Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

       Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1444
       
       
        
       By Senator Calatayud
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01559A-24                                          20241444__
                      A bill to be entitled                      
       An act relating to education; amending s. 1001.02,
       F.S.; deleting a requirement that the State Board of
       Education establish the cost of certain tuition and
       fees; amending s. 1001.03, F.S.; deleting a
       requirement that the state board identify certain
       metrics and develop a specified plan relating to the
       Florida College System; amending s. 1002.3105, F.S.;
       deleting a requirement that a performance contract be
       completed if a student participates in an Academically
       Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning option;
       providing that a performance contract may be used at
       the discretion of the principal; repealing s.
       1002.311, F.S., relating to single-gender programs;
       amending s. 1002.34, F.S.; deleting a requirement for
       the Commissioner of Education to provide for an annual
       comparative evaluation of charter technical career
       centers and public technical centers; amending s.
       1002.45, F.S.; deleting a requirement that school
       districts provide certain virtual instruction options
       to students; deleting a requirement that virtual
       instruction program providers be nonsectarian;
       authorizing school districts to provide certain
       students with the equipment and access necessary for
       participation in virtual instruction programs;
       amending s. 1002.82, F.S.; requiring the Department of
       Education to review school readiness program plans
       every 3 years, rather than every 2 years; amending s.
       1002.85, F.S.; requiring early learning coalitions to
       submit school readiness program plans to the
       department every 3 years, rather than every 2 years;
       amending s. 1003.4935, F.S.; deleting a requirement
       that the department collect and report certain data
       relating to a middle school career and professional
       academy or a career-themed course; repealing s.
       1003.4995, F.S., relating to the fine arts report
       prepared by the Commissioner of Education; repealing
       s. 1003.4996, F.S., relating to the Competency-Based
       Education Pilot Program; amending s. 1003.49965, F.S.;
       authorizing, rather than requiring, a school district
       to hold an Art in the Capitol Competition; amending s.
       1003.51, F.S.; deleting a requirement regarding
       assessment procedures for Department of Juvenile
       Justice education programs; revising requirements for
       which assessment results must be included in a
       student’s discharge packet; revising requirements for
       when a district school board must face sanctions for
       unsatisfactory performance in its Department of
       Juvenile Justice programs; amending s. 1003.621, F.S.;
       deleting a requirement for academically high
       performing school districts to submit an annual report
       to the state board; repealing s. 1004.925, F.S.,
       relating to automotive service technology education
       programs and certification; amending s. 1006.28, F.S.;
       revising the definition of the term “adequate
       instructional materials”; authorizing school districts
       to assess a processing fee for certain objections to
       materials; providing requirements for the assessment
       of such fee; providing for the return of such fee
       under certain circumstances; requiring certain
       information published and regularly updated by the
       Department of Education to be sorted by grade level;
       deleting a timeframe requirement for each district
       school superintendent to notify the department about
       instructional materials; deleting a requirement for
       such notification; authorizing, rather than requiring,
       a school principal to collect the purchase price of
       instructional materials lost, destroyed, or
       unnecessarily damaged by a student; amending s.
       1006.283, F.S.; deleting a timeframe requirement for a
       district school superintendent to certify to the
       department that certain instructional materials meet
       applicable state standards; amending s. 1007.33, F.S.;
       deleting a provision authorizing the Board of Trustees
       of St. Petersburg College to establish certain degree
       programs; amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; revising
       requirements for the administration of the coordinated
       screening and progress monitoring system; providing
       requirements for the administration of such system for
       students in the summer prekindergarten program;
       amending s. 1008.31, F.S.; revising a provision
       relating to the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001”;
       amending s. 1008.332, F.S.; revising a provision
       relating to the No Child Left Behind Act to relate to
       the Every Student Succeeds Act; deleting a requirement
       for certain committee members to annually report to
       specified entities; amending s. 1008.34, F.S.;
       requiring that certain changes made by the state board
       to components in the school grades model or to the
       school grading scale go into effect in the following
       school year or later; conforming cross-references;
       amending s. 1008.345, F.S.; deleting a requirement for
       the department to develop an annual feedback report;
       deleting a requirement for the Commissioner of
       Education to review specified feedback reports and
       submit findings to the state board; deleting certain
       requirements for a report the commissioner produces
       annually for the state board and Legislature; revising
       what information certain community assessment team
       recommendations are based on; amending s. 1008.45,
       F.S.; deleting a requirement that the state board
       provide a specified annual evaluation; amending ss.
       1000.05, 1002.31, 1002.321, 1002.33, 1002.455,
       1008.22, 1008.37, and 1013.841, F.S.; conforming
       provisions and cross-references to changes made by the
       act; providing an effective date.
        
