Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 7038
By the Committees on Appropriations; and Education Pre-K -12;
and Senator Yarborough
576-02710-24 20247038c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1002.321,
3 F.S.; providing legislative findings; authorizing a
4 school district to receive grant funds for specified
5 purposes; requiring grant recipients to select an
6 artificial intelligence platform that meets certain
7 requirements; amending s. 1002.411, F.S.; revising
8 eligibility requirements for a New Worlds Scholarship
9 account; requiring a parent to use the administrator’s
10 system to make direct purchases of qualifying
11 expenditures; specifying additional qualifying
12 expenditures; requiring that the administrator of a
13 New Worlds Scholarship account be an eligible
14 nonprofit scholarship-funding organization; requiring
15 each school district and prekindergarten provider to
16 notify the parent of each eligible student of the
17 process to request and receive a scholarship when
18 providing certain screening and progress monitoring
19 results; requiring eligible nonprofit scholarship
20 funding organizations to develop a system that allows
21 eligible students to make direct purchases of
22 qualifying expenditures; deleting a requirement for
23 payments to be made on a quarterly basis; amending s.
24 1003.485, F.S.; revising definitions of the terms
25 “administrator” and “micro-credential”; deleting
26 responsibilities for the Department of Education
27 relating to the New Worlds Reading Initiative;
28 requiring the department to provide the administrator
29 with progress monitoring data for certain students;
30 revising the information that the administrator must
31 include in an annual financial report; making
32 technical changes; creating s. 1004.561, F.S.;
33 creating the Lastinger Center for Learning at the
34 University of Florida; providing the duties of the
35 center; amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; making technical
36 changes; requiring that the progress monitoring system
37 provide prekindergarten instructors with certain
38 results within a specified timeframe; creating s.
39 1008.366, F.S.; creating the New Worlds Tutoring
40 Program; providing the purpose of the program;
41 providing requirements for the program; requiring the
42 administrator of the program to provide a report to
43 specified entities by a specified date annually;
44 amending ss. 1003.01 and 1003.499, F.S.; conforming
45 cross-references; providing an effective date.
46
47 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
48
49 Section 1. Present subsections (4) and (5) of section
50 1002.321, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
51 and (6), respectively, a new subsection (4) is added to that
52 section, and subsection (3) of that section is amended, to read:
53 1002.321 Digital learning.—
54 (3) CUSTOMIZED AND ACCELERATED LEARNING.—The Legislature
55 finds that artificial intelligence provides opportunities to
56 customize and accelerate learning for students and reduce
57 teacher workload. A school district may receive grant funds for
58 subscription fees and professional learning to support and
59 accelerate learning for students in grades 6 through 12 during
60 the school day. Grant recipients must select an artificial
61 intelligence platform that:
62 (a) Uses large language models based on GPT-4, its
63 equivalent, or a successor, and is on a closed system.
64 (b) Provides professional learning to teachers.
65 (c) Provides one-on-one tutoring aligned to the Benchmarks
66 for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for reading
67 and mathematics.
68 (d) Provides standards-aligned lesson plans and provides
69 insights on student progress.
70 (e) Provides district and school-level reporting and
71 parental access to artificial intelligence interactions.
72 (4) VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.—A school district must establish
73 multiple opportunities for student participation in part-time
74 and full-time kindergarten through grade 12 virtual instruction.
75 Options include, but are not limited to:
76 (a) School district operated part-time or full-time virtual
77 instruction programs under s. 1002.45(1)(b) for kindergarten
78 through grade 12 students enrolled in the school district. A
79 full-time program shall operate under its own Master School
80 Identification Number.
81 (b) Florida Virtual School instructional services
82 authorized under s. 1002.37.
83 (c) Blended learning instruction provided by charter
84 schools authorized under s. 1002.33.
85 (d) Virtual charter school instruction authorized under s.
86 1002.33.
87 (e) Courses delivered in the traditional school setting by
88 personnel providing direct instruction through virtual
89 instruction or through blended learning courses consisting of
90 both traditional classroom and online instructional techniques
91 pursuant to s. 1003.498.
92 (f) Virtual courses offered in the course code directory to
93 students within the school district or to students in other
94 school districts throughout the state pursuant to s. 1003.498.
