| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to teaching students in grades 1 through 3 |
| 3 | in public elementary schools; creating s. 1008.26, F.S.; |
| 4 | requiring that certain students who are enrolled in a |
| 5 | public elementary school and reading below grade level be |
| 6 | placed into an intensive reading lab; specifying criteria |
| 7 | for an intensive reading lab; providing for oversight of |
| 8 | the progress of students assigned to a lab; encouraging |
| 9 | the principal of a school where reading labs are required |
| 10 | to ask for donations to secure instructional materials; |
| 11 | requiring a principal of a public school where students in |
| 12 | grades 1 through 3 are enrolled to create, by hiring or |
| 13 | training, a team of teachers for those grades having |
| 14 | expertise in specified areas; specifying requirements |
| 15 | concerning how to train certain teachers to teach reading; |
| 16 | requiring the principal to assign teachers on the team for |
| 17 | a specified time to classes of students in grades 1 |
| 18 | through 3; providing an effective date. |
| 19 |
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| 20 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Section 1. Section 1008.26, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 23 | to read: |
| 24 | 1008.26 Reading by grade 4.-- |
| 25 | (1) Each student who is entering kindergarten, first |
| 26 | grade, second grade, or third grade must be assessed as to his |
| 27 | or her proficiency in the subject of reading as defined by the |
| 28 | Sunshine State Standards. Each student who is reading below |
| 29 | grade level must be placed into an intensive reading lab that: |
| 30 | (a) Has a student-teacher ratio of not more than five |
| 31 | students per one full-time equivalent teacher. |
| 32 | (b) Is staffed at all times by a teacher who is certified |
| 33 | under s. 1012.56 and has expertise in the area of teaching |
| 34 | reading skills to students in kindergarten through grade 3. |
| 35 | (c) Provides the student, for 2 hours each school day, |
| 36 | with tutoring and remediation so that the student learns to read |
| 37 | at grade level. |
| 38 | (2) Each student assigned to an intensive reading lab must |
| 39 | be reassessed in the middle and at the end of each school year |
| 40 | and, if the student is reading at or above his or her grade |
| 41 | level, the student's assignment to the intensive reading lab |
| 42 | shall be terminated. |
| 43 | (3) The principal of each public school where an intensive |
| 44 | reading lab is required under subsection (1) is encouraged to |
| 45 | ask persons, particularly persons who may qualify for an income |
| 46 | tax deduction or credit under federal tax law, to donate funds |
| 47 | for the school to buy instructional materials, such as books or |
| 48 | computer technology or software, for use by the students |
| 49 | assigned to the lab, or to donate such materials. |
| 50 | (4)(a) The principal of each public school in which |
| 51 | students in grades 1 through 3 are enrolled shall, by hiring |
| 52 | teachers or securing training for teachers already hired, create |
| 53 | a team of teachers for grades 1 through 3 which includes a |
| 54 | nearly equal distribution of teachers having expertise in each |
| 55 | of the following areas: |
| 56 | 1. Teaching reading to students in grades 1 through 3. At |
| 57 | least one-third of the team must have this expertise. |
| 58 | 2. Teaching science and math to students in grades 1 |
| 59 | through 3. |
| 60 | 3. Teaching social science to students in grades 1 through |
| 61 | 3. |
| 62 |
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| 63 | If training is required so that a teacher can develop expertise |
| 64 | in the area of teaching reading to students in grades 1 through |
| 65 | 3, the training must be provided outside the regular school day. |
| 66 | (b) After July 1, 2010, the principal shall assign |
| 67 | teachers so that each school day at least one teacher in each of |
| 68 | the areas of expertise described in paragraph (a) visits and |
| 69 | teaches for a minimum of 2 hours in the classroom of each |
| 70 | student enrolled in grades 1 through 3. Before July 1, 2010, the |
| 71 | principal is encouraged to make such assignments. |
| 72 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |