The Florida Senate

1002.67  Performance standards; curricula and accountability.--

(1)  By April 1, 2005, the department shall develop and adopt performance standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The performance standards must address the age-appropriate progress of students in the development of:

(a)  The capabilities, capacities, and skills required under s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and

(b)  Emergent literacy skills, including oral communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development.

(2)(a)  Each private prekindergarten provider and public school may select or design the curriculum that the provider or school uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school that is placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c).

(b)  Each private prekindergarten provider's and public school's curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and must:

1.  Be designed to prepare a student for early literacy;

2.  Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in attaining the performance standards adopted by the department under subsection (1); and

3.  Prepare students to be ready for kindergarten based upon the statewide kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.69

(c)  The department shall review and approve curricula for use by private prekindergarten providers and public schools that are placed on probation under paragraph (3)(c). The department shall maintain a list of the curricula approved under this paragraph. Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements of paragraph (b).

(3)(a)  Each early learning coalition shall verify that each private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition's county or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district school board shall verify that each public school delivering the program within the school district complies with this part.

(b)  If a private prekindergarten provider or public school fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or school engages in misconduct, the Agency for Workforce Innovation shall require the early learning coalition to remove the provider, and the Department of Education shall require the school district to remove the school, from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds under this part.

(c)1.  If the kindergarten readiness rate of a private prekindergarten provider or public school falls below the minimum rate adopted by the State Board of Education as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6), the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall require the provider or school to submit an improvement plan for approval by the coalition or school district, as applicable, and to implement the plan.

2.  If a private prekindergarten provider or public school fails to meet the minimum rate adopted by the State Board of Education as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6) for 2 consecutive years, the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall place the provider or school on probation and must require the provider or school to take certain corrective actions, including the use of a curriculum approved by the department under paragraph (2)(c).

3.  A private prekindergarten provider or public school that is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions required under subparagraph 2., including the use of a curriculum approved by the department, until the provider or school meets the minimum rate adopted by the State Board of Education as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6).

4.  If a private prekindergarten provider or public school remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet the minimum rate adopted by the State Board of Education as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6), the Agency for Workforce Innovation shall require the early learning coalition or the Department of Education shall require the school district, as applicable, to remove the provider or school from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds for the program.

(d)  Each early learning coalition, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the department shall coordinate with the Child Care Services Program Office of the Department of Children and Family Services to minimize interagency duplication of activities for monitoring private prekindergarten providers for compliance with requirements of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program under this part, the school readiness programs under s. 411.01, and the licensing of providers under ss. 402.301-402.319.

History.--s. 1, ch. 2004-484.