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The Florida Senate

2014 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII K-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1002 STUDENT AND PARENTAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONAL CHOICES Entire Chapter
SECTION 69
Statewide kindergarten screening; kindergarten readiness rates; state-approved prekindergarten enrollment screening; good cause exemption.
F.S. 1002.69
1002.69 Statewide kindergarten screening; kindergarten readiness rates; state-approved prekindergarten enrollment screening; good cause exemption.—
(1) The department shall adopt a statewide kindergarten screening that assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten based upon the performance standards adopted by the department under s. 1002.67(1) for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The department shall require that each school district administer the statewide kindergarten screening to each kindergarten student in the school district within the first 30 school days of each school year. Nonpublic schools may administer the statewide kindergarten screening to each kindergarten student in a nonpublic school who was enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
(2) The statewide kindergarten screening shall provide objective data concerning each student’s readiness for kindergarten and progress in attaining the performance standards adopted by the office under s. 1002.67(1).
(3) The statewide kindergarten screening shall incorporate mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in kindergarten readiness rates for students with disabilities.
(4) Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must submit the child for the statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of whether the child is admitted to kindergarten in a public school or nonpublic school. Each school district shall designate sites to administer the statewide kindergarten screening for children admitted to kindergarten in a nonpublic school.
(5) The office shall adopt procedures to annually calculate each private prekindergarten provider’s and public school’s kindergarten readiness rate, which must be expressed as the percentage of the provider’s or school’s students who are assessed as ready for kindergarten. The methodology for calculating each provider’s kindergarten readiness rate must include student learning gains when available and the percentage of students who meet all state readiness measures. The rates must not include students who are not administered the statewide kindergarten screening. The office shall determine learning gains using a value-added measure based on growth demonstrated by the results of the preassessment and postassessment from at least 2 successive years of administration of the preassessment and postassessment.
(6) The office shall periodically adopt a minimum kindergarten readiness rate that, if achieved by a private prekindergarten provider or public school, would demonstrate the provider’s or school’s satisfactory delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
(7)(a) Notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., the office, upon the request of a private prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on probation for 2 consecutive years or more and subsequently fails to meet the minimum rate adopted under subsection (6) and for good cause shown, may grant to the provider or school an exemption from being determined ineligible to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds for the program. Such exemption is valid for 1 year and, upon the request of the private prekindergarten provider or public school and for good cause shown, may be renewed.
(b) A private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s request for a good cause exemption, or renewal of such an exemption, must be submitted to the office in the manner and within the timeframes prescribed by the office and must include the following:
1. Submission of data by the private prekindergarten provider or public school which documents the achievement and progress of the children served as measured by the state-approved prekindergarten enrollment screening and the standardized postassessment approved by the office pursuant to subparagraph (c)1.
2. Submission and review of data available from the respective early learning coalition or district school board, the Department of Children and Families, local licensing authority, or an accrediting association, as applicable, relating to the private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s compliance with state and local health and safety standards.
3. Submission and review of data available to the office on the performance of the children served and the calculation of the private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s kindergarten readiness rate.
(c) The office shall adopt criteria for granting good cause exemptions. Such criteria shall include, but are not limited to:
1. Learning gains of children served in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program by the private prekindergarten provider or public school.
2. Verification that local and state health and safety requirements are met.
(d) A good cause exemption may not be granted to any private prekindergarten provider that has any class I violations or two or more class II violations within the 2 years preceding the provider’s or school’s request for the exemption. For purposes of this paragraph, class I and class II violations have the same meaning as provided in s. 402.281(4).
(e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required under s. 1002.67(4)(c)1., including the use of a curriculum approved by the office, until the provider or school meets the minimum rate adopted under subsection (6).
(f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private prekindergarten provider who remains on probation for 2 consecutive years, the office shall notify the early learning coalition of the good cause exemption and direct that the coalition, notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., not remove the provider from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program or to receive state funds for the program, if the provider meets all other applicable requirements of this part.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2004-484; s. 30, ch. 2010-210; s. 52, ch. 2011-4; s. 454, ch. 2011-142; s. 12, ch. 2011-175; s. 8, ch. 2012-133; s. 11, ch. 2013-252.