Florida Senate - 2023                              CS for SB 478
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Education; and Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       602-02565-23                                           2023478c1
    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; specifying that program funds are subject
   10         to legislative appropriation; revising criteria for a
   11         school district’s eligibility to participate in the
   12         program; deleting an obsolete provision requiring the
   13         University of Florida’s College of Education to
   14         conduct a specified evaluation; abrogating the
   15         scheduled expiration of provisions governing the
   16         program; providing an effective date.
   17          
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is amended
   21  to read:
   22         1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   23  Program.—
   24         (1) The Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
   25  Program is created within the Department of Education. The
   26  purpose of the pilot program is to assist participating selected
   27  school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
   28  programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
   29         (2) A school district is eligible for participation in the
   30  pilot program if the superintendent certifies to the department
   31  Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed by the
   32  department, that specified elementary schools within the
   33  district have established a comprehensive music education
   34  program that:
   35         (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
   36  kindergarten through grade 2.
   37         (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
   38         (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
   39  minutes 2 days a week.
   40         (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
   41         (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
   42  childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
   43  through grade 2.
   44         (3)(a) The department commissioner shall approve select
   45  school districts for participation in the pilot program, subject
   46  to legislative appropriation, based on the school district’s
   47  proximity to the University of Florida and needs-based criteria
   48  established by the State Board of Education. Subject to
   49  appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act,
   50  participating Selected school districts shall annually receive a
   51  maximum of $150 per full-time equivalent student in kindergarten
   52  through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive music
   53  education program.
   54         (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
   55  program, a participating selected school district must annually
   56  certify to the department commissioner, in a format prescribed
   57  by the department, that each specified elementary school within
   58  the district provides a comprehensive music education program
   59  that meets the requirements of subsection (2). If a
   60  participating selected school district fails to provide the
   61  annual certification for a fiscal year, the school district must
   62  return all funds received through the pilot program for that
   63  fiscal year.
   64         (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education, in
   65  collaboration with Florida International University’s School of
   66  Music, shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by
   67  measuring student academic performance and the success of the
   68  program. The evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a
   69  quantitative analysis of student achievement and a qualitative
   70  evaluation of students enrolled in the comprehensive music
   71  education programs. The results of the evaluation must be shared
   72  with the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated
   73  Teaching upon completion of the evaluation.
   74         (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   75  administer this section.
   76         (6) This section expires June 30, 2023.
   77         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.