Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 478
       
       
        
       By Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       9-01076-23                                             2023478__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Early Childhood Music Education
    3         Incentive Program; amending s. 1003.481, F.S.;
    4         renaming the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive
    5         Pilot Program as the Early Childhood Music Education
    6         Incentive Program; transferring certain duties
    7         regarding the program’s administration from the
    8         Commissioner of Education to the Department of
    9         Education; revising criteria for a school district’s
   10         eligibility to participate in the program; deleting an
   11         obsolete provision requiring the University of
   12         Florida’s College of Education to conduct a specified
   13         evaluation; abrogating the scheduled expiration of
   14         provisions governing the program; providing an
   15         effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is amended
   20  to read:
   21         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   22  Program.—
   23         (1) The Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   24  Program is created within the Department of Education. The
   25  purpose of the pilot program is to assist participating selected
   26  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   27  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   28         (2) A school district is eligible for participation in the
   29  pilot program if the superintendent certifies to the department
   30  Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed by the
   31  department, that specified elementary schools within the
   32  district have established a comprehensive music education
   33  program that:
   34         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   35  kindergarten through grade 2.
   36         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   37         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   38  minutes 2 days a week.
   39         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   40         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   41  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   42  through grade 2.
   43         (3)(a) The department commissioner shall approve select
   44  school districts for participation in the pilot program, subject
   45  to legislative appropriation, based on the school district’s
   46  proximity to the University of Florida and needs-based criteria
   47  established by the State Board of Education. Participating
   48  Selected school districts shall annually receive $150 per full
   49  time equivalent student in kindergarten through grade 2 who is
   50  enrolled in a comprehensive music education program.
   51         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   52  program, a participating selected school district must annually
   53  certify to the department commissioner, in a format prescribed
   54  by the department, that each specified elementary school within
   55  the district provides a comprehensive music education program
   56  that meets the requirements of subsection (2). If a
   57  participating selected school district fails to provide the
   58  annual certification for a fiscal year, the school district must
   59  return all funds received through the pilot program for that
   60  fiscal year.
   61         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education, in
   62  collaboration with Florida International University’s School of
   63  Music, shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by
   64  measuring student academic performance and the success of the
   65  program. The evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a
   66  quantitative analysis of student achievement and a qualitative
   67  evaluation of students enrolled in the comprehensive music
   68  education programs. The results of the evaluation must be shared
   69  with the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated
   70  Teaching upon completion of the evaluation.
   71         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   72  administer this section.
   73         (6) This section expires June 30, 2023.
   74         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.