Senate Bill sb1046er

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    2007 Legislature                 CS for SB 1046, 2nd Engrossed



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  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         551.106, F.S.; providing that certain funds

  4         transferred to the Educational Enhancement

  5         Trust Fund may be used for recurring

  6         appropriations; amending s. 1003.03, F.S.;

  7         defining the terms "team teaching,"

  8         "co-teaching," and "inclusion teaching" for

  9         purposes of provisions authorizing the use of

10         various teaching strategies in order to

11         implement requirements for class-size

12         reduction; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; revising

13         the funding model for exceptional student

14         education programs to provide additional funds

15         for students who are gifted in graded K through

16         8; providing a formula for calculating a

17         supplemental allocation for juvenile justice

18         education programs; deleting certain

19         categorical appropriations that a district

20         school board may, pursuant to resolution,

21         transfer and use for academic classroom

22         instruction; providing for an increase in a

23         district's sparsity supplement under certain

24         conditions; repealing s. 1011.71(5)(b), F.S.,

25         relating to obsolete provisions limiting

26         certain uses of proceeds from the district

27         school tax; requiring the Office of Program

28         Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

29         to submit a report relating to gifted student

30         education to the Governor, the Legislature, and

31  


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 1         the Commissioner of Education; providing report

 2         requirements; providing an effective date.

 3  

 4  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

 5  

 6         Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section

 7  551.106, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 8         551.106  License fee; tax rate; penalties.--

 9         (2)  TAX ON SLOT MACHINE REVENUES.--

10         (c)1.  Funds transferred to the Educational Enhancement

11  Trust Fund under paragraph (b) shall be used to supplement

12  public education funding statewide and shall not be used for

13  recurring appropriations.

14         2.  If necessary to comply with any covenant

15  established pursuant to s. 1013.68(4), s. 1013.70(1), or s.

16  1013.737(3), funds transferred to the Educational Enhancement

17  Trust Fund under paragraph (b) shall first be available to pay

18  debt service on lottery bonds issued to fund school

19  construction in the event lottery revenues are insufficient

20  for such purpose or to satisfy debt service reserve

21  requirements established in connection with lottery bonds.

22  Moneys available pursuant to this subparagraph are subject to

23  annual appropriation by the Legislature.

24         Section 2.  Subsection (5) of section 1003.03, Florida

25  Statutes, is amended to read:

26         1003.03  Maximum class size.--

27         (5)  TEAM-TEACHING STRATEGIES.--

28         (a)  School districts may use teaching strategies that

29  include the assignment of more than one teacher to a classroom

30  of students and that were implemented before July 1, 2005.

31  Effective July 1, 2005, school districts may implement


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 1  additional teaching strategies that include the assignment of

 2  more than one teacher to a classroom of students for the

 3  following purposes only:

 4         1.  Pairing teachers for the purpose of staff

 5  development.

 6         2.  Pairing new teachers with veteran teachers.

 7         3.  Reducing turnover among new teachers.

 8         4.  Pairing teachers who are teaching out-of-field with

 9  teachers who are in-field.

10         5.  Providing for more flexibility and innovation in

11  the classroom.

12         6.  Improving learning opportunities for students,

13  including students who have disabilities.

14         (b)  Teaching strategies, including team teaching,

15  co-teaching, or inclusion teaching, implemented on or after

16  July 1, 2005, pursuant to paragraph (a) may be implemented

17  subject to the following restrictions:

18         1.  Reasonable limits shall be placed on the number of

19  students in a classroom so that classrooms are not

20  overcrowded. Teacher-to-student ratios within a curriculum

21  area or grade level must not exceed constitutional limits.

22         2.  At least one member of the team must have at least

23  3 years of teaching experience.

24         3.  At least one member of the team must be teaching

25  in-field.

26         4.  The teachers must be trained in team-teaching

27  methods within 1 year after assignment.

28         (c)  As used in this subsection, the term:

29         1.  "Team teaching" or "co-teaching" means two or more

30  teachers are assigned to a group of students and each teacher

31  is responsible for all of the students during the entire class


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 1  period. In order to be considered team teaching or

 2  co-teaching, each teacher is responsible for planning,

 3  delivering, and evaluating instruction for all students in the

 4  class or subject for the entire class period.

 5         2.  "Inclusion teaching" means two or more teachers are

 6  assigned to a group of students, but one of the teachers is

 7  responsible for only one student or a small group of students

 8  in the classroom.

 9  

10  The use of strategies implemented as outlined in this

11  subsection meets the letter and intent of the Florida

12  Constitution and the Florida Statutes which relate to

13  implementing class-size reduction, and this subsection applies

14  retroactively. A school district may not be penalized

15  financially or otherwise as a result of the use of any legal

16  strategy, including, but not limited to, those set forth in

17  subsection (3) and this subsection.

