Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1594
Ì6104586Î610458
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Harrell) recommended
the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2 Delete everything after the enacting clause
3 and insert:
4 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section
5 1002.53, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
6 1002.53 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program;
7 eligibility and enrollment.—
8 (5) The early learning coalition shall provide each parent
9 enrolling a child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
10 Program with a profile of every private prekindergarten provider
11 and public school delivering the program within the county where
12 the child is being enrolled. The profiles shall be provided to
13 parents in a format prescribed by the Office of Early Learning.
14 The profiles must include, at a minimum, the following
15 information about each provider and school:
16 (b) The provider’s or school’s kindergarten readiness rate
17 calculated in accordance with s. 1002.69, based upon the most
18 recent available results of the statewide kindergarten screening
19 and the provider’s program score, calculated in accordance with
20 s. 1002.685, when available.
21 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 1002.55,
22 Florida Statutes, to read:
23 1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
24 private prekindergarten providers.—
25 (6) Each early learning coalition must verify that each
26 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
27 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
28 or multicounty region complies with this part. If a private
29 prekindergarten provider fails or refuses to comply with this
30 part, or if a provider engages in misconduct, the office must
31 require the early learning coalition to remove the provider from
32 eligibility to deliver the program and to receive state funds
33 under this part for a period of at least 2 years but not more
34 than 5 years.
35 Section 3. Section 1002.59, Florida Statutes, is amended to
36 read:
37 1002.59 Emergent literacy and performance standards training
38 courses and professional development.—
39 (1) The office shall adopt minimum standards for one or
40 more training courses in emergent literacy for prekindergarten
41 instructors. Each course must comprise 5 clock hours and provide
42 instruction in strategies and techniques to address the age
43 appropriate progress of prekindergarten students in developing
44 emergent literacy skills, including oral communication,
45 knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological
46 awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development. Each
47 course must also provide resources containing strategies that
48 allow students with disabilities and other special needs to
49 derive maximum benefit from the Voluntary Prekindergarten
50 Education Program. Successful completion of an emergent literacy
51 training course approved under this section satisfies
52 requirements for approved training in early literacy and
53 language development under ss. 402.305(2)(e)5., 402.313(6), and
54 402.3131(5).
55 (2) The office shall adopt minimum standards for one or more
56 training courses on the performance standards adopted under s.
57 1002.67(1), which must include, but not be limited to, training
58 relating to mathematical thinking. Each course must consist of
59 comprise at least 3 clock hours, provide instruction in
60 strategies and techniques to address age-appropriate progress of
61 each child in attaining the standards, and be available online.
62 (3) The office shall make available online professional
63 development and training courses consisting of at least 8 clock
64 hours which support prekindergarten instructors in increasing
65 the competency of teacher-child interactions.
66 Section 4. Subsection (9) is added to section 1002.61,
67 Florida Statutes, to read:
68 1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
69 schools and private prekindergarten providers.—
70 (9)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each
71 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
72 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
73 or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district
74 school board shall verify that each public school delivering the
75 program within the school district complies with this part.
76 (b) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
77 fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or
78 school engages in misconduct, the office must require the early
79 learning coalition to remove the provider or require the school
80 district to remove the school from eligibility to deliver the
81 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and to receive state
82 funds under this part for a period of at least 2 years but not
83 more than 5 years.
84 Section 5. Subsection (9) is added to section 1002.63,
85 Florida Statutes, to read:
86 1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
87 public schools.—
88 (9)(a) Each district school board shall verify that each
89 public school delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
90 Program within the school district complies with this part.
91 (b) If a public school fails or refuses to comply with this
92 part, or if a school engages in misconduct, the office must
93 require the school district to remove the school from
94 eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
95 Program and to receive state funds under this part for a period
96 of at least 2 years but not more than 5 years.
