| 1 | The Conference Committee on HB 1867 offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Conference Committee Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Remove everything after the enacting clause and insert: |
| 5 | Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (5) of |
| 6 | section 24.121, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 7 | 24.121 Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds for |
| 8 | public education.-- |
| 9 | (5)(a) Public educational programs and purposes funded by |
| 10 | the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund may include, but are not |
| 11 | limited to, endowment, scholarship, matching funds, direct |
| 12 | grants, research and economic development related to education, |
| 13 | salary enhancement, contracts with independent institutions to |
| 14 | conduct programs consistent with the state master plan for |
| 15 | postsecondary education, or any other educational program or |
| 16 | purpose deemed desirable by the Legislature. Prior to the |
| 17 | expenditure of these funds, each school district shall establish |
| 18 | policies and procedures that define enhancement and the types of |
| 19 | expenditures consistent with that definition. |
| 20 | (c) A portion of such net revenues, as determined annually |
| 21 | by the Legislature, shall be distributed to each school district |
| 22 | and shall be made available to each public school in the |
| 23 | district for enhancing school performance through development |
| 24 | and implementation of a school improvement plan pursuant to s. |
| 25 | 1001.42(16). A portion of these moneys, as determined annually |
| 26 | in the General Appropriations Act, must be allocated to each |
| 27 | school in an equal amount for each student enrolled. These |
| 28 | moneys may be expended only on programs or projects selected by |
| 29 | the school advisory council or by a parent advisory committee |
| 30 | created pursuant to this paragraph. If a school does not have a |
| 31 | school advisory council, the district advisory council must |
| 32 | appoint a parent advisory committee composed of parents of |
| 33 | students enrolled in that school, which committee is |
| 34 | representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community |
| 35 | served by the school, to advise the school's principal on the |
| 36 | programs or projects to be funded. Neither school district staff |
| 37 | nor principals A principal may not override the recommendations |
| 38 | of the school advisory council or the parent advisory committee. |
| 39 | These moneys may not be used for capital improvements, nor may |
| 40 | they be used for any project or program that has a duration of |
| 41 | more than 1 year; however, a school advisory council or parent |
| 42 | advisory committee may independently determine that a program or |
| 43 | project formerly funded under this paragraph should receive |
| 44 | funds in a subsequent year. |
| 45 | Section 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 220.187, |
| 46 | Florida Statutes, the total amount of tax credits and |
| 47 | carryforward tax credits that may be granted for the 2004-2005 |
| 48 | fiscal year under that section for contributions to nonprofit |
| 49 | scholarship-funding organizations is $50 million. |
| 50 | Section 3. Paragraphs (d), (f), (o), and (q) of subsection |
| 51 | (3) of section 1000.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 52 | 1000.21 Systemwide definitions.--As used in the Florida K- |
| 53 | 20 Education Code: |
| 54 | (3) "Community college," except as otherwise specifically |
| 55 | provided, includes the following institutions and any branch |
| 56 | campuses, centers, or other affiliates of the institution: |
| 57 | (d) Chipola Junior College. |
| 58 | (f) Edison Community College. |
| 59 | (o) Miami Dade Miami-Dade Community College. |
| 60 | (q) Okaloosa-Walton Community College. |
| 61 | Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (9) of section |
| 62 | 1002.32, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 63 | 1002.32 Developmental research (laboratory) schools.-- |
| 64 | (9) FUNDING.--Funding for a lab school, including a |
| 65 | charter lab school, shall be provided as follows: |
| 66 | (c) All operating funds provided under this section shall |
| 67 | be deposited in a Lab School Trust Fund and shall be expended |
| 68 | for the purposes of this section. The university assigned a lab |
| 69 | school shall be the fiscal agent for these funds, and all rules |
| 70 | of the university governing the budgeting and expenditure of |
| 71 | state funds shall apply to these funds unless otherwise provided |
| 72 | by law or rule of the State Board of Education. The university |
| 73 | board of trustees shall be the public employer of lab school |
| 74 | personnel for collective bargaining purposes for lab schools in |
