Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1056
       
       
        
       By Senator Passidomo
       
       
       
       
       
       28-00686B-18                                          20181056__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to computer coding instruction;
    3         creating s. 1012.545, F.S.; defining terms; requiring
    4         a school district to provide student access to
    5         computer coding courses under certain circumstances;
    6         excluding charter schools from such requirements;
    7         requiring the Commissioner of Education to identify
    8         and publish information about such courses; providing
    9         for educator professional development and bonuses
   10         under certain circumstances; authorizing rulemaking;
   11         providing an appropriation; providing a directive to
   12         the Division of Law Revision and Information;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 1012.545, Florida Statutes, is created
   18  to read:
   19         1012.545 Educator credentials for computer coding
   20  instruction.—
   21         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   22         (a) “Coding course” means a course that is identified by
   23  the commissioner pursuant to subsection (3) and taught by an
   24  educator who:
   25         1. Holds a state certification in computer science pursuant
   26  to s. 1012.56 or s. 1012.575 or a computer coding or computer
   27  science industry certification in the particular course being
   28  taught; or
   29         2. Has professional experience in the field of computer
   30  coding and holds an adjunct teaching certificate pursuant to s.
   31  1012.57.
   32         (b) “Combination school” means a public school in which any
   33  of grades 6-12 are taught.
   34         (2)(a) To ensure that public middle school and high school
   35  students have the opportunity to learn computer coding, a school
   36  district shall provide access to coding courses that are taught
   37  by appropriately credentialed educators as follows:
   38         1. A school district with 10 or fewer traditional public
   39  middle schools and high schools, including combination schools,
   40  shall provide at least one coding course in at least one of the
   41  schools by the 2020-2021 school year. The school district may
   42  use a blended learning model to meet this requirement.
   43         2. A school district that has more than 10 traditional
   44  public middle schools and high schools, including combination
   45  schools, shall provide coding courses as follows:
   46         a. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, in at least 4
   47  percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
   48  high schools, including combination schools.
   49         b. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, in at least 7
   50  percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
   51  high schools, including combination schools.
   52         c. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, in at least 10
   53  percent of the district’s total number of middle schools and
   54  high schools, including combination schools.
   55         (b) A school district may not require a charter school to
   56  offer a coding course. If a charter school offers a coding
   57  course that meets the requirements of this section at its own
   58  discretion, a school district may include the charter school’s
   59  coding course in its threshold calculation under paragraph (a).
   60         (3) The commissioner shall annually, and from time to time
   61  as appropriate, identify and publish on the department’s website
   62  and in the course code directory a list of courses that include
   63  a substantial amount of coding content and that meet the
   64  definition of a coding course under this section. Such courses
   65  may include computer science courses with a substantial amount
   66  of coding. The commissioner is encouraged to select accelerated
   67  courses and courses that lead to an industry certification.
   68         (4) The department shall, subject to legislative
   69  appropriation, award funding to a school district or a
   70  consortium of school districts to deliver or facilitate training
   71  for educators to earn a credential to teach a coding course.
   72         (a) A school district or a consortium of school districts
   73  who apply for such funding may use the funds to establish or
   74  enhance a professional development program pursuant to s.
   75  1012.575, to collaborate with a state college or university to
   76  provide necessary training, or to provide educators with funding
   77  to obtain an applicable industry certification. A public school
   78  educator who currently teaches at or is assigned to teach at a
   79  middle school, high school, or combination school, including a
   80  charter school, and who was evaluated as effective or highly
   81  effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year,
   82  unless the educator is newly hired and has not been evaluated
   83  pursuant to s. 1012.34, is eligible to participate in this
   84  funding.
   85         (b) The funds must be distributed in a manner that allows
   86  for an equitable distribution based on the geographic
   87  distribution of the student population.
   88         (5) Subject to legislative appropriation, a public school
   89  educator is eligible for one of the following:
   90         (a) A one-time bonus of $3,000, if he or she earns a
   91  certification in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or s.
   92  1012.575; was evaluated as effective or highly effective
   93  pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year, unless he or
   94  she is newly hired and has not been evaluated pursuant to s.
   95  1012.34; and commits to teach an applicable coding course
   96  pursuant to this section at a public middle school, high school,
   97  or combination school in this state for 3 school years.
   98         (b) A one-time bonus of $1,500, if he or she earns an
   99  applicable industry certification; was evaluated as effective or
  100  highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school
  101  year, unless he or she is newly hired and has not been evaluated
  102  pursuant to s. 1012.34; and commits to teach an applicable
  103  coding course pursuant to this section at a public middle
  104  school, high school, or combination school in this state for 3
  105  school years.
  106         (c) A one-time bonus of $3,000, if he or she holds a
  107  certification in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or s.
  108  1012.575; was evaluated as effective or highly effective
  109  pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the prior school year, unless he or
  110  she is newly hired and has not been evaluated pursuant to s.
  111  1012.34; is employed at a public middle school, high school, or
  112  combination school as of the effective date of this act; and
  113  commits to teach an applicable coding course pursuant to this
  114  section at a public middle school, high school, or combination
  115  school in this state for 3 school years.
  116  
  117  A school district shall report the educators who meet the
  118  eligibility requirements of this subsection to the department.
  119  The educator shall receive his or her one-time bonus
  120  disbursement after he or she teaches an applicable coding course
  121  for 1 full school year.
  122         (6) A school district shall be eligible to receive a high
  123  need district technology grant, as provided by legislative
  124  appropriation and as determined by the department. The
  125  department shall provide such grants based on a school
  126  district’s high need, while also considering an equitable
  127  distribution of funding based on geographic distribution of
  128  student population among the districts determined to have a high
  129  need.
  130         (7) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
  131  administer this section.
  132         Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the sum of $15
  133  million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General
  134  Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to implement this
  135  act. Notwithstanding s. 216.301, Florida Statutes, and pursuant
  136  to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes, the balance of any
  137  appropriation under this act which is not disbursed by June 30
  138  of the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated may be
  139  carried forward for up to 3 years after the effective date of
  140  the original appropriation.
  141         Section 3. The Division of Law Revision and Information is
  142  directed to replace the phrase “the effective date of this act”
  143  wherever it occurs in this act with the date this act becomes a
  144  law.
  145         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.