97 Section 6. Section 1002.67, Florida Statutes, is amended to
98 read:
99 1002.67 Performance standards and; curricula and
100 accountability.—
101 (1)(a) The office shall develop and adopt performance
102 standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
103 Program. The performance standards must address the age
104 appropriate progress of students in the development of:
105 1. The capabilities, capacities, and skills required under
106 s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and
107 2. Emergent literacy skills, including oral communication,
108 knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological
109 awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development; and
110 3. Mathematical thinking and early math skills.
111
112 By October 1, 2013, the office shall examine the existing
113 performance standards in the area of mathematical thinking and
114 develop a plan to make appropriate professional development and
115 training courses available to prekindergarten instructors.
116 (b) At least every 3 years, the office and the department
117 shall jointly periodically review and revise the performance
118 standards, if necessary, for the statewide kindergarten
119 screening administered under s. 1002.69 and align the standards
120 to ensure alignment with the standards adopted by established by
121 the state board for student performance on the statewide
122 assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22.
123 (2)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
124 school may select or design the curriculum that the provider or
125 school uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
126 Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school
127 that is placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c).
128 (b) Each private prekindergarten provider’s and public
129 school’s curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and must:
130 1. Be designed to prepare a student for early literacy and
131 provide for instruction in early math skills;
132 2. Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in
133 attaining the performance standards adopted by the department
134 under subsection (1); and
135 3. Prepare students to be ready for kindergarten based upon
136 the statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening statewide
137 kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.685 s.
138 1002.69.
139 (c) The office shall review and approve curricula for use
140 by private prekindergarten providers and public schools that are
141 placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c). The office shall
142 maintain a list of the curricula approved under this paragraph.
143 Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements of paragraph
144 (b).
145 (3)(a) Contingent upon legislative appropriation, each
146 private prekindergarten provider and public school in the
147 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must implement an
148 evidence-based pre- and post-assessment that has been approved
149 by rule of the State Board of Education.
150 (b) In order to be approved, the assessment must be valid,
151 reliable, developmentally appropriate, and designed to measure
152 student progress on domains which must include, but are not
153 limited to, early literacy, numeracy, and language.
154 (c) The pre- and post-assessment must be administered by
155 individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the
156 State Board of Education.
157
158 This subsection expires July 1, 2021.
159 (4)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each
160 private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary
161 Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county
162 or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district
163 school board shall verify that each public school delivering the
164 program within the school district complies with this part.
165 (b) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
166 fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or
167 school engages in misconduct, the office shall require the early
168 learning coalition to remove the provider and require the school
169 district to remove the school from eligibility to deliver the
170 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state
171 funds under this part for a period of 5 years.
172 (c)1. If the kindergarten readiness rate of a private
173 prekindergarten provider or public school falls below the
174 minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s.
175 1002.69(5) s. 1002.69(6), the early learning coalition or school
176 district, as applicable, shall require the provider or school to
177 submit an improvement plan for approval by the coalition or
178 school district, as applicable, and to implement the plan; shall
179 place the provider or school on probation; and shall require the
180 provider or school to take certain corrective actions, including
181 the use of a curriculum approved by the office under paragraph
182 (2)(c) or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction in
183 language development and phonological awareness approved by the
184 office.
185 2. A private prekindergarten provider or public school that
186 is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions
187 required under subparagraph 1., including the use of a
188 curriculum or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction
189 in language development and phonological awareness approved by
190 the office, until the provider or school meets the minimum rate
191 adopted by the office as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(5) s.
192 1002.69(6). Failure to implement an approved improvement plan or
193 staff development plan shall result in the termination of the
194 provider’s contract to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten
195 Education Program for a period of 5 years.
196 3. If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
197 remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet
198 the minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s.
199 1002.69(5) s. 1002.69(6) and is not granted a good cause
200 exemption by the office pursuant to s. 1002.69(6) s. 1002.69(7),
201 the office shall require the early learning coalition or the
202 school district to remove, as applicable, the provider or school
203 from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten
204 Education Program and receive state funds for the program for a
205 period of 5 years.
