Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1104
By Senator Bullard
39-00174-15 20151104__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to student discipline; creating s.
3 1006.01, F.S.; defining terms; amending s. 1006.07,
4 F.S.; revising the duties of the district school
5 boards relating to student discipline and school
6 safety; requiring school districts to adopt standards
7 for intervention, rather than a code of student
8 conduct, which standards include specified
9 requirements; requiring a school district to
10 meaningfully involve the community in creating and
11 applying certain policies; requiring a school district
12 to fund and support the implementation of school-based
13 restorative justice practices; requiring a school
14 district to hire staff members to improve school
15 climate and safety; requiring a school district to
16 annually survey parents, students, and teachers
17 regarding school safety and discipline issues;
18 amending s. 1006.12, F.S.; revising the qualifications
19 of a school resource officer and a school safety
20 officer; authorizing a school resource officer and a
21 school safety officer to arrest a student only for
22 certain violations of law; requiring a school resource
23 officer and a school safety officer to immediately
24 notify the principal or the principal’s designee if
25 the officer arrests a student in a school-related
26 incident; prohibiting an officer from arresting or
27 referring a student to the criminal justice system or
28 juvenile justice system for petty acts of misconduct;
29 providing an exception; requiring written
30 documentation of an arrest or referral to the criminal
31 justice system or juvenile justice system; requiring a
32 law enforcement agency that serves a school district
33 to enter into cooperative agreements with the district
34 school board, ensure the training of school resource
35 officers and school safety officers as specified, and
36 develop guidelines for the selection of such officers;
37 amending s. 1006.13, F.S.; requiring each district
38 school board to adopt a policy on referrals to the
39 criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
40 system, rather than a policy of zero-tolerance for
41 crime and victimization; revising and providing
42 requirements for a policy on referrals to the criminal
43 justice system or the juvenile justice system;
44 providing that a school’s authority and discretion to
45 use other disciplinary consequences and interventions
46 is not limited by the act; conforming terminology;
47 requiring each district school board, in collaboration
48 with students, educators, parents, and stakeholders,
49 to enter into cooperative agreements with a county
50 sheriff’s office and a local police department for
51 specified purposes; revising the requirements for
52 these agreements; requiring each school district to
53 annually review the cost, effectiveness, and necessity
54 of its school safety programs and to submit findings
55 to the Department of Education; requiring a school
56 district to arrange and pay for transportation for a
57 student in certain circumstances; requiring, rather
58 than encouraging, a school district to use
59 alternatives to expulsion or referral to a law
60 enforcement agency unless the use of such alternatives
61 poses a threat to school safety; requiring each school
62 district to submit to the department its policies and
63 agreements by a specified date each year; requiring
64 the department to develop by a specified date a model
65 policy for referrals to the criminal justice system or
66 the juvenile justice system; requiring the
67 Commissioner of Education to report by a specified
68 date each year to the Governor and the Legislature on
69 the implementation of policies on referrals to the
70 criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
71 system; amending ss. 1002.20, 1002.23, 1002.33,
72 1003.02, 1003.32, 1003.53, 1003.57, 1006.09, 1006.10,
73 1006.147, 1006.15, and 1012.98, F.S.; conforming
74 cross-references and provisions to changes made by the
75 act; providing an effective date.
76
77 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
78
79 Section 1. Section 1006.01, Florida Statutes, is created to
80 read:
81 1006.01 Definitions.—As used in part I of this chapter, the
82 term:
83 (1) “Exclusionary consequence” means a consequence of a
84 student’s serious breach of the standards for intervention which
85 results in the student’s being barred from attending school.
86 (2) “Exclusionary discipline” means a disciplinary,
87 punitive practice that removes a student from instruction time
88 in his or her regular classrooms, including in-school suspension
89 during class time, out-of-school suspension, transfer to an
90 alternative school, and expulsion. Absences due to exclusionary
91 discipline are considered excused absences.
92 (3) “Restorative circle” means a common space, guided by at
93 least one individual who ensures that each participant has an
94 equal opportunity to speak, in which participants take turns
95 speaking about a topic and using a talking piece, a physical
96 object that is used to assist communication between
97 participants.
98 (4) “Restorative group conferencing” means an intervention
99 in which a facilitator leads the individuals who were involved
100 in an incident, whether they were harmed or caused the harm, as
101 well as their families or other supporters, in a face-to-face
102 process. This process aims to address the harm, resolve any
103 conflict, and prevent recurrence of the harm based on the ideas
104 of restorative justice practices and mutual accountability.
105 (5) “Restorative justice” means an intervening approach to
106 justice which addresses root causes of harm that is a result of
107 unjust behavior by emphasizing repair of the harm and giving
108 equal attention to accountability, growth, community safety, the
109 harmed student’s needs, and the student offender’s needs.
110 Section 2. Section 1006.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to
111 read:
112 1006.07 District school board duties relating to student
113 discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall
114 provide for the proper accounting for all students, for the
115 attendance and control of students at school, for the creation
116 of a safe and effective learning environment, regardless of the
117 student’s race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual
118 orientation, or gender identity, and for the proper attention to
119 health, safety, and other matters relating to the welfare of
120 students, including the use of:
121 (1) INTERVENTIONS FOR AND DISCIPLINE CONTROL OF STUDENTS.
122 Each school district shall:
123 (a) Adopt rules for the control, discipline, in-school
124 suspension, suspension, and expulsion of students and decide all
125 cases recommended for expulsion. Suspension hearings are exempt
126 exempted from the provisions of chapter 120. Expulsion hearings
127 are shall be governed by ss. 120.569 and 120.57(2) and are
128 exempt from s. 286.011. However, the student’s parent must be
129 given notice of the provisions of s. 286.011 and may elect to
130 have the hearing held in compliance with that section. The
131 district school board may prohibit the use of corporal
132 punishment, if the district school board adopts or has adopted a
133 written program of alternative control or discipline. In order
134 to fulfill the paramount duty of this state to make adequate
135 provisions for the education of all children residing within its
136 borders in accordance with s. 1, Art. IX of the State
137 Constitution, the district school board shall make every effort
138 to reduce exclusionary discipline for minor behavior.
139 (b) Require each student at the time of initial
140 registration for school in the school district to note previous
141 school expulsions, arrests resulting in a charge, and juvenile
142 justice actions the student has had, and have the authority as
143 the district school board of a receiving school district to
144 honor the final order of expulsion or dismissal of a student by
145 any in-state or out-of-state public district school board or
146 private school, or lab school, for an act that which would have
147 been grounds for expulsion according to the receiving district
148 school board’s standards for intervention code of student
149 conduct, in accordance with the following procedures:
150 1. A final order of expulsion shall be recorded in the
151 records of the receiving school district.
152 2. The expelled student applying for admission to the
153 receiving school district shall be advised of the final order of
154 expulsion.
155 3. The district school superintendent of the receiving
156 school district may recommend to the district school board that
157 the final order of expulsion be waived and the student be
158 admitted to the school district, or that the final order of
159 expulsion be honored and the student not be admitted to the
160 school district. If the student is admitted by the district
161 school board, with or without the recommendation of the district
162 school superintendent, the student may be placed in an
163 appropriate educational program at the direction of the district
164 school board.
165 (2) STANDARDS FOR INTERVENTION CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT.
166 Each school district shall adopt clear standards for
167 intervention, formerly known as a code of student conduct, which
168 create a safe, supportive, and positive school climate and which
169 address misbehavior with interventions and consequences aimed at
170 understanding and addressing the causes of misbehavior,
171 resolving conflicts, meeting students’ needs, and keeping
172 students in school and teaching them to respond in age
173 appropriate ways a code of student conduct for elementary
174 schools and a code of student conduct for middle and high
175 schools and distribute the appropriate code to all teachers,
176 school personnel, students, and parents, at the beginning of
177 every school year. The process for adopting standards for
178 intervention must include meaningful involvement with parents,
179 students, teachers, and the community. The standards for
180 intervention must be organized and written in language that is
181 understandable to students and parents and translated into all
182 languages represented by the students and their parents;
183 discussed at the beginning of every school year in student
184 classes, school advisory council meetings, and parent and
185 teacher association or organization meetings; made available at
186 the beginning of every school year in the student handbook or
187 similar publication distributed to all teachers, school
188 personnel, students, and parents; and posted on the school
189 district’s website. The standards for intervention must Each
190 code shall be organized and written in language that is
191 understandable to students and parents and shall be discussed at
192 the beginning of every school year in student classes, school
193 advisory council meetings, and parent and teacher association or
194 organization meetings. Each code shall be based on the rules
195 governing student conduct and discipline adopted by the district
196 school board and shall be made available in the student handbook
197 or similar publication. Each code shall include, but need is not
198 be limited to, the following:
199 (a) Consistent policies and specific grounds for
200 disciplinary action, including in-school suspension, out-of
201 school suspension, expulsion, interventions, supports, and any
202 disciplinary action that may be imposed for the possession or
203 use of alcohol on school property or while attending a school
204 function or for the illegal use, sale, or possession of
205 controlled substances as defined in chapter 893.