| 75 | operation prior to the 2002-2003 fiscal year. Employees of |
| 76 | charter lab schools authorized prior to June 1, 2003, but not in |
| 77 | operation prior to the 2002-2003 fiscal year shall be employees |
| 78 | of the entity holding the charter and must comply with the |
| 79 | provisions of s. 1002.33(12). Lab schools are not subject to the |
| 80 | payment of overhead or indirect costs as described in s. |
| 81 | 216.346. |
| 82 | Section 5. Subsection (3) of section 1008.22, Florida |
| 83 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 84 | 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.-- |
| 85 | (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner shall |
| 86 | design and implement a statewide program of educational |
| 87 | assessment that provides information for the improvement of the |
| 88 | operation and management of the public schools, including |
| 89 | schools operating for the purpose of providing educational |
| 90 | services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs. |
| 91 | The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued |
| 92 | administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation |
| 93 | programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may |
| 94 | be initiated in one fiscal year and continue into the next and |
| 95 | may be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal |
| 96 | years. The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale |
| 97 | or lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and |
| 98 | related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the |
| 99 | statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall: |
| 100 | (a) Submit to the State Board of Education a list that |
| 101 | specifies student skills and competencies to which the goals for |
| 102 | education specified in the state plan apply, including, but not |
| 103 | limited to, reading, writing, science, and mathematics. The |
| 104 | skills and competencies must include problem-solving and higher- |
| 105 | order skills as appropriate and shall be known as the Sunshine |
| 106 | State Standards as defined in s. 1000.21. The commissioner shall |
| 107 | select such skills and competencies after receiving |
| 108 | recommendations from educators, citizens, and members of the |
| 109 | business community. The commissioner shall submit to the State |
| 110 | Board of Education revisions to the list of student skills and |
| 111 | competencies in order to maintain continuous progress toward |
| 112 | improvements in student proficiency. |
| 113 | (b) Develop and implement a uniform system of indicators |
| 114 | to describe the performance of public school students and the |
| 115 | characteristics of the public school districts and the public |
| 116 | schools. These indicators must include, without limitation, |
| 117 | information gathered by the comprehensive management information |
| 118 | system created pursuant to s. 1008.385 and student achievement |
| 119 | information obtained pursuant to this section. |
| 120 | (c) Develop and implement a student achievement testing |
| 121 | program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test |
| 122 | (FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program, to be |
| 123 | administered annually in grades 3 through 10 to measure reading, |
| 124 | writing, science, and mathematics. Other content areas may be |
| 125 | included as directed by the commissioner. The testing program |
| 126 | must be designed so that: |
| 127 | 1. The tests measure student skills and competencies |
| 128 | adopted by the State Board of Education as specified in |
| 129 | paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report student |
| 130 | proficiency levels in reading, writing, mathematics, and |
| 131 | science. The commissioner shall provide for the tests to be |
| 132 | developed or obtained, as appropriate, through contracts and |
| 133 | project agreements with private vendors, public vendors, public |
| 134 | agencies, postsecondary educational institutions, or school |
| 135 | districts. The commissioner shall obtain input with respect to |
| 136 | the design and implementation of the testing program from state |
| 137 | educators and the public. |
| 138 | 2. The testing program will include a combination of norm- |
| 139 | referenced and criterion-referenced tests and include, to the |
| 140 | extent determined by the commissioner, questions that require |
| 141 | the student to produce information or perform tasks in such a |
| 142 | way that the skills and competencies he or she uses can be |
| 143 | measured. |
| 144 | 3. Each testing program, whether at the elementary, |
| 145 | middle, or high school level, includes a test of writing in |
| 146 | which students are required to produce writings that are then |
| 147 | scored by appropriate methods. |