206 (d) Each early learning coalition and the office shall
207 coordinate with the Child Care Services Program Office of the
208 Department of Children and Families to minimize interagency
209 duplication of activities for monitoring private prekindergarten
210 providers for compliance with requirements of the Voluntary
211 Prekindergarten Education Program under this part, the school
212 readiness program under part VI of this chapter, and the
213 licensing of providers under ss. 402.301-402.319.
214
215 This subsection expires July 1, 2021.
216 Section 7. Section 1002.68, Florida Statutes, is created to
217 read:
218 1002.68 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
219 Assessment.—
220 (1) Each private prekindergarten provider and public school
221 in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must
222 participate in a program assessment of each voluntary
223 prekindergarten education classroom. The program assessment must
224 measure the quality of teacher-child interactions, including
225 emotional and behavioral support, engaged support for learning,
226 classroom organization, and instructional support for children
227 ages 3 to 5 years. Each private prekindergarten provider and
228 public school in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
229 shall receive the results of the program assessment for each
230 classroom within 14 days after the observation.
231 (2) The program assessment must be administered by
232 individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the
233 state board.
234 Section 8. Section 1002.685, Florida Statutes, is created to
235 read:
236 1002.685 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
237 accountability.—
238 (1)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public
239 school participating in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
240 Program must participate in the statewide screening and progress
241 monitoring program adopted by rule of the state board. The
242 statewide screening and progress monitoring program shall be
243 used for determining developmentally appropriate learning gains
244 and assess the readiness of each student for kindergarten based
245 upon the performance standards adopted under s. 1002.67(1).
246 (b) The end-of-prekindergarten screening and progress
247 monitoring tools must be administered by individuals meeting the
248 requirements established by rule of the state board.
249 (c) Each prekindergarten student in the Voluntary
250 Prekindergarten Education Program shall be screened during the
251 last 30 school days of a school-year prekindergarten program and
252 during the last 10 days of a summer prekindergarten program.
253 Each private prekindergarten provider and public school shall
254 provide a student’s performance results to the student’s parents
255 no later than 7 days after the administration.
256 (d) The statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening shall
257 incorporate mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in
258 kindergarten readiness rates for students with disabilities.
259 (e) Data collected pursuant to this section must be
260 maintained in the department’s PK-20 Education Data Warehouse.
261 (2) Each private prekindergarten provider and public school
262 in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must
263 participate in a program assessment of each voluntary
264 prekindergarten education classroom, as required by s. 1002.68.
265 (3)(a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 program year, the
266 office shall adopt a methodology and procedures for annually
267 calculating each provider’s program score, which must include:
268 1. Student learning gain data from the prekindergarten
269 progress monitoring tool;
270 2. Student performance on the end-of-prekindergarten
271 screener; and
272 3. Program assessment scores.
273 (b) The office shall periodically adopt a minimum program
274 score that, if achieved by a private prekindergarten provider or
275 public school, would demonstrate the provider’s or school’s
276 satisfactory delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
277 Program.
278 (4)(a) If a private prekindergarten provider’s or public
279 school’s program score falls below the minimum program score,
280 the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable,
281 shall:
282 1. Require the provider or school to submit an improvement
283 plan for approval by the coalition or school district, as
284 applicable, and to implement the plan;
285 2. Place the provider or school on probation; and
286 3. Require the provider or school to take certain
287 corrective actions, including the use of a curriculum approved
288 by the office under s. 1002.67(2)(c) or a staff development plan
289 approved by the office to strengthen instruction in language
290 development, phonological awareness, and mathematical thinking.
291 (b) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
292 placed on probation must continue the corrective actions
293 required under paragraph (a) until the provider or school meets
294 the minimum program score adopted by the office. Failure to meet
295 the requirements of subparagraphs (a)1. and 3. shall result in
296 the termination of the provider’s or school’s contract to
297 deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program for a
298 period of at least 2 years but not more than 5 years.
299 (c) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school
300 remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet
301 the minimum program score or is not granted a good cause
302 exemption by the office, the office shall require the early
303 learning coalition or the school district to revoke the
304 provider’s or school’s eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
305 Prekindergarten Education Program and to receive state funds for
306 the program for a period of at least 2 years but not more than 5
307 years.