95 Section 2. Subsection (2), paragraph (a) of subsection (3),
96 subsections (4) and (6), and paragraphs (c) and (e) through (h)
97 of subsection (7) of section 1002.411, Florida Statutes, are
98 amended to read:
99 1002.411 New Worlds Scholarship accounts.—
100 (2) ELIGIBILITY.—Contingent upon available funds, and on a
101 first-come, first-served basis, each student who is enrolled in
102 the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program pursuant to s.
103 1002.53 or a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade
104 5 is eligible for a scholarship account if the student:
105 (a) Exhibits a substantial deficiency in early literacy
106 skills based upon the results of the most recent progress
107 monitoring administered pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), has a
108 substantial reading deficiency or exhibits characteristics of
109 dyslexia as identified under s. 1008.25(5)(a), or scored below a
110 Level 3 on the most recent statewide, standardized English
111 Language Arts (ELA) assessment in the prior school year. An
112 eligible student who is classified as an English Language
113 Learner and is enrolled in a program or receiving services that
114 are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of
115 English Language Learner students shall receive priority.
116 (b) Exhibits a substantial deficiency in early mathematics
117 skills based upon the results of the most recent progress
118 monitoring administered pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), has a
119 substantial deficiency in mathematics or the characteristics of
120 dyscalculia as identified under s. 1008.25(6)(a), or scored
121 below a Level 3 on the most recent statewide, standardized
122 Mathematics assessment in the prior school year.
123 (3) PARENT AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PARTICIPATION.—
124 (a) For an eligible student to receive a scholarship
125 account, the student’s parent must:
126 1. Submit an application to an eligible nonprofit
127 scholarship-funding organization by the deadline established by
128 such organization; and
129 2. If available, use the administrator’s system to make
130 direct purchases Submit eligible expenses to the eligible
131 nonprofit scholarship-funding organization for reimbursement of
132 qualifying expenditures, which may include:
133 a. Instructional materials.
134 b. Curriculum. As used in this sub-subparagraph, the term
135 “curriculum” means a complete course of study for a particular
136 content area or grade level, including any required supplemental
137 materials and associated online instruction.
138 c. Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring services
139 provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s
140 certificate pursuant to s. 1012.56, a person who holds a
141 baccalaureate or graduate degree in the subject area, a person
142 who holds an adjunct teaching certificate pursuant to s.
143 1012.57, or a person who has demonstrated a mastery of subject
144 area knowledge pursuant to s. 1012.56(5), a person who holds a
145 micro-credential under s. 1003.485, or, for a prekindergarten
146 student, a person who holds a credential under s.
147 1002.55(3)(c)1. or an educational credential under s.
148 1002.55(4)(a) or (b).
149 d. Fees for summer education programs designed to improve
150 reading, literacy, or mathematics skills.
151 e. Fees for after-school education programs designed to
152 improve reading, literacy, or mathematics skills.
153
154 A provider of any services receiving payments pursuant to this
155 subparagraph may not share any moneys from the scholarship with,
156 or provide a refund or rebate of any moneys from such
157 scholarship to, the parent or participating student in any
158 manner. A parent, student, or provider of any services may not
159 bill an insurance company, Medicaid, or any other agency for the
160 same services that are paid for using scholarship funds.
161 (4) ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATION.—An eligible nonprofit
162 scholarship-funding organization as defined in s. 1002.395(2)
163 shall be the administrator and participating in the Florida Tax
164 Credit Scholarship Program established by s. 1002.395 may
165 establish scholarship accounts for eligible students in
166 accordance with the requirements of eligible nonprofit
167 scholarship-funding organizations under this chapter.
168 (6) SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PRIVATE PREKINDERGARTEN PROVIDER
169 OBLIGATIONS; PARENTAL OPTIONS.—
170 (a) Each By September 30, the school district and private
171 prekindergarten provider shall notify the parent of each
172 eligible student of the process to request and receive a
173 scholarship, subject to available funds, when providing results
174 from the standardized coordinated screening and progress
175 monitoring pursuant to s. 1008.25(9)(c).
176 (b) A school district may not prohibit instructional
177 personnel from providing services pursuant to this section on
178 the instructional personnel’s school campus outside regular work
179 hours, subject to school district policies for safety and
180 security operations to protect students, instructional
181 personnel, and educational facilities.
182 (7) ACCOUNT FUNDING AND PAYMENT.—
183 (c) Upon notification from the eligible nonprofit
184 scholarship-funding organization that a student being has been
185 determined eligible for a scholarship, the department shall,
186 within 45 days, release the student’s scholarship funds to such
187 organization to be deposited into the student’s account.
