Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 7036
Ì6119189Î611918
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/12/2026 .
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The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education (Simon)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 679 - 1132
4 and insert:
5 Section 12. Present subsection (8) of section 1007.2616,
6 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (9), and a new
7 subsection (8) is added to that section, to read:
8 1007.2616 Computer science and technology instruction.—
9 (8)(a) To align educator credentials with instructional
10 practice across grade levels, the State Board of Education shall
11 establish by rule or maintain the following computer science
12 subject area coverages:
13 1. Computer science (grades K–5);
14 2. Computer science (grades 6–12); and
15 3. Computer science (K–12).
16 (b) For the coverages in paragraph (a), the State Board of
17 Education shall adopt competencies and skills and designate
18 corresponding examinations by rule. The comprehensive computer
19 science (K–12) coverage and its examination shall remain
20 available unless amended by rule of the state board.
21 (c)1. The Department of Education shall present recommended
22 competencies and skills for the grades K–5 and grades 6–12
23 coverages to the State Board of Education for approval by
24 September 1, 2026.
25 2. Following approval under subparagraph 1., the department
26 shall coordinate development, piloting, and standard-setting for
27 the examinations. The examinations for both grade-band coverages
28 must be available for administration no later than January 1,
29 2028.
30 Section 13. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4), paragraphs (b)
31 and (d) of subsection (5), and paragraph (a) of subsection (9)
32 of section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
33 (d) is added to subsection (4) of that section, to read:
34 1008.25 Public school student progression; student support;
35 coordinated screening and progress monitoring; reporting
36 requirements.—
37 (4) ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT.—
38 (c) A student who has a substantial reading deficiency as
39 determined in paragraph (5)(a) or a substantial mathematics
40 deficiency as determined in paragraph (6)(a) must be covered by
41 a federally required student plan, such as an individual
42 education plan or an individualized progress monitoring plan, or
43 both, as necessary. The individualized progress monitoring plan
44 must be developed within 45 days after the results of the
45 coordinated screening and progress monitoring system become
46 available. The plan must, at a minimum, include:
47 1. The student’s specific, identified reading or
48 mathematics skill deficiency.
49 2. Goals and benchmarks for student growth in reading or
50 mathematics.
51 3. A description of the specific measures that will be used
52 to evaluate and monitor the student’s reading or mathematics
53 progress.
54 4. For a substantial reading deficiency, the specific
55 evidence-based literacy instruction grounded in the science of
56 reading which the student will receive.
57 5. Strategies, resources, and materials that will be
58 provided to the student’s parent to support the student to make
59 reading or mathematics progress. For a student with a
60 substantial reading deficiency, resources must include
61 information about the student’s eligibility for the New Worlds
62 Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485.
63 6. Any additional services the student’s teacher deems
64 available and appropriate to accelerate the student’s reading or
65 mathematics skill development.
66 (d) If the coordinated screening and progress monitoring
67 system under subsection (9), or any district-approved screening
68 instrument, identifies a student as exhibiting characteristics
69 of dyslexia or dyscalculia, the school district shall:
70 1. Ensure that the student is covered by a plan under
71 paragraph (b) which includes evidence-based interventions that
72 are specific to the identified characteristics of dyslexia or
73 dyscalculia and that are aligned, as appropriate, with the
74 interventions required under subsections (5) and (6).
75 2. Treat the screening result as reasonable suspicion that
76 the student may be a student with a disability for purposes of
77 s. 1003.57 and promptly seek parental consent to conduct an
78 initial evaluation consistent with State Board of Education rule
79 and applicable federal law.
80 3. Ensure that screening activities and intervention
81 procedures, including interventions required under this
82 subsection and subsections (5) and (6), occur concurrently with
83 the evaluation process and are not used to delay or deny an
84 appropriate evaluation.
85 (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
86 (b) A Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program student
87 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in early literacy skills
88 based upon the results of the administration of the midyear or
89 final coordinated screening and progress monitoring under
90 subsection (9) shall be referred to the local school district
91 and may be eligible to receive instruction in early literacy
92 skills before participating in kindergarten. A Voluntary
93 Prekindergarten Education Program student who scores below the
94 25th 10th percentile on the final administration of the
95 coordinated screening and progress monitoring under subsection
96 (9) shall be referred to the local school district and is
97 eligible to receive early literacy skill instructional support
98 through a summer bridge program the summer before participating
99 in kindergarten. The summer bridge program must meet
100 requirements adopted by the department and shall consist of 4
101 hours of instruction per day for a minimum of 100 total hours. A
102 student with an individual education plan who has been retained
103 pursuant to paragraph (2)(g) and has demonstrated a substantial
104 deficiency in early literacy skills must receive instruction in
105 early literacy skills.