18         Section 3.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section

19  1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended, present paragraphs (p),

20  (q), (r), (s), and (t) of that subsection are redesignated as

21  paragraphs (q), (r), (s), (t), and (u), respectively, a new

22  paragraph (p) is added to that subsection, and paragraph (b)

23  of subsection (6) and subsection (7) of that section are

24  amended, to read:

25         1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual

26  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each

27  district for operation of schools is not determined in the

28  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing

29  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as

30  follows:

31  


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 1         (1)  COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR

 2  OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in

 3  determining the annual allocation to each district for

 4  operation:

 5         (e)  Funding model for exceptional student education

 6  programs.--

 7         1.a.  The funding model uses basic, at-risk, support

 8  levels IV and V for exceptional students and career Florida

 9  Education Finance Program cost factors, and a guaranteed

10  allocation for exceptional student education programs.

11  Exceptional education cost factors are determined by using a

12  matrix of services to document the services that each

13  exceptional student will receive. The nature and intensity of

14  the services indicated on the matrix shall be consistent with

15  the services described in each exceptional student's

16  individual educational plan.

17         b.  In order to generate funds using one of the two

18  weighted cost factors, a matrix of services must be completed

19  at the time of the student's initial placement into an

20  exceptional student education program and at least once every

21  3 years by personnel who have received approved training.

22  Nothing listed in the matrix shall be construed as limiting

23  the services a school district must provide in order to ensure

24  that exceptional students are provided a free, appropriate

25  public education.

26         c.  Students identified as exceptional, in accordance

27  with chapter 6A-6, Florida Administrative Code, who do not

28  have a matrix of services as specified in sub-subparagraph b.

29  shall generate funds on the basis of full-time-equivalent

30  student membership in the Florida Education Finance Program at

31  the same funding level per student as provided for basic


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 1  students. Additional funds for these exceptional students

 2  will be provided through the guaranteed allocation designated

 3  in subparagraph 2.

 4         2.  For students identified as exceptional who do not

 5  have a matrix of services and students who are gifted in

 6  grades K through 8, there is created a guaranteed allocation

 7  to provide these students with a free appropriate public

 8  education, in accordance with s. 1001.42(4)(m) and rules of

 9  the State Board of Education, which shall be allocated

10  annually to each school district in the amount provided in the

11  General Appropriations Act. These funds shall be in addition

12  to the funds appropriated on the basis of FTE student

13  membership in the Florida Education Finance Program, and the

14  amount allocated for each school district shall not be

15  recalculated during the year. These funds shall be used to

16  provide special education and related services for exceptional

17  students and students who are gifted in grades K through 8.

18  Beginning with the 2007-2008 fiscal year, a district's

19  expenditure of funds from the guaranteed allocation for

20  students in grades 9 through 12 who are gifted may not be

21  greater than the amount expended during the 2006-2007 fiscal

22  year for gifted students in grades 9 through 12.

23         (p)  Calculation of supplemental allocation for

24  juvenile justice education programs.--Beginning with the

25  2007-2008 General Appropriations Act, the total K-12 weighted

26  full-time equivalent student membership in juvenile justice

27  education programs in each school district shall be multiplied

28  by the amount of the state average class-size-reduction factor

29  multiplied by the district's cost differential. An amount

30  equal to the sum of this calculation shall be allocated in the

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 1  FEFP to each school district to supplement other sources of

 2  funding for students in juvenile justice education programs.

 3         (6)  CATEGORICAL FUNDS.--

 4         (b)  If a district school board finds and declares in a

 5  resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the school board

 6  that the funds received for any of the following categorical

 7  appropriations are urgently needed to maintain school board

 8  specified academic classroom instruction, the school board may

 9  consider and approve an amendment to the school district

10  operating budget transferring the identified amount of the

11  categorical funds to the appropriate account for expenditure:

12         1.  Funds for student transportation.

13         2.  Funds for in-service educational personnel

14  training.

15         2.3.  Funds for safe schools.

16         4.  Funds for public school technology.

17         3.5.  Funds for supplemental academic instruction.

18         (7)  DETERMINATION OF SPARSITY SUPPLEMENT.--

19         (a)  Annually, in an amount to be determined by the

20  Legislature through the General Appropriations Act, there

21  shall be added to the basic amount for current operation of

22  the FEFP qualified districts a sparsity supplement which shall

23  be computed as follows:

24  

25                             1101.8918    

26      Sparsity Factor =   2700 + district   - 0.1101

27                                 sparsity

28                                 index

29  

30  except that districts with a sparsity index of 1,000 or less

31  shall be computed as having a sparsity index of 1,000, and


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 1  districts having a sparsity index of 7,308 and above shall be

 2  computed as having a sparsity factor of zero. A qualified

 3  district's full-time equivalent student membership shall equal

 4  or be less than that prescribed annually by the Legislature in

 5  the appropriations act.  The amount prescribed annually by the

 6  Legislature shall be no less than 17,000, but no more than

 7  24,000.