206 (b) Procedures to be followed for acts requiring
207 discipline, including corporal punishment.
208 (c) A discipline chart or matrix that indicates that a
209 student is not subject to exclusionary discipline for unexcused
210 tardiness, lateness, absence, or truancy; for violation of the
211 school dress code or rules regarding school uniforms; or for
212 behavior infractions that do not endanger the physical safety of
213 other students or staff members, including, but not limited to,
214 insubordination, defiance, disobedience, disrespect, or minor
215 classroom disruptions. The discipline chart or matrix must also:
216 1. Provide guidance on appropriate interventions and
217 consequences to be applied to behaviors or behavior categories
218 as provided in subparagraph 2. The school district may define
219 specific interventions and provide a list of interventions that
220 must be used and documented before exclusionary discipline is
221 considered unless a behavior poses a serious threat to school
222 safety. The interventions may include, but are not limited to:
223 a. Having a private conversation with the student about his
224 or her behavior and underlying issues that may have precipitated
225 the behavior.
226 b. Providing an opportunity for the student’s anger, fear,
227 or anxiety to subside.
228 c. Providing restorative justice practices using a
229 schoolwide approach of informal and formal techniques to foster
230 a sense of school community and to manage conflict by repairing
231 harm and restoring positive relationships.
232 d. Providing reflective activities, such as requiring the
233 student to write an essay about his or her behavior.
234 e. Participating in skill building and conflict resolution
235 activities, such as social-emotional cognitive skill building,
236 restorative circles, and restorative group conferencing.
237 f. Revoking student privileges.
238 g. Referring a student to a school counselor or social
239 worker.
240 h. Speaking to a student’s parent.
241 i. Referring a student to intervention outside the school
242 setting.
243 j. Ordering in-school detention or in-school suspension
244 during lunch, after school, or on the weekends.
245 2. Outlining specific behaviors or behavior categories.
246 Each behavior or behavior category must include clear maximum
247 consequences to prevent inappropriate exclusionary consequences
248 for minor misbehavior and petty acts of misconduct and set clear
249 requirements that must be satisfied before imposing exclusionary
250 discipline. The chart or matrix must show that exclusionary
251 discipline is a last resort to be used only in cases of serious
252 misconduct when in-school interventions and consequences that do
253 not lead to exclusionary consequences are insufficient. The
254 following behaviors, which must be accompanied by appropriate
255 intervention services, such as substance abuse counseling, anger
256 management counseling, or restorative justice practices, may
257 result in exclusionary discipline and in notification of a law
258 enforcement agency if the behavior is a felony or a serious
259 threat to school safety:
260 a. Illegal sale of a controlled substance, as defined in
261 chapter 893, by a student on school property or in attendance at
262 a school function.
263 b. Violation of the district school board’s sexual
264 harassment policy.
265 c. Possession, display, transmission, use, or sale of a
266 firearm or weapon, as defined in s. 790.001 or 18 U.S.C. s. 921,
267 or an object that is used as, or is intended to function as, a
268 weapon, while on school property or in attendance at a school
269 function.
270 d. Making a threat or intimidation using any pointed or
271 sharp object or the use of any substance or object as a weapon
272 with the threat or intent to inflict bodily harm.
273 e. Making a threat or a false report, as provided in ss.
274 790.162 and 790.163, respectively.
275 f. Homicide.
276 g. Sexual battery.
277 h. Armed robbery.
278 i. Aggravated battery.
279 j. Battery or aggravated battery on a teacher, other school
280 personnel, or district school board personnel.
281 k. Kidnapping.
282 l. Arson.
283 (d) A glossary of clearly defined terms and behaviors.
284 (e) An explanation of the responsibilities, dignity, and
285 rights of and respect for students, including, but not limited
286 to, a student’s right not to be discriminated against based on
287 race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or
288 gender identity; a student’s right to participate in student
289 publications, school programs, and school activities; and a
290 student’s right to exercise free speech, to assemble, and to
291 maintain privacy.
292 (f) An explanation of the school’s dress code or rules
293 regarding school uniforms and notice that students have the
294 right to dress in accordance with their stated gender within the
295 constraints of the school’s dress code.
296 (g) Notice that violation of transportation policies of a
297 district school board by a student, including disruptive
298 behavior on a school bus or at a school bus stop, is grounds for
299 disciplinary action by the school.
300 (h) Notice that a student who is determined to have brought
301 a weapon or firearm, as defined in s. 790.001 or 18 U.S.C. s.
302 921, to school, to a school function, or onto school-sponsored
303 transportation, or to have possessed a weapon or firearm at
304 school, will be expelled from the student’s regular school for
305 at least 1 full year and referred to the criminal justice system
306 or juvenile justice system; and notice that a district school
307 superintendent may consider the requirement of 1-year expulsion
308 on a case-by-case basis and may request the district school
309 board to modify the requirement by assigning the student to a
310 disciplinary program or second chance school if:
311 1. The request for modification is in writing; and
312 2. The modification is determined to be in the best
313 interest of the student and the school district.
314 (i) Notice that a student who is determined to have made a
315 threat or false report, as provided in ss. 790.162 and 790.163,
316 respectively, involving the school’s or school personnel’s
317 property, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity
318 may be expelled, with continuing educational services, from the
319 student’s regular school for at least 1 full year and referred
320 to the criminal justice system or juvenile justice system; and
321 notice that a district school superintendent may consider the
322 requirement of a 1-year expulsion on a case-by-case basis and
323 may request the district school board to modify the requirement
324 by assigning the student to a disciplinary program or second
325 chance school if:
326 1. The request for modification is in writing; and
327 2. The modification is determined to be in the best
328 interest of the student and the school district.
329 (j) A clear and complete explanation of due process rights
330 afforded to a student, including a student with a disability,
331 and the types of exclusionary discipline to which a student may
332 be subjected.
333 (c) An explanation of the responsibilities and rights of
334 students with regard to attendance, respect for persons and
335 property, knowledge and observation of rules of conduct, the
336 right to learn, free speech and student publications, assembly,
337 privacy, and participation in school programs and activities.
338 (d)1. An explanation of the responsibilities of each
339 student with regard to appropriate dress, respect for self and
340 others, and the role that appropriate dress and respect for self
341 and others has on an orderly learning environment. Each district
342 school board shall adopt a dress code policy that prohibits a
343 student, while on the grounds of a public school during the
344 regular school day, from wearing clothing that exposes underwear
345 or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner or that disrupts
346 the orderly learning environment.
347 2. Any student who violates the dress policy described in
348 subparagraph 1. is subject to the following disciplinary
349 actions:
350 a. For a first offense, a student shall be given a verbal
351 warning and the school principal shall call the student’s parent
352 or guardian.
353 b. For a second offense, the student is ineligible to
354 participate in any extracurricular activity for a period of time
355 not to exceed 5 days and the school principal shall meet with
356 the student’s parent or guardian.
357 c. For a third or subsequent offense, a student shall
358 receive an in-school suspension pursuant to s. 1003.01(5) for a
359 period not to exceed 3 days, the student is ineligible to
360 participate in any extracurricular activity for a period not to
361 exceed 30 days, and the school principal shall call the
362 student’s parent or guardian and send the parent or guardian a
363 written letter regarding the student’s in-school suspension and
364 ineligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.
365 (e) Notice that illegal use, possession, or sale of
366 controlled substances, as defined in chapter 893, by any student
367 while the student is upon school property or in attendance at a
368 school function is grounds for disciplinary action by the school
369 and may also result in criminal penalties being imposed.
370 (f) Notice that use of a wireless communications device
371 includes the possibility of the imposition of disciplinary
372 action by the school or criminal penalties if the device is used
373 in a criminal act. A student may possess a wireless
374 communications device while the student is on school property or
375 in attendance at a school function. Each district school board
376 shall adopt rules governing the use of a wireless communications
377 device by a student while the student is on school property or
378 in attendance at a school function.
379 (g) Notice that the possession of a firearm or weapon as
380 defined in chapter 790 by any student while the student is on
381 school property or in attendance at a school function is grounds
382 for disciplinary action and may also result in criminal
383 prosecution. Simulating a firearm or weapon while playing or
384 wearing clothing or accessories that depict a firearm or weapon
385 or express an opinion regarding a right guaranteed by the Second
386 Amendment to the United States Constitution is not grounds for
387 disciplinary action or referral to the criminal justice or
388 juvenile justice system under this section or s. 1006.13.
389 Simulating a firearm or weapon while playing includes, but is
390 not limited to:
391 1. Brandishing a partially consumed pastry or other food
392 item to simulate a firearm or weapon.
393 2. Possessing a toy firearm or weapon that is 2 inches or
394 less in overall length.
395 3. Possessing a toy firearm or weapon made of plastic snap
396 together building blocks.