308 (5)(a) The office, upon the request of a private
309 prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on
310 probation for at least 2 consecutive years and subsequently
311 fails to meet the minimum program score adopted pursuant to
312 paragraph (4)(c), and for good cause shown, may grant the
313 provider or school an exemption from being determined ineligible
314 to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and
315 to receive state funds for the program. The exemption is valid
316 for 1 year and, upon the request of the private prekindergarten
317 provider or public school and for good cause shown, may be
318 renewed.
319 (b) A private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
320 request for a good cause exemption, or renewal of such an
321 exemption, must be submitted to the office in the manner and
322 within the timeframes prescribed by the office and must include
323 the following:
324 1. Data from the private prekindergarten provider or public
325 school which documents the achievement and progress of the
326 children served, as measured by any required screenings or
327 assessments.
328 2. Data from the program assessment required under
329 subsection (2) which demonstrates effective teaching practices,
330 as recognized by the program assessment tool developer.
331 3. Data from the early learning coalition or district
332 school board, as applicable, the Department of Children and
333 Families, the local licensing authority, or an accrediting
334 association, as applicable, relating to the private
335 prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s compliance with
336 state and local health and safety standards.
337 (c) The office shall adopt criteria for granting good cause
338 exemptions. Such criteria must include, but are not limited to,
339 all of the following:
340 1. Learning gains of children served in the Voluntary
341 Prekindergarten Education Program by the private prekindergarten
342 provider or public school.
343 2. Program assessment data under s. 1002.68 which
344 demonstrates effective teaching practices, as recognized by the
345 program assessment tool developer.
346 3. Verification that local and state health and safety
347 requirements are met.
348 (d) A good cause exemption may not be granted to any
349 private prekindergarten provider or public school that has any
350 class I violations or two or more class II violations within the
351 2 years preceding the provider’s or school’s request for the
352 exemption. For purposes of this paragraph, class I and class II
353 violations have the same meaning as provided in s. 402.281(4).
354 (e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
355 granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its
356 improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required
357 under subsection (4) until the provider or school meets the
358 minimum program score.
359 (f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private
360 prekindergarten provider or public school that remains on
361 probation for 2 consecutive years, the office shall notify the
362 early learning coalition or school district of the good cause
363 exemption and direct that the coalition or school district not
364 remove the provider from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
365 Prekindergarten Education Program or to receive state funds for
366 the program if the provider meets all other applicable
367 requirements of this part.
368 (g) Representatives from the school districts and early
369 learning coalitions must meet yearly to develop strategies to
370 transition students from the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
371 Program to kindergarten.
372 (h) The office shall report the number of Voluntary
373 Prekindergarten Education providers or public schools that have
374 received a good cause exemption and the reasons for the
375 exemptions as part of its annual reporting requirements under s.
376 1002.82(5).
377 Section 9. Section 1002.69, Florida Statutes, is amended to
378 read:
379 1002.69 Statewide kindergarten screening; kindergarten
380 readiness rates; state-approved prekindergarten enrollment
381 screening; good cause exemption.—
382 (1) The department shall adopt a statewide kindergarten
383 screening that assesses the readiness of each student for
384 kindergarten based upon the English Language Arts performance
385 standards adopted by the department under s. 1002.67(1) for the
386 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The department
387 shall require that each school district administer the statewide
388 kindergarten screening to each kindergarten student in the
389 school district within the first 30 school days of each school
390 year or upon enrollment into public school for the first time.
391 Each school district must provide a student’s performance
392 results to the student’s teachers within 1 week and to the
393 student’s parents no later than 30 days after the
394 administration. Nonpublic schools may administer the statewide
395 kindergarten screening to each kindergarten student in a
396 nonpublic school who was enrolled in the Voluntary
397 Prekindergarten Education Program.
398 (2) The statewide kindergarten screening shall provide
399 objective data concerning each student’s readiness for
400 kindergarten and progress in attaining the performance standards
401 adopted by the office under s. 1002.67(1). Data from the
402 screening, along with other available data, must be used to
403 identify students in need of intervention and support pursuant
404 to s. 1008.25(5).