| 148 | 4. A score is designated for each subject area tested, |
| 149 | below which score a student's performance is deemed inadequate. |
| 150 | The school districts shall provide appropriate remedial |
| 151 | instruction to students who score below these levels. |
| 152 | 5. Except as provided in s. 1003.43(11)(b), students must |
| 153 | earn a passing score on the grade 10 assessment test described |
| 154 | in this paragraph or on an alternate assessment as described in |
| 155 | subsection (9) in reading, writing, and mathematics to qualify |
| 156 | for a regular high school diploma. The State Board of Education |
| 157 | shall designate a passing score for each part of the grade 10 |
| 158 | assessment test. In establishing passing scores, the state board |
| 159 | shall consider any possible negative impact of the test on |
| 160 | minority students. All students who took the grade 10 FCAT |
| 161 | during the 2000-2001 school year shall be required to earn the |
| 162 | passing scores in reading and mathematics established by the |
| 163 | State Board of Education for the March 2001 test administration. |
| 164 | Such students who did not earn the established passing scores |
| 165 | and must repeat the grade 10 FCAT are required to earn the |
| 166 | passing scores established for the March 2001 test |
| 167 | administration. All students who take the grade 10 FCAT for the |
| 168 | first time in March 2002 and thereafter shall be required to |
| 169 | earn the passing scores in reading and mathematics established |
| 170 | by the State Board of Education for the March 2002 test |
| 171 | administration. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules |
| 172 | which specify the passing scores for the grade 10 FCAT. Any such |
| 173 | rules, which have the effect of raising the required passing |
| 174 | scores, shall only apply to students taking the grade 10 FCAT |
| 175 | after such rules are adopted by the State Board of Education. |
| 176 | 6. Participation in the testing program is mandatory for |
| 177 | all students attending public school, including students served |
| 178 | in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise |
| 179 | prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not |
| 180 | participate in the statewide assessment, the district must |
| 181 | notify the student's parent and provide the parent with |
| 182 | information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. |
| 183 | If modifications are made in the student's instruction to |
| 184 | provide accommodations that would not be permitted on the |
| 185 | statewide assessment tests, the district must notify the |
| 186 | student's parent of the implications of such instructional |
| 187 | modifications. A parent must provide signed consent for a |
| 188 | student to receive instructional modifications that would not be |
| 189 | permitted on the statewide assessments and must acknowledge in |
| 190 | writing that he or she understands the implications of such |
| 191 | accommodations. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, |
| 192 | based upon recommendations of the commissioner, for the |
| 193 | provision of test accommodations and modifications of procedures |
| 194 | as necessary for students in exceptional education programs and |
| 195 | for students who have limited English proficiency. |
| 196 | Accommodations that negate the validity of a statewide |
| 197 | assessment are not allowable. |
| 198 | 7. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must |
| 199 | meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school |
| 200 | student must meet. |
| 201 | 8. District school boards must provide instruction to |
| 202 | prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and |
| 203 | competencies necessary for successful grade-to-grade progression |
| 204 | and high school graduation. If a student is provided with |
| 205 | accommodations or modifications that are not allowable in the |
| 206 | statewide assessment program, as described in the test manuals, |
| 207 | the district must inform the parent in writing and must provide |
| 208 | the parent with information regarding the impact on the |
| 209 | student's ability to meet expected proficiency levels in |
| 210 | reading, writing, and math. The commissioner shall conduct |
| 211 | studies as necessary to verify that the required skills and |
| 212 | competencies are part of the district instructional programs. |
| 213 | 9. The Department of Education must develop, or select, |
| 214 | and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be |
| 215 | used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools |
| 216 | must accurately measure the skills and competencies established |
| 217 | in the Florida Sunshine State Standards. |
| 218 |
|
| 219 | The commissioner may design and implement student testing |