397 4. Using a finger or hand to simulate a firearm or weapon.
398 5. Vocalizing an imaginary firearm or weapon.
399 6. Drawing a picture, or possessing an image, of a firearm
400 or weapon.
401 7. Using a pencil, pen, or other writing or drawing utensil
402 to simulate a firearm or weapon.
403
404 However, a student may be subject to disciplinary action if
405 simulating a firearm or weapon while playing substantially
406 disrupts student learning, causes bodily harm to another person,
407 or places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm. The
408 severity of consequences imposed upon a student, including
409 referral to the criminal justice or juvenile justice system,
410 must be proportionate to the severity of the infraction and
411 consistent with district school board policies for similar
412 infractions. If a student is disciplined for such conduct, the
413 school principal or his or her designee must call the student’s
414 parent. Disciplinary action resulting from a student’s clothing
415 or accessories shall be determined pursuant to paragraph (d)
416 unless the wearing of the clothing or accessory causes a
417 substantial disruption to student learning, in which case the
418 infraction may be addressed in a manner that is consistent with
419 district school board policies for similar infractions. This
420 paragraph does not prohibit a public school from adopting a
421 school uniform policy.
422 (h) Notice that violence against any district school board
423 personnel by a student is grounds for in-school suspension, out
424 of-school suspension, expulsion, or imposition of other
425 disciplinary action by the school and may also result in
426 criminal penalties being imposed.
427 (i) Notice that violation of district school board
428 transportation policies, including disruptive behavior on a
429 school bus or at a school bus stop, by a student is grounds for
430 suspension of the student’s privilege of riding on a school bus
431 and may be grounds for disciplinary action by the school and may
432 also result in criminal penalties being imposed.
433 (j) Notice that violation of the district school board’s
434 sexual harassment policy by a student is grounds for in-school
435 suspension, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or imposition
436 of other disciplinary action by the school and may also result
437 in criminal penalties being imposed.
438 (k) Policies to be followed for the assignment of violent
439 or disruptive students to an alternative educational program.
440 (l) Notice that any student who is determined to have
441 brought a firearm or weapon, as defined in chapter 790, to
442 school, to any school function, or onto any school-sponsored
443 transportation, or to have possessed a firearm at school, will
444 be expelled, with or without continuing educational services,
445 from the student’s regular school for a period of not less than
446 1 full year and referred to the criminal justice or juvenile
447 justice system. District school boards may assign the student to
448 a disciplinary program or second chance school for the purpose
449 of continuing educational services during the period of
450 expulsion. District school superintendents may consider the 1
451 year expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis and request
452 the district school board to modify the requirement by assigning
453 the student to a disciplinary program or second chance school if
454 the request for modification is in writing and it is determined
455 to be in the best interest of the student and the school system.
456 (m) Notice that any student who is determined to have made
457 a threat or false report, as defined by ss. 790.162 and 790.163,
458 respectively, involving school or school personnel’s property,
459 school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity will be
460 expelled, with or without continuing educational services, from
461 the student’s regular school for a period of not less than 1
462 full year and referred for criminal prosecution. District school
463 boards may assign the student to a disciplinary program or
464 second chance school for the purpose of continuing educational
465 services during the period of expulsion. District school
466 superintendents may consider the 1-year expulsion requirement on
467 a case-by-case basis and request the district school board to
468 modify the requirement by assigning the student to a
469 disciplinary program or second chance school if it is determined
470 to be in the best interest of the student and the school system.
471 (3) COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY CREATION STUDENT CRIME
472 WATCH PROGRAM.—Each school district shall ensure meaningful
473 involvement with parents, students, teachers, and the community
474 in creating and applying policies regarding student discipline
475 and school safety By resolution of the district school board,
476 implement a student crime watch program to promote
477 responsibility among students and to assist in the control of
478 criminal behavior within the schools.
479 (4) EMERGENCY DRILLS AND; EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.—Each school
480 district shall:
481 (a) Formulate and prescribe policies and procedures for
482 emergency drills and for actual emergencies, including, but not
483 limited to, fires, natural disasters, and bomb threats, for all
484 the public schools of the district which comprise grades K-12.
485 District school board policies must shall include commonly used
486 alarm system responses for specific types of emergencies and
487 verification by each school that drills have been provided as
488 required by law and fire protection codes. The emergency
489 response agency that is responsible for notifying the school
490 district for each type of emergency must be listed in the
491 district’s emergency response policy.
492 (b) Establish model emergency management and emergency
493 preparedness procedures, including emergency notification
494 procedures pursuant to paragraph (a), for the following life
495 threatening emergencies:
496 1. Weapon-use and hostage situations.
497 2. Hazardous materials or toxic chemical spills.
498 3. Weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes,
499 and severe storms.
500 4. Exposure as a result of a manmade emergency.
501 (5) EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN DETENTION FACILITIES.—Each
502 school district shall offer educational services to minors who
503 have not graduated from high school and eligible students with
504 disabilities under the age of 22 who have not graduated with a
505 standard diploma or its equivalent who are detained in a county
506 or municipal detention facility as defined in s. 951.23. These
507 educational services must shall be based upon the estimated
508 length of time the student will be in the facility and the
509 student’s current level of functioning. A county sheriff or
510 chief correctional officer, or his or her designee, shall notify
511 a district school superintendent, superintendents or his or her
512 designee their designees shall be notified by the county sheriff
513 or chief correctional officer, or his or her designee, when upon
514 the assignment of a student under the age of 21 is assigned to
515 the facility. A cooperative agreement with the district school
516 board and applicable law enforcement units shall develop a
517 cooperative agreement be developed to address the notification
518 requirement and the provision of educational services to such
519 these students.
520 (6) SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES.—Each school
521 district shall use the Safety and Security Best Practices
522 developed by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
523 Government Accountability to conduct a self-assessment of the
524 school districts’ current safety and security practices. Based
525 on these self-assessment findings, the district school
526 superintendent shall provide recommendations to the district
527 school board which identify strategies and activities that the
528 district school board should implement in order to improve
529 school safety and security. Annually Each district school board
530 must annually receive the self-assessment results at a publicly
531 noticed district school board meeting to provide the public an
532 opportunity to hear the district school board members discuss
533 and take action on the report findings. Each district school
534 superintendent shall report the self-assessment results and
535 school board action to the commissioner within 30 days after the
536 district school board meeting.
537 (7) RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES.—Each school district
538 shall provide funding for, train school staff members on, and
539 support the implementation of school-based restorative justice
540 practices. These practices shall be used to foster a sense of
541 school community and to resolve conflict by reporting harm and
542 restoring positive relationships. There are various ways to use
543 these practices in the schools and in the juvenile justice
544 system where students and educators work together to set
545 academic goals, develop core values for the classroom community,
546 and resolve conflicts. Many types of restorative justice
547 practices, such as restorative circles, may be used to promote a
548 positive learning environment and to confront issues as they
549 arise. Some common restorative circles that schools use for
550 discipline may include, but need not be limited to:
551 (a) Discipline circles that address the harm that occurred,
552 repair the harm, and develop solutions to prevent recurrence of
553 the harm among the relevant parties.
554 (b) Proactive behavior management circles that use role
555 play to develop positive behavioral models for students.
556 (8) SUPPORT STAFF.—Each school district shall provide
557 funding to hire staff members to improve school climate and
558 safety, such as social workers, counselors, and restorative
559 justice coordinators, at the nationally recommended ratio of 250
560 students to 1 counselor in order to reduce dependency on school
561 safety officers, school resource officers, and other school
562 resources.
563 (9) SURVEYS.—Each school district shall annually survey
564 parents, students, and teachers regarding school safety and
565 disciplinary issues.
566 Section 3. Section 1006.12, Florida Statutes, is amended to
567 read:
568 1006.12 School resource officers and school safety
569 officers.—
570 (1) A district school board boards may establish a school
571 resource officer program programs, through a cooperative
572 agreement with a law enforcement agency agencies or in
573 accordance with subsection (2).
574 (a) Each school resource officer must officers shall be a
575 certified law enforcement officer officers, as defined in s.
576 943.10(1), and have been who are employed for at least 2 years
577 by a law enforcement agency as defined in s. 943.10(4). The
578 powers and duties of a law enforcement officer shall continue
579 throughout the employee’s tenure as a school resource officer.
580 (b) A school resource officer officers shall abide by
581 district school board policies and shall consult with and
582 coordinate activities through the school principal, but is shall
583 be responsible to the law enforcement agency in all matters
584 relating to employment, subject to agreements between a district
585 school board and the a law enforcement agency. A school resource
586 officer’s activities that conducted by the school resource
587 officer which are part of the regular instructional program of
588 the school are shall be under the direction of the school
589 principal.
590 (c) A school resource officer may arrest a student only for
591 a violation of law which constitutes a serious threat to school
592 safety and only after consultation with the school principal or
593 the principal’s designee, documented attempts at intervention or
594 in-school consequences, and pursuant to the standards for
595 intervention and the cooperative agreement as described in ss.
