Florida Senate - 2014 SB 790
By Senator Legg
17-01274C-14 2014790__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education technology; amending s.
3 1011.62, F.S.; providing the purpose for the Florida
4 digital classrooms allocation; requiring a school
5 district to adopt a district digital classrooms plan
6 and submit the plan to the Department of Education for
7 approval; providing requirements for the plan;
8 requiring that allocated funds be used for a specified
9 purpose; requiring a district school board to submit
10 to the department the district’s digital classrooms
11 plan; providing requirements for the district’s plan;
12 requiring the Commissioner of Education to adopt a
13 Florida digital classrooms plan that establishes
14 certain protocols, parameters, requirements, and
15 digital tools; providing requirements for the plan;
16 providing calculations for funding; requiring the
17 commissioner to support statewide, coordinated
18 partnerships and efforts of education practitioners to
19 identify and share best practices, corrective actions,
20 and other identified needs; requiring each district
21 school board to report by a specified date to the
22 department the district’s use of funds and student
23 performance outcomes; requiring the commissioner to
24 provide by a specified date to the Governor and the
25 Legislature a summary of each district’s use of funds,
26 student performance outcomes, and progress toward
27 meeting statutory requirements and timelines; amending
28 s. 1002.33, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes
29 made by the act; creating s. 1007.2616, F.S.;
30 requiring public schools to provide students in grades
31 K-12 opportunities for learning computer coding and
32 programming; requiring grade-specific instruction in
33 specified areas; requiring elementary schools and
34 middle schools to establish digital classrooms for
35 specified purposes; requiring high schools to provide
36 students with opportunities to take certain computer
37 programming courses to satisfy requirements for high
38 school graduation; requiring a Florida College System
39 institution, and authorizing a state university, to
40 offer students the option of completing a certain
41 number of years of instruction in a computer
42 programming language in lieu of completing the same
43 number of years of foreign language instruction under
44 certain circumstances; including such computer
45 programming courses in the statewide course numbering
46 system; providing that a preeminent state research
47 university is not required to accept computer
48 programming language as the equivalent to a certain
49 number of years of foreign language education;
50 authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt
51 rules; providing an effective date.
52
53 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
54
55 Section 1. Subsection (15) is added to section 1011.62,
56 Florida Statutes, to read:
57 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
58 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
59 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
60 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
61 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
62 follows:
63 (15) FLORIDA DIGITAL CLASSROOMS.—
64 (a) The Florida digital classrooms allocation is created to
65 improve outcomes related to student performance by emphasizing
66 and supporting technology-enhanced classroom teaching and
67 learning. The outcomes must be measurable and may also be unique
68 to the needs of individual schools and school districts within
69 the general parameters established by the Department of
70 Education.
71 (b) Each district school board shall adopt a district
72 digital classrooms plan that meets the unique needs of students,
73 schools, and personnel and submit the plan for approval to the
74 department. The district’s plan must be within the general
75 parameters established in the Florida digital classrooms plan
76 pursuant to paragraph (c). Funds allocated under this subsection
77 must be used to support implementation of district digital
78 classrooms plans. By October 1, 2014, and by March 1 of each
79 year thereafter on a date determined by the department, each
80 district school board shall submit to the department, in a
81 format prescribed by the department, a digital classrooms plan.
82 At a minimum, such plan must include, and shall be annually
83 updated to reflect, the following:
84 1. Measurable student performance outcomes. Outcomes
85 related to student performance must result from the
86 implementation of the district’s digital classrooms plan for the
87 current school year and subsequent 3 years, including outcomes
88 for students with disabilities. Results of the outcomes shall be
89 reported at least annually and be accompanied by an independent
90 evaluation and validation of the reported results.
91 2. Digital learning and technology infrastructure purchases
92 and operational activities. Such purchases and activities must
93 meet the measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including,
94 but not limited to, connectivity, broadband access, wireless
95 capacity, Internet speed, and data security, all of which must
96 meet or exceed minimum requirements and protocols established by
97 the department. For each year that the district uses funds for
98 infrastructure, a third-party, independent evaluation of the
99 district’s technology inventory and infrastructure needs must
100 accompany the district’s plan.
