Bill Text: FL H0519 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0519 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0519-Introduced.html

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HB 519

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
3	Program; amending ss. 1002.55 and 1002.63, F.S.; providing
4	that prekindergarten instructors in school-year
5	prekindergarten programs delivered by private providers
6	and public schools must meet new professional
7	credentialing requirements beginning July 1, 2014;
8	deleting provisions relating to alternate educational
9	credentials, to conform; amending ss. 1002.61 and 1007.23,
10	F.S.; conforming cross-references to changes made by the
11	act; repealing s. 1002.65, F.S., relating to aspirational
12	goals for the professional credentials of prekindergarten
13	instructors; providing an effective date.
14
15	WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that there is a strong
16	correlation between the state's fiscal and economic well-being,
17	the state's workforce development, the skills and preparation of
18	the state's prekindergarten instructors, and the educational
19	outcomes of students in the state's Voluntary Prekindergarten
20	Education Program, and
21	WHEREAS, national studies have shown that the only
22	prekindergarten education programs that demonstrate large long-
23	term economic gains and improve educational outcomes for
24	prekindergarten education students are programs taught by
25	teachers who hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and
26	WHEREAS, children who are enrolled in prekindergarten
27	education programs taught by teachers who hold a bachelor's
28	degree or higher save taxpayer dollars by reducing costs
29	associated with K-12 student remediation, student dropouts,
30	juvenile and criminal justice, law enforcement, and other public
31	safety and assistance programs, and
32	WHEREAS, for the 2008-2009 school year, the rate of
33	Florida's third grade students who were not promoted to fourth
34	grade was 6.64 percent, and
35	WHEREAS, the number of prekindergarten through third grade
36	students who are not promoted to the next grade costs Florida's
37	taxpayers in excess of $330 million annually, and
38	WHEREAS, investment in high-quality prekindergarten
39	education programs is a cost-effective way to create a highly
40	skilled future workforce and is an effective public policy
41	strategy for generating wealth and achieving social and economic
42	development, and
43	WHEREAS, Florida can meet Voluntary Prekindergarten
44	Education Program teacher capacity, based on graduation rates of
45	students receiving bachelor's degrees in early childhood
46	education, by offering full reciprocity for teacher
47	certificateholders from other states; by employing teachers who
48	are currently being terminated due to the declining trends in K-
49	12 student growth; and by continuing to support a bachelor's
50	degree career ladder for existing nondegreed teachers, NOW,
51	THEREFORE,
52
53	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
54
55	Section 1.  Section 1002.55, Florida Statutes, is amended
56	to read:
57	1002.55  School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
58	private prekindergarten providers.-
59	(1)  Each early learning coalition shall administer the
60	Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program at the county or
61	regional level for students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(a) in a
62	school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a private
63	prekindergarten provider.
64	(2)  Each school-year prekindergarten program delivered by
65	a private prekindergarten provider must comprise at least 540
66	instructional hours.
67	(3)  To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program,
68	a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the
69	following requirements:
70	(a)  The private prekindergarten provider must be a child
71	care facility licensed under s. 402.305, family day care home
72	licensed under s. 402.313, large family child care home licensed
73	under s. 402.3131, nonpublic school exempt from licensure under
74	s. 402.3025(2), or faith-based child care provider exempt from
75	licensure under s. 402.316.
76	(b)  The private prekindergarten provider must:
77	1.  Be accredited by an accrediting association that is a
78	member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation,
79	or the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools, or be
80	accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
81	or Western Association of Colleges and Schools, or North Central
82	Association of Colleges and Schools, or Middle States
83	Association of Colleges and Schools, or New England Association
84	of Colleges and Schools; and have written accreditation
85	standards that meet or exceed the state's licensing requirements
86	under s. 402.305, s. 402.313, or s. 402.3131 and require at
87	least one onsite visit to the provider or school before
88	accreditation is granted;
89	2.  Hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under
90	s. 402.281; or
91	3.  Be licensed under s. 402.305, s. 402.313, or s.