596 1006.07 and 1006.13, respectively. If a school resource officer
597 arrests a student in a school-related incident, the officer
598 shall immediately notify the principal or the principal’s
599 designee. A school resource officer may not arrest or otherwise
600 refer a student to the criminal justice system or the juvenile
601 justice system for a petty act of misconduct unless it is
602 determined that the failure to do so would endanger the physical
603 safety of other students or staff within the school. Such
604 determination must be documented in a written report to the
605 principal or the principal’s designee which includes a
606 description of the behavior at issue and an explanation of why
607 an arrest or referral was necessary.
608 (2)(a) Each school safety officer must officers shall be a
609 law enforcement officer officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1),
610 certified under the provisions of chapter 943 and have been
611 employed for at least 2 years by either a law enforcement agency
612 or by the district school board. If the officer is employed by
613 the district school board, the district school board is the
614 employing agency for purposes of chapter 943, and must comply
615 with the provisions of that chapter.
616 (b) A district school board may commission one or more
617 school safety officers for the protection and safety of school
618 personnel, property, and students within the school district.
619 The district school superintendent may recommend and the
620 district school board may appoint one or more school safety
621 officers.
622 (c) A school safety officer may has and shall exercise the
623 power to make arrests for violations of law on district school
624 board property and to arrest persons, whether on or off such
625 property, who violate any law on such property under the same
626 conditions that deputy sheriffs are authorized to make arrests.
627 A school safety officer may arrest a student only for a
628 violation of law which constitutes a serious threat to school
629 safety and only after consultation with the school principal or
630 the principal’s designee, documented attempts at intervention or
631 in-school consequences, and pursuant to the standards for
632 intervention and the cooperative agreement as described in ss.
633 1006.07 and 1006.13, respectively. If a school safety officer
634 arrests a student in a school-related incident, the officer
635 shall immediately notify the principal or the principal’s
636 designee. A school safety officer may not arrest or otherwise
637 refer a student to the criminal justice system or the juvenile
638 justice system for a petty act of misconduct unless it is
639 determined that the failure to do so would endanger the physical
640 safety of other students or staff within the school. Such
641 determination must be documented in a written report to the
642 principal or the principal’s designee which includes a
643 description of the behavior at issue and an explanation of why
644 an arrest or referral was necessary A school safety officer has
645 the authority to carry weapons when performing his or her
646 official duties.
647 (d) A district school board may enter into mutual aid
648 agreements with one or more law enforcement agencies as provided
649 in chapter 23. A school safety officer’s salary may be paid
650 jointly by the district school board and the law enforcement
651 agency, as mutually agreed to.
652 (3) Each law enforcement agency serving a school district
653 shall do all of the following:
654 (a) Enter into a cooperative agreement with the district
655 school board pursuant to s. 1006.13.
656 (b) Ensure that each school resource officer and school
657 safety officer is trained to use appropriate and positive
658 interactions with students in different stages of mental,
659 emotional, and physical development and to implement the range
660 of interventions and school-based consequences that should be
661 used to avoid an arrest. Training must include, but is not
662 limited to, topics regarding child and adolescent development
663 and psychology; instruction on teaching students how to respond
664 in age-appropriate ways; cultural competence; implicit bias;
665 restorative justice practices; rights of students with
666 disabilities and appropriate responses to their behaviors;
667 practices that improve school climate; and the creation of safe
668 environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
669 students.
670 (c) Establish the following minimum qualifications for the
671 selection of school resource officers and school safety
672 officers:
673 1. Be proficient in verbal, written, and interpersonal
674 skills that include public speaking;
675 2. Possess knowledge and experience in matters involving
676 cultural diversity and sensitivity;
677 3. Be trained in best practices for working with students
678 as specified in paragraph (b);
679 4. Be committed to serve as a positive role model for
680 students;
681 5. Have a passion for and desire to interact positively
682 with students; and
683 6. Lack a history of excessive force or racial bias.
684 Section 4. Section 1006.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to
685 read:
686 1006.13 Policy on referrals to the criminal justice system
687 or the juvenile justice system of zero tolerance for crime and
688 victimization.—
689 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote a safe
690 and supportive learning environment in schools, to protect
691 students and staff from conduct that poses a serious threat to
692 school safety, and to encourage schools to use alternatives to
693 expulsion or referral to law enforcement agencies by addressing
694 disruptive behavior through restitution, civil citation, teen
695 court, neighborhood restorative justice, or similar programs.
696 The Legislature finds that referrals to the criminal justice
697 system or the juvenile justice system zero-tolerance policies
698 are not intended to be rigorously applied to petty acts of
699 misconduct and misdemeanors, including, but not limited to,
700 minor fights or disturbances. The Legislature finds that zero
701 tolerance policies on referrals to the criminal justice system
702 or the juvenile justice system must apply equally to all
703 students regardless of their economic status, race, or
704 disability.
705 (2) Each district school board shall adopt a policy on
706 referrals to the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
707 system which of zero tolerance that:
708 (a) Defines criteria for reporting to a law enforcement
709 agency any act that occurs whenever or wherever students are
710 within the jurisdiction of the district school board and that
711 poses a serious threat to school safety. An act that does not
712 pose a serious threat to school safety must be handled within
713 the school’s disciplinary system.
714 (b) Defines acts that pose a serious threat to school
715 safety, including, but not limited to, those acts or behaviors
716 specified in s. 1006.07(2)(c)2.
717 (c) Defines petty acts of misconduct, including, but not
718 limited to, behavior that could amount to the misdemeanor
719 criminal charge of disorderly conduct, disturbing a school
720 function, loitering, simple assault or battery, affray, theft of
721 less than $300, trespassing, and vandalism of less than $1,000,
722 criminal mischief, and other behavior that does not pose a
723 serious threat to school safety.
724 (d) Specifies that students may not be arrested or
725 otherwise referred to the criminal justice system or the
726 juvenile justice system for petty acts of misconduct unless it
727 is determined that the failure to do so would endanger the
728 physical safety of other students or staff within the school.
729 Such determination must be documented in a written report that
730 includes a description of the behavior at issue and an
731 explanation of why an arrest or referral was necessary.
732 (e)(d) Minimizes the victimization of students, staff, or
733 volunteers, including taking all steps necessary to protect the
734 victim of any violent crime from any further victimization.
735 (f)(e) Establishes a procedure that provides each student
736 with the opportunity for a review of the disciplinary action
737 imposed pursuant to s. 1006.07.
738 (g) Establishes data-sharing protocols so that each school
739 district receives, at least twice a year, a report on the number
740 of school-based arrests of students. All data must be
741 disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, school, offense, and
742 the name of the law enforcement officer involved and match the
743 school district’s records on grade, disability, and status as a
744 limited English proficient student.
745 (h) Clearly limits the role of law enforcement intervention
746 to serious threats to school safety and delineates clear roles
747 in which school principals and their designees, under the
748 constraints of the standards for intervention as described in s.
749 1006.07 and other district policies, are the final decision
750 makers on disciplinary consequences, including referrals to law
751 enforcement agencies.
752 (3) This section does not a limit a school’s authority and
753 discretion under law to use other disciplinary consequences and
754 interventions as appropriate to address school-based incidents.
755 (4)(3) The policy on referrals to the criminal justice
756 system or the juvenile justice system Zero-tolerance policies
757 must require a student who is students found to have committed
758 one of the following offenses to be expelled, with or without
759 continuing educational services, from the student’s regular
760 school for a period of not less than 1 full year, and to be
761 referred to the criminal justice system or juvenile justice
762 system:.
763 (a) Bringing a firearm or weapon, as defined in s. 790.001
764 or 18 U.S.C. s. 921 chapter 790, to school, to any school
765 function, or onto any school-sponsored transportation or
766 possessing a firearm at school.
767 (b) Making a threat or false report, as provided in defined
768 by ss. 790.162 and 790.163, respectively, involving school or
769 school personnel’s property, school transportation, or a school
770 sponsored activity.
771
772 A district school board boards may assign the student to a
773 disciplinary program for the purpose of continuing educational
774 services during the period of expulsion. A district school
775 superintendent superintendents may consider the 1-year expulsion
776 requirement on a case-by-case basis and request the district
777 school board to modify the requirement by assigning the student
778 to a disciplinary program or second chance school if the request
779 for modification is in writing and it is determined to be in the
780 best interest of the student and the school system. If a student
781 committing any of the offenses in this subsection is a student
782 who has a disability, the district school board shall comply
783 with applicable State Board of Education rules.
784 (5)(4)(a) Each district school board, in collaboration with
785 students, educators, parents, and stakeholders, shall enter into
786 cooperative agreements with the county sheriff’s office and
787 local police department specifying guidelines for ensuring that
788 acts that pose a serious threat to school safety, whether
789 committed by a student or adult, are reported to a law
790 enforcement agency. Such agreements must:
791 (a)(b) The agreements must Include the role of school
792 safety officers and school resource officers, if applicable, in
793 handling reported incidents that pose a serious threat to school
794 safety and, circumstances in which school officials may handle
795 incidents without filing a report with a law enforcement agency,
796 and a procedure for ensuring that school personnel properly
797 report appropriate delinquent acts and crimes.