106 (d) The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial
107 deficiency in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be
108 immediately notified in writing of the following:
109 1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
110 substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and
111 explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact
112 nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of
113 achievement in reading.
114 2. A description of the current services that are provided
115 to the child.
116 3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions
117 and supports that will be provided to the child that are
118 designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency.
119 4. The student progression requirements under paragraph
120 (2)(h) and that if the child’s reading deficiency is not
121 remediated by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained
122 unless he or she is exempt from mandatory retention for good
123 cause.
124 5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and
125 programming, through a read-at-home plan the parent can use in
126 helping his or her child succeed in reading. The read-at-home
127 plan must provide access to the resources identified in
128 paragraph (e).
129 6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts
130 assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion and that
131 additional evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are
132 available to the child to assist parents and the school district
133 in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and
134 ready for grade promotion.
135 7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for a
136 portfolio as provided in subparagraph (7)(b)4. and the evidence
137 required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s
138 academic standards for English Language Arts. A school must
139 immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a
140 student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention
141 or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first.
142 8. The district’s specific criteria and policies for
143 midyear promotion. Midyear promotion means promotion of a
144 retained student at any time during the year of retention once
145 the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
146 9. Information about the student’s eligibility for the New
147 Worlds Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485 and the New Worlds
148 Scholarship Accounts under s. 1002.411 and information on parent
149 training modules and other reading engagement resources
150 available through the initiative.
151
152 After initial notification, the school shall apprise the parent
153 at least monthly of the student’s progress in response to the
154 intensive interventions and supports and the student’s
155 eligibility for the New Worlds Reading Initiative under s.
156 1003.485. Such communications must be in writing and must
157 explain any additional interventions or supports that will be
158 implemented to accelerate the student’s progress if the
159 interventions and supports already being implemented have not
160 resulted in improvement. Upon the request of the parent, the
161 teacher or school administrator shall meet to discuss the
162 student’s progress. The parent may request more frequent
163 notification of the student’s progress, more frequent
164 interventions or supports, and earlier implementation of the
165 additional interventions or supports described in the initial
166 notification.
167 (9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM.—
168 (a) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the
169 Office of Early Learning, shall procure and require the use of a
170 statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress
171 monitoring system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
172 Program and public schools. The system must:
173 1. Measure student progress in meeting the appropriate
174 expectations in early literacy and mathematics skills and in
175 English Language Arts and mathematics standards as required by
176 ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and 1003.41 and identify the educational
177 strengths and needs of students.
178 2. For students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
179 Program through grade 3, measure student performance in oral
180 language development, phonological and phonemic awareness,
181 knowledge of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
182 and comprehension, as applicable by grade level, and, at a
183 minimum, provide interval level and norm-referenced data that
184 measures equivalent levels of growth.
185 3. Be a valid, reliable, and developmentally appropriate
186 computer-based direct instrument that provides screening and
187 diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress;
188 identifies students who have a substantial deficiency in reading
189 or mathematics, including identifying students with
190 characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning
191 disorders; and informs instruction. Any student identified by
192 the system as having characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia
193 shall undergo further screening. Any student whose performance
194 in the system meets thresholds established by State Board of
195 Education rule in circumstances in which the system is not
196 capable of identifying characteristics of dyslexia or
197 dyscalculia must undergo further screening. The further
198 screening required under this subparagraph is used to refine
199 instructional planning and parental communication and is not a
200 prerequisite for the interventions or evaluation obligations
201 described in subsection (4). The State Board of Education shall
202 adopt rules establishing timelines, performance thresholds, and
203 parental notification requirements for further screening under
204 this subparagraph. Screening activities under this subsection
205 shall occur concurrently with the interventions and evaluation
206 obligations described in subsection (4) and may not be used to
207 delay or deny an appropriate evaluation. Beginning with the
208 2023-2024 school year, the coordinated screening and progress
209 monitoring system must be computer-adaptive.
210 4. Provide data for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
211 Program accountability as required under s. 1002.68.
212 5. Provide Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
213 providers, school districts, schools, teachers, and parents with
214 data and resources that enhance differentiated instruction and
215 parent communication.
216 6. Provide baseline data to the department of each
217 student’s readiness for kindergarten. The determination of
218 kindergarten readiness must be based on the results of each
219 student’s initial progress monitoring assessment in
220 kindergarten. The methodology for determining a student’s
221 readiness for kindergarten must be developed by the department
222 and aligned to the methodology adopted pursuant to s. 1002.68(3)
223 s. 1002.68(4).
224 7. Assess how well educational goals and curricular
225 standards are met at the provider, school, district, and state
226 levels and provide information to the department to aid in the
227 development of educational programs, policies, and supports for
228 providers, districts, and schools.
