Florida Senate - 2022 SB 790
By Senator Hooper
16-00636C-22 2022790__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to computer science and technology
3 instruction; amending s. 1003.01, F.S.; defining
4 terms; creating s. 1003.4202, F.S.; defining the term
5 “instructional personnel”; requiring public schools to
6 provide computer science instruction conforming to
7 specified requirements; requiring computer science
8 courses and technology-related industry certifications
9 to be identified in the Course Code Directory and
10 published on the Department of Education’s website;
11 authorizing additional computer science courses to be
12 subsequently identified and posted on the department’s
13 website; requiring the Florida Virtual School to offer
14 computer science courses identified in the Course Code
15 Directory; requiring school districts that do not
16 offer an identified course to provide students access
17 to the course through the Florida Virtual School or
18 other means approved by the department; authorizing
19 school districts or consortiums of school districts to
20 apply to the department for funding to deliver or
21 facilitate certain training, subject to appropriation;
22 requiring the funding to be used only for specified
23 purposes; requiring the department to establish an
24 application deadline; requiring the department to
25 award funding in an equitable manner that accounts for
26 the unique needs of small or rural school districts;
27 requiring the department to submit a report to the
28 Governor and Legislature by a specified date;
29 specifying the contents of the report; authorizing
30 public elementary and middle schools to establish
31 digital classrooms that provide specified
32 opportunities; requiring instructional personnel who
33 meet specified criteria to receive a bonus; specifying
34 amounts for such bonuses; requiring school districts
35 to identify and report to the department qualifying
36 instructional personnel; providing that qualifying
37 instructional personnel receive the bonus upon
38 completion of the school year; prohibiting such
39 instructional personnel from receiving more than one
40 of certain bonuses per year; authorizing certain funds
41 that are not disbursed by a specified date to be
42 carried forward for a specified timeframe; requiring
43 the State Board of Education to adopt rules; repealing
44 s. 1007.2616, F.S., relating to computer science and
45 technology instruction; providing an effective date.
46
47 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
48
49 Section 1. Subsections (17) and (18) are added to section
50 1003.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
51 1003.01 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
52 (17) “Computer science” means the study of computers and
53 algorithmic processes, including their principles, hardware and
54 software designs, applications, implementation, and impact on
55 society, and includes computer coding, computer programming,
56 computational thinking, robotics, and physical computing.
57 (18) “Computational thinking” means the thought process
58 involved in expressing solutions as computational steps or
59 algorithms that can be carried out by a computer.
60 Section 2. Section 1003.4202, Florida Statutes, is created
61 to read:
62 1003.4202 Computer science and technology instruction.—
63 (1) For the purposes of this section, the term
64 “instructional personnel” has the same meaning as in s.
65 1012.01(2)(a), (b), and (c).
66 (2)(a) Public schools shall provide computer science
67 instruction in conformity with the following:
68 1. Each elementary school may provide computer science
69 instruction with the goals of providing a foundation for future
70 computer usage and achieving digital literacy.
71 2. Each middle school shall provide computer science
72 instruction with the goals of providing a foundation for future
73 computer usage and achieving digital literacy.
74 3. Each high school shall provide computer science
75 instruction that includes opportunities for students to take
76 courses resulting in computer science-related industry
77 certifications that satisfy the requirements to obtain a
78 standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282(3).
79 (b) Computer science courses and technology-related
80 industry certifications identified as eligible for meeting
81 mathematics or science requirements for obtaining a standard
82 high school diploma must be identified in the Course Code
83 Directory and published on the Department of Education’s
84 website. Additional computer science courses may be subsequently
85 identified and posted on the department’s website.
86 (3) The Florida Virtual School shall offer computer science
87 courses identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to
88 paragraph (2)(b). If a school district does not offer an
89 identified course, the district must provide students access to
90 the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other
91 means approved by the department.
92 (4)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a school
93 district or a consortium of school districts may apply to the
94 department, in a format prescribed by the department, for
95 funding to deliver or facilitate training for instructional
96 personnel to earn an educator certificate in computer science
97 pursuant to s. 1012.56; training for instructional personnel
98 which leads to an industry certification associated with a
99 course identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant to
100 paragraph (2)(b); or professional development for instructional
101 personnel to provide instruction in computer science. Such
102 funding may be used only to provide training for instructional
103 personnel, to pay fees for examinations that lead to a
104 credential, or to provide professional development, pursuant to
105 this paragraph.
106 (b) The department shall establish a deadline for school
107 districts or consortiums to apply for funding pursuant to
108 paragraph (a). The department shall award funding in an
109 equitable manner that accounts for the unique needs of small or
110 rural school districts.
111 (c) The department shall prepare and submit a report by
112 December 1 of each year to the Governor, the Cabinet, and the
113 Legislature which details the funding formula and distribution
114 of funds to each school district in the previous fiscal year
115 pursuant to this subsection.
116 (5) Public elementary schools and public middle schools may
117 establish digital classrooms in which students are provided
118 opportunities to improve digital literacy and competency; to
119 learn digital skills, such as computer science, multiple media
120 presentation, and the manipulation of multiple digital graphic
121 images; and to earn digital tool certificates and certifications
122 pursuant to s. 1003.4203 and grade-appropriate, technology
123 related industry certifications.
124 (6) Subject to legislative appropriation, instructional
125 personnel evaluated as effective or highly effective pursuant to
126 s. 1012.34 in the previous school year or instructional
127 personnel who were newly hired by the district school board and
128 have not been evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34 must receive a
129 bonus as follows:
130 (a) If the individual holds an educator certificate in
131 computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or has passed the
132 computer science subject area examination and holds an adjunct
133 certificate issued by a school district pursuant to s. 1012.57,
134 he or she must receive a bonus of $1,000 after each year he or
135 she completes teaching a computer science course identified in
136 the Course Code Directory pursuant to paragraph (2)(b) at a
137 public elementary, middle, high, or combination school in this
138 state, for up to 3 years.
139 (b) If the individual holds an industry certification
140 associated with a course identified in the Course Code Directory
141 pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), he or she must receive a bonus of
142 $500 after each year he or she completes teaching the identified
143 course at a public elementary, middle, high, or combination
144 school in this state, for up to 3 years.
145 (c) A school district shall identify and report qualifying
146 instructional personnel to the department by a date and in a
147 format established by the department. Eligible instructional
148 personnel shall receive the bonus upon completion of the school
149 year in which he or she taught the course but may not receive
150 more than one bonus per year under this subsection.
151 (7) Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351,
152 funds allocated for the purpose of this section which are not
153 disbursed by June 30 of the fiscal year in which such funds are
154 allocated may be carried forward for up to 5 years after the
155 effective date of the original appropriation.
156 (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
157 administer this section.
158 Section 3. Section 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, is
159 repealed.
160 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.