188 (e) The eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization
189 may develop a system that permits eligible students to use
190 program funds to make direct purchases of qualifying
191 expenditures for payment of scholarship funds by funds transfer,
192 including, but not limited to, debit cards, electronic payment
193 cards, or any other means of payment that the department deems
194 to be commercially viable or cost-effective. A student’s
195 scholarship award may not be reduced for debit card or
196 electronic payment fees. Commodities or services related to the
197 development of such a system shall be procured by competitive
198 solicitation unless they are purchased from a state term
199 contract pursuant to s. 287.056.
200 (f) Payment of the scholarship shall be made by the
201 eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization no less
202 frequently than on a quarterly basis.
203 (g) Moneys received pursuant to this section do not
204 constitute taxable income to the qualified student or his or her
205 parent.
206 (g)(h) A student’s scholarship account must be closed and
207 any remaining funds shall revert to the state after:
208 1. Denial or revocation of scholarship eligibility by the
209 commissioner for fraud or abuse, including, but not limited to,
210 the student or student’s parent accepting any payment, refund,
211 or rebate, in any manner, from a provider of any services
212 received pursuant to subsection (3); or
213 2. Three consecutive fiscal years in which an account has
214 been inactive.
215 Section 3. Paragraphs (a) and (g) of subsection (1),
216 paragraph (d) of subsection (2), subsection (3), paragraphs (f),
217 (i), and (j) of subsection (4), and paragraphs (a) and (c) of
218 subsection (6) of section 1003.485, Florida Statutes, are
219 amended to read:
220 1003.485 The New Worlds Reading Initiative.—
221 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
222 (a) “Administrator” means the a state University of Florida
223 Lastinger Center for Learning registered with the department
224 under s. 1002.395(15)(i) and designated to administer the
225 initiative under paragraph (3)(a).
226 (g) “Micro-credential” means evidence-based professional
227 learning development activities grounded in the science of
228 reading which are competency-based, personalized, and on-demand.
229 Educators must demonstrate their competence via evidence
230 submitted and reviewed by trained evaluators.
231 (2) NEW WORLDS READING INITIATIVE; PURPOSE.—The purpose of
232 the New Worlds Reading Initiative established under the
233 department is to instill a love of reading by providing high
234 quality, free books to students in prekindergarten through grade
235 5 who are reading below grade level and to improve the literacy
236 skills of students in prekindergarten through grade 12. The New
237 Worlds Reading Initiative shall consist of:
238 (d) The New Worlds micro-credential program established
239 under this section which emphasizes strong core instruction and
240 a tiered model of reading interventions for struggling readers.
241 (3) DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.—The department shall:
242 (a) Designate an administrator to implement the initiative
243 and to receive funding as provided in this section. The
244 administrator must have an academic innovation institution with
245 extensive experience in:
246 1. Conducting academic research in early literacy
247 instruction.
248 2. Implementing online delivery of early learning and
249 literacy training for educators nationally.
250 3. Developing online support materials that assist parents
251 and caregivers in developing early literacy skills.
252 4. Conducting fundraising and public awareness campaigns to
253 support the development and growth of evidence-based educational
254 initiatives that support learning at home and in schools.
255 (b) Publish information about the initiative and tax
256 credits under subsection (5) on its website, including the
257 process for a taxpayer to select the administrator as the
258 recipient of funding through a tax credit.
259 (b)(c) Beginning September 30, 2022, and Annually
260 thereafter, report on its website the number of students
261 participating in the initiative in each school district,
262 information from the annual financial report under paragraph
263 (4)(j), and the academic achievement and learning gains, as
264 applicable, of participating students based on data provided by
265 school districts as permitted under s. 1002.22. The department
266 shall establish a date by which the administrator and each
267 school district must annually provide the data necessary to
268 complete the report.
269 (c) Provide the administrator with progress monitoring data
270 for eligible prekindergarten through grade 12 students within 30
271 days after the close of each progress monitoring period.
272 (4) ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES.—The administrator
273 shall:
274 (f) Provide professional learning development and resources
275 to teachers that correlate with the books provided through the
276 initiative.
