Florida Senate - 2021 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1372
Ì409158AÎ409158
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Appropriations (Burgess) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. The Legislature finds that the ability to read
6 is fundamental to a productive, fulfilling, culturally
7 rewarding, and civically engaged life. Furthermore, a literacy
8 rich home environment helps develop reading and writing skills
9 in young learners to prepare them for future academic and career
10 success. Research shows that students who read more perform
11 better academically than those who do not. Unfortunately,
12 statistics show students who have fewer books and literacy-based
13 interactions at home than their peers have lower educational
14 attainment and lifetime income-earning potential. Programs that
15 deliver books directly to students’ homes and support engagement
16 in reading enable parents to develop their child’s reading
17 skills and enjoyment of reading and foster improved outcomes for
18 students.
19 Section 2. Section 1003.485, Florida Statutes, is created
20 to read:
21 1003.485 The New Worlds Reading Initiative.—
22 (1) The New Worlds Reading Initiative is established under
23 the Department of Education to improve literacy skills and
24 instill a love of reading by providing high-quality, free books
25 to students in kindergarten through grade 5 who are reading
26 below grade level.
27 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
28 (a) “Administrator” means the Department of Education or a
29 third-party entity contracted to administer the initiative.
30 (b) “Initiative” means the New Worlds Reading Initiative.
31 (3) The administrator shall:
32 (a) Develop, in consultation with the Just Read, Florida!
33 Office under s. 1001.215, a selection of high-quality books
34 encompassing diverse subjects and genres for each grade level to
35 be mailed to students in the initiative.
36 (b) Facilitate the distribution of books as provided in
37 paragraph (5)(c) either directly or through an agreement with a
38 book distribution company.
39 (c) Assist local implementation of the initiative by:
40 1. Providing assistance to local communities to raise
41 awareness of the initiative, including through the use of
42 partnerships between public libraries and school districts to
43 implement events such as family library nights, library card
44 drives, summer access and activities, and other activities
45 designed to increase family engagement and instill a love of
46 reading in students.
47 2. Developing and providing marketing materials to school
48 districts and any partnering nonprofit organizations to assist
49 with public awareness campaigns.
50 (d) Maintain a clearinghouse for information on national,
51 state, and local nonprofit organizations that support efforts to
52 provide books to children.
53 (e) Develop training materials for parents of students in
54 the initiative, including brief video training modules, which
55 engage families in reading and assist with improving student
56 literacy skills. The administrator shall periodically send, via
57 text message and e-mail, tips for facilitating reading at home
58 and hyperlinks to the video training modules.
59
60 Beginning September 30, 2022, and annually thereafter, the
61 Department of Education shall report to the President of the
62 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
63 Commissioner of Education the number of students participating
64 in the initiative in each school district and the academic
65 achievement and learning gains, as applicable, of participating
66 students based on data provided by school districts as permitted
67 under s. 1002.22. The department shall establish a date by which
68 each school district must annually provide the data necessary to
69 complete the report.
70 (4) Each school district shall participate in the
71 initiative by partnering with local nonprofit organizations,
72 raising awareness of the initiative using marketing materials
73 developed by the administrator, coordinating book delivery, and
74 identifying students and notifying parents pursuant to
75 subsection (5).
76 (5)(a) A student in kindergarten through grade 5 must be
77 provided books through the initiative if the student has a
78 substantial reading deficiency identified under s. 1008.25(5)(a)
79 or scored below a Level 3 on the preceding year’s statewide,
80 standardized English Language Arts assessment under s. 1008.22.
81 (b) Each school district shall notify the parent of a
82 student who meets the criteria under paragraph (a) that the
83 student is eligible to receive books at no cost through the New
84 Worlds Reading Initiative and provide the parent with the
85 application form developed by the administrator, which must
86 allow for the selection of specific book topics or genres for
87 the student.
