Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1550
       
       
        
       By Senator Detert
       
       28-01424A-16                                          20161550__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Early Childhood Music Education
    3         Incentive Pilot Program; creating s. 1003.481, F.S.;
    4         creating the pilot program within the Department of
    5         Education for a specified period; providing for school
    6         district eligibility; providing comprehensive music
    7         education program requirements; providing for school
    8         district selection, funding, and incentive payments;
    9         requiring selected school districts to annually
   10         provide a specified certification to the Commissioner
   11         of Education; requiring a selected school district to
   12         return funds under certain circumstances; requiring
   13         the University of Florida’s College of Education to
   14         perform an evaluation; authorizing the State Board of
   15         Education to adopt rules; providing for expiration;
   16         providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is created
   21  to read:
   22         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   23  Program.—
   24         (1) Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the Early
   25  Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created
   26  within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school
   27  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected
   28  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   29  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   30         (2) In order for a school district to be eligible for
   31  participation in the pilot program, the superintendent must, in
   32  a format prescribed by the department, certify to the
   33  Commissioner of Education that each elementary school within the
   34  district has established a comprehensive music education program
   35  that:
   36         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   37  kindergarten through grade 2.
   38         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   39         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   40  minutes 2 days a week.
   41         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   42         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   43  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   44  through grade 2.
   45         (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for
   46  participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative
   47  appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the
   48  University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by
   49  the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall
   50  annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in
   51  kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive
   52  music education program.
   53         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   54  program, a selected school district must annually certify to the
   55  commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that
   56  each elementary school within the district provides a
   57  comprehensive music education program that meets the
   58  requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district
   59  fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the
   60  school district must return all funds received through the pilot
   61  program for that fiscal year.
   62         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall
   63  evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring
   64  student performance and the success of the program. The
   65  evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative
   66  analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of
   67  students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs.
   68         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   69  administer this section.
   70         (6) This section expires June 30, 2019.
   71         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.