| 220 | programs, for any grade level and subject area, necessary to |
| 221 | effectively monitor educational achievement in the state. |
| 222 | (d) Conduct ongoing research to develop improved methods |
| 223 | of assessing student performance, including, without limitation, |
| 224 | the use of technology to administer tests, score, or report the |
| 225 | results of, the use of electronic transfer of data, the |
| 226 | development of work-product assessments, and the development of |
| 227 | process assessments. |
| 228 | (e) Conduct ongoing research and analysis of student |
| 229 | achievement data, including, without limitation, monitoring |
| 230 | trends in student achievement, identifying school programs that |
| 231 | are successful, and analyzing correlates of school achievement. |
| 232 | (f) Provide technical assistance to school districts in |
| 233 | the implementation of state and district testing programs and |
| 234 | the use of the data produced pursuant to such programs. |
| 235 | Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 1009.23, Florida |
| 236 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 237 | 1009.23 Community college student fees.-- |
| 238 | (2) All students shall be charged fees except students who |
| 239 | are exempt from fees or students whose fees are waived. |
| 240 | Identical fees shall be required for all community college |
| 241 | resident students within a college who take a specific course, |
| 242 | regardless of the program in which they are enrolled. |
| 243 | Section 7. Subsection (5) is added to section 1011.57, |
| 244 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 245 | 1011.57 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; board |
| 246 | of trustees; management flexibility.-- |
| 247 | (5) The board of trustees and administration of the |
| 248 | Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall not authorize |
| 249 | fee waivers for out-of-state students. |
| 250 | Section 8. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) and paragraph |
| 251 | (b) of subsection (9) of section 1011.62, Florida Statutes, are |
| 252 | amended to read: |
| 253 | 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual |
| 254 | allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each |
| 255 | district for operation of schools is not determined in the |
| 256 | annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing |
| 257 | the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as |
| 258 | follows: |
| 259 | (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR |
| 260 | OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in |
| 261 | determining the annual allocation to each district for |
| 262 | operation: |
| 263 | (h) Small, isolated high schools.--Districts which levy |
| 264 | the maximum nonvoted discretionary millage, exclusive of millage |
| 265 | for capital outlay purposes levied pursuant to s. 1011.71(2), |
| 266 | may calculate full-time equivalent students for small, isolated |
| 267 | high schools by multiplying the number of unweighted full-time |
| 268 | equivalent students times 2.75; provided the school attained a |
| 269 | state accountability performance grade of "C" or better for the |
| 270 | previous school year percentage of students at such school |
| 271 | passing both parts of the high school competency test, as |
| 272 | defined by law and rule, has been equal to or higher than such |
| 273 | percentage for the state or district, whichever is greater. For |
| 274 | the purpose of this section, the term "small, isolated high |
| 275 | school" means any high school which is located no less than 28 |
| 276 | miles by the shortest route from another high school; which has |
| 277 | been serving students primarily in basic studies provided by |
| 278 | sub-subparagraphs (c)1.b. and c. and may include subparagraph |
| 279 | (c)4.; and which has a membership of no more than 100 students, |
| 280 | but no fewer than 28 students, in grades 9 through 12. |
| 281 | (9) TOTAL ALLOCATION OF STATE FUNDS TO EACH DISTRICT FOR |
| 282 | CURRENT OPERATION.--The total annual state allocation to each |
| 283 | district for current operation for the FEFP shall be distributed |
| 284 | periodically in the manner prescribed in the General |
| 285 | Appropriations Act. |
| 286 | (b) The amount thus obtained shall be the net annual |
| 287 | allocation to each school district. However, if it is determined |
| 288 | that any school district received an underallocation or |
| 289 | overallocation for any prior year because of an arithmetical |
| 290 | error, assessment roll change, full-time equivalent student |
| 291 | membership error, or any allocation error revealed in an audit |
| 292 | report, the allocation to that district shall be appropriately |
| 293 | adjusted. Beginning with audits for the 2001-2002 fiscal year, |