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

       Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 1001.02, Florida
Statutes, is amended to read:
       1001.02 General powers of State Board of Education.—
       (5) The State Board of Education is responsible for
reviewing and administering the state program of support for the
Florida College System institutions and, subject to existing
law, shall establish the tuition and out-of-state fees for
developmental education and for credit instruction that may be
counted toward an associate in arts degree, an associate in
applied science degree, or an associate in science degree.
       Section 2. Subsection (17) of section 1001.03, Florida
Statutes, is amended to read:
       1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education.—
       (17) PLAN SPECIFYING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.—By July 1, 2013,
the State Board of Education shall identify performance metrics
for the Florida College System and develop a plan that specifies
goals and objectives for each Florida College System
institution. The plan must include:
       (a) Performance metrics and standards common for all
institutions and metrics and standards unique to institutions
depending on institutional core missions, including, but not
limited to, remediation success, retention, graduation,
employment, transfer rates, licensure passage, excess hours,
student loan burden and default rates, job placement, faculty
awards, and highly respected rankings for institution and
program achievements.
       (b) Student enrollment and performance data delineated by
method of instruction, including, but not limited to,
traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
       Section 3. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (4) of
section 1002.3105, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
       1002.3105 Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance
Learning (ACCEL) options.—
       (4) ACCEL REQUIREMENTS.—
       (c) If a student participates in an ACCEL option pursuant
to the parental request under subparagraph (b)1., a performance
contract is not required but may be used at the discretion of
the principal must be executed by the student, the parent, and
the principal. At a minimum, the performance contract must
require compliance with:
       1. Minimum student attendance requirements.
       2. Minimum student conduct requirements.
       3. ACCEL option requirements established by the principal,
which may include participation in extracurricular activities,
educational outings, field trips, interscholastic competitions,
and other activities related to the ACCEL option selected.
       (d) If a principal initiates a student’s participation in
an ACCEL option, the student’s parent must be notified. A
performance contract, pursuant to paragraph (c), is not required
when a principal initiates participation but may be used at the
discretion of the principal.
       Section 4. Section 1002.311, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
       Section 5. Subsection (19) of section 1002.34, Florida
Statutes, is amended to read:
       1002.34 Charter technical career centers.—
       (19) EVALUATION; REPORT.—The Commissioner of Education
shall provide for an annual comparative evaluation of charter
technical career centers and public technical centers. The
evaluation may be conducted in cooperation with the sponsor,
through private contracts, or by department staff. At a minimum,
the comparative evaluation must address the demographic and
socioeconomic characteristics of the students served, the types
and costs of services provided, and the outcomes achieved. By
December 30 of each year, the Commissioner of Education shall
submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, and the Senate and House
committees that have responsibility for secondary and
postsecondary career and technical education a report of the
comparative evaluation completed for the previous school year.
       Section 6. Paragraphs (c) through (e) of subsection (1) of
section 1002.45, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
paragraphs (b) through (d), respectively, and present paragraphs
(b), (c), and (e) of that subsection, subsection (2), paragraph
(d) of subsection (3), subsection (5), and paragraph (a) of
subsection (6) are amended, to read:
       1002.45 Virtual instruction programs.—
       (1) PROGRAM.—
       (b)1. Each school district shall provide at least one
option for part-time and full-time virtual instruction for
students residing within the school district. All school
districts must provide parents with timely written notification
of at least one open enrollment period for full-time students of
90 days or more which ends 30 days before the first day of the
school year. A school district virtual instruction program shall
consist of the following:
       a. Full-time and part-time virtual instruction for students
enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12.
       b. Full-time or part-time virtual instruction for students
enrolled in dropout prevention and academic intervention
programs under s. 1003.53, Department of Juvenile Justice
education programs under s. 1003.52, core-curricula courses to
meet class size requirements under s. 1003.03, or Florida
College System institutions under this section.
       2. Each virtual instruction program established under
paragraph (c) by a school district either directly or through a
contract with an approved virtual instruction program provider
shall operate under its own Master School Identification Number
as prescribed by the department.
       (b)(c) To provide students residing within the school
district the option of participating in virtual instruction
programs as required by paragraph (b), a school district may:
       1. Contract with the Florida Virtual School or establish a
franchise of the Florida Virtual School pursuant to s.
1002.37(2) for the provision of a program under paragraph (b).
       2. Contract with an approved virtual instruction program
provider under subsection (2) for the provision of a full-time
or part-time program under paragraph (b).
       3. Enter into an agreement with other school districts to
allow the participation of its students in an approved virtual
instruction program provided by the other school district. The
agreement must indicate a process for the transfer of funds
required by paragraph (6)(b).
       4. Establish school district operated part-time or full
time kindergarten through grade 12 virtual instruction programs.
       5. Enter into an agreement with a virtual charter school
authorized by the school district under s. 1002.33.

