Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 966
       
       
        
       By Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       12-00763-18                                            2018966__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to educational standards for K-12
    3         public schools; amending s. 1003.41, F.S.; revising
    4         the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards;
    5         providing that such standards are the minimum baseline
    6         core content standards for K-12 public schools;
    7         requiring each school district to adopt standards
    8         equivalent to or better than these standards; revising
    9         the content requirements for such standards; amending
   10         s. 1006.283, F.S.; revising the requirements for
   11         instructional materials that a district school
   12         superintendent annually certifies; amending s.
   13         1000.21, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made
   14         by the act; providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 1003.41,
   19  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   20         1003.41 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.—
   21         (1) Next Generation Sunshine State Standards establish the
   22  minimum baseline standards for core content of the curricula to
   23  be taught in the state and specify the core content knowledge
   24  and skills that K-12 public school students are expected to
   25  acquire. The standards adopted by each school district must meet
   26  all of the following requirements:
   27         (a) Be equivalent to or more rigorous than the Next
   28  Generation Sunshine State Standards, or courses offered in the
   29  district for the International Baccalaureate program.
   30  Instructional materials adopted pursuant to these standards must
   31  be consistent with school district goals and objectives and the
   32  course descriptions established in rule by the State Board of
   33  Education.
   34         (b)Standards must Be rigorous and relevant and provide for
   35  the logical, sequential progression of core curricular content
   36  that incrementally increases a student’s core content knowledge
   37  and skills over time. Curricular content for all subjects must
   38  integrate knowledge-based learning, critical-thinking, and
   39  problem-solving, and workforce-literacy skills; communication,
   40  reading, and writing skills; mathematics skills; collaboration
   41  skills; contextual and applied-learning skills; technology
   42  literacy skills; information and media-literacy skills; and the
   43  demonstrable, in-depth understanding of the founding values and
   44  principles of the United States as required by s. 1003.42 civic
   45  engagement skills.
   46         (c)The standards must Include distinct grade-level
   47  expectations for the core content knowledge and skills that a
   48  student is expected to have acquired by each individual grade
   49  level from kindergarten through grade 8. The standards for
   50  grades 9 through 12 may be organized by grade clusters of more
   51  than one grade level except as otherwise provided for visual and
   52  performing arts, physical education, health, and foreign
   53  language standards.
   54         (2) Whether a school district chooses to adopt the Next
   55  Generation Sunshine State Standards or standards that are more
   56  rigorous than these minimum state standards, all such standards
   57  must meet the following requirements:
   58         (a) English Language Arts standards must establish specific
   59  curricular content for, at a minimum, reading, writing, speaking
   60  and listening, and language which significantly improves student
   61  outcomes.
   62         (b) Science standards must establish specific curricular
   63  content for, at a minimum, the nature of science, earth and
   64  space science, physical science, and life science. Controversial
   65  theories and concepts must be taught in a factual, objective,
   66  and balanced manner.
   67         (c) Mathematics standards must establish specific
   68  curricular content for, at a minimum, algebra, geometry,
   69  statistics and probability, number and quantity, functions, and
   70  modeling.
   71         (d) Social Studies standards must establish specific
   72  curricular content for, at a minimum, geography, United States
   73  and world history, government, civics, humanities, and
   74  economics, including financial literacy. Financial literacy
   75  includes the knowledge, understanding, skills, behaviors,
   76  attitudes, and values that will enable a student to make
   77  responsible and effective financial decisions on a daily basis.
   78  Government and civics content must strictly adhere to the
   79  founding values and principles of the United States as required
   80  under s. 1003.42. Financial literacy instruction must shall be
   81  an integral part of instruction throughout the entire economics
   82  course to and include the study of at least Keynesian and
   83  Hayekian economic theories, in addition to understanding the
   84  basics of information regarding earning income; buying goods and
   85  services; saving and financial investing; taxes; the use of
   86  credit and credit cards; budgeting and debt management,
   87  including student loans and secured loans; banking and financial
   88  services; planning for one’s financial future, including higher
   89  education and career planning; credit reports and scores; and
   90  fraud and identity theft prevention.
   91         (e) Visual and performing arts, physical education, health,
   92  and foreign language standards must establish specific
   93  curricular content and include distinct grade level expectations
   94  for the core content knowledge and skills that a student is
   95  expected to have acquired by each individual grade level from
   96  kindergarten through grade 5. The standards for grades 6 through
   97  12 may be organized by grade clusters of more than one grade
   98  level.
   99         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 1006.283, Florida
  100  Statutes, is amended to read:
  101         1006.283 District school board instructional materials
  102  review process.—
  103         (4) Instructional materials that have been reviewed by the
  104  district instructional materials reviewers and approved must
  105  have been determined to align with all applicable state
  106  standards pursuant to s. 1003.41 and the requirements in s.
  107  1006.31. The district school superintendent shall annually
  108  certify to the department that all instructional materials for
  109  core courses used by the district are aligned with all
  110  applicable state standards, including those that are equivalent
  111  to or more rigorous than the applicable state standards or are
  112  aligned with courses offered in the district for the
  113  International Baccalaureate program; and have been reviewed,
  114  selected, and adopted by the district school board in accordance
  115  with the school board hearing and public meeting requirements of
  116  this section.
  117         Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 1000.21, Florida
  118  Statutes, is amended to read:
  119         1000.21 Systemwide definitions.—As used in the Florida K-20
  120  Education Code:
  121         (7) “Next Generation Sunshine State Standards” means the
  122  state’s minimum baseline public K-12 curricular standards
  123  adopted under s. 1003.41.
  124         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.