92	402.3131 and demonstrate, before delivering the Voluntary
93	Prekindergarten Education Program, as verified by the early
94	learning coalition, that the provider meets each of the
95	requirements of the program under this part, including, but not
96	limited to, the requirements for credentials and background
97	screenings of prekindergarten instructors under paragraphs (c)
98	and (d), minimum and maximum class sizes under paragraph (f),
99	prekindergarten director credentials under paragraph (g), and a
100	developmentally appropriate curriculum under s. 1002.67(2)(b).
101	(c)  Beginning July 1, 2014:
102	1.  The private prekindergarten provider must have, for
103	each prekindergarten class composed of fewer than 11 students,
104	at least one prekindergarten instructor who holds:
105	a.  A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood
106	education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
107	education, or family and consumer science; or
108	b.  A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary education,
109	if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach
110	children any age from birth through grade 6, regardless of
111	whether the instructor's educator certificate is current, and if
112	the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school
113	because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked.
114	2.  The private prekindergarten provider must have, for
115	each prekindergarten class composed of 11 or more students:
116	a.  One prekindergarten instructor who meets the
117	requirements of subparagraph 1.; and
118	b.  One prekindergarten instructor who meets the following
119	requirements:
120	(I)  Holds, at a minimum, a child development associate
121	credential issued by the National Credentialing Program of the
122	Council for Professional Recognition or a credential approved by
123	the Department of Children and Family Services as being
124	equivalent to or greater than the child development associate
125	credential.
126	(II)  Successfully completes an emergent literacy training
127	course approved by the Department of Education as meeting or
128	exceeding the minimum standards adopted under s. 1002.59.
129	(c)  The private prekindergarten provider must have, for
130	each prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten
131	instructor who meets each of the following requirements:
132	1.  The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum,
133	one of the following credentials:
134	a.  A child development associate credential issued by the
135	National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional
136	Recognition; or
137	b.  A credential approved by the Department of Children and
138	Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the
139	credential described in sub-subparagraph a.
140
141	The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules
142	under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and
143	procedures for approving equivalent credentials under sub-
144	subparagraph b.
145	2.  The prekindergarten instructor must successfully
146	complete an emergent literacy training course approved by the
147	department as meeting or exceeding the minimum standards adopted
148	under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not apply to a
149	prekindergarten instructor who successfully completes approved
150	training in early literacy and language development under s.
151	402.305(2)(d)5., s. 402.313(6), or s. 402.3131(5) before the
152	establishment of one or more emergent literacy training courses
153	under s. 1002.59 or April 1, 2005, whichever occurs later.
154	(d)  Each prekindergarten instructor employed by the
155	private prekindergarten provider must be of good moral
156	character, must be screened using the level 2 screening
157	standards in s. 435.04 before employment and rescreened at least
158	once every 5 years, must be denied employment or terminated if
159	required under s. 435.06, and must not be ineligible to teach in
160	a public school because his or her educator certificate is
161	suspended or revoked.
162	(e)  A private prekindergarten provider may assign a
163	substitute instructor to temporarily replace a credentialed
164	instructor if the credentialed instructor assigned to a
165	prekindergarten class is absent, as long as the substitute
166	instructor is of good moral character and has been screened
167	before employment in accordance with level 2 background
168	screening requirements in chapter 435. The Agency for Workforce
169	Innovation shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph which
170	shall include required qualifications of substitute instructors
171	and the circumstances and time limits for which a private
172	prekindergarten provider may assign a substitute instructor.
173	(f)  Each of the private prekindergarten provider's
174	prekindergarten classes must be composed of at least 4 students
175	but may not exceed 18 students. In order to protect the health
176	and safety of students, each private prekindergarten provider
177	must also provide appropriate adult supervision for students at
178	all times and, for Each prekindergarten class composed of 11 or
179	more students must meet the requirements in subparagraph (c)2.
180	for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in addition to a
181	prekindergarten instructor who meets the requirements of
182	paragraph (c), at least one adult prekindergarten instructor who
183	is not required to meet those requirements but who must meet
184	each requirement of paragraph (d). This paragraph does not
185	supersede any requirement imposed on a provider under ss.
186	402.301-402.319.