277 (i) Administer the early literacy micro-credential program
278 established under this section, which must include components on
279 content, student learning, pedagogy, and professional learning
280 development and must build on a strong foundation of
281 scientifically researched and evidence-based reading
282 instructional and intervention programs that incorporate
283 explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to teaching
284 phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text
285 comprehension and incorporate decodable or phonetic text
286 instructional strategies, as identified by the Just Read,
287 Florida! Office, pursuant to s. 1001.215(7).
288 1. At a minimum, the micro-credential curriculum must be
289 designed specifically for instructional personnel in
290 prekindergarten through grade 3 based upon the strategies and
291 techniques identified in s. 1002.59 and address foundational
292 literacy skills of students in grades 4 through 12.
293 2. The micro-credential must be competency based and
294 designed for eligible instructional personnel to complete the
295 credentialing process in no more than 60 hours, in an online
296 format. The micro-credential may be delivered in an in-person
297 format. Eligible instructional personnel may receive the micro
298 credential once competency is demonstrated even if it is before
299 prior to the completion of 60 hours.
300 3. The micro-credential must be available by December 31,
301 2022, at no cost, to instructional personnel as defined in s.
302 1012.01(2); prekindergarten instructors as specified in ss.
303 1002.55, 1002.61, and 1002.63; and child care personnel as
304 defined in ss. 402.302(3) and 1002.88(1)(e).
305 (j) Annually submit to the department an annual financial
306 report that includes, at a minimum, the amount of eligible
307 contributions received by the administrator; the amount spent on
308 each activity required by this subsection, including
309 administrative expenses; the number of micro-credentials and
310 reading endorsements earned; and the number of students and
311 households served under each component of the initiative, by
312 school district, including the means by which additional
313 literacy support was provided to students.
314 (6) ELIGIBILITY; NOTIFICATION; SCHOOL DISTRICT
315 OBLIGATIONS.—
316 (a) A student in prekindergarten through grade 5 must be
317 provided books through the initiative if the student is not yet
318 reading on grade level, has a substantial reading deficiency
319 identified under s. 1008.25(5)(a) or (b), has a substantial
320 deficiency in early literacy skills based upon the results of
321 the coordinated screening and progress monitoring under s.
322 1008.25(9), or scored below a Level 3 on the most recent
323 preceding year’s statewide, standardized English Language Arts
324 assessment under s. 1008.22.
325 (c) Once an eligible student is identified, the school
326 district shall coordinate with the administrator to initiate
327 book delivery on a monthly basis during the school year, which
328 must begin no later than October and continue through at least
329 June. However, for the 2021-2022 school year only, delivery may
330 begin no later than December 31, 2021, provided that no fewer
331 than 9 books are delivered to each student before book
332 deliveries begin for the 2022-2023 school year.
333 Section 4. Section 1004.561, Florida Statutes, is created
334 to read:
335 1004.561 University of Florida Lastinger Center for
336 Learning.—There is created at the University of Florida the
337 Lastinger Center for Learning. The center shall:
338 (1) Develop and administer programs to improve student
339 achievement outcomes in early learning, literacy, and
340 mathematics.
341 (2) Provide professional learning for educators to improve
342 the quality of instruction in early learning, literacy, and
343 mathematics. Professional learning includes the development of
344 micro-credentials pursuant to s. 1003.485 and may include the
345 development of other micro-credentials that require educators to
346 demonstrate competency. Micro-credentials must be provided at
347 low or no cost and be personalized, and may be provided online
348 or in person.
349 (3) Provide technical assistance and support to school
350 districts and schools and early learning coalitions in improving
351 student achievement.
352 (4) Conduct and publish research on teaching and learning
353 in early learning, literacy, and mathematics, as well as
354 professional learning for educators.
355 (5) Administer the New Worlds Tutoring Program that
356 supports school districts and schools in improving student
357 achievement in reading and mathematics pursuant to s. 1008.366.
358 Section 5. Paragraph (d) of subsection (5), paragraph (c)
359 of subsection (6), and paragraph (c) of subsection (9) of
360 section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
361 1008.25 Public school student progression; student support;
362 coordinated screening and progress monitoring; reporting
363 requirements.—
364 (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
365 (d) The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial
366 deficiency in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be
367 notified in writing of the following:
368 1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
369 substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and
370 explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact
371 nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of
372 achievement in reading.
373 2. A description of the current services that are provided
374 to the child.
375 3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions
376 and supports that will be provided to the child that are
377 designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency.
378 4. That if the child’s reading deficiency is not remediated
379 by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained unless he or
380 she is exempt from mandatory retention for good cause.
381 5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and
382 programming, through a read-at-home plan the parent can use in
383 helping his or her child succeed in reading. The read-at-home
384 plan must provide access to the resources identified in
385 paragraph (e) (f).