88 (c) Once an eligible student is identified, the school
89 district shall coordinate with the administrator to initiate
90 book delivery on a monthly basis during the school year, which
91 must begin no later than October and continue through at least
92 June.
93 (d) At the beginning of each school year, students must be
94 provided options for specific book topics or genres in order to
95 maximize student interest in reading.
96 (e) A student’s eligibility for the initiative continues
97 until promotion to grade 6 or until the student’s parent opts
98 out of the initiative.
99 (6) School districts and partnering nonprofit organizations
100 shall raise awareness of the initiative, including information
101 on eligibility and video training modules under paragraph
102 (3)(e), through, at least, the following:
103 (a) The student handbook and the read-at-home plan under s.
104 1008.25(5)(c).
105 (b) A parent or curriculum night or separate initiative
106 awareness event at each elementary school.
107 (c) Partnering with the county library to host awareness
108 events, which should coincide with other initiatives such as
109 library card drives and other family engagement programming.
110 (7) Books must be provided under this section at no cost to
111 families.
112 (8) If the department contracts with a third-party entity
113 to act as administrator, the entity must be capable of
114 coordinating statewide marketing, dissemination of books, and
115 development of video training modules, as well as completing all
116 other duties of the administrator.
117 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section
118 1008.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
119 1008.25 Public school student progression; student support;
120 reporting requirements.—
121 (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
122 (c) The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial
123 deficiency in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be
124 notified in writing of the following:
125 1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
126 substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and
127 explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact
128 nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of
129 achievement in reading.
130 2. A description of the current services that are provided
131 to the child.
132 3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions
133 and supports that will be provided to the child that are
134 designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency.
135 4. That if the child’s reading deficiency is not remediated
136 by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained unless he or
137 she is exempt from mandatory retention for good cause.
138 5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies, through a
139 read-at-home plan the parent can use in helping his or her child
140 succeed in reading.
141 6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts
142 assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion and that
143 additional evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are
144 available to the child to assist parents and the school district
145 in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and
146 ready for grade promotion.
147 7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for a
148 portfolio as provided in subparagraph (6)(b)4. and the evidence
149 required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s
150 academic standards for English Language Arts. A parent of a
151 student in grade 3 who is identified anytime during the year as
152 being at risk of retention may request that the school
153 immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio.
154 8. The district’s specific criteria and policies for
155 midyear promotion. Midyear promotion means promotion of a
156 retained student at any time during the year of retention once
157 the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
158 9. Information about the student’s eligibility for the New
159 Worlds Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485 and information on
160 parent training modules and other reading engagement resources
161 available through the initiative.
162 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
163
164 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
165 And the title is amended as follows:
166 Delete everything before the enacting clause
167 and insert:
168 A bill to be entitled
169 An act relating to literacy improvement; providing
170 legislative findings; creating s. 1003.485, F.S.;
171 establishing the New Worlds Reading Initiative under
172 the Department of Education; defining terms; providing
173 duties of the administrator; requiring the
174 administrator, in consultation with a specified
175 entity, to develop a selection of books; requiring the
176 administrator to facilitate distribution of books;
177 requiring the administrator to assist with local
178 implementation of the initiative; requiring the
179 administrator to maintain a clearinghouse for
180 specified information; requiring the administrator to
181 develop and disseminate certain training materials by
182 specified means; establishing reporting requirements;
183 establishing student eligibility requirements;
184 requiring school districts to partner with certain
185 entities; requiring school districts to identify
186 eligible students and notify the students’ parents;
187 requiring school districts to coordinate with the
188 administrator to initiate book delivery; providing
189 requirements for book delivery; requiring that
190 students be offered certain options relating to books;
191 specifying when student eligibility ends; requiring
192 school districts to raise awareness of the initiative;
193 requiring that books be delivered at no cost to
194 families; authorizing the Department of Education to
195 contract with a third-party entity; providing
196 requirements for such third-party entity; amending s.
197 1008.25, F.S.; requiring that a certain notification
198 include information about the initiative; providing an
199 effective date.