101 3. Professional development purchases and operational
102 activities. Such purchases and activities must meet the
103 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
104 limited to, using technology in the classroom and improving
105 digital literacy and competency.
106 4. Digital tool purchases and operational activities. Such
107 purchases and activities must meet the measurable outcomes under
108 subparagraph 1., including, but not limited to, competency-based
109 credentials that measure and demonstrate digital competency and
110 certifications; third-party assessments that demonstrate
111 acquired knowledge and use of digital applications; and devices
112 that meet or exceed minimum requirements and protocols
113 established by the department.
114 5. Online assessment-related purchases and operational
115 activities. Such purchases and activities must meet the
116 measurable outcomes under subparagraph 1., including, but not
117 limited to, expanding the capacity to administer assessments and
118 compatibility with minimum assessment protocols and requirements
119 established by the department.
120 (c) The commissioner shall adopt a Florida digital
121 classrooms plan that, at a minimum, establishes minimum
122 protocols, parameters, and requirements for district-level
123 infrastructure, school-level infrastructure, and digital tools
124 that accommodate statutory requirements and timelines for
125 instruction, learning, assessments, and accountability. The
126 Florida digital classrooms plan shall be prepared for the
127 current school year and the subsequent 5 years. The plan shall
128 be reviewed and updated annually and must specify the criteria
129 for the annual review and approval of the districts’ digital
130 classrooms plans.
131 (d) The Legislature shall annually provide in the General
132 Appropriations Act a Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP)
133 allocation for implementation of the digital classrooms plan to
134 be calculated in an amount up to 1 percent of the base student
135 allocation multiplied by the total K-12 full-time equivalent
136 student enrollment included in the FEFP calculations for the
137 Legislative appropriation or as provided in the General
138 Appropriations Act. Each school district shall be provided a
139 minimum of $100,000, with the remaining balance of the
140 allocation to be distributed based on each district’s proportion
141 of the total K-12 full-time equivalent student enrollment.
142 Distribution of funds for the Florida digital classrooms
143 allocation shall begin following submittal of each district’s
144 digital classrooms plan, which must include formal verification
145 of the superintendent’s approval of the digital classrooms plan
146 of each charter school in the district and approval of the plan
147 by the department. District allocations shall be recalculated
148 during the fiscal year consistent with the periodic
149 recalculation of the FEFP. School districts shall provide a
150 proportionate share of the digital classrooms allocation to each
151 charter school in the district, as required for categorical
152 programs in s. 1002.33(17)(b). A school district may use a
153 competitive process to distribute funds for the Florida digital
154 classrooms allocation to the schools within the school district.
155 (e) For purposes of implementing the Florida digital
156 classrooms plan and facilitating implementation of the district
157 digital classrooms plans and charter school digital classrooms
158 plans, the commissioner shall support statewide, coordinated
159 partnerships and efforts of this state’s education practitioners
160 in the field, including, but not limited to, superintendents,
161 principals, and teachers, to identify and share best practices,
162 corrective actions, and other identified needs.
163 (f) Beginning in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, and each year
164 thereafter, each district school board shall report to the
165 department its use of funds provided through the Florida digital
166 classrooms allocation and student performance outcomes in
167 accordance with the district’s digital classrooms plan. No later
168 than October 1 of each year, beginning in the 2015-2016 fiscal
169 year, the commissioner shall provide to the Governor, the
170 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
171 Representatives, a summary of each district’s use of funds,
172 student performance outcomes, and progress toward meeting
173 statutory requirements and timelines.
174 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
175 1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
176 1002.33 Charter schools.—
177 (17) FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a charter school,
178 regardless of the sponsorship, shall be funded as if they are in
179 a basic program or a special program, the same as students
180 enrolled in other public schools in the school district. Funding
181 for a charter lab school shall be as provided in s. 1002.32.
