Florida Senate - 2019 SB 348
By Senator Montford
3-00685-19 2019348__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Exceptional Student Education
3 State Assessment Accommodation Task Force;
4 establishing the Exceptional Student Education State
5 Assessment Accommodation Task Force within the
6 Department of Education for the purpose of making
7 recommendations on school accommodations for
8 exceptional students; requiring the task force to
9 convene by a specified date; providing for membership
10 of the task force; requiring that members be appointed
11 by a specified date; providing conditions of meetings
12 of the task force; requiring the task force to post
13 certain documents and recordings to the department’s
14 website; providing duties of the task force and the
15 department; requiring the task force to submit
16 recommendations to the State Board of Education by a
17 specified date; requiring the board to submit a report
18 to the Governor and the Legislature by a specified
19 date; providing for the expiration of the task force;
20 providing an effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. (1) The Exceptional Student Education State
25 Assessment Accommodation Task Force, a task force as defined in
26 s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is established within the Department
27 of Education and, except as otherwise provided, is subject to s.
28 20.052, Florida Statutes. The task force shall convene no later
29 than July 1, 2019. The task force shall be composed of 16
30 members. Five members shall be appointed by the Governor, five
31 members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, five
32 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
33 Representatives, and one member shall be the Commissioner of
34 Education.
35 (a) The Governor shall appoint five members to include one
36 school district curriculum director, a current school district
37 assessment director, a public school principal, a current
38 teacher of exceptional education students, and a parent of a
39 public school student with special needs.
40 (b) The President of the Senate shall appoint five members
41 to include one current district school superintendent, a current
42 district assessment director, a public school principal, a
43 current teacher of exceptional education students, and a parent
44 of a public school student with special needs.
45 (c) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
46 appoint five members to include at least one school board
47 member, a current teacher of exceptional education students, and
48 a parent of a public school student with special needs.
49 (d) Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the officer
50 who appointed the member. Appointments must be made within 30
51 days after the effective date of this act. A vacancy on the task
52 force shall be filled in the same manner as the original
53 appointment.
54 (2) The task force shall be chaired by the Commissioner of
55 Education.
56 (3) The task force shall meet as necessary, but at least
57 six times, at the call of the chair and at the time and place he
58 or she designates. The task force must conduct its meetings
59 around the state, including rural and urban locations.
60 (4) Public documents and recordings of meetings must be
61 posted on the department’s website, on an individual page for
62 the task force.
63 (5) The task force shall develop and provide
64 recommendations to the State Board of Education for the
65 improvement of accommodations for standardized assessments of
66 exceptional students. The department shall provide staff to
67 assist the task force in performing its duties. In developing
68 its recommendations, the task force shall review:
69 (a) The current approved list of accommodations provided to
70 exceptional students;
71 (b) Accommodations provided by other states to their
72 exceptional students; and
73 (c) Testimony by stakeholders, including:
74 1. The chief of the Bureau of Exceptional Education and
75 Student Services of the Department of Education;
76 2. The Deputy Commissioner of the Division of
77 Accountability, Research, and Measurement in the Department of
78 Education;
79 3. Teachers of exceptional education students;
80 4. Parents of exceptional education students;
81 5. Principals and other administrators; and
82 6. District school superintendents.
83 (6) The task force shall submit recommendations to the
84 State Board of Education for approval no later than October 1,
85 2019. The State Board of Education must submit, in writing, its
86 recommendations based on the recommendations of the task force
87 no later than November 1, 2019, to the Governor, the President
88 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
89 The task force may submit all or part of its recommendations at
90 any time before October 1, 2019, but a final report summarizing
91 its recommendations must be submitted at the completion of its
92 work. Upon submission of the final report, the task force shall
93 expire.
94 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.