| 294 | if the adjustment is the result of an audit finding in which |
| 295 | group 2 FTE are reclassified to the basic program and the |
| 296 | district weighted FTE are over the weighted enrollment ceiling |
| 297 | for group 2 programs, the adjustment shall not result in a gain |
| 298 | of state funds to the district. If the Department of Education |
| 299 | audit adjustment recommendation is based upon controverted |
| 300 | findings of fact, the Commissioner of Education is authorized to |
| 301 | establish the amount of the adjustment based on the best |
| 302 | interests of the state. |
| 303 | Section 9. Section 1011.63, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 304 | to read: |
| 305 | 1011.63 Reporting for state funding; prohibition.--When a |
| 306 | public educational institution has been fully funded by an |
| 307 | external agency for direct instructional costs of any course or |
| 308 | program, the FTE generated shall not be reported for state |
| 309 | funding for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program. |
| 310 | Section 10. Section 1011.66, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 311 | to read: |
| 312 | 1011.66 Distribution of FEFP funds in first quarter.--The |
| 313 | distribution of FEFP funds shall be made in payments on or about |
| 314 | the 10th and 26th of each month. Upon the request of any school |
| 315 | district whose net state FEFP funding is less than 60 percent of |
| 316 | its gross state and local FEFP funding, the Department of |
| 317 | Education shall distribute to that school district in the first |
| 318 | quarter of the fiscal year an amount from the funds appropriated |
| 319 | for the FEFP in the General Appropriations Act up to a maximum |
| 320 | of 15 percent of that school district's gross state and local |
| 321 | FEFP funding or that school district's net state FEFP funding, |
| 322 | whichever is less. |
| 323 | Section 11. Section 1011.67, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 324 | to read: |
| 325 | 1011.67 Funds for instructional materials.--The department |
| 326 | is authorized to allocate and distribute to each district an |
| 327 | amount as prescribed annually by the Legislature for |
| 328 | instructional materials for student membership in basic and |
| 329 | special programs in grades K-12, which will provide for growth |
| 330 | and maintenance needs. For purposes of this section, unweighted |
| 331 | full-time equivalent students enrolled in the lab schools in |
| 332 | state universities are to be included as school district |
| 333 | students and reported as such to the department. These funds |
| 334 | shall be distributed to school districts as follows: 50 percent |
| 335 | on or about July 10; 35 percent on or about October 10; 10 |
| 336 | percent on or about January 10; and 5 percent on or about June |
| 337 | 10. The annual allocation shall be determined as follows: |
| 338 | (1) The growth allocation for each school district shall |
| 339 | be calculated as follows: |
| 340 | (a) Subtract from that district's projected full-time |
| 341 | equivalent membership of students in basic and special programs |
| 342 | in grades K-12 used in determining the initial allocation of the |
| 343 | Florida Education Finance Program, the prior year's full-time |
| 344 | equivalent membership of students in basic and special programs |
| 345 | in grades K-12 for that district. |
| 346 | (b) Multiply any such increase in full-time equivalent |
| 347 | student membership by the allocation for a set of instructional |
| 348 | materials, as determined by the department, or as provided for |
| 349 | in the General Appropriations Act. |
| 350 | (c) The amount thus determined shall be that district's |
| 351 | initial allocation for growth for the school year. However, the |
| 352 | department shall recompute and adjust the initial allocation |
| 353 | based on actual full-time equivalent student membership data for |
| 354 | that year. |
| 355 | (2) The maintenance of the instructional materials |
| 356 | allocation for each school district shall be calculated by |
| 357 | multiplying each district's prior year full-time equivalent |
| 358 | membership of students in basic and special programs in grades |
| 359 | K-12 by the allocation for maintenance of a set of instructional |
| 360 | materials as provided for in the General Appropriations Act. The |
| 361 | amount thus determined shall be that district's initial |
| 362 | allocation for maintenance for the school year; however, the |
| 363 | department shall recompute and adjust the initial allocation |
| 364 | based on such actual full-time equivalent student membership |
| 365 | data for that year. |
| 366 | (3) In the event the funds appropriated are not sufficient |
| 367 | for the purpose of implementing this section in full, the |
| 368 | department shall prorate the funds available for instructional |
