Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 824
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       8-00447-17                                             2017824__
    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 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive
    5         Pilot Program within the Department of Education for a
    6         specified period; providing for school district
    7         eligibility; providing comprehensive music education
    8         program requirements; providing for school district
    9         selection, funding, and program payments; requiring
   10         selected school districts to annually provide a
   11         specified certification to the Commissioner of
   12         Education; requiring a selected school district to
   13         return funds under certain circumstances; requiring
   14         the University of Florida’s College of Education to
   15         perform an evaluation; authorizing the State Board of
   16         Education to adopt rules; providing for expiration of
   17         the pilot program; providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is created
   22  to read:
   23         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   24  Program.—
   25         (1) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the Early
   26  Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created
   27  within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school
   28  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected
   29  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   30  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   31         (2) In order for a school district to be eligible for
   32  participation in the pilot program, the superintendent must
   33  certify to the Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed
   34  by the department, that each elementary school within the
   35  district has established a comprehensive music education program
   36  that:
   37         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   38  kindergarten through grade 2.
   39         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   40         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   41  minutes 2 days a week.
   42         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   43         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   44  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   45  through grade 2.
   46         (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for
   47  participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative
   48  appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the
   49  University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by
   50  the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall
   51  annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in
   52  kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive
   53  music education program.
   54         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   55  program, a selected school district must annually certify to the
   56  commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that
   57  each elementary school within the district provides a
   58  comprehensive music education program that meets the
   59  requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district
   60  fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the
   61  school district must return all funds received through the pilot
   62  program for that fiscal year.
   63         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall
   64  evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring
   65  student academic performance and the success of the program. The
   66  evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative
   67  analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of
   68  students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs.
   69         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   70  administer this section.
   71         (6) This section expires June 30, 2020.
   72         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.