 8         (b)  The district sparsity index shall be computed by

 9  dividing the total number of full-time equivalent students in

10  all programs in the district by the number of senior high

11  school centers in the district, not in excess of three, which

12  centers are approved as permanent centers by a survey made by

13  the Department of Education.

14         (c)  If the sparsity supplement calculated in paragraph

15  (a) and paragraph (b) for an eligible district is less than

16  $100 per full-time equivalent student, the district's

17  supplement shall be increased to $100 per FTE or to the

18  minimum amount per FTE designated in the General

19  Appropriations Act.

20         (d)(c)  Each district's allocation of sparsity

21  supplement funds shall be adjusted in the following manner:

22         1.  A maximum discretionary levy per FTE value for each

23  district shall be calculated by dividing the value of each

24  district's maximum discretionary levy by its FTE student

25  count.

26         2.  A state average discretionary levy value per FTE

27  shall be calculated by dividing the total maximum

28  discretionary levy value for all districts by the state total

29  FTE student count.

30         3.  A total potential funds per FTE for each district

31  shall be calculated by dividing the total potential funds, not


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 1  including Florida School Recognition Program funds and the

 2  minimum guarantee, for each district by its FTE student count.

 3         4.  A state average total potential funds per FTE shall

 4  be calculated by dividing the total potential funds, not

 5  including Florida School Recognition Program funds and the

 6  minimum guarantee, for all districts by the state total FTE

 7  student count.

 8         5.  For districts that have a levy value per FTE as

 9  calculated in subparagraph 1. higher than the state average

10  calculated in subparagraph 2., a sparsity wealth adjustment

11  shall be calculated as the product of the difference between

12  the state average levy value per FTE calculated in

13  subparagraph 2. and the district's levy value per FTE

14  calculated in subparagraph 1. and the district's FTE student

15  count and -1. However, no district shall have a sparsity

16  wealth adjustment that, when applied to the total potential

17  funds calculated in subparagraph 3., would cause the

18  district's total potential funds per FTE to be less than the

19  state average calculated in subparagraph 4.

20         6.  Each district's sparsity supplement allocation

21  shall be calculated by adding the amount calculated as

22  specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) and the wealth adjustment

23  amount calculated in this paragraph.

24         Section 4.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section

25  1011.71, Florida Statutes, is repealed.

26         Section 5.  Gifted student education.--

27         (1)  By December 1, 2007, the Office of Program Policy

28  Analysis and Government Accountability shall submit a report

29  to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of

30  the House of Representatives, and the Commissioner of

31  Education on gifted services and programming provided to


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 1  public school students in kindergarten through grade 12. The

 2  report shall include findings based on the following:

 3         (a)  A survey of each school district to identify:

 4         1.  The methods used to identify gifted students and

 5  the grade levels and number of schools using each method.

 6         2.  The number of gifted students identified under each

 7  of the methods specified under subparagraph 1. during the

 8  2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.

 9         3.  Whether the district implements a plan under rule

10  6A-6.03019(2)(b), Florida Administrative Code, to increase the

11  participation of students from underrepresented groups in

12  gifted programming and the number of students by grade level

13  who were identified as gifted under such a plan in the

14  2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.

15         4.  The types of services and programming provided to

16  gifted students according to grade level, the number of

17  schools in which the services and programming are offered, and

18  the number of students by grade level who received the

19  services and programming during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007

20  school years. Services and programming identified for high

21  school students shall be limited to courses coded with state

22  course code numbers identifying the courses as honors or

23  gifted.

24         5.  The amount of the exceptional student education

25  guaranteed allocation expended by the district during the

26  2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years for gifted services and

27  programming according to each grade level and school within

28  the district.

29         (b)  An assessment of the advantages and disadvantages

30  of current Florida law that classifies gifted students as

31  exceptional students.


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 1         (c)  A review of the practices of other states for

 2  identifying gifted students and for providing and funding

 3  gifted services and programming.

 4         (2)  The report shall include, but need not be limited

 5  to, a summary, discussion, and evaluation of the findings

 6  under subsection (1); recommendations for the improvement of

 7  gifted identification practices and services and programming

 8  provided to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are

 9  gifted or otherwise academically talented; and proposed

10  statutory changes to implement the report's recommendations.

11         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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