| 369 | materials after first funding in full each district's growth |
| 370 | allocation. |
| 371 | Section 12. Subsection (5) of section 1011.80, Florida |
| 372 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 373 | 1011.80 Funds for operation of adult technical education |
| 374 | programs.-- |
| 375 | (5) State funding and student fees for workforce |
| 376 | development instruction funded through the Workforce Development |
| 377 | Education Fund shall be established as follows: |
| 378 | (a) For a continuing workforce education course, state |
| 379 | funding shall equal 50 percent of the cost of instruction, with |
| 380 | student fees, business support, quick-response training funds, |
| 381 | or other means making up the remaining 50 percent. |
| 382 | (b) For all other workforce development education funded |
| 383 | through the Workforce Development Education Fund, state funding |
| 384 | shall equal 75 percent of the average cost of instruction with |
| 385 | the remaining 25 percent made up from student fees. Fees for |
| 386 | courses within a program shall not vary according to the cost of |
| 387 | the individual program, but instead shall be based on a uniform |
| 388 | fee calculated and set at the state level, as adopted by the |
| 389 | State Board of Education, unless otherwise specified in the |
| 390 | General Appropriations Act. |
| 391 | (c) For fee-exempt students pursuant to s. 1009.25, unless |
| 392 | otherwise provided for in law, state funding shall equal 100 |
| 393 | percent of the average cost of instruction. |
| 394 | (d) For a public educational institution that has been |
| 395 | fully funded by an external agency for direct instructional |
| 396 | costs of any course or program, the FTE generated shall not be |
| 397 | reported for state funding. |
| 398 | Section 13. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section |
| 399 | 1011.84, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph (g) and |
| 400 | new paragraphs (e) and (f) are added to said subsection to read: |
| 401 | 1011.84 Procedure for determining state financial support |
| 402 | and annual apportionment of state funds to each community |
| 403 | college district.--The procedure for determining state financial |
| 404 | support and the annual apportionment to each community college |
| 405 | district authorized to operate a community college under the |
| 406 | provisions of s. 1001.61 shall be as follows: |
| 407 | (1) DETERMINING THE AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY |
| 408 | COLLEGE PROGRAM FUND FOR THE CURRENT OPERATING PROGRAM.-- |
| 409 | (e) All state inmate education provided by community |
| 410 | colleges shall be reported by program, FTE expenditure, and |
| 411 | revenue source. These enrollments, expenditures, and revenues |
| 412 | shall be reported and projected separately. Instruction of state |
| 413 | inmates shall not be included in the full-time equivalent |
| 414 | student enrollment for funding through the Community College |
| 415 | Program Fund. |
| 416 | (f) When a public educational institution has been fully |
| 417 | funded by an external agency for direct instructional costs of |
| 418 | any course or program, the FTE generated shall not be reported |
| 419 | for state funding. |
| 420 | Section 14. Subsection (3) of section 1012.05, Florida |
| 421 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 422 | 1012.05 Teacher recruitment and retention.-- |
| 423 | (3) The Department of Education, in cooperation with |
| 424 | district personnel offices, shall sponsor a job fair in a |
| 425 | central part of the state to match in-state educators and |
| 426 | potential educators and out-of-state educators and potential |
| 427 | educators with teaching opportunities in this state. The |
| 428 | Department of Education is authorized to collect a job fair |
| 429 | registration fee not to exceed $20 per person and a booth fee |
| 430 | not to exceed $250 per school district or other interested |
| 431 | participating organization. The revenue from the fees shall be |
| 432 | used to promote and operate the job fair. Funds may be used to |
| 433 | purchase promotional items such as mementos, awards, and |
| 434 | plaques. |
| 435 | Section 15. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of |
| 436 | section 1012.72, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 437 | 1012.72 Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching Program.-- |
| 438 | (2) The Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching Program is created |
| 439 | to provide categorical funding for monetary incentives and |
| 440 | bonuses for teaching excellence. The Department of Education |
| 441 | shall distribute to each school district or to the NBPTS an |
| 442 | amount as prescribed annually by the Legislature for the Dale |