182 (b) The basis for the agreement for funding students
183 enrolled in a charter school shall be the sum of the school
184 district’s operating funds from the Florida Education Finance
185 Program as provided in s. 1011.62 and the General Appropriations
186 Act, including gross state and local funds, discretionary
187 lottery funds, and funds from the school district’s current
188 operating discretionary millage levy; divided by total funded
189 weighted full-time equivalent students in the school district;
190 multiplied by the weighted full-time equivalent students for the
191 charter school. Charter schools whose students or programs meet
192 the eligibility criteria in law are shall be entitled to their
193 proportionate share of categorical program funds included in the
194 total funds available in the Florida Education Finance Program
195 by the Legislature, including transportation and the Florida
196 digital classrooms allocation. Total funding for each charter
197 school shall be recalculated during the year to reflect the
198 revised calculations under the Florida Education Finance Program
199 by the state and the actual weighted full-time equivalent
200 students reported by the charter school during the full-time
201 equivalent student survey periods designated by the Commissioner
202 of Education.
203 Section 3. Section 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, is created
204 to read:
205 1007.2616 Computer and technology-related coding,
206 programming, and rapid prototype printing instruction.—
207 (1) Public schools shall provide students in grades K-12
208 opportunities for learning computer coding and computer
209 programming. Such opportunities must include coding instruction
210 in elementary school and middle school, instruction to develop
211 students’ computer usage and digital literacy skills in middle
212 school, and courses in computer coding and computer programming
213 in high school, including earning related industry
214 certifications.
215 (2) Elementary schools and middle schools shall establish
216 digital classrooms in which students are provided opportunities
217 to improve digital literacy and competency; to learn digital
218 skills, such as coding, multiple media presentation, and the
219 manipulation of multiple digital graphic images; and to earn
220 digital tools, such as recognitions and certifications pursuant
221 to s. 1003.4203 and grade-appropriate, technology-related
222 industry certifications.
223 (3) High schools shall provide students with opportunities
224 to take computer programming courses to satisfy high school
225 graduation requirements, including, but not limited to, the
226 following:
227 (a) High school computer programming courses of sufficient
228 rigor, as identified by the commissioner, such that 1 credit in
229 computer programming language and the earning of related
230 industry certifications constitute the equivalent of 1 credit of
231 mathematics required for high school graduation. Computer
232 programming language courses and technology-related industry
233 certifications, which are identified as eligible for meeting
234 mathematics requirements for high school graduation, shall be
235 included in the Course Code Directory.
236 (b) Levels of competency, as identified by the
237 commissioner, in a computer programming language and the earning
238 of technology-related industry certifications constitute the
239 equivalent of the successful completion of 2 years of sequential
240 high school foreign language instruction. Courses tied to the
241 levels of competency in computer programming language and
242 technology-related industry certifications shall be included in
243 the Course Code Directory.
244 (c) High school computer technology courses in 3D rapid
245 prototype printing of sufficient rigor, as identified by the
246 commissioner, such that 1 or more credits in such courses and
247 related industry certifications earned may satisfy up to 2
248 credits of mathematics required for high school graduation.
249 Computer technology courses in 3D rapid prototype printing and
250 related industry certifications which are identified as eligible
251 for meeting mathematics requirements for high school graduation
252 shall be included in the Course Code Directory.
253 (d) Courses in computer programming language, such that 1
254 credit, at the discretion of the local district school board,
255 may satisfy 1 credit in physical education which is required for
256 high school graduation.
257 (4) A Florida College System institution shall, and a state
258 university may, offer students the option of completing 2 years
259 of instruction in the same computer programming language in lieu
260 of completing 2 years of foreign language instruction if
261 computer programming language is appropriate for the student’s
262 major. Computer programming courses that meet this requirement
263 shall be included in the statewide course numbering system. A
264 preeminent state research university under s. 1001.7065 is not
265 required to accept computer programming languages as the
266 equivalent of 2 years of foreign language education.
267 (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules pursuant
268 to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section.
269 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.