Bill Text: FL S0848 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program [SPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 [S0848 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S0848-Introduced.html

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Florida Senate - 2010                                     SB 848 
 
By Senator Rich 
34-00611A-10                                           2010848__ 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to the Voluntary Prekindergarten 
3         Education Program; amending ss. 1002.55 and 1002.63, 
4         F.S.; providing that prekindergarten instructors in 
5         school-year prekindergarten programs delivered by 
6         private providers and public schools must meet new 
7         professional credentialing requirements beginning July 
8         1, 2013; deleting provisions relating to alternate 
9         educational credentials, to conform; amending ss. 
10         1002.61 and 1007.23, F.S.; conforming cross-references 
11         to changes made by the act; repealing s. 1002.65, 
12         F.S., relating to aspirational goals for the 
13         professional credentials of prekindergarten 
14         instructors; providing an effective date. 
15 
16         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that there is a strong 
17  correlation between the state’s fiscal and economic well-being, 
18  the state’s workforce development, the skills and preparation of 
19  the state’s prekindergarten instructors, and the educational 
20  outcomes of students in the state’s Voluntary Prekindergarten 
21  Education Program, and 
22         WHEREAS, national studies have shown that the only 
23  prekindergarten education programs that demonstrate large long 
24  term economic gains and improve educational outcomes for 
25  prekindergarten education students are programs taught by 
26  teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 
27         WHEREAS, children who are enrolled in prekindergarten 
28  education programs taught by teachers who hold a bachelor’s 
29  degree or higher save taxpayer dollars by reducing costs 
30  associated with K-12 student remediation, student dropouts, 
31  juvenile and criminal justice, law enforcement, and other public 
32  safety and assistance programs, and 
33         WHEREAS, for the 2008-2009 school year, the rate of 
34  Florida’s third grade students who were not promoted to fourth 
35  grade was 6.64 percent, and 
36         WHEREAS, the number of prekindergarten through third grade 
37  students who are not promoted to the next grade costs Florida’s 
38  taxpayers in excess of $330 million annually, and 
39         WHEREAS, investment in high-quality prekindergarten 
40  education programs is a cost-effective way to create a highly 
41  skilled future workforce and is an effective public policy 
42  strategy for generating wealth and achieving social and economic 
43  development, and 
44         WHEREAS, Florida can meet Voluntary Prekindergarten 
45  Education Program teacher capacity, based on graduation rates of 
46  students receiving bachelor’s degrees in early childhood 
47  education, by offering full reciprocity for teacher 
48  certificateholders from other states; by employing teachers who 
49  are currently being terminated due to the declining trends in K 
50  12 student growth; and by continuing to support a bachelor’s 
51  degree career ladder for existing nondegreed teachers, NOW, 
52  THEREFORE, 
53 
54  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
55 
56         Section 1. Section 1002.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to 
57  read: 
58         1002.55 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by 
59  private prekindergarten providers.— 
60         (1) Each early learning coalition shall administer the 
61  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program at the county or 
62  regional level for students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(a) in a 
63  school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a private 
64  prekindergarten provider. 
65         (2) Each school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a 
66  private prekindergarten provider must comprise at least 540 
67  instructional hours. 
68         (3) To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program, 
69  a private prekindergarten provider must meet each of the 
70  following requirements: 
71         (a) The private prekindergarten provider must be a child 
72  care facility licensed under s. 402.305, family day care home 
73  licensed under s. 402.313, large family child care home licensed 
74  under s. 402.3131, nonpublic school exempt from licensure under 
75  s. 402.3025(2), or faith-based child care provider exempt from 
76  licensure under s. 402.316. 
77         (b) The private prekindergarten provider must: 
78         1. Be accredited by an accrediting association that is a 
79  member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation, 
80  the Commission on International and Trans-Regional 
81  Accreditation, or the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic 
82  Schools and have written accreditation standards that meet or 
83  exceed the state’s licensing requirements under s. 402.305, s. 
84  402.313, or s. 402.3131 and require at least one onsite visit to 
85  the provider or school before accreditation is granted; 
86         2. Hold a current Gold Seal Quality Care designation under 
87  s. 402.281; or 
88         3. Be licensed under s. 402.305, s. 402.313, or s. 402.3131 
89  and demonstrate, before delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten 
90  Education Program, as verified by the early learning coalition, 
91  that the provider meets each of the requirements of the program 
92  under this part, including, but not limited to, the requirements 
93  for credentials and background screenings of prekindergarten 
94  instructors under paragraphs (c) and (d), minimum and maximum 
95  class sizes under paragraph (f), prekindergarten director 
96  credentials under paragraph (g), and a developmentally 
97  appropriate curriculum under s. 1002.67(2)(b). 
