining on probation beyond the time
623 permitted under s. 1002.68 s. 1002.67. Notwithstanding any other
624 provision of law, if a private prekindergarten provider has been
625 cited for a class I violation, as defined by rule, the coalition
626 may refuse to contract with the provider or revoke the
627 provider’s eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten
628 Education Program.
629 Section 11. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.