229 Section 14. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
230 1008.2125, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
231 1008.2125 The Council for Early Grade Success.—
232 (1) The Council for Early Grade Success, a council as
233 defined in s. 20.03(7), is created within the Department of
234 Education to oversee the coordinated screening and progress
235 monitoring program under s. 1008.25(9) for students in the
236 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program through grade 3 and,
237 except as otherwise provided in this section, shall operate
238 consistent with s. 20.052.
239 (a) The council shall be responsible for reviewing the
240 implementation of, training for, and outcomes from the
241 coordinated screening and progress monitoring program to provide
242 recommendations to the department that support grade 3 students
243 reading at or above grade level. The council, at a minimum,
244 shall:
245 1. Provide recommendations on the implementation of the
246 coordinated screening and progress monitoring program, including
247 reviewing any procurement solicitation documents and criteria
248 before being published.
249 2. Develop training plans and timelines for such training.
250 3. Identify appropriate personnel, processes, and
251 procedures required for the administration of the coordinated
252 screening and progress monitoring program.
253 4. Provide input on the methodology for calculating a
254 provider’s or school’s performance metric and designations under
255 s. 1002.68(3) s. 1002.68(4).
256 5. Work with the department to review the methodology for
257 determining a child’s kindergarten readiness.
258 6. Review data on age-appropriate learning gains by grade
259 level that a student would need to attain in order to
260 demonstrate proficiency in reading by grade 3.
261 7. Continually review anonymized data from the results of
262 the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program for
263 students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
264 through grade 3 to help inform recommendations to the department
265 that support practices that will enable grade 3 students to read
266 at or above grade level.
267 Section 15. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
268 1011.69, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
269 1011.69 Equity in School-Level Funding Act.—
270 (4) After providing Title I, Part A, Basic funds to schools
271 above the 75 percent poverty threshold, which may include high
272 schools above the 50 percent threshold as permitted by federal
273 law, school districts shall provide any remaining Title I, Part
274 A, Basic funds directly to all eligible schools as provided in
275 this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, an eligible
276 school is a school that is eligible to receive Title I funds,
277 including a charter school. The threshold for identifying
278 eligible schools may not exceed the threshold established by a
279 school district for the 2016-2017 school year or the statewide
280 percentage of economically disadvantaged students, as determined
281 annually.
282 (a) Prior to the allocation of Title I funds to eligible
283 schools, a school district may withhold funds only as follows:
284 1. One percent for parent involvement, in addition to the
285 one percent the district must reserve under federal law for
286 allocations to eligible schools for parent involvement;
287 2. A necessary and reasonable amount for administration
288 which includes the district’s indirect cost rate, not to exceed
289 a total of 10 percent;
290 3. A reasonable and necessary amount to provide:
291 a. Homeless programs;
292 b. Delinquent and neglected programs;
293 c. Prekindergarten programs and activities;
294 d. Private school equitable services; and
295 e. Transportation for foster care children to their school
296 of origin or choice programs; and
297 4. A necessary and reasonable amount, not to exceed 1
298 percent, for eligible schools to provide educational services in
299 accordance with the approved Title I plan. Such educational
300 services may include the provision of STEM curricula,
301 instructional materials, and related learning technologies that
302 support academic achievement in science, technology,
303 engineering, and mathematics in Title I schools, including, but
304 not limited to, technologies related to drones, coding,
305 animation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science,
306 the engineering design process, mobile development, and
307 robotics. Funds may be reserved under this subparagraph only to
308 the extent that all required reservations under federal law have
309 been met and that such reservation does not reduce school-level
310 allocations below the levels required under federal law.
311 Section 16. Section 1011.804, Florida Statues, is amended
312 to read:
313 1011.804 GATE Startup Grant Program.—
314 (1) The GATE Startup Grant Program is established within
315 the Department of Education to fund and support the startup and
316 implementation of the GATE Program, subject to legislative
317 appropriation. The purpose of the grant program is to increase
318 access to programs that support adult learners earning a high
319 school credential, either a high school diploma or its
320 equivalent, and a workforce credential aligned to statewide or
321 regional demand. The department shall administer the grants,
322 determine eligibility, and distribute grant awards.
323 (2) As used in this section, the term “institution” means a
324 school district career center established under s. 1001.44, a
325 charter technical career center established under s. 1002.34, or
326 a Florida College System institution identified in s. 1000.21
327 which offers the GATE Program pursuant to s. 1004.933.
328 (3) The department may solicit proposals from institutions
329 without programs that meet the requirements of s. 1004.933. Such
330 institutions must be located in or serve a rural area of
331 opportunity , as defined in s. 288.0656(2)(d) as designated by
332 the Governor. For purposes of this subsection, an institution
333 serves a rural area of opportunity if the institution’s service
334 area includes one or more counties or municipalities included
335 within a rural area of opportunity as defined in s.