98         (c)1. The private prekindergarten provider must have, for 
99  each prekindergarten class composed of fewer than 11 students, 
100  at least one prekindergarten instructor who holds: 
101         a. A bachelor’s or higher degree in early childhood 
102  education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool 
103  education, or family and consumer science; or 
104         b. A bachelor’s or higher degree in elementary education, 
105  if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach 
106  children any age from birth through grade 6, regardless of 
107  whether the instructor’s educator certificate is current, and if 
108  the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school 
109  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked. 
110         2. The private prekindergarten provider must have, for each 
111  prekindergarten class composed of 11 or more students: 
112         a. One prekindergarten instructor who meets the 
113  requirements of subparagraph 1.; and 
114         b. One prekindergarten instructor who meets the following 
115  requirements: 
116         (I) Holds, at a minimum, a child development associate 
117  credential issued by the National Credentialing Program of the 
118  Council for Professional Recognition or a credential approved by 
119  the Department of Children and Family Services as being 
120  equivalent to or greater than the child development associate 
121  credential. 
122         (II) Successfully completes an emergent literacy training 
123  course approved by the Department of Education as meeting or 
124  exceeding the minimum standards adopted under s. 1002.59. 
125         (c) The private prekindergarten provider must have, for 
126  each prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten 
127  instructor who meets each of the following requirements: 
128         1. The prekindergarten instructor must hold, at a minimum, 
129  one of the following credentials: 
130         a. A child development associate credential issued by the 
131  National Credentialing Program of the Council for Professional 
132  Recognition; or 
133         b. A credential approved by the Department of Children and 
134  Family Services as being equivalent to or greater than the 
135  credential described in sub-subparagraph a. 
136 
137  The Department of Children and Family Services may adopt rules 
138  under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 which provide criteria and 
139  procedures for approving equivalent credentials under sub 
140  subparagraph b. 
141         2. The prekindergarten instructor must successfully 
142  complete an emergent literacy training course approved by the 
143  department as meeting or exceeding the minimum standards adopted 
144  under s. 1002.59. This subparagraph does not apply to a 
145  prekindergarten instructor who successfully completes approved 
146  training in early literacy and language development under s. 
147  402.305(2)(d)5., s. 402.313(6), or s. 402.3131(5) before the 
148  establishment of one or more emergent literacy training courses 
149  under s. 1002.59 or April 1, 2005, whichever occurs later. 
150         (d) Each prekindergarten instructor employed by the private 
151  prekindergarten provider must be of good moral character, must 
152  be screened using the level 2 screening standards in s. 435.04 
153  before employment and rescreened at least once every 5 years, 
154  must be denied employment or terminated if required under s. 
155  435.06, and must not be ineligible to teach in a public school 
156  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked. 
157         (e) A private prekindergarten provider may assign a 
158  substitute instructor to temporarily replace a credentialed 
159  instructor if the credentialed instructor assigned to a 
160  prekindergarten class is absent, as long as the substitute 
161  instructor is of good moral character and has been screened 
162  before employment in accordance with level 2 background 
163  screening requirements in chapter 435. The Agency for Workforce 
164  Innovation shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph which 
165  shall include required qualifications of substitute instructors 
166  and the circumstances and time limits for which a private 
167  prekindergarten provider may assign a substitute instructor. 
168         (f) Each of the private prekindergarten provider’s 
169  prekindergarten classes must be composed of at least 4 students 
170  but may not exceed 18 students. In order to protect the health 
171  and safety of students, each private prekindergarten provider 
172  must also provide appropriate adult supervision for students at 
173  all times and, for Each prekindergarten class composed of 11 or 
174  more students must meet the requirements in subparagraph (c)2. 
175  for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in addition to a 
176  prekindergarten instructor who meets the requirements of 
177  paragraph (c), at least one adult prekindergarten instructor who 
178  is not required to meet those requirements but who must meet 
179  each requirement of paragraph (d). This paragraph does not 
180  supersede any requirement imposed on a provider under ss. 
181  402.301-402.319. 
182         (g) Before the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the 
183  private prekindergarten provider must have a prekindergarten 
184  director who has a prekindergarten director credential that is 
185  approved by the department as meeting or exceeding the minimum 
186  standards adopted under s. 1002.57. Successful completion of a 
187  child care facility director credential under s. 402.305(2)(f) 
188  before the establishment of the prekindergarten director 
189  credential under s. 1002.57 or July 1, 2006, whichever occurs 
190  later, satisfies the requirement for a prekindergarten director 
191  credential under this paragraph. 