| 443 | Hickam Excellent Teaching Program. For purposes of this section, |
| 444 | the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be |
| 445 | considered a school district. Unless otherwise provided in the |
| 446 | General Appropriations Act, each distribution shall be the sum |
| 447 | of the amounts earned for the following incentives and bonuses: |
| 448 | (e) The employer's share of social security and Medicare |
| 449 | taxes and Florida Retirement System contributions for those |
| 450 | teachers who qualify for NBPTS certification and receive bonus |
| 451 | amounts. |
| 452 |
|
| 453 | A teacher for whom the state pays the certification fee and who |
| 454 | does not complete the certification program or does not teach in |
| 455 | a public school of this state for at least 1 year after |
| 456 | completing the certification program must repay the amount of |
| 457 | the certification fee to the state. However, a teacher who |
| 458 | completes the certification program but fails to be awarded |
| 459 | NBPTS certification is not required to repay the amount of the |
| 460 | certification fee if the teacher meets the 1-year teaching |
| 461 | requirement. Repayment is not required of a teacher who does not |
| 462 | complete the certification program or fails to fulfill the |
| 463 | teaching requirement because of the teacher's death or |
| 464 | disability or because of other extenuating circumstances as |
| 465 | determined by the State Board of Education. |
| 466 | Section 16. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. |
| 467 | 216.292(5)(d), Florida Statutes, and in order to implement |
| 468 | Specific Appropriation 156 and section 9 of the 2004-2005 |
| 469 | General Appropriations Act, Florida State University is |
| 470 | authorized to construct a classroom building from the funding |
| 471 | received pursuant to the 2004-2005 General Appropriations Act. |
| 472 | Section 17. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |
| 473 |
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| 474 | ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================= |
| 475 | Remove the entire title and insert: |
| 476 | A bill to be entitled |
| 477 | An act relating to education funding; amending s. 24.121, |
| 478 | F.S.; requiring school districts to establish certain |
| 479 | policies and procedures relating to lottery fund |
| 480 | enhancements; providing a tax credit cap with respect to |
| 481 | contributions to nonprofit scholarship-funding |
| 482 | organizations; amending s. 1000.21, F.S.; redesignating |
| 483 | specified community colleges as colleges; amending s. |
| 484 | 1002.32, F.S.; exempting lab schools from the payment of |
| 485 | overhead or indirect costs; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; |
| 486 | authorizing outsourcing of statewide assessment program |
| 487 | activities; allowing for contracts extending into two |
| 488 | fiscal years; amending s. 1009.23, F.S.; requiring |
| 489 | identical fees for certain community college students |
| 490 | taking a specific course; amending s. 1011.57, F.S.; |
| 491 | prohibiting out-of-state fee waivers by the Florida School |
| 492 | for the Deaf and the Blind; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; |
| 493 | revising eligibility requirement for use of the small, |
| 494 | isolated high school multiplier; revising provisions |
| 495 | relating to adjustments of allocations; creating s. |
| 496 | 1011.63, F.S.; prohibiting reporting for state funding for |
| 497 | purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program of |
| 498 | courses or programs fully funded externally; amending s. |
| 499 | 1011.66, F.S.; setting forth the method and timing of |
| 500 | distributing Florida Education Finance Program funds; |
| 501 | amending s. 1011.67, F.S.; setting forth the method and |
| 502 | timing of distributing funds for instructional materials; |
| 503 | amending s. 1011.80, F.S.; prohibiting reporting for state |
| 504 | funding of courses or programs fully funded externally; |
| 505 | amending s. 1011.84, F.S.; providing reporting |
| 506 | requirements with respect to inmate education provided by |
| 507 | community colleges; directing that inmates not be included |
| 508 | in FTE student enrollment for funding through the |
| 509 | Community College Program Fund; prohibiting reporting for |
| 510 | state funding of courses or programs fully funded |
| 511 | externally; amending s. 1012.05, F.S.; authorizing the |
| 512 | Department of Education to collect registration and booth |
| 513 | fees for a job fair; authorizing certain uses for such |
| 514 | funds; amending s. 1012.72, F.S.; authorizing the use of |
| 515 | Dale Hickam Excellent Teaching Program funds for certain |
| 516 | purposes; authorizing Florida State University to |
| 517 | construct a classroom building; providing an effective |
| 518 | date. |