336 288.0656(2)(d). An institution’s principal place of business,
337 main campus, or administrative offices are not required to be
338 located within a rural area of opportunity in order to satisfy
339 the service requirement.
340 (a) The department may award a grant to an institution
341 that, at the time of application, does not offer programs that
342 meet the requirements of s. 1004.933 to support startup and
343 implementation activities.
344 (b) The department may award a grant to an institution
345 that, at the time of application, offers programs that meet the
346 requirements of s. 1004.933 only for costs authorized in
347 subsection (6), excluding new construction, structural
348 expansion, and major renovation.
349 (4) The department shall prioritize grant proposals that
350 combine adult basic education, adult secondary education, and
351 career education programs at one location or allow students to
352 complete programs through distance learning. An applicant may
353 not receive more than 10 percent of the total amount
354 appropriated for the program.
355 (5) The department shall make the grant application
356 available to potential applicants no later than August 15 of
357 each year in which funds are appropriated for the program, 2024.
358 A grant proposal must include:
359 (a) The institution or institutions that will provide the
360 adult basic education, adult secondary education, and career
361 education programs;
362 (b) The proposed adult basic education and adult secondary
363 education program or programs the institution or institutions
364 will provide, and the projected enrollment for such program or
365 programs;
366 (c) The proposed career education program or programs the
367 institution or institutions will provide and the projected
368 enrollment for such program or programs;
369 (d) The credential or credentials associated with the
370 career education program or programs. Such credential or
371 credentials must be included on the Master Credentials List
372 under s. 445.004(4);
373 (e) The cost of instruction for all programs contemplated
374 in the proposal, including costs for tuition, fees,
375 registration, and laboratory, examination, and instructional
376 materials costs;
377 (f) Outreach strategies, including collaboration with local
378 workforce development boards; and
379 (g) A plan or timeline for implementing s. 1004.933 and
380 enrolling students.
381 (h) Documentation identifying the counties or
382 municipalities within the institution’s service area which are
383 included in a rural area of opportunity as defined in s.
384 288.0656(2)(d).
385 (6) Grant funds may be used for planning activities and
386 other expenses associated with the creation and implementation
387 of the GATE Program, such as expenses related to program
388 instruction, instructional equipment, supplies, instructional
389 personnel, and student services, minor facility modifications
390 necessary to install or operate instructional equipment used for
391 the GATE Program, and marketing and outreach activities to
392 recruit and enroll eligible students. Marketing and outreach
393 activities and minor facility modifications authorized under
394 this subsection are allowable direct costs of program
395 implementation. Grant funds may not be used for indirect costs.
396 Grant recipients must submit an annual report in a format
397 prescribed by the department. The department shall consolidate
398 such annual reports and include the reports in the report
399 required by s. 1004.933(6).
400 (7) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
401 administer this section.
402
403 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
404 And the title is amended as follows:
405 Delete lines 63 - 95
406 and insert:
407 coursework simultaneously; amending s. 1007.2616,
408 F.S.; requiring the State Board of Education to
409 establish by rule or maintain specified computer
410 science subject area coverages; requiring the state
411 board to adopt competencies and skills and designate
412 corresponding examinations; requiring the Department
413 of Education to submit recommended competencies and
414 skills for certain coverages to the state board for
415 approval by a specified date; requiring the department
416 to coordinate development and availability of certain
417 examinations by a specified date; amending s. 1008.25,
418 F.S.; requiring specified resources for certain
419 students to include information about the student’s
420 eligibility for the New Worlds Reading Initiative;
421 requiring school districts to take specified actions
422 when screening identifies a student as exhibiting
423 characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia; revising
424 the score threshold for Voluntary Prekindergarten
425 Education Program eligibility for specified
426 instructional support; requiring monthly written
427 communications to include specified eligibility
428 information; providing circumstances under which a
429 student must undergo further screening for dyslexia or
430 dyscalculia; providing that such screening has a
431 specified purpose; requiring the State Board of
432 Education to adopt rules; conforming cross-references;
433 amending s. 1008.2125, F.S.; conforming a cross
434 reference; amending s. 1011.69, F.S.; revising a
435 category of funding which a school district is
436 authorized to withhold; amending s. 1011.804, F.S.;
437 revising the GATE Startup Grant Program; specifying
438 what constitutes service to a rural area of
439 opportunity for purposes of specified provisions;
440 revising eligibility and award authority for grants;
441 revising application availability and application
442 requirements; revising allowable uses of grant funds
443 to include specified implementation-related costs;
444 requiring the