405 (3) The statewide kindergarten screening shall incorporate
406 mechanisms for recognizing potential variations in kindergarten
407 readiness rates for students with disabilities.
408 (4) Data collected from the statewide kindergarten
409 screening by school districts must be submitted to the
410 department in accordance with the department’s instructions, and
411 shall be maintained in the department’s PK-20 Education Data
412 Warehouse. Release of a school district’s subsequent years
413 research-based reading instruction allocation under s.
414 1011.62(9)(d) shall also be contingent upon submission of the
415 data Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the Voluntary
416 Prekindergarten Education Program must submit the child for the
417 statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of whether the
418 child is admitted to kindergarten in a public school or
419 nonpublic school. Each school district shall designate sites to
420 administer the statewide kindergarten screening for children
421 admitted to kindergarten in a nonpublic school.
422 (5) The office shall adopt procedures to annually calculate
423 each private prekindergarten provider’s and public school’s
424 kindergarten readiness rate, which must be expressed as the
425 percentage of the provider’s or school’s students who are
426 assessed as ready for kindergarten. The methodology for
427 calculating each provider’s kindergarten readiness rate must
428 include student learning gains when available and the percentage
429 of students who meet all state readiness measures. The rates
430 must not include students who are not administered the statewide
431 kindergarten screening. The office shall determine learning
432 gains using a value-added measure based on growth demonstrated
433 by the results of the preassessment and postassessment from at
434 least 2 successive years of administration of the preassessment
435 and postassessment.
436 (5)(6) The office shall periodically adopt a minimum
437 kindergarten readiness rate that, if achieved by a private
438 prekindergarten provider or public school, would demonstrate the
439 provider’s or school’s satisfactory delivery of the Voluntary
440 Prekindergarten Education Program.
441 (6)(7)(a) Notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., the office,
442 upon the request of a private prekindergarten provider or public
443 school that remains on probation for 2 consecutive years or more
444 and subsequently fails to meet the minimum rate adopted under
445 subsection (5) (6) and for good cause shown, may grant to the
446 provider or school an exemption from being determined ineligible
447 to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and
448 receive state funds for the program. Such exemption is valid for
449 1 year and, upon the request of the private prekindergarten
450 provider or public school and for good cause shown, may be
451 renewed.
452 (b) A private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
453 request for a good cause exemption, or renewal of such an
454 exemption, must be submitted to the office in the manner and
455 within the timeframes prescribed by the office and must include
456 the following:
457 1. Submission of data by the private prekindergarten
458 provider or public school which documents the achievement and
459 progress of the children served as measured by the state
460 approved prekindergarten enrollment screening and the
461 standardized postassessment approved by the office pursuant to
462 subparagraph (c)1.
463 2. Submission and review of data available from the
464 respective early learning coalition or district school board,
465 the Department of Children and Families, local licensing
466 authority, or an accrediting association, as applicable,
467 relating to the private prekindergarten provider’s or public
468 school’s compliance with state and local health and safety
469 standards.
470 3. Submission and review of data available to the office on
471 the performance of the children served and the calculation of
472 the private prekindergarten provider’s or public school’s
473 kindergarten readiness rate.
474 (c) The office shall adopt criteria for granting good cause
475 exemptions. Such criteria shall include, but are not limited to:
476 1. Learning gains of children served in the Voluntary
477 Prekindergarten Education Program by the private prekindergarten
478 provider or public school.
479 2. Verification that local and state health and safety
480 requirements are met.
481 (d) A good cause exemption may not be granted to any
482 private prekindergarten provider that has any class I violations
483 or two or more class II violations within the 2 years preceding
484 the provider’s or school’s request for the exemption. For
485 purposes of this paragraph, class I and class II violations have
486 the same meaning as provided in s. 402.281(4).