798 (b)(c) Clarify that Zero-tolerance policies do not require
799 the reporting of petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors may
800 not be reported to a law enforcement agency, including, but not
801 limited to, disorderly conduct, disturbing disrupting a school
802 function, loitering, simple assault or battery, affray, theft of
803 less than $300, trespassing, and vandalism of less than $1,000,
804 criminal mischief, and other misdemeanors that do not pose a
805 serious threat to school safety.
806 (c)(d) Clarify the role of the school principal in ensuring
807 shall ensure that all school personnel are properly informed of
808 as to their responsibilities regarding crime reporting, that
809 appropriate delinquent acts and crimes are properly reported,
810 and that actions taken in cases with special circumstances are
811 properly taken and documented.
812 (d) Specify training for each school resource officer and
813 school safety officer on school grounds by using appropriate and
814 positive interactions with students in different stages of
815 mental, emotional, and physical development and implementing the
816 range of interventions and school-based consequences that should
817 be used to avoid an arrest. Training must include, but is not
818 limited to, topics regarding child and adolescent development
819 and psychology; instruction on teaching students how to respond
820 in age-appropriate ways; cultural competence; implicit bias;
821 restorative justice practices; rights of students with
822 disabilities and appropriate responses to their behaviors;
823 practices that improve school climate; and the creation of safe
824 environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
825 students.
826 (e) Include clear guidelines for selecting school resource
827 officers and school safety officers, who must meet the following
828 minimum qualifications:
829 1. Be proficient in verbal, written, and interpersonal
830 skills that include public speaking;
831 2. Possess knowledge and experience in matters involving
832 cultural diversity and sensitivity;
833 3. Be trained in best practices for working with students
834 as specified in paragraph (d);
835 4. Be committed to serve as a positive role model for
836 students;
837 5. Have a passion for and desire to interact positively
838 with students; and
839 6. Lack a history of excessive force or racial bias.
840 (f) Require a school district to annually review the cost
841 and effectiveness of its school safety programs, including the
842 use of school safety officers, school resource officers, and
843 other security measures, to report its findings to the
844 Department of Education by August 1 of each school year, and to
845 use these findings to reevaluate and improve school safety
846 programs.
847 (6)(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each
848 district school board shall adopt rules providing that a any
849 student found to have committed an any offense in s. 784.081(1),
850 (2), or (3) shall be expelled or placed in an alternative school
851 setting or other program, as appropriate. Upon being charged
852 with the offense, and pending disposition, the student shall be
853 removed from the classroom immediately and placed in an
854 alternative school setting pending disposition.
855 (7)(6)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law prohibiting
856 the disclosure of the identity of a minor, if a whenever any
857 student who is attending a public school is adjudicated guilty
858 of or delinquent for, or is found to have committed, regardless
859 of whether adjudication is withheld, or pleads guilty or nolo
860 contendere to, a felony violation of:
861 1. Chapter 782, relating to homicide;
862 2. Chapter 784, relating to assault, battery, and culpable
863 negligence;
864 3. Chapter 787, relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment,
865 luring or enticing a child, and custody offenses;
866 4. Chapter 794, relating to sexual battery;
867 5. Chapter 800, relating to lewdness and indecent exposure;
868 6. Chapter 827, relating to abuse of children;
869 7. Section 812.13, relating to robbery;
870 8. Section 812.131, relating to robbery by sudden
871 snatching;
872 9. Section 812.133, relating to carjacking; or
873 10. Section 812.135, relating to home-invasion robbery,
874
875 and, before or at the time of such adjudication, withholding of
876 adjudication, or plea, the student offender was attending a
877 school attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of the
878 offense, the Department of Juvenile Justice shall notify the
879 appropriate district school board of the adjudication or plea,
880 the requirements of in this paragraph, and whether the student
881 offender is prohibited from attending that school or riding on a
882 school bus if whenever the victim or a sibling of the victim is
883 attending the same school or riding on the same school bus,
884 except as provided pursuant to a written disposition order under
885 s. 985.455(2). Upon receipt of such notice, the district school
886 board shall take appropriate action to effectuate the provisions
887 in paragraph (b).
888 (b) Each district school board shall adopt a cooperative
889 agreement with the Department of Juvenile Justice which
890 establishes guidelines for ensuring that a any no contact order
891 entered by a court is reported and enforced and that all of the
892 necessary steps are taken to protect the victim of the offense.
893 Any student offender described in paragraph (a), who is not
894 exempt exempted as provided in paragraph (a), may not attend the
895 any school attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of
896 the offense or ride on a school bus on which the victim or a
897 sibling of the victim is riding. The district school board shall
898 allow the student offender shall be permitted by the district
899 school board to attend another school within the district in
900 which the student offender resides, only if the other school is
901 not attended by the victim or sibling of the victim. Another
902 district school board may allow of the offense; or the student
903 offender may be permitted by another district school board to
904 attend a school in that district if the student offender is
905 unable to attend any school in the district in which the student
906 offender resides.
907 (c) If the student offender is unable to attend any other
908 school in the district in which the student offender resides and
909 is prohibited from attending a school in another school
910 district, the district school board in the school district in
911 which the student offender resides shall take every reasonable
912 precaution to keep the student offender separated from the
913 victim while on school grounds or on school transportation. The
914 steps to be taken by a district school board to keep the student
915 offender separated from the victim must include, but are not
916 limited to, in-school suspension of the student offender and the
917 scheduling of classes, lunch, or other school activities of the
918 victim and the student offender so as not to coincide.
919 (d) The student offender, or the parents of the student
920 offender if the student offender is a juvenile, shall arrange
921 and pay for transportation associated with or required by the
922 student’s offender’s attending another school or that would be
923 required as a consequence of the prohibition against riding on a
924 school bus on which the victim or a sibling of the victim is
925 riding. If the student is experiencing homelessness as described
926 in s. 1003.01(12) or belongs to a family whose income does not
927 exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level, the school
928 district shall arrange and pay for the transportation. However,
929 The student offender or the parents of the student offender may
930 not be charged for existing modes of transportation which that
931 can be used by the student offender at no additional cost to the
932 district school board.
933 (8)(7) Any disciplinary or prosecutorial action taken
934 against a student who violates the a zero-tolerance policy on
935 referrals to the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice
936 system must be based on the particular circumstances of the
937 student’s misconduct.
938 (9)(8) A school district shall districts are encouraged to
939 use alternatives to expulsion or referral to a law enforcement
940 agency agencies unless the use of such alternatives will pose a
941 threat to school safety. By August 1 of each year, a school
942 district shall provide to the department all policies and
943 agreements adopted or implemented pursuant to this section.
944 (10) To assist a school district in developing policies
945 that ensure students are not arrested or otherwise referred to
946 the criminal justice system or the juvenile justice system for
947 petty acts of misconduct, the department shall, by March 1,
948 2016, in collaboration with students, educators, parents, and
949 stakeholders, develop and provide to each school district a
950 model policy.
951 (11) On or before January 1 of each year, the Commissioner
952 of Education shall report to the Governor, the President of the
953 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the
954 implementation of this section. The report must include data
955 regarding school-based arrests and referrals of students to a
956 law enforcement agency.
957 Section 5. Subsection (5) of section 1002.20, Florida
958 Statutes, is amended to read:
959 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
960 school students must receive accurate and timely information
961 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
962 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
963 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
964 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
965 (5) SAFETY.—In accordance with the provisions of s.
966 1006.13(7) s. 1006.13(6), students who have been victims of
967 certain felony offenses by other students, as well as the
968 siblings of the student victims, have the right to be kept
969 separated from the student offender both at school and during
970 school transportation.
971 Section 6. Subsection (5) of section 1002.23, Florida
972 Statutes, is amended to read:
973 1002.23 Family and School Partnership for Student
974 Achievement Act.—
975 (5) Each school district shall develop and disseminate a
976 parent guide to successful student achievement, consistent with
977 the guidelines of the Department of Education, which addresses
978 what parents need to know about their child’s educational
979 progress and how parents can help their child to succeed in
980 school. The guide must:
981 (a) Be understandable to students and parents;
982 (b) Be distributed to all parents, students, and school
983 personnel at the beginning of each school year;
984 (c) Be discussed at the beginning of each school year in
985 meetings of students, parents, and teachers;
986 (d) Include information concerning services, opportunities,
987 choices, academic standards, and student assessment; and
988 (e) Provide information on the importance of student health
989 and available immunizations and vaccinations, including, but not
990 limited to:
991 1. A recommended immunization schedule in accordance with
992 United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
993 recommendations.
