HB 1567

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
3	Program; amending s. 1002.55, F.S.; revising the number of
4	instructional hours that are required for a school-year
5	prekindergarten program delivered by a private
6	prekindergarten provider; revising the credential
7	requirements for prekindergarten instructors in such
8	programs; amending s. 1002.61, F.S.; revising the
9	credential requirements for prekindergarten instructors in
10	summer prekindergarten programs; amending s. 1002.63,
11	F.S.; revising the number of instructional hours that are
12	required for a school-year prekindergarten program
13	delivered by a public school; repealing s. 1002.65, F.S.,
14	relating to aspirational goals for credentials of
15	prekindergarten instructors; amending s. 1002.71, F.S.;
16	revising provisions relating to calculations for funding;
17	amending s. 1007.23, F.S.; conforming provisions;
18	providing an effective date.
19
20	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22	Section 1.  Subsection (2), paragraph (c) of subsection
23	(3), and subsection (4) of section 1002.55, Florida Statutes,
24	are amended to read:
25	1002.55  School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
26	private prekindergarten providers.--
27	(2)  Each school-year prekindergarten program delivered by
28	a private prekindergarten provider must comprise at least 1,080
29	540 instructional hours.
30	(3)  To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program,
31	a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the
32	following requirements:
33	(c)  The private prekindergarten provider must have, for
34	each prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten
35	instructor who meets each of the following requirements:
36	1.  The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum,
37	one of the following credentials:
38	a.  A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood
39	education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
40	education, or family and consumer science;
41	b.  A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary education,
42	if the instructor has been certified to teach children any age
43	from birth through 6th grade; or
44	c.  A bachelor's or higher degree in any subject and a
45	valid Florida teaching certificate.
46	a.  A child development associate credential issued by the
47	National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional
48	Recognition; or
49	b.  A credential approved by the Department of Children and
50	Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the
51	credential described in sub-subparagraph a.
52
53	The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules
54	under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and
55	procedures for approving equivalent credentials under sub-
56	subparagraph b.
57	2.  The prekindergarten instructor must successfully
58	complete an emergent literacy training course approved by the
59	department as meeting or exceeding the minimum standards adopted
60	under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not apply to a
61	prekindergarten instructor who successfully completes approved
62	training in early literacy and language development under s.
63	402.305(2)(d)5., s. 402.313(6), or s. 402.3131(5) before the
64	establishment of one or more emergent literacy training courses
65	under s. 1002.59 or April 1, 2005, whichever occurs later.
66	(4)  A prekindergarten instructor, in lieu of the minimum
67	credentials and courses required under paragraph (3)(c), may
68	hold one of the following educational credentials:
69	(a)  A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood
70	education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
71	education, or family and consumer science;
72	(b)  A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary education,
73	if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach
74	children any age from birth through 6th grade, regardless of
75	whether the instructor's educator certificate is current, and if
76	the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school
77	because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked;
78	(c)  An associate's or higher degree in child development;
79	(d)  An associate's or higher degree in an unrelated field,
80	at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child
81	development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or
82	providing child care services for children any age from birth
83	through 8 years of age; or
84	(e)  An educational credential approved by the department
85	as being equivalent to or greater than an educational credential
86	described in this subsection. The department may adopt criteria
87	and procedures for approving equivalent educational credentials
88	under this paragraph.
89	Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 1002.61, Florida
90	Statutes, is amended to read:
91	1002.61  Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
92	schools and private prekindergarten providers.--
93	(4)  Notwithstanding ss. 1002.55(3)(c)1. and 1002.63(5),
94	Each public school and private prekindergarten provider must
95	have, for each prekindergarten class, at least one
96	prekindergarten instructor who meets the requirements in s.
97	1002.55(3)(c)1.:
98	(a)  Is a certified teacher; or
99	(b)  Holds one of the educational credentials specified in
100	s. 1002.55(4)(a) or (b).
101	As used in this subsection, the term "certified teacher" means A
102	teacher holding a valid Florida educator certificate under s.
103	1012.56 must have who has the qualifications required by the
104	district school board to instruct students in the summer
105	prekindergarten program. In selecting instructional staff for
106	the summer prekindergarten program, each school district shall
107	give priority to teachers who have experience or coursework in
108	early childhood education.
109	Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 1002.63, Florida
110	Statutes, is amended to read:
111	1002.63  School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
112	public schools.--
113	(2)  Each school-year prekindergarten program delivered by
114	a public school must comprise at least 1,080 540 instructional
115	hours.
116	Section 4.  Section 1002.65, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
117	Section 5.  Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (2) of
118	section 1002.71, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
119	1002.71  Funding; financial and attendance reporting.--
120	(2)  A full-time equivalent student in the Voluntary
121	Prekindergarten Education Program shall be calculated as
122	follows:
123	(a)  For a student in a school-year prekindergarten program
124	delivered by a private prekindergarten provider: 1,080 540
125	instructional hours.
126	(c)  For a student in a school-year prekindergarten program
127	delivered by a public school: 1,080 540 instructional hours.
128
129	Except as provided in subsection (4), a student may not be
130	reported for funding purposes as more than one full-time
131	equivalent student.
132	Section 6.  Subsection (5) of section 1007.23, Florida
133	Statutes, is amended to read:
134	1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.--
135	(5)  The articulation agreement must guarantee the
136	articulation of 9 credit hours toward a postsecondary degree in
137	early childhood education for programs approved by the State
138	Board of Education which:
139	(a)  Award a child development associate credential issued
140	by the National Credentialing Program of the Council for
141	Professional Recognition or award a credential approved under s.
142	1002.55(3)(c)1.b. or s. 402.305(3)(c) as being equivalent to the
143	child development associate credential; and
144	(b)  Include training in emergent literacy which meets or
145	exceeds the minimum standards for training courses for
146	prekindergarten instructors of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
147	Education Program in s. 1002.59.
148	Section 7.  This act shall take effect August 1, 2007.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.