487 (e) A private prekindergarten provider or public school
488 granted a good cause exemption shall continue to implement its
489 improvement plan and continue the corrective actions required
490 under s. 1002.67(4)(c)1., including the use of a curriculum
491 approved by the office, until the provider or school meets the
492 minimum rate adopted under subsection (5) (6).
493 (f) If a good cause exemption is granted to a private
494 prekindergarten provider who remains on probation for 2
495 consecutive years, the office shall notify the early learning
496 coalition of the good cause exemption and direct that the
497 coalition, notwithstanding s. 1002.67(4)(c)3., not remove the
498 provider from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary
499 Prekindergarten Education Program or to receive state funds for
500 the program, if the provider meets all other applicable
501 requirements of this part.
502
503 This section expires July 1, 2021.
504 Section 10. Section 1002.73, Florida Statutes, is amended
505 to read:
506 1002.73 Department of Education; powers and duties;
507 accountability requirements.—
508 (1) The department shall administer the accountability
509 requirements of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
510 at the state level.
511 (2) The department shall adopt procedures for its:
512 (a) Approval of prekindergarten director credentials under
513 ss. 1002.55 and 1002.57.
514 (b) Approval of emergent literacy training courses under
515 ss. 1002.55 and 1002.59.
516 (c) Administration of the statewide kindergarten screening
517 and calculation of kindergarten readiness rates under s.
518 1002.69.
519 (d) Implementation of, and determination of costs
520 associated with, the state-approved prekindergarten enrollment
521 screening and the standardized postassessment approved by the
522 department, and determination of the learning gains of students
523 who complete the state-approved prekindergarten enrollment
524 screening and the standardized postassessment approved by the
525 department.
526 (d)(e) Approval of specialized instructional services
527 providers under s. 1002.66.
528 (e)(f) Annual reporting of the percentage of kindergarten
529 students who meet all state readiness measures.
530 (f)(g) Granting of a private prekindergarten provider’s or
531 public school’s request for a good cause exemption under s.
532 1002.685 s. 1002.69(7).
533 (3) Except as provided by law, the department may not
534 impose requirements on a private prekindergarten provider that
535 does not deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
536 or receive state funds under this part.
537 Section 11. Present subsections (4) and (5) of section
538 1002.75, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
539 and (6), a new subsection (4) is added to that section, and
540 paragraph (e) of subsection (2) and paragraphs (a), (b), and (c)
541 of subsection (3) are amended, to read:
542 1002.75 Office of Early Learning; powers and duties.—
543 (2) The Office of Early Learning shall adopt procedures
544 governing the administration of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
545 Education Program by the early learning coalitions and school
546 districts for:
547 (e) Verifying the compliance of private prekindergarten
548 providers and public schools and removing providers or schools
549 from eligibility to deliver the program due to noncompliance or
550 misconduct as provided in s. 1002.67.
551 (3) The Office of Early Learning shall adopt, in
552 consultation with and subject to approval by the department,
553 procedures governing the administration of the Voluntary
554 Prekindergarten Education Program by the early learning
555 coalitions and school districts for:
556 (a) Approving improvement plans of private prekindergarten
557 providers and public schools under s. 1002.685 s. 1002.67.
558 (b) Placing private prekindergarten providers and public
559 schools on probation and requiring corrective actions under s.
560 1002.685 s. 1002.67.
561 (c) Removing a private prekindergarten provider or public
562 school from eligibility to deliver the program due to the
563 provider’s or school’s remaining on probation beyond the time
564 permitted under s. 1002.685 s. 1002.67. Notwithstanding any
565 other provision of law, if a private prekindergarten provider
566 has been cited for a class I violation, as defined by rule, the
567 coalition may refuse to contract with the provider or revoke the
568 provider’s eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten
569 Education Program.
570 (4) The Office of Early Learning shall administer the
571 accountability requirements of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