994 2. Detailed information regarding the causes, symptoms, and
995 transmission of meningococcal disease and the availability,
996 effectiveness, known contraindications, and appropriate age for
997 the administration of any required or recommended vaccine
998 against meningococcal disease, in accordance with the
999 recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
1000 Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and
1001 Prevention.
1002
1003 The parent guide described in this subsection may be included as
1004 a part of the standards for intervention under s. 1006.07 code
1005 of student conduct that is required in s. 1006.07(2).
1006 Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
1007 1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1008 1002.33 Charter schools.—
1009 (7) CHARTER.—The major issues involving the operation of a
1010 charter school shall be considered in advance and written into
1011 the charter. The charter shall be signed by the governing board
1012 of the charter school and the sponsor, following a public
1013 hearing to ensure community input.
1014 (a) The charter shall address and criteria for approval of
1015 the charter shall be based on:
1016 1. The school’s mission, the students to be served, and the
1017 ages and grades to be included.
1018 2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods
1019 to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be
1020 employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate
1021 technologies needed to improve educational and administrative
1022 performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical,
1023 and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and
1024 professional standards.
1025 a. The charter shall ensure that reading is a primary focus
1026 of the curriculum and that resources are provided to identify
1027 and provide specialized instruction for students who are reading
1028 below grade level. The curriculum and instructional strategies
1029 for reading must be consistent with the Next Generation Sunshine
1030 State Standards and grounded in scientifically based reading
1031 research.
1032 b. In order to provide students with access to diverse
1033 instructional delivery models, to facilitate the integration of
1034 technology within traditional classroom instruction, and to
1035 provide students with the skills they need to compete in the
1036 21st century economy, the Legislature encourages instructional
1037 methods for blended learning courses consisting of both
1038 traditional classroom and online instructional techniques.
1039 Charter schools may implement blended learning courses which
1040 combine traditional classroom instruction and virtual
1041 instruction. Students in a blended learning course must be full
1042 time students of the charter school and receive the online
1043 instruction in a classroom setting at the charter school.
1044 Instructional personnel certified pursuant to s. 1012.55 who
1045 provide virtual instruction for blended learning courses may be
1046 employees of the charter school or may be under contract to
1047 provide instructional services to charter school students. At a
1048 minimum, such instructional personnel must hold an active state
1049 or school district adjunct certification under s. 1012.57 for
1050 the subject area of the blended learning course. The funding and
1051 performance accountability requirements for blended learning
1052 courses are the same as those for traditional courses.
1053 3. The current incoming baseline standard of student
1054 academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
1055 method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in
1056 this subparagraph shall include a detailed description of:
1057 a. How the baseline student academic achievement levels and
1058 prior rates of academic progress will be established.
1059 b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of
1060 academic progress achieved by these same students while
1061 attending the charter school.
1062 c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress will
1063 be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
1064 closely comparable student populations.
1065
1066 The district school board is required to provide academic
1067 student performance data to charter schools for each of their
1068 students coming from the district school system, as well as
1069 rates of academic progress of comparable student populations in
1070 the district school system.
1071 4. The methods used to identify the educational strengths
1072 and needs of students and how well educational goals and
1073 performance standards are met by students attending the charter
1074 school. The methods shall provide a means for the charter school
1075 to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing
1076 student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and
1077 efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in
1078 charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the
1079 statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22.
1080 5. In secondary charter schools, a method for determining
1081 that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation in
1082 s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282.
1083 6. A method for resolving conflicts between the governing
1084 board of the charter school and the sponsor.
1085 7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
1086 including the school’s standards for intervention code of
1087 student conduct.
1088 8. The ways by which the school will achieve a
1089 racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
1090 within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
1091 same school district.
1092 9. The financial and administrative management of the
1093 school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional
1094 experience or competence of those individuals or organizations
1095 applying to operate the charter school or those hired or
1096 retained to perform such professional services and the
1097 description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the
1098 policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter
1099 school. A description of internal audit procedures and
1100 establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are
1101 properly managed must be included. Both public sector and
1102 private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in
1103 such a consideration.
1104 10. The asset and liability projections required in the
1105 application which are incorporated into the charter and shall be
1106 compared with information provided in the annual report of the
1107 charter school.
1108 11. A description of procedures that identify various risks
1109 and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the impact of
1110 losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of students and
1111 staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect others from
1112 violent or disruptive student behavior; and the manner in which
1113 the school will be insured, including whether or not the school
1114 will be required to have liability insurance, and, if so, the
1115 terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of coverage.
1116 12. The term of the charter which shall provide for
1117 cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
1118 made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
1119 charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
1120 achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a
1121 charter shall be for 4 or 5 years. In order to facilitate access
1122 to long-term financial resources for charter school
1123 construction, charter schools that are operated by a
1124 municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
1125 eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the
1126 district school board. A charter lab school is eligible for a
1127 charter for a term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate
1128 access to long-term financial resources for charter school
1129 construction, charter schools that are operated by a private,
1130 not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for
1131 up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the district
1132 school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
1133 review and may be terminated during the term of the charter, but
1134 only according to the provisions set forth in subsection (8).
1135 13. The facilities to be used and their location. The
1136 sponsor may not require a charter school to have a certificate
1137 of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy for such a
1138 facility earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of
1139 school.
1140 14. The qualifications to be required of the teachers and
1141 the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and
1142 retain qualified staff to achieve best value.
1143 15. The governance structure of the school, including the
1144 status of the charter school as a public or private employer as
1145 required in paragraph (12)(i).
1146 16. A timetable for implementing the charter which
1147 addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
1148 date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this
1149 timetable.
1150 17. In the case of an existing public school that is being
1151 converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
1152 current students who choose not to attend the charter school and
1153 for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter
1154 school after conversion in accordance with the existing
1155 collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in
1156 the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However,
1157 alternative arrangements shall not be required for current
1158 teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except
1159 as authorized by the employment policies of the state university
1160 which grants the charter to the lab school.
1161 18. Full disclosure of the identity of all relatives
1162 employed by the charter school who are related to the charter
1163 school owner, president, chairperson of the governing board of
1164 directors, superintendent, governing board member, principal,
1165 assistant principal, or any other person employed by the charter
1166 school who has equivalent decisionmaking authority. For the
1167 purpose of this subparagraph, the term “relative” means father,
1168 mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first
1169 cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in
1170 law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
1171 stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother,
1172 stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
1173 19. Implementation of the activities authorized under s.
1174 1002.331 by the charter school when it satisfies the eligibility
1175 requirements for a high-performing charter school. A high
1176 performing charter school shall notify its sponsor in writing by
1177 March 1 if it intends to increase enrollment or expand grade
1178 levels the following school year. The written notice shall
1179 specify the amount of the enrollment increase and the grade
1180 levels that will be added, as applicable.
1181 Section 8. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
1182 1003.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1183 1003.02 District school board operation and control of
1184 public K-12 education within the school district.—As provided in
1185 part II of chapter 1001, district school boards are
1186 constitutionally and statutorily charged with the operation and
1187 control of public K-12 education within their school district.
1188 The district school boards must establish, organize, and operate
1189 their public K-12 schools and educational programs, employees,
1190 and facilities. Their responsibilities include staff
1191 development, public K-12 school student education including
1192 education for exceptional students and students in juvenile
1193 justice programs, special programs, adult education programs,
1194 and career education programs. Additionally, district school
1195 boards must:
1196 (1) Provide for the proper accounting for all students of
1197 school age, for the attendance and control of students at
1198 school, and for proper attention to health, safety, and other
1199 matters relating to the welfare of students in the following
1200 areas:
1201 (c) Control of students.—
1202 1. Adopt rules for the control, attendance, discipline, in
1203 school suspension, suspension, and expulsion of students and
1204 decide all cases recommended for expulsion.
1205 2. Maintain standards for intervention a code of student
1206 conduct as provided in chapter 1006.
1207 Section 9. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 1003.32,
1208 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1209 1003.32 Authority of teacher; responsibility for control of
1210 students; district school board and principal duties.—Subject to
1211 law and to the rules of the district school board, each teacher
1212 or other member of the staff of any school shall have such
1213 authority for the control and discipline of students as may be
1214 assigned to him or her by the principal or the principal’s
1215 designated representative and shall keep good order in the
1216 classroom and in other places in which he or she is assigned to
1217 be in charge of students.
1218 (1) In accordance with this section and within the
1219 framework of the district school board’s standards for
1220 intervention code of student conduct, teachers and other
1221 instructional personnel shall have the authority to undertake
1222 any of the following actions in managing student behavior and
1223 ensuring the safety of all students in their classes and school
1224 and their opportunity to learn in an orderly and disciplined
1225 classroom:
1226 (a) Establish classroom rules of conduct.
1227 (b) Establish and implement consequences, designed to
1228 change behavior, for infractions of classroom rules.
1229 (c) Have disobedient, disrespectful, violent, abusive,
1230 uncontrollable, or disruptive students removed from the
1231 classroom for behavior management intervention.