386 6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts
387 assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion and that
388 additional evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are
389 available to the child to assist parents and the school district
390 in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and
391 ready for grade promotion.
392 7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for a
393 portfolio as provided in subparagraph (7)(b)4. and the evidence
394 required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s
395 academic standards for English Language Arts. A school must
396 immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a
397 student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention
398 or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first.
399 8. The district’s specific criteria and policies for
400 midyear promotion. Midyear promotion means promotion of a
401 retained student at any time during the year of retention once
402 the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
403 9. Information about the student’s eligibility for the New
404 Worlds Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485 and the New Worlds
405 Scholarship Accounts under s. 1002.411 and information on parent
406 training modules and other reading engagement resources
407 available through the initiative.
408
409 After initial notification, the school shall apprise the parent
410 at least monthly of the student’s progress in response to the
411 intensive interventions and supports. Such communications must
412 be in writing and must explain any additional interventions or
413 supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student’s
414 progress if the interventions and supports already being
415 implemented have not resulted in improvement.
416 (6) MATHEMATICS DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
417 (c) The parent of a student who exhibits a substantial
418 deficiency in mathematics, as described in paragraph (a), must
419 be notified in writing of the following:
420 1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
421 substantial deficiency in mathematics, including a description
422 and explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the
423 exact nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of
424 achievement in mathematics.
425 2. A description of the current services that are provided
426 to the child.
427 3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions
428 and supports that will be provided to the child that are
429 designed to remediate the identified area of mathematics
430 deficiency.
431 4. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and
432 programming, through a home-based plan the parent can use in
433 helping his or her child succeed in mathematics. The home-based
434 plan must provide access to the resources identified in
435 paragraph (d) (e).
436
437 After the initial notification, the school shall apprise the
438 parent at least monthly of the student’s progress in response to
439 the intensive interventions and supports. Such communications
440 must be in writing and must explain any additional interventions
441 or supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student’s
442 progress if the interventions and supports already being
443 implemented have not resulted in improvement.
444 (9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM.—
445 (c) To facilitate timely interventions and supports
446 pursuant to subsection (4), the system must provide results from
447 the first two administrations of the progress monitoring to a
448 student’s teacher or prekindergarten instructor within 1 week
449 and to the student’s parent within 2 weeks after of the
450 administration of the progress monitoring. Delivery of results
451 from the comprehensive, end-of-year progress monitoring ELA
452 assessment for grades 3 through 10 and Mathematics assessment
453 for grades 3 through 8 must be in accordance with s.
454 1008.22(7)(h).
455 1. A student’s results from the coordinated screening and
456 progress monitoring system must be recorded in a written, easy
457 to-comprehend individual student report. Each school district
458 shall provide a parent secure access to his or her child’s
459 individual student reports through a web-based portal as part of
460 its student information system. Each early learning coalition
461 shall provide parents the individual student report in a format
462 determined by state board rule.
463 2. In addition to the information under subparagraph (a)5.,
464 the report must also include parent resources that explain the
465 purpose of progress monitoring, assist the parent in
466 interpreting progress monitoring results, and support informed
467 parent involvement. Parent resources may include personalized
468 video formats.
469 3. The department shall annually update school districts
470 and early learning coalitions on new system features and
471 functionality and collaboratively identify with school districts
472 and early learning coalitions strategies for meaningfully
473 reporting to parents results from the coordinated screening and
474 progress monitoring system. The department shall develop ways to
475 increase the utilization, by instructional staff and parents, of
476 student assessment data and resources.
477 4. An individual student report must be provided in a
478 printed format upon a parent’s request.
479 Section 6. Section 1008.366, Florida Statutes, is created
480 to read:
481 1008.366 The New Worlds Tutoring Program.—
482 (1) The New Worlds Tutoring Program is created to support
483 school districts and schools in improving student achievement in
484 reading and mathematics by:
485 (a) Providing best practice science of reading guidelines
486 for districts in consultation with the Just Read, Florida!
487 Office.
488 (b) Providing best practice guidelines for mathematics
489 tutoring in alignment with Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent
490 Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for mathematics.
491 (c) Establishing minimum standards that each school
492 district must meet to participate in the program. The minimum
493 standards must address:
494 1. Appropriate group sizes for tutoring sessions.
495 2. The frequency and duration of tutoring sessions.
496 3. Minimum staffing qualifications for tutors.