572 Education Program at the state level under s. 1002.685.
573 Section 12. Section 1008.333, Florida Statutes, is created
574 to read:
575 1008.333 Coordinated screening and progress monitoring
576 program for students in state-funded prekindergarten through
577 grade 3.—
578 (1) PURPOSE.—The primary purpose of the coordinated
579 screening and progress monitoring program for state-funded
580 prekindergarten through grade 3 is to provide information on
581 students’ progress in mastering the appropriate grade-level
582 standards and to provide information on their progress to
583 parents, teachers, and school and program administrators. Data
584 provided under the program shall be used by Voluntary
585 Prekindergarten Education Program providers and school districts
586 to improve instruction; by parents and teachers to guide
587 learning objectives and provide timely and appropriate supports
588 and interventions to students not meeting grade level
589 expectations; and by the public to assess the cost benefit of
590 the expenditure of taxpayer dollars. The program must be
591 designed to:
592 (a) Assess the progress of students in state-funded
593 prekindergarten through grade 3 in meeting the appropriate
594 expectations in early literacy and math skills and in English
595 Language Arts and mathematics, as required by ss. 1002.67(1)(a)
596 and 1003.41.
597 (b) Provide data for making decisions regarding
598 accountability of state-funded prekindergarten, as required by
599 s. 1002.685.
600 (c) Identify the educational strengths and needs of
601 students in state-funded prekindergarten through grade 3.
602 (d) Provide teachers with progress monitoring data to
603 provide timely interventions and supports to students not
604 meeting expectations.
605 (e) Assess the fulfillment of educational goals and
606 curricular standards at the provider, school, district, and
607 state levels.
608 (f) Provide information to aid in the evaluation and
609 development of educational programs and policies.
610 (2) SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING PROGRAM.—The
611 Commissioner of Education shall design a statewide, standardized
612 screening and progress monitoring program to assess early
613 literacy and mathematics skills, and English Language Arts and
614 mathematics standards, established in ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and
615 1003.41, respectively. The screening and progress monitoring
616 program must be a valid and reliable direct assessment to
617 accurately measure the core content in the applicable grade
618 level standards, provide learning gains for the achievement of
619 these standards, and provide teachers with progress monitoring
620 supports and materials that enhance differentiated instruction
621 and parent communication. Participation in the screening and
622 progress monitoring program is mandatory for all state-funded
623 prekindergarten and public school students. Beginning in the
624 2021-2022 school year, the coordinated screening and progress
625 monitoring program shall be implemented as follows:
626 (a) The state-funded prekindergarten through grade 3
627 screening and progress monitoring program shall be administered
628 during the first 30 days of enrollment, mid-year, and during the
629 last 30 days of the program or school year in accordance with
630 the rules adopted by the department.
631 (b) The results of the state-funded prekindergarten through
632 grade 3 screening and progress monitoring program shall be
633 reported to the department in accordance with the rules adopted
634 by the department and maintained in the department’s PK-20
635 Education Data Warehouse.
636 (3) COMMISSIONER DUTIES.—The Commissioner of Education
637 shall:
638 (a) Develop a plan for implementation of the state-funded
639 prekindergarten through grade 3 screening and progress
640 monitoring program in consideration of the timelines required
641 for the completion of the review of the Next Generation Sunshine
642 State Standards and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
643 Program standards; and
644 (b) Include a request for funding in the department’s
645 legislative budget request for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the
646 procurement and the provision of training to state-funded
647 prekindergarten providers, early learning coalitions, and school
648 districts.
649 (4) RULEMAKING.—The department shall adopt rules to
650 administer this section.
651 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
652
653 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
654 And the title is amended as follows:
655 Delete everything before the enacting clause
656 and insert:
657 A bill to be entitled
658 An act relating to prekindergarten education; amending
659 s. 1002.53, F.S.; revising the basis of the
660 calculation of private prekindergarten provider and
661 public school kindergarten readiness rates; amending
662 s. 1002.55, F.S.; requiring early learning coalitions
663 to verify compliance of certain private
664 prekindergarten providers with specified provisions;
665 conforming provisions to changes made by the act; s.
