HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 857 Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program
SPONSOR(S): Choice & Innovation Subcommittee, Bracy Davis and others
TIED BILLS: None. IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 786
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Choice & Innovation Subcommittee 17 Y, 0 N, As CS Collins Sleap
2) PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee
3) Education & Employment Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The Community Partnership Schools model, co-founded in 2010 at the University of Central Florida, includes
four core community partners, a school district, a university or college, a nonprofit, and a healthcare provider.
The model combines a rigorous academic program with a wide range of in-school services, supports and
opportunities to promote children’s learning and development. In 2019, the Legislature established the
Community School Grant Program to fund and support the planning and implementation of community school
programs in Florida, subject to legislative appropriation. Currently, there are 36 schools implementing a
community partnership school model across 21 school districts in the state, serving 33,613 students.
Effective upon becoming law, the bill requires the Center for Community Schools (center) at UCF to administer
the Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program, beginning no later than the 2025-2026 school
year, for a period of 3 school years. The pilot program must implement a conflict resolution and peer mediation
curriculum to reduce juvenile violence by equipping students with essential skills for peaceful conflict
resolution.
The bill requires the center to seek input from the Department of Education (DOE) on the selection of
curriculum to implement at each selected school and identify middle or high schools to participate in the
program with priority given to schools with a high rate of juvenile violence and community partners who will
assist with implementation. The center must monitor the implementation of the pilot program, collect relevant
student discipline data and information relating to the rates of juvenile violence in selected schools, and create
a pre-pilot program and post-pilot program survey to be completed by school personnel and parents at
participating schools. The center must provide periodic updates to the DOE on the implementation of the
program and upon completion of the pilot program, provide a report to the DOE.
A school selected to participate in the pilot program, is required to provide training on the curriculum and,
where possible, include community partners who interact with the students in the training. The school must
also provide students with skills to resolve conflicts both at and away from school without undermining the
school’s existing disciplinary framework. Participating schools must provide data and information requested by
the center, and complete a pre- and post-pilot program survey created by the center.
The bill appears to have an indeterminate fiscal impact. See Fiscal Analysis.
The bill becomes effective upon becoming law.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
STORAGE NAME: h0857.CIS
DATE: 2/2/2024
FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Present Situation
Community Partnership Schools
Community schools combine a rigorous academic program with a wide range of in-school services,
supports and opportunities to promote children’s learning and development.1 To achieve this, the
Community Partnership Schools model includes four core community partners, a school district, a
university or college, a nonprofit, and a healthcare provider. All community school models share the
same focus, but they vary in their approach to organizing resources. 2
In 2010, the University of Central Florida (UCF) co-founded a Community Partnership School model
with the Children’s Home Society of Florida and Orange County Public schools at Evans High School in
Orlando.3 UCF founded the Center for Community Schools in 2014 to help expand Community
Partnerships Schools across the state and to advance community schools more broadly. 4 Currently,
there are 36 schools implementing a community partnership school model across 21 school districts in
the state, with 15 operating as UCF-Certified Community Partnership Schools.5 In total, 33,613
students are served by community partnership schools. 6
Community School Grant Program
In 2019, the Legislature established the Community School Grant Program (program) to fund and
support the planning and implementation of community school programs, subject to legislative
appropriation.7
Contingent upon available funds, the Center for Community Schools (center) at UCF may facilitate the
implementation of its community school model in Florida through grants that enable community
organizations to establish long-term partnerships and secure resources for planning, staffing, and
providing services to students and families through the community school model. 8
As part of administering the grant program, the center must: 9
Require a participating public school to establish long-term partnerships through a
memorandum of understanding. After receiving a grant award, the center must condition the
award of grant funds in the subsequent years upon the matching funds secured through the
long-term partnerships.
Prioritize grant awards based on demonstration of the technical and financial ability to sustain
the community school model beyond an initial grant award. For planning grant awards, priority
must be given to school districts in which the community school model has not been established
and which demonstrate the technical and financial ability to sustain the community school model
1 University of Central Florida, About the Center, https://ccie.ucf.edu/communityschools/about/ (last visited Jan. 29, 2024).
2 University of Central Florida, Community Partnership Schools Models, (2019), available at https://ccie.ucf.edu/wp-
content/uploads/sites/12/2019/09/CommunityPartnershipSchools -OnePager.pdf.
3 University of Central Florida, The Backdrop: Challenges Facing Public Schools, available at https://ccie.ucf.edu/wp-
content/uploads/sites/12/2019/10/TheBackdrop-ByDavidBundy.pdf, The Central Florida Family Health Center joined as a healthcare
community partner in 2012 for Evans High School.
4 University of Central Florida, About the Center, https://ccie.ucf.edu/communityschools/about/ (last visited Jan. 29, 2024).
