Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1630
By Senator Rodriguez
37-00639A-17 20171630__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to English language learners; creating
3 s. 1003.562, F.S.; creating the English Language
4 Learner Advisory Council within the Department of
5 Education; providing the purpose of the advisory
6 council; specifying the composition of the advisory
7 council and providing for appointment of members and
8 the terms they serve; providing meeting requirements;
9 requiring the advisory council to identify certain
10 issues; requiring the advisory council to publish
11 certain meeting and council information on a website;
12 requiring the advisory council to submit an annual
13 report to the Governor, the Legislature, the chairs of
14 the State Board of Education and Board of Governors,
15 and the Commissioner of Education; providing for staff
16 and administrative support; providing an effective
17 date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Section 1003.562, Florida Statutes, is created
22 to read:
23 1003.562 English Language Learner Advisory Council.—
24 (1) The English Language Learner Advisory Council, an
25 advisory council as defined in s. 20.03, is created within the
26 Department of Education to review English language learner (ELL)
27 data and identify areas in which improvement is needed.
28 (2) The advisory council is composed of the following
29 members:
30 (a) The Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee,
31 who shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting member and be the
32 chair of the advisory council.
33 (b) The director of the Office of Policy and Budget of the
34 Executive Office of the Governor, or his or her designee, who
35 shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting member.
36 (c) The chair of the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus,
37 or his or her designee.
38 (d) The chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, or
39 his or her designee.
40 (e) One member of the English for Speakers of Other
41 Languages (ESOL) Parent Leadership Council, appointed by the
42 bureau chief of the Bureau of Student Achievement through
43 Language Acquisition of the Department of Education.
44 (f) Two members of the public, who shall be appointed by
45 the Commissioner of Education as follows:
46 1. One member who has professional or occupational
47 expertise in university-level preparation of ESOL or bilingual
48 education teachers and in second-language research; and
49 2. One member who has professional or occupational
50 expertise in college-level preparation of ESOL or bilingual
51 education teachers.
52 (g) Twelve members who have professional or occupational
53 expertise in, or who are generally knowledgeable about, issues
54 that relate to programs and services for ELLs and who are the
55 chairs of each of the following organizations, or their
56 designees:
57 1. Sunshine State TESOL of Florida.
58 2. The Florida Association of Bilingual/ESOL Supervisors,
59 Inc.
60 3. League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
61 Florida.
62 4. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored
63 People Florida State Conference.
64 5. The Florida Parent Teacher Association.
65 6. The ESOL parent leadership council in the same district
66 as the member nominated by the Florida PTA.
67 7. The Florida League of Cities.
68 8. The Florida Foreign Language Association.
69 9. The Florida Educational Research Association.
70 10. The Florida School Boards Association.
71 11. The Florida Education Association.
72 12. The Florida Association of District School
73 Superintendents.
74 (3)(a) Members of the advisory council shall serve 4-year
75 terms, except that initially, to provide for staggered terms,
76 the chair of the advisory council shall appoint seven members to
77 serve 2-year terms.
78 (b) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the
79 original appointment. A vacancy occurring on the advisory
80 council before the expiration of a term shall be filled for the
81 remainder of the unexpired term. A member of the advisory
82 council may be reappointed.
83 (4) Each member of the advisory council shall serve without
84 compensation but may be reimbursed for per diem and travel
85 expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.
86 (5) The advisory council shall hold its first meeting no
87 later than October 1, 2017, and meet at least once per quarter
88 each calendar year thereafter. Meetings may be held via
89 teleconference or other electronic means; however, the advisory
90 council must meet in person during its first meeting of each
91 year.
92 (6) The advisory council must identify the three most
93 pressing ELL issues, selected by the advisory council members at
94 their first quarterly meeting each year, related to the
95 following topics:
96 (a) Reform initiatives that address statewide ELL
97 accountability policies, including research-based assessment
98 accommodations and ESOL program entry and exit criteria
99 appropriate for ELLs.
100 (b) Proposed changes to state law, including, but not
101 limited to, State Board of Education rules; the state plan
102 adopted under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act; and
103 agreements with the Federal Government which would remove
104 barriers to or enhance the implementation of education programs
105 offered to ELLs.
106 (c) Proposed changes to teacher preparation and credential
107 standards, professional development and inservice education,
108 ESOL program models, and instructional materials and strategies.
109 (d) The best methods for increasing parental engagement in
110 ELL programs.
111 (e) Proposed funding allocations for ELL programs.
112 (f) Proposed changes needed in resources allocated to the
113 State University System and the Florida College System to
114 achieve improved outcomes for ELLs in middle and secondary
115 schools, to increase the state’s ELL graduation rate, and expand
116 the capabilities of ESOL or bilingual programs in
117 prekindergarten through grade 12.
118 (g) Other matters identified by advisory council members.
119 (7) The advisory council shall publish meeting notices,
120 agendas, resource materials, and reports on a website and shall
121 allow the public to attend meetings virtually or in person.
122 (8) By February 1 of each year, the advisory council shall
123 submit a written report to the Governor, the President of the
124 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chair
125 of the State Board of Education, the chair of the Board of
126 Governors, and the Commissioner of Education containing the
127 advisory council’s recommendations on the issues identified in
128 subsection (6).
129 (9) The Department of Education shall provide staff and
130 administrative support for the advisory council.
131 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.