666 1002.59, F.S.; requiring the Office of Early Learning
667 to adopt minimum standards for courses on specified
668 domains; requiring the office to make available
669 professional development and training courses that
670 meet certain requirements; amending ss. 1002.61 and
671 1002.63, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
672 by the act; amending s. 1002.67, F.S.; requiring the
673 office to develop and adopt performance standards for
674 students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
675 Program to determine progress in mathematical thinking
676 and early math skills; deleting obsolete language;
677 requiring the office and the Department of Education
678 to jointly review and, as necessary, revise certain
679 performance standards; conforming provisions to
680 changes made by the act; providing for the future
681 expiration of specified provisions; creating s.
682 1002.68, F.S.; requiring each private prekindergarten
683 provider and public school participating in the
684 program to participate in a certain program assessment
685 for a specified purpose; providing requirements for
686 the assessment; providing that private prekindergarten
687 providers and public schools participating in the
688 program assessment must receive the results of the
689 assessment within a specified time; requiring the
690 assessment to be administered by individuals meeting
691 certain requirements; creating s. 1002.685, F.S.;
692 requiring each private prekindergarten provider and
693 public school participating in the program to
694 participate in the statewide screening and progress
695 monitoring program for a specified purpose; providing
696 requirements for the monitoring program; requiring
697 data collected under the program to be maintained in a
698 specified department data warehouse; requiring each
699 private prekindergarten provider and public school in
700 the program to participate in a program assessment;
701 providing requirements for such assessment; beginning
702 with a specified program year, requiring the office to
703 develop a methodology for calculating a program score
704 for each private prekindergarten provider and public
705 school participating in the program; requiring the
706 office to adopt a minimum program score that such
707 providers and schools must attain to demonstrate
708 satisfactory delivery of the program; providing
709 requirements for such providers and schools that fail
710 to attain at least the minimum score; authorizing the
711 office to grant good cause exemptions to private
712 prekindergarten providers and public schools that meet
713 certain criteria; specifying requirements for
714 providers and schools that receive an exemption;
715 requiring representatives from school districts and
716 early learning coalitions to annually meet for a
717 specified purpose; requiring the office to annually
718 report the number of program providers and public
719 schools that have received good cause exemptions and
720 the reasons for such exemptions; amending s. 1002.69,
721 F.S.; requiring that the department require school
722 districts to administer the statewide kindergarten
723 screening to specified students within a specified
724 timeframe; requiring school districts to provide
725 students’ performance results to their parents and
726 teachers within a specified timeframe after
727 administration of the screening; requiring certain
728 data to be stored in a specified department data
729 warehouse; providing that the release of a certain
730 allocation to a school district is contingent upon
731 submission of specified data; conforming provisions to
732 changes made by the act; providing for the future
733 expiration of specified provisions; amending s.
734 1002.73, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
735 by the act; amending s. 1002.75, F.S.; conforming
736 provisions to changes made by the act; deleting the
737 requirement that the office adopt procedures governing
738 the administration of the program in consultation with
739 the department and subject to its approval; requiring
740 the office to administer the accountability
741 requirements of the program; creating s. 1008.333,
742 F.S.; providing the purpose of the coordinated
743 screening and progress monitoring program for state
744 funded prekindergarten through grade 3; specifying
745 requirements for the program; requiring the
746 Commissioner of Education to design a statewide,
747 standardized screening and progress monitoring program
748 for a specified purpose; providing requirements for
749 the monitoring program; requiring specified students
750 to participate in the monitoring program; requiring
751 the implementation of the monitoring program beginning
752 in a specified school year; providing requirements
753 relating to the implementation of the monitoring
754 program; requiring results of the program to be
755 reported to the Department of Education and maintained
756 in the PK-20 Education Data Warehouse; requiring the
757 commissioner to develop a plan for implementation of
758 the program and to include a specified request for
759 funding in the department’s legislative budget request
760 in a specified year; requiring rulemaking by the
761 department; providing an effective date.