1232 (d) Have violent, abusive, uncontrollable, or disruptive
1233 students directed for information or assistance from appropriate
1234 school or district school board personnel.
1235 (e) Assist in enforcing school rules on school property,
1236 during school-sponsored transportation, and during school
1237 sponsored activities.
1238 (f) Request and receive information as to the disposition
1239 of any referrals to the administration for violation of
1240 classroom or school rules.
1241 (g) Request and receive immediate assistance in classroom
1242 management if a student becomes uncontrollable or in case of
1243 emergency.
1244 (h) Request and receive training and other assistance to
1245 improve skills in classroom management, violence prevention,
1246 conflict resolution, and related areas.
1247 (i) Press charges if there is a reason to believe that a
1248 crime has been committed on school property, during school
1249 sponsored transportation, or during school-sponsored activities.
1250 (j) Use reasonable force, according to standards adopted by
1251 the State Board of Education, to protect himself or herself or
1252 others from injury.
1253 (k) Use corporal punishment according to school board
1254 policy and at least the following procedures, if a teacher feels
1255 that corporal punishment is necessary:
1256 1. The use of corporal punishment shall be approved in
1257 principle by the principal before it is used, but approval is
1258 not necessary for each specific instance in which it is used.
1259 The principal shall prepare guidelines for administering such
1260 punishment which identify the types of punishable offenses, the
1261 conditions under which the punishment shall be administered, and
1262 the specific personnel on the school staff authorized to
1263 administer the punishment.
1264 2. A teacher or principal may administer corporal
1265 punishment only in the presence of another adult who is informed
1266 beforehand, and in the student’s presence, of the reason for the
1267 punishment.
1268 3. A teacher or principal who has administered punishment
1269 shall, upon request, provide the student’s parent with a written
1270 explanation of the reason for the punishment and the name of the
1271 other adult who was present.
1272 (3) A teacher may send a student to the principal’s office
1273 to maintain effective discipline in the classroom and may
1274 recommend an appropriate consequence consistent with the
1275 standards for intervention student code of conduct under s.
1276 1006.07. The principal shall respond by employing the teacher’s
1277 recommended consequence or a more serious disciplinary action if
1278 the student’s history of disruptive behavior warrants it. If the
1279 principal determines that a lesser disciplinary action is
1280 appropriate, the principal should consult with the teacher
1281 before prior to taking disciplinary action.
1282 Section 10. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of
1283 section 1003.53, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1284 1003.53 Dropout prevention and academic intervention.—
1285 (1)
1286 (c) A student shall be identified as being eligible to
1287 receive services funded through the dropout prevention and
1288 academic intervention program based upon one of the following
1289 criteria:
1290 1. The student is academically unsuccessful as evidenced by
1291 low test scores, retention, failing grades, low grade point
1292 average, falling behind in earning credits, or not meeting the
1293 state or district proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, or
1294 writing.
1295 2. The student has a pattern of excessive absenteeism or
1296 has been identified as a habitual truant.
1297 3. The student has a history of disruptive behavior in
1298 school or has committed an offense that warrants out-of-school
1299 suspension or expulsion from school according to the district
1300 school board’s standards for intervention code of student
1301 conduct. For the purposes of this program, “disruptive behavior”
1302 is behavior that:
1303 a. Interferes with the student’s own learning or the
1304 educational process of others and requires attention and
1305 assistance beyond that which the traditional program can provide
1306 or results in frequent conflicts of a disruptive nature while
1307 the student is under the jurisdiction of the school either in or
1308 out of the classroom; or
1309 b. Severely threatens the general welfare of students or
1310 others with whom the student comes into contact.
1311 4. The student is identified by a school’s early warning
1312 system pursuant to s. 1001.42(18)(b).
1313 (d)1. “Second chance schools” means district school board
1314 programs provided through cooperative agreements between the
1315 Department of Juvenile Justice, private providers, state or
1316 local law enforcement agencies, or other state agencies for
1317 students who have been disruptive or violent or who have
1318 committed serious offenses. As partnership programs, second
1319 chance schools are eligible for waivers by the Commissioner of
1320 Education from State Board of Education rules that prevent the
1321 provision of appropriate educational services to violent,
1322 severely disruptive, or delinquent students in small
1323 nontraditional settings or in court-adjudicated settings.
1324 2. District school boards seeking to enter into a
1325 partnership with a private entity or public entity to operate a
1326 second chance school for disruptive students may apply to the
1327 Department of Education for startup grants. These grants must be
1328 available for 1 year and must be used to offset the startup
1329 costs for implementing such programs off public school campuses.
1330 General operating funds must be generated through the
1331 appropriate programs of the Florida Education Finance Program.
1332 Grants approved under this program shall be for the full
1333 operation of the school by a private nonprofit or for-profit
1334 provider or the public entity. This program must operate under
1335 rules adopted by the State Board of Education and be implemented
1336 to the extent funded by the Legislature.
1337 3. A student enrolled in a sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth,
1338 or tenth grade class may be assigned to a second chance school
1339 if the student meets the following criteria:
1340 a. The student is a habitual truant as defined in s.
1341 1003.01.
1342 b. The student’s excessive absences have detrimentally
1343 affected the student’s academic progress and the student may
1344 have unique needs that a traditional school setting may not
1345 meet.
1346 c. The student’s high incidences of truancy have been
1347 directly linked to a lack of motivation.
1348 d. The student has been identified as at risk of dropping
1349 out of school.
1350 4. A student who is habitually truant may be assigned to a
1351 second chance school only if the case staffing committee,
1352 established pursuant to s. 984.12, determines that such
1353 placement could be beneficial to the student and the criteria
1354 included in subparagraph 3. are met.
1355 5. A student may be assigned to a second chance school if
1356 the district school board in which the student resides has a
1357 second chance school and if the student meets one of the
1358 following criteria:
1359 a. The student habitually exhibits disruptive behavior in
1360 violation of the standards for intervention code of student
1361 conduct adopted by the district school board.
1362 b. The student interferes with the student’s own learning
1363 or the educational process of others and requires attention and
1364 assistance beyond that which the traditional program can
1365 provide, or, while the student is under the jurisdiction of the
1366 school either in or out of the classroom, frequent conflicts of
1367 a disruptive nature occur.
1368 c. The student has committed a serious offense which
1369 warrants suspension or expulsion from school according to the
1370 district school board’s standards for intervention code of
1371 student conduct. For the purposes of this program, “serious
1372 offense” is behavior which:
1373 (I) Threatens the general welfare of students or others
1374 with whom the student comes into contact;
1375 (II) Includes violence;
1376 (III) Includes possession of weapons or drugs; or
1377 (IV) Is harassment or verbal abuse of school personnel or
1378 other students.
1379 6. Prior to assignment of students to second chance
1380 schools, district school boards are encouraged to use
1381 alternative programs, such as in-school suspension, which
1382 provide instruction and counseling leading to improved student
1383 behavior, a reduction in the incidence of truancy, and the
1384 development of more effective interpersonal skills.
1385 7. Students assigned to second chance schools must be
1386 evaluated by the district school board’s child study team before
1387 placement in a second chance school. The study team shall ensure
1388 that students are not eligible for placement in a program for
1389 emotionally disturbed children.
1390 8. Students who exhibit academic and social progress and
1391 who wish to return to a traditional school shall complete a
1392 character development and law education program and demonstrate
1393 preparedness to reenter the regular school setting prior to
1394 reentering a traditional school.
1395 Section 11. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
1396 1003.57, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1397 1003.57 Exceptional students instruction.—
1398 (1)
1399 (h) School personnel may consider any unique circumstances
1400 on a case-by-case basis when determining whether a change in
1401 placement is appropriate for a student who has a disability and
1402 violates a district school board’s standards of intervention
1403 code of student conduct. School personnel may remove and place
1404 such student in an interim alternative educational setting for
1405 not more than 45 school days, without regard to whether the
1406 behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the student’s
1407 disability, if the student:
1408 1. Carries a weapon to or possesses a weapon at school, on
1409 school premises, or at a school function under the jurisdiction
1410 of the school district;
1411 2. Knowingly possesses or uses illegal drugs, or sells or
1412 solicits the sale of a controlled substance, while at school, on
1413 school premises, or at a school function under the jurisdiction
1414 of the school district; or
1415 3. Has inflicted serious bodily injury upon another person
1416 while at school, on school premises, or at a school function
1417 under the jurisdiction of the school district.
1418 Section 12. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and subsection
1419 (4) of section 1006.09, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1420 1006.09 Duties of school principal relating to student
1421 discipline and school safety.—
1422 (1)
1423 (c) The principal or the principal’s designee may recommend
1424 to the district school superintendent the expulsion of any
1425 student who has committed a serious breach of conduct,
1426 including, but not limited to, willful disobedience, open
1427 defiance of authority of a member of his or her staff, violence
1428 against persons or property, or any other act which
1429 substantially disrupts the orderly conduct of the school. A
1430 recommendation of expulsion or assignment to a second chance
1431 school may also be made for any student found to have
1432 intentionally made false accusations that jeopardize the
1433 professional reputation, employment, or professional
1434 certification of a teacher or other member of the school staff,
1435 according to the district school board’s standards for
1436 intervention board code of student conduct. Any recommendation
1437 of expulsion must shall include a detailed report by the
1438 principal or the principal’s designated representative on the
1439 alternative measures taken prior to the recommendation of
1440 expulsion.
