The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Rules
BILL: SB 46
INTRODUCER: Senator Stewart
SUBJECT: Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program
DATE: January 23, 2024 REVISED:
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Brick Bouck ED Favorable
2. Rao Tuszynski CF Favorable
3. Brick Twogood RC Favorable
I. Summary:
SB 46 authorizes school districts participating in the Reading Achievement Initiative for
Scholastic Excellence (RAISE) tutoring program to offer the tutoring program after the school
day and to provide a stipend to instructional personnel and high school students serving as tutors
during after-school hours.
The bill limits to unpaid hours the tutoring hours that count towards meeting community service
requirements for high school graduation and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2024.
II. Present Situation:
Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Act
In 2021, the Florida Legislature established the Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic
Excellence (RAISE) program within the Florida Department of Education (DOE).1 The program
provides instructional supports to school districts, school administrators, and instructional
personnel in implementing evidence-based reading instruction and interventions in order to
improve student reading achievement.2
1
Chapter 2021-9, s. 17, Laws of Fla., codified at s.1008.365, F.S.
2
Section 1008.365(2), F.S.
BILL: SB 46 Page 2
Under the RAISE program, the DOE operates 20 literacy support regions and regional support
teams in Florida to assist schools in improving low reading scores.3 The DOE may establish
eligibility criteria for participating schools, but schools that must be included are:4
Schools serving students in kindergarten through grade 5 where 50 percent or more of the
students score below a Level 3 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA)
assessment; and
Schools where 50 percent or more of students in kindergarten through grade 3 are not on
track to pass the grade 3 ELA assessment based on data from the coordinated screening and
progress monitoring system.
Identified schools are required to implement a school improvement plan with strategies to
improve reading performance.5 The DOE has identified 1,184 schools for support as RAISE
schools in the 2023-2024 academic year.6
Tutoring Program
As part of the RAISE program, the DOE established a tutoring program and developed training
to prepare eligible high school students to tutor students in kindergarten through grade 3.7
To be eligible to participate in the tutoring program, a student must be a rising high school junior
or senior and meet the following requirements:8
Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher;
Have no history of out-of-school suspensions or expulsions;
Be on track to complete all core course requirements to graduate; and
Have written recommendations from at least two present or former high school teachers of
record or extracurricular activity sponsors.
High school students that participate as tutors must be recruited, trained, and deployed by the
school district. Tutoring must occur during the school day, on school district property, and under
the supervision of instructional personnel.9
A high school student may earn up to three elective credits for high school graduation based on
the verified number of hours the student spends tutoring. The hours may be counted towards
community service requirements for high school graduation and the Florida Bright Futures
Scholarship Program.10
3
Section 1008.365(3), F.S.; Florida Department of Education, Raise Regions, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7539/urlt/JRFSRLDFINALMAP.pdf.
4
Section 1008.365(4), F.S.
5
Section 1008.365(4), F.S.
6
Florida Department of Education, RAISE Schools Identified for 2023-2024, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7539/urlt/2223RAISE-SchID.pdf.
7
Section 1008.365(8), F.S.; Florida Department of Education, RAISE High School Tutoring Program, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/just-read-fl/tutoring.stml (last visited Jan. 12, 2024).
8
Section 1008.365(8)(a), F.S.
9
Section 1008.365(8)(b), F.S.
10
Section 1008.365(8)(c), F.S.
BILL: SB 46 Page 3
The DOE must designate a high school student who provides at least 75 verified hours of
tutoring in the RAISE program as a New Worlds Scholar and award him or her a
commemorative pin for this designation.11
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program (Bright Futures Program) is a lottery-funded
scholarship program to reward any Florida high school graduate who merits recognition of high
academic achievement and who enrolls in a degree program, certificate program, or applied
technology program at an eligible Florida public or private postsecondary education institution.12
The Bright Futures Program consists of the:13
Florida Academic Scholarship (FAS), which provides for an award equal to the amount
necessary to pay 100 percent of tuition and applicable fees and an additional stipend for
textbooks as specified in the General Appropriations Act.14;
Florida Medallion Scholarship (FMS), which provides for an award equal to the amount
necessary to pay 75 percent of tuition and fees; however, an eligible FMS recipient enrolled
at a Florida College System institution is eligible for an award amount equal to the amount
necessary to pay 100 percent of tuition and fees.15;
Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship (FGSV) and the Florida Gold Seal Career and
Professional Education Scholarship (CAPE), which provide for an award for a maximum of
100 percent of the number of credit hours or equivalent clock hours required to complete an
applied technology diploma, associate in applied science or associate in science degree, or a
postsecondary career certificate program.16
Bright Futures Program Eligibility Requirements – Volunteer and Paid Work Hours
A Florida high school student who wishes to qualify for a Bright Futures Program award must
graduate from a Florida public high school with a standard high school diploma, graduate from a
private high school registered with the DOE, earn a general education diploma, complete a home
education program, or graduate from a non-Florida high school.17 The various awards also have
separate requirements for completed credits, grade-point average, and scores on college entrance
exams.18
11
Section 1008.365(8)(c), F.S.
12
Section 1009.53(1), F.S.
13
Section 1009.53(2), F.S.
14
Section 1009.534(2), F.S.
15
Section 1009.535(2), F.S.
16
Section 1009.532(5)(a)1., F.S.; see also 2023-24 Bright Futures Student Handbook, Chapter 2: What You Need to Know
Now That You Are Eligible (July 1, 2023), at 3, available at
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter2.pdf.
17
Florida Department of Education, 2023-24 Bright Futures Student Handbook, Chapter 1: Initial Eligibility Requirements
(Aug. 2023), at 2-3, available at https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf. A student
living with a parent who is on military or public service assignment may graduate from a non-Florida high school.
18
Florida Department of Education, 2023-24 Bright Futures Student Handbook, Chapter 1: Initial Eligibility Requirements
(Aug. 2023), at 3-8, available at https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf.
BILL: SB 46 Page 4
In addition to initial eligibility requirements, the awards require the following volunteer and paid
work hours:
FAS – 100 hours of volunteer service hours or paid work hours, or a combination of both.
FMS – 75 hours of volunteer service hours, or 100 hours of paid work hours, or a
combination of volunteer and paid work hours totaling 100 hours.
FGSV and CAPE – 30 volunteer service hours, 100 paid work hours, or a combination of 100
total hours.19
For the 2022-2023 academic year, a total of $598,468,957 was disbursed to 33,062 students
receiving a Bright Futures Program award.20
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 46 authorizes school districts participating in the Reading Achievement Initiative for
Scholastic Excellence (RAISE) tutoring program to offer the tutoring program after the school
day and to provide a stipend to instructional personnel and high school students serving as tutors
during after-school hours.
The bill limits to unpaid hours the tutoring hours that count towards meeting community service
requirements for high school graduation and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2024.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None identified .
19
Section 1009.536(1)(e), F.S.
20
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, Florida Bright Futures Student Counts and Total Costs (Sep. 2023), available
at https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/PSI/BFReportsA.pdf.
BILL: SB 46 Page 5
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
None.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill substantially amends section 1008.365 of the Florida Statutes.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.
Statutes affected: S 46 Filed: 1008.365
S 46 er: 1008.365