The Florida Senate

1002.23  Family and School Partnership for Student Achievement Act.--

(1)  The purpose of the Family and School Partnership for Student Achievement Act is to:

(a)  Provide parents with specific information about their child's educational progress;

(b)  Provide parents with comprehensive information about their choices and opportunities for involvement in their child's education; and

(c)  Provide a framework for building and strengthening partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, district school superintendents, and other personnel.

Each district school board, school district superintendent, and teacher shall fully support and cooperate in implementing a well-planned, inclusive, and comprehensive program to assist parents and families in effectively participating in their child's education.

(2)  To facilitate meaningful parent and family involvement, the Department of Education shall develop guidelines for a parent guide to successful student achievement which describes what parents need to know about their child's educational progress and how they can help their child to succeed in school. The guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a)  Parental information regarding:

1.  Requirements for their child to be promoted to the next grade, as provided for in s. 1008.25;

2.  Progress of their child toward achieving state and district expectations for academic proficiency;

3.  Assessment results, including report cards and progress reports; and

4.  Qualifications of their child's teachers;

(b)  Services available for parents and their children, such as family literacy services; mentoring, tutorial, and other academic reinforcement programs; college planning, academic advisement, and student counseling services; and after-school programs;

(c)  Opportunities for parental participation, such as parenting classes, adult education, school advisory councils, and school volunteer programs;

(d)  Opportunities for parents to learn about rigorous academic programs that may be available for their child, such as honors programs, dual enrollment, advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, Florida Virtual High School courses, and accelerated access to postsecondary education;

(e)  Educational choices, as provided for in s. 1002.20(6), and corporate income tax credit scholarships, as provided for in s. 220.187;

(f)  Classroom and test accommodations available for students with disabilities; and

(g)  School board rules, policies, and procedures for student promotion and retention, academic standards, student assessment, courses of study, instructional materials, and contact information for school and district offices.

(3)  The Department of Education shall develop and disseminate a checklist for school districts to provide to parents to assist with the parent's involvement in their child's educational progress. The checklist shall address parental actions that:

(a)  Strengthen the child's academic progress, especially in the area of reading;

(b)  Strengthen the child's citizenship, especially social skills and respect for others;

(c)  Strengthen the child's realization of high expectations and setting lifelong learning goals; and

(d)  Place a strong emphasis on the communication between the school and the home.

(4)  The Department of Education shall establish a parent-response center to provide assistance to parents and families in answering questions and resolving issues related to the child's education.

(5)  Each district school board shall adopt rules that strengthen family involvement and family empowerment. The rules shall be developed in collaboration with parents, school administrators, teachers, and community partners, and shall address:

(a)  Parental choices and responsibilities;

(b)  Links with community services;

(c)  Opportunities for parental involvement in the development, implementation, and evaluation of family involvement programs; and

(d)  Opportunities for parents to participate on school advisory councils and in school volunteer programs and other activities.

(6)  Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, each school district shall submit a copy of the rules developed under subsection (5) to the Department of Education by October 1.

(7)  Each school district shall develop and disseminate a parent guide to successful student achievement, consistent with the guidelines of the Department of Education, which addresses what parents need to know about their child's educational progress and how parents can help their child to succeed in school. The guide must:

(a)  Be understandable to students and parents;

(b)  Be distributed to all parents, students, and school personnel at the beginning of each school year;

(c)  Be discussed at the beginning of each school year in meetings of students, parents, and teachers; and

(d)  Include information concerning services, opportunities, choices, academic standards, and student assessment.

The parent guide may be included as a part of the code of student conduct that is required in s. 1006.07(2).

(8)  Each school district shall develop and disseminate a checklist of parental actions that can strengthen parental involvement in their child's educational progress, consistent with the requirements in subsection (3). The checklist shall be provided each school year to all parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12 and shall focus on academics, especially reading, high expectations for students, citizenship, and communication.

(9)  The State Board of Education shall annually review each school district's compliance with this section and the district's success in achieving improved services for families. The State Board of Education shall use all appropriate enforcement actions, as provided for in s. 1008.32, until the school district fully complies with the requirements of this section.

History.--s. 2, ch. 2003-118.