Florida Senate - 2018                              CS for SB 654
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       576-03562-18                                           2018654c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Early Childhood Music Education
    3         Incentive Pilot Program; amending s. 1003.481, F.S.;
    4         extending the scheduled expiration of the pilot
    5         program; providing an effective date.
    6          
    7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    8  
    9         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is amended
   10  to read:
   11         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   12  Program.—
   13         (1) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, The Early
   14  Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created
   15  within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school
   16  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected
   17  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   18  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   19         (2) In order for A school district is to be eligible for
   20  participation in the pilot program if, the superintendent must
   21  certifies certify to the Commissioner of Education, in a format
   22  prescribed by the department, that each elementary school within
   23  the district has established a comprehensive music education
   24  program that:
   25         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   26  kindergarten through grade 2.
   27         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   28         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   29  minutes 2 days a week.
   30         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   31         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   32  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   33  through grade 2.
   34         (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for
   35  participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative
   36  appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the
   37  University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by
   38  the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall
   39  annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in
   40  kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive
   41  music education program.
   42         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   43  program, a selected school district must annually certify to the
   44  commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that
   45  each elementary school within the district provides a
   46  comprehensive music education program that meets the
   47  requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district
   48  fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the
   49  school district must return all funds received through the pilot
   50  program for that fiscal year.
   51         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall
   52  evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring
   53  student academic performance and the success of the program. The
   54  evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative
   55  analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of
   56  students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs.
   57         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   58  administer this section.
   59         (6) This section expires June 30, 2021 2020.
   60         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.