192         (h) The private prekindergarten provider must register with 
193  the early learning coalition on forms prescribed by the Agency 
194  for Workforce Innovation. 
195         (i) The private prekindergarten provider must deliver the 
196  Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with 
197  this part. 
198         (4) A prekindergarten instructor, in lieu of the minimum 
199  credentials and courses required under paragraph (3)(c), may 
200  hold one of the following educational credentials: 
201         (a) A bachelor’s or higher degree in early childhood 
202  education, prekindergarten or primary education, preschool 
203  education, or family and consumer science; 
204         (b) A bachelor’s or higher degree in elementary education, 
205  if the prekindergarten instructor has been certified to teach 
206  children any age from birth through 6th grade, regardless of 
207  whether the instructor’s educator certificate is current, and if 
208  the instructor is not ineligible to teach in a public school 
209  because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked; 
210         (c) An associate’s or higher degree in child development; 
211         (d) An associate’s or higher degree in an unrelated field, 
212  at least 6 credit hours in early childhood education or child 
213  development, and at least 480 hours of experience in teaching or 
214  providing child care services for children any age from birth 
215  through 8 years of age; or 
216         (e) An educational credential approved by the department as 
217  being equivalent to or greater than an educational credential 
218  described in this subsection. The department may adopt criteria 
219  and procedures for approving equivalent educational credentials 
220  under this paragraph. 
221         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 1002.61, Florida 
222  Statutes, is amended to read: 
223         1002.61 Summer prekindergarten program delivered by public 
224  schools and private prekindergarten providers.— 
225         (4) Notwithstanding ss. 1002.55(3)(c)1. and 1002.63(4), 
226  each public school and private prekindergarten provider must 
227  have, for each prekindergarten class, at least one 
228  prekindergarten instructor who: 
229         (a) Is a certified teacher; or 
230         (b) Holds one of the educational credentials specified in 
231  s. 1002.55(3)(c)1.(4)(a) or (b). 
232 
233  As used in this subsection, the term “certified teacher” means a 
234  teacher holding a valid Florida educator certificate under s. 
235  1012.56 who has the qualifications required by the district 
236  school board to instruct students in the summer prekindergarten 
237  program. In selecting instructional staff for the summer 
238  prekindergarten program, each school district shall give 
239  priority to teachers who have experience or coursework in early 
240  childhood education. 
241         Section 3. Subsections (4) and (7) of section 1002.63, 
242  Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
243         1002.63 School-year prekindergarten program delivered by 
244  public schools.— 
245         (4) Each prekindergarten class in a public school 
246  delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must meet the 
247  requirements in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for prekindergarten 
248  instructors. Each public school must have, for each 
249  prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten instructor 
250  who meets each requirement in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for a 
251  prekindergarten instructor of a private prekindergarten 
252  provider. 
253         (7) Each prekindergarten class in a public school 
254  delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must be 
255  composed of at least 4 students but may not exceed 18 students. 
256  In order to protect the health and safety of students, each 
257  school must also provide appropriate adult supervision for 
258  students at all times and, for Each prekindergarten class 
259  composed of 11 or more students must meet the requirements in s. 
260  1002.55(3)(c)2. for prekindergarten instructors, must have, in 
261  addition to a prekindergarten instructor who meets the 
262  requirements of s. 1002.55(3)(c), at least one adult 
263  prekindergarten instructor who is not required to meet those 
264  requirements but who must meet each requirement of subsection 
265  (5). 
266         Section 4. Subsection (5) of section 1007.23, Florida 
267  Statutes, is amended to read: 
268         1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.— 
269         (5) The articulation agreement must guarantee the 
270  articulation of 9 credit hours toward a postsecondary degree in 
271  early childhood education for programs approved by the State 
272  Board of Education and the Board of Governors which: 
273         (a) Award a child development associate credential issued 
274  by the National Credentialing Program of the Council for 
275  Professional Recognition or award a credential approved under s. 
276  1002.55(3)(c)2.1.b. or s. 402.305(3)(c) as being equivalent to 
277  the child development associate credential; and 
278         (b) Include training in emergent literacy which meets or 
279  exceeds the minimum standards for training courses for 
280  prekindergarten instructors of the Voluntary Prekindergarten 
281  Education Program in s. 1002.59. 
282         Section 5. Section 1002.65, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 
283         Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.