497 4. The use of ongoing, informal and formal assessments to
498 target instructional interventions.
499 5. Prioritization strategies for tutoring students.
500 (d) Providing access during the school day to additional
501 literacy or mathematics support through evidence-based automated
502 literacy tutoring software that provides each student with real
503 time interventions that are based in science of reading
504 principles or mathematics instructional best practices and
505 individually tailored to the needs and ability of each student.
506 Access must be provided to students in kindergarten through
507 grade 5 enrolled in a public school who have a substantial
508 deficiency in reading or mathematics in accordance with s.
509 1008.25. The term “evidence-based” has the same meaning as in s.
510 1003.4201(6).
511 (e) Awarding grants to school districts which may be used
512 for stipends for in-person tutoring during the school day,
513 before and after school, or during a summer program. In-person
514 tutoring may be provided to, at a minimum, kindergarten through
515 grade 5 students enrolled in a public school who have a
516 substantial deficiency in reading or mathematics in accordance
517 with s. 1008.25. To identify eligible students, the department
518 shall provide the administrator with mathematics and reading
519 progress monitoring data for eligible kindergarten through grade
520 12 students within 30 days after the close of each progress
521 monitoring period.
522 (f) Providing technical assistance and professional
523 learning to school districts, including:
524 1. Advising district staff on tutoring program design and
525 intervention selection upon request.
526 2. Assisting districts in reviewing tutoring programs,
527 professional learning programs, curriculum, and resources to
528 ensure that they adhere to the science of reading or best
529 practices in mathematics.
530 3. Providing professional learning to district staff to
531 build their knowledge and skills around the science of reading
532 or best practices in mathematics.
533 (2) Annually, by July 1, the administrator of the New
534 Worlds Tutoring Program shall provide to the President of the
535 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
536 Commissioner of Education a report summarizing school district
537 use of program funds and student academic outcomes as a result
538 of the additional literacy or mathematics support provided under
539 this section.
540 Section 7. Subsection (5) of section 1003.01, Florida
541 Statutes, is amended to read:
542 1003.01 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
543 (5) “Core-curricula courses” means:
544 (a) Courses in language arts/reading, mathematics, social
545 studies, and science in prekindergarten through grade 3,
546 excluding extracurricular courses pursuant to subsection (11);
547 (b) Courses in grades 4 through 8 in subjects that are
548 measured by state assessment at any grade level and courses
549 required for middle school promotion, excluding extracurricular
550 courses pursuant to subsection (11);
551 (c) Courses in grades 9 through 12 in subjects that are
552 measured by state assessment at any grade level and courses that
553 are specifically identified by name in statute as required for
554 high school graduation and that are not measured by state
555 assessment, excluding extracurricular courses pursuant to
556 subsection (11);
557 (d) Exceptional student education courses; and
558 (e) English for Speakers of Other Languages courses.
559
560 The term is limited in meaning and used for the sole purpose of
561 designating classes that are subject to the maximum class size
562 requirements established in s. 1, Art. IX of the State
563 Constitution. This term does not include courses offered under
564 ss. 1002.321(4)(e) 1002.321(3)(e), 1002.33(7)(a)2.c., 1002.37,
565 1002.45, and 1003.499.
566 Section 8. Subsection (2) of section 1003.499, Florida
567 Statutes, is amended to read:
568 1003.499 Florida Approved Courses and Tests (FACT)
569 Initiative.—
570 (2) FLORIDA APPROVED COURSES.—The Department of Education
571 shall annually publish online a list of providers approved to
572 offer Florida approved courses which shall be listed in the
573 online catalog pursuant to s. 1002.321(6) s. 1002.321(5).
574 (a) As used in this section, the term “Florida approved
575 courses” means online courses provided by individuals which
576 include, but are not limited to, massive open online courses or
577 remedial education associated with the courses that are measured
578 pursuant to s. 1008.22. Massive open online courses may be
579 authorized in the following subject areas: Algebra I, biology,
580 geometry, and civics. Courses may be applied toward requirements
581 for promotion or graduation in whole, in subparts, or in a
582 combination of whole and subparts. A student may not be required
583 to repeat subparts that are satisfactorily completed.
584 (b) A Florida approved course must be annually identified,
585 approved, published, and shared for consideration by interested
586 students and school districts. The Commissioner of Education
587 shall approve each Florida approved course for application in K
588 12 public schools in accordance with rules of the State Board of
589 Education.
590 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.