1441 (4) When a student has been the victim of a violent crime
1442 perpetrated by another student who attends the same school, the
1443 school principal shall make full and effective use of the
1444 provisions of subsection (2) and s. 1006.13(7) s. 1006.13(6). A
1445 school principal who fails to comply with this subsection is
1446 shall be ineligible for any portion of the performance pay or
1447 the differentiated pay under s. 1012.22. However, if any party
1448 responsible for notification fails to properly notify the
1449 school, the school principal is shall be eligible for the
1450 performance pay or differentiated pay.
1451 Section 13. Subsection (2) of section 1006.10, Florida
1452 Statutes, is amended to read:
1453 1006.10 Authority of school bus drivers and district school
1454 boards relating to student discipline and student safety on
1455 school buses.—
1456 (2) The district school board shall require a system of
1457 progressive discipline of transported students for actions which
1458 are prohibited by the standards for intervention code of student
1459 conduct. Disciplinary actions, including suspension of students
1460 from riding on district school board owned or contracted school
1461 buses, shall be subject to district school board policies and
1462 procedures and may be imposed by the principal or the
1463 principal’s designee. The principal or the principal’s designee
1464 may delegate any disciplinary authority to school bus drivers
1465 except for suspension of students from riding the bus.
1466 Section 14. Paragraph (n) of subsection (4) of section
1467 1006.147, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1468 1006.147 Bullying and harassment prohibited.—
1469 (4) Each school district shall adopt a policy prohibiting
1470 bullying and harassment of a student or employee of a public K
1471 12 educational institution. Each school district’s policy shall
1472 be in substantial conformity with the Department of Education’s
1473 model policy. The school district bullying and harassment policy
1474 shall afford all students the same protection regardless of
1475 their status under the law. The school district may establish
1476 separate discrimination policies that include categories of
1477 students. The school district shall involve students, parents,
1478 teachers, administrators, school staff, school volunteers,
1479 community representatives, and local law enforcement agencies in
1480 the process of adopting the policy. The school district policy
1481 must be implemented in a manner that is ongoing throughout the
1482 school year and integrated with a school’s curriculum, a
1483 school’s discipline policies, and other violence prevention
1484 efforts. The school district policy must contain, at a minimum,
1485 the following components:
1486 (n) A procedure for publicizing the policy, which must
1487 include its publication in the standards for intervention code
1488 of student conduct required under s. 1006.07 s. 1006.07(2) and
1489 in all employee handbooks.
1490 Section 15. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
1491 1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1492 1006.15 Student standards for participation in
1493 interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular student
1494 activities; regulation.—
1495 (3)(a) To be eligible to participate in interscholastic
1496 extracurricular student activities, a student must:
1497 1. Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0
1498 scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
1499 cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
1500 or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1002.3105(5) or
1501 s. 1003.4282.
1502 2. Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
1503 performance contract between the student, the district school
1504 board, the appropriate governing association, and the student’s
1505 parents, if the student’s cumulative grade point average falls
1506 below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses
1507 required by s. 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282. At a minimum, the
1508 contract must require that the student attend summer school, or
1509 its graded equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and
1510 11, as necessary.
1511 3. Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on
1512 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
1513 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282 during his or her junior or senior
1514 year.
1515 4. Maintain satisfactory conduct, including adherence to
1516 appropriate dress and other standards for intervention under s.
1517 1006.07 codes of student conduct policies described in s.
1518 1006.07(2). If a student is convicted of, or is found to have
1519 committed, a felony or a delinquent act that would have been a
1520 felony if committed by an adult, regardless of whether
1521 adjudication is withheld, the student’s participation in
1522 interscholastic extracurricular activities is contingent upon
1523 established and published district school board policy.
1524 Section 16. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
1525 1012.98, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1526 1012.98 School Community Professional Development Act.—
1527 (4) The Department of Education, school districts, schools,
1528 Florida College System institutions, and state universities
1529 share the responsibilities described in this section. These
1530 responsibilities include the following:
1531 (b) Each school district shall develop a professional
1532 development system as specified in subsection (3). The system
1533 shall be developed in consultation with teachers, teacher
1534 educators of Florida College System institutions and state
1535 universities, business and community representatives, and local
1536 education foundations, consortia, and professional
1537 organizations. The professional development system must:
1538 1. Be approved by the department. All substantial revisions
1539 to the system shall be submitted to the department for review
1540 for continued approval.
1541 2. Be based on analyses of student achievement data and
1542 instructional strategies and methods that support rigorous,
1543 relevant, and challenging curricula for all students. Schools
1544 and districts, in developing and refining the professional
1545 development system, shall also review and monitor school
1546 discipline data; school environment surveys; assessments of
1547 parental satisfaction; performance appraisal data of teachers,
1548 managers, and administrative personnel; and other performance
1549 indicators to identify school and student needs that can be met
1550 by improved professional performance.
1551 3. Provide inservice activities coupled with followup
1552 support appropriate to accomplish district-level and school
1553 level improvement goals and standards. The inservice activities
1554 for instructional personnel shall focus on analysis of student
1555 achievement data, ongoing formal and informal assessments of
1556 student achievement, identification and use of enhanced and
1557 differentiated instructional strategies that emphasize rigor,
1558 relevance, and reading in the content areas, enhancement of
1559 subject content expertise, integrated use of classroom
1560 technology that enhances teaching and learning, classroom
1561 management, parent involvement, and school safety.
1562 4. Include a master plan for inservice activities, pursuant
1563 to rules of the State Board of Education, for all district
1564 employees from all fund sources. The master plan shall be
1565 updated annually by September 1, must be based on input from
1566 teachers and district and school instructional leaders, and must
1567 use the latest available student achievement data and research
1568 to enhance rigor and relevance in the classroom. Each district
1569 inservice plan must be aligned to and support the school-based
1570 inservice plans and school improvement plans pursuant to s.
1571 1001.42(18). Each district inservice plan must provide a
1572 description of the training that middle grades instructional
1573 personnel and school administrators receive on the district’s
1574 standards for intervention code of student conduct adopted
1575 pursuant to s. 1006.07; integrated digital instruction and
1576 competency-based instruction and CAPE Digital Tool certificates
1577 and CAPE industry certifications; classroom management; student
1578 behavior and interaction; extended learning opportunities for
1579 students; and instructional leadership. District plans must be
1580 approved by the district school board annually in order to
1581 ensure compliance with subsection (1) and to allow for
1582 dissemination of research-based best practices to other
1583 districts. District school boards must submit verification of
1584 their approval to the Commissioner of Education no later than
1585 October 1, annually. Each school principal may establish and
1586 maintain an individual professional development plan for each
1587 instructional employee assigned to the school as a seamless
1588 component to the school improvement plans developed pursuant to
1589 s. 1001.42(18). An individual professional development plan must
1590 be related to specific performance data for the students to whom
1591 the teacher is assigned, define the inservice objectives and
1592 specific measurable improvements expected in student performance
1593 as a result of the inservice activity, and include an evaluation
1594 component that determines the effectiveness of the professional
1595 development plan.
1596 5. Include inservice activities for school administrative
1597 personnel that address updated skills necessary for
1598 instructional leadership and effective school management
1599 pursuant to s. 1012.986.
1600 6. Provide for systematic consultation with regional and
1601 state personnel designated to provide technical assistance and
1602 evaluation of local professional development programs.
1603 7. Provide for delivery of professional development by
1604 distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems to
1605 reach more educators at lower costs.
1606 8. Provide for the continuous evaluation of the quality and
1607 effectiveness of professional development programs in order to
1608 eliminate ineffective programs and strategies and to expand
1609 effective ones. Evaluations must consider the impact of such
1610 activities on the performance of participating educators and
1611 their students’ achievement and behavior.
1612 9. For middle grades, emphasize:
1613 a. Interdisciplinary planning, collaboration, and
1614 instruction.
1615 b. Alignment of curriculum and instructional materials to
1616 the state academic standards adopted pursuant to s. 1003.41.
1617 c. Use of small learning communities; problem-solving,
1618 inquiry-driven research and analytical approaches for students;
1619 strategies and tools based on student needs; competency-based
1620 instruction; integrated digital instruction; and project-based
1621 instruction.
1622
1623 Each school that includes any of grades 6, 7, or 8 must include
1624 in its school improvement plan, required under s. 1001.42(18), a
1625 description of the specific strategies used by the school to
1626 implement each item listed in this subparagraph.
1627 Section 17. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.