187	(g)  Before the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the
188	private prekindergarten provider must have a prekindergarten
189	director who has a prekindergarten director credential that is
190	approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum
191	standards adopted under s. 1002.57. Successful completion of a
192	child care facility director credential under s. 402.305(2)(f)
193	before the establishment of the prekindergarten director
194	credential under s. 1002.57 or July 1, 2006, whichever occurs
195	later, satisfies the requirement for a prekindergarten director
196	credential under this paragraph.
197	(h)  The private prekindergarten provider must register
198	with the early learning coalition on forms prescribed by the
199	Agency for Workforce Innovation.
200	(i)  The private prekindergarten provider must deliver the
201	Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with
202	this part.
203	(4)  A prekindergarten instructor, in lieu of the minimum
204	credentials and courses required under paragraph (3)(c), may
205	hold one of the following educational credentials:
206	(a)  A bachelor's or higher degree in early childhood
207	education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool
208	education, or family and consumer science;
209	(b)  A bachelor's or higher degree in elementary education,
210	if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach
211	children any age from birth through 6th grade, regardless of
212	whether the instructor's educator certificate is current, and if
213	the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school
214	because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked;
215	(c)  An associate's or higher degree in child development;
216	(d)  An associate's or higher degree in an unrelated field,
217	at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child
218	development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or
219	providing child care services for children any age from birth
220	through 8 years of age; or
221	(e)  An educational credential approved by the department
222	as being equivalent to or greater than an educational credential
223	described in this subsection. The department may adopt criteria
224	and procedures for approving equivalent educational credentials
225	under this paragraph.
226	Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 1002.61, Florida
227	Statutes, is amended to read:
228	1002.61  Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public
229	schools and private prekindergarten providers.-
230	(4)  Notwithstanding ss. 1002.55(3)(c)1. and 1002.63(4),
231	each public school and private prekindergarten provider must
232	have, for each prekindergarten class, at least one
233	prekindergarten instructor who:
234	(a)  Is a certified teacher; or
235	(b)  Holds one of the educational credentials specified in
236	s. 1002.55(3)(c)1.(4)(a) or (b).
237
238	As used in this subsection, the term "certified teacher" means a
239	teacher holding a valid Florida educator certificate under s.
240	1012.56 who has the qualifications required by the district
241	school board to instruct students in the summer prekindergarten
242	program. In selecting instructional staff for the summer
243	prekindergarten program, each school district shall give
244	priority to teachers who have experience or coursework in early
245	childhood education.
246	Section 3.  Subsections (4) and (7) of section 1002.63,
247	Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
248	1002.63  School-year prekindergarten program delivered by
249	public schools.-
250	(4)  Each prekindergarten class in a public school
251	delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must meet the
252	requirements in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for prekindergarten
253	instructors. Each public school must have, for each
254	prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten instructor
255	who meets each requirement in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for a
256	prekindergarten instructor of a private prekindergarten
257	provider.
258	(7)  Each prekindergarten class in a public school
259	delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must be
260	composed of at least 4 students but may not exceed 18 students.
261	In order to protect the health and safety of students, each
262	school must also provide appropriate adult supervision for
263	students at all times and, for Each prekindergarten class
264	composed of 11 or more students must meet the requirements in s.
265	1002.55(3)(c)2. for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in
266	addition to a prekindergarten instructor who meets the
267	requirements of s. 1002.55(3)(c), at least one adult
268	prekindergarten instructor who is not required to meet those
269	requirements but who must meet each requirement of subsection
270	(5).
271	Section 4.  Subsection (5) of section 1007.23, Florida
272	Statutes, is amended to read:
273	1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.-
274	(5)  The articulation agreement must guarantee the
275	articulation of 9 credit hours toward a postsecondary degree in
276	early childhood education for programs approved by the State
277	Board of Education and the Board of Governors which:
278	(a)  Award a child development associate credential issued
279	by the National Credentialing Program of the Council for
280	Professional Recognition or award a credential approved under s.
281	1002.55(3)(c)2.1.b. or s. 402.305(3)(c) as being equivalent to
282	the child development associate credential; and
283	(b)  Include training in emergent literacy which meets or
284	exceeds the minimum standards for training courses for
285	prekindergarten instructors of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
286	Education Program in s. 1002.59.
287	Section 5.  Section 1002.65, Florida Statutes, is repealed.
288	Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.