5 See Center for Community Schools, 2023-24 Community Partnership Schools, https://ccie.ucf.edu/communityschools/partnership-
schools/initiatives/ (last visited Jan. 29, 2024) and Florida Community Partnership Schools, 2023-24 Fact Sheet, available at
https://ccie.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/11/CCS-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
6 Id.
7 Section 1003.64(1), F.S.
8 Section 1003.64(3), F.S.
9 Id.
STORAGE NAME: h0857.CIS PAGE: 2
DATE: 2/2/2024
or to school districts expanding a program based on the feeder pattern of an existing community
school in the district.
The center is required to annually publish on its website information on each community organization
receiving a grant to implement the community school model, including:10
The amount of grant funds provided through the center for each participating school and the
amount of matching funds provided by the community organization for each year the community
organization has received a grant for that school.
The long-term partnerships that have entered into a memorandum of understanding for
implementing the community school model.
A description of the services and community engagement activities provided through the
community school model.
The number of students, families, and community members served through the community
school model.
The academic progress of students enrolled at the public school, including student progression
data, attendance, behavior, and student achievement and learning gains on statewide,
standardized assessments.
Academic progress data of schools identified by the center as comparison sites for evaluation
purposes.
Effect of Proposed Changes
Effective upon becoming law, the bill requires the Center for Community Schools (center) at UCF to
administer the Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program, beginning no later than the
2025-2026 school year, for a period of 3 school years. The pilot program must implement a conflict
resolution and peer mediation curriculum to reduce juvenile violence by equipping students with
essential skills for peaceful conflict resolution.
The bill requires the center to:
Seek input from the Department of Education (DOE) on the selection of curriculum to implement
at each selected school and identify ways to integrate the curriculum during the school day to
maximize exposure to and use of conflict resolution skills;
Identify middle or high schools to participate in the program. Priority must be given to schools
with a high rate of juvenile violence and community partners who will assist with
implementation;
Require each participating school to meet specified participation requirements;
Monitor the implementation of the pilot program and assist participating schools with integrating
the curriculum and reinforcing the conflict resolution skills throughout the school day;
Collect relevant student discipline data and information relating to the rates of juvenile violence
in selected schools;
Create a pre-pilot program and post-pilot program survey to be completed by school personnel
and parents at participating schools; and
Provide periodic updates to the DOE on the implementation of the program.
A school selected to participate in the pilot program, is required to:
Provide training on the curriculum and, where possible, include community partners who
interact with the students in the training;
Provide students with skills to resolve conflicts both at and away from school without
undermining the school’s existing disciplinary framework;
Provide data and information requested by the center; and
Complete a pre-pilot program and post-pilot program survey created by the center.
10 Section 1003.64(4), F.S.; see also UCF Center for Community Schools, CPS Progress Data,
https://ccie.ucf.edu/communityschools/partnership-schools/cps-progress-data/ (last visited Jan. 29, 2024).
STORAGE NAME: h0857.CIS PAGE: 3
DATE: 2/2/2024
Upon completion of the pilot program, the center is required to provide a report to the DOE, which must
include, at a minimum, the following:
The number of students enrolled at the participating schools;
The rates of student discipline and juvenile violence before and after the pilot program; and
Results of the administered surveys.
B. SECTION DIRECTORY:
Section 1: Amends s. 1003.64, F. S., creating the Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation
Pilot Program within the Community School Grant Program for a specified period;
providing the purpose of the pilot program; requiring the Center for Community Schools
at the University of Central Florida to implement the pilot program and a specified
curriculum; providing center responsibilities for the pilot program; requiring the center to
work with the Department of Education to identify a curriculum for the pilot program;
providing participating school responsibilities; requiring the center to provide a report to
the department; providing requirements for the report; providing for the future expiration
of the pilot program.
Section 2: This act shall take effect upon becoming law.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
See Fiscal Comments.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
Since the number of schools selected by the Center for Community Schools at UCF to implement the
pilot is unknown, the fiscal is indeterminate.
III. COMMENTS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision:
None.
STORAGE NAME: h0857.CIS PAGE: 4
DATE: 2/2/2024
2. Other:
None.
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY:
None.
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS:
None.
IV. AMENDMENTS/COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES
On February 1, 2024, the Choice & Innovation Subcommittee adopted a Proposed Committee Substitute
(PCS) and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. The PCS differed from the original bill in
the following ways:
Removed provision from the bill requiring schools to apply to the Department of Education (DOE) to
participate and for the Commissioner of Education (commissioner) to select five middle or high
schools to participate in the pilot program.
Removed provision from the bill requiring the commissioner to select a nonprofit organization to
implement the pilot program.
Removed provision from the bill requiring the IREX’s Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Toolkit
be the implemented curriculum.
Created the Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Pilot Program under the Community
School Grant Program.
Requires the Center for Community Schools (center) at the University of Central Florida to
implement the pilot program and provides duties for the implementation, including submitting a
report upon completion.
Revised the duration of the pilot program from 1 to 3 years.
Requires the center to work with the DOE to select the curriculum for the pilot.
Provides duties for participating schools, including working with community partners.
The analysis is drafted to the committee substitute adopted by the Choice & Innovation Subcommittee.
STORAGE NAME: h0857.CIS PAGE: 5
DATE: 2/2/2024