Contracts under subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. may include
multidistrict contractual arrangements executed by a regional
consortium service organization established pursuant to s.
1001.451 for its member districts. A multidistrict contractual
arrangement or an agreement under subparagraph 3. is not subject
to s. 1001.42(4)(d) and does not require the participating
school districts to be contiguous. These arrangements may be
used to fulfill the requirements of paragraph (b).
       (d)(e) Each school district shall:
       1. Provide to the department by each October 1, a copy of
each contract and the amount paid per unweighted full-time
equivalent virtual student for services procured pursuant to
subparagraphs (b)1. and 2. (c)1. and 2.
       2. Expend any difference in the amount of funds per
unweighted full-time equivalent virtual student allocated to the
school district pursuant to subsection (6) and the amount paid
per unweighted full-time equivalent virtual student by the
school district for a contract executed pursuant to subparagraph
(b)1. (c)1. or subparagraph (b)2. (c)2. on acquiring computer
and device hardware and associated operating system software
that comply with the requirements of s. 1001.20(4)(a)1.b.
       3. Provide to the department by September 1 of each year an
itemized list of items acquired in subparagraph 2.
       4. Limit the enrollment of full-time equivalent virtual
students residing outside of the school district providing the
virtual instruction pursuant to paragraph (b) (c) to no more
than those that can be funded from state Florida Education
Finance Program funds.
       (2) PROVIDER QUALIFICATIONS.—
       (a) The department shall annually publish on its website a
list of providers approved by the State Board of Education to
offer virtual instruction programs. To be approved, a virtual
instruction program provider must document that it:
       1. Is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies,
employment practices, and operations;
       2. Complies with the antidiscrimination provisions of s.
1000.05;
       2.3. Locates an administrative office or offices in this
state, requires its administrative staff to be state residents,
requires all instructional staff to be Florida-certified
teachers under chapter 1012 and conducts background screenings
for all employees or contracted personnel, as required by s.
1012.32, using state and national criminal history records;
       3.4. Electronically provides to parents and students
specific information that includes, but is not limited to, the
following teacher-parent and teacher-student contact information
for each course:
       a. How to contact the instructor via phone, e-mail, or
online messaging tools.
       b. How to contact technical support via phone, e-mail, or
online messaging tools.
       c. How to contact the administration office via phone, e
mail, or online messaging tools.
       d. Any requirement for regular contact with the instructor
for the course and clear expectations for meeting the
requirement.
       e. The requirement that the instructor in each course must,
at a minimum, conduct one c