Florida 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1601 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to computer science instruction in K -2
16	16	12 public schools; amending s. 1003.01, F.S.; defining 3
17	17	the terms "computational thinking" and "computer 4
18	18	science"; creating s. 1003.4202, F.S.; requiring 5
19	19	computer science courses to be included in the Cou rse 6
20	20	Code Directory and published on the Department of 7
21	21	Education's website; requiring the Florida Virtual 8
22	22	School to offer certain computer science courses; 9
23	23	requiring school districts to provide instruction in 10
24	24	computer science; providing requirements for the 11
25	25	instruction; requiring school districts to provide 12
26	26	students with access to computer science courses 13
27	27	through the Florida Virtual School or by other means 14
28	28	under certain circumstances; requiring high school 15
29	29	students to be provided opportunities to take certa in 16
30	30	computer science courses for specified purposes; 17
31	31	authorizing elementary and middle schools to establish 18
32	32	digital classrooms for specified purposes; subject to 19
33	33	legislative appropriation, authorizing school 20
34	34	districts and consortiums of school districts to apply 21
35	35	to the department for funding for specified purposes; 22
36	36	providing requirements for such funding; defining the 23
37	37	term "instructional personnel"; subject to legislative 24
38	38	appropriation, providing for bonuses for certain 25
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40	40	HB 1601 2023
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51	instructional personnel; providing req uirements for 26
52	52	such bonuses; providing for the carryforward of 27
53	53	certain funds; providing for rulemaking; repealing s. 28
54	54	1007.2616, F.S., relating to computer science and 29
55	55	technology instruction; providing an effective date. 30
56	56	31
57	57	Be It Enacted by the Legislatu re of the State of Florida: 32
58	58	33
59	59	Section 1. Subsections (18) and (19) are added to section 34
60	60	1003.01, Florida Statutes, to read: 35
61	61	1003.01 Definitions. —As used in this chapter, the term: 36
62	62	(18) "Computational thinking" means the thought processes 37
63	63	involved in expressing solutions as computational steps or 38
64	64	algorithms that can be carried out by a computer. 39
65	65	(19) "Computer science" means the study of computers and 40
66	66	algorithmic processes, including their principles, hardware and 41
67	67	software designs, applications, imp lementation, and impact on 42
68	68	society, including, but not limited to, computer coding, 43
69	69	computer programming, and computational thinking. 44
70	70	Section 2. Section 1003.4202, Florida Statutes, is created 45
71	71	to read: 46
72	72	1003.4202 Computer science instruction in K -12 public 47
73	73	schools.— 48
74	74	(1) Computer science courses must be identified in the 49
75	75	Course Code Directory and published on the Department of 50
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77	77	HB 1601 2023
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	Education's website. Additional computer science courses may be 51
89	89	subsequently identified and posted on the Department of 52
90	90	Education's website. 53
91	91	(2)(a) The Florida Virtual School shall offer computer 54
92	92	science courses identified in the Course Code Directory pursuant 55
93	93	to subsection (1). 56
94	94	(b) School districts shall provide instruction in computer 57
95	95	science as follows: 58
96	96	1. Each public elementary school may provide computer 59
97	97	science instruction with the intent to provide a foundation for 60
98	98	future computer usage, digital literacy, and computer science 61
99	99	instruction. 62
100	100	2. Each public middle and high school shall provide 63
101	101	computer science instructi on. 64
102	102	(c) If a school district does not offer a computer science 65
103	103	course identified in the Course Code Directory, the district 66
104	104	must provide students with access to the course through the 67
105	105	Florida Virtual School or through other means approved by the 68
106	106	department. 69
107	107	(d) High school students must be provided opportunities to 70
108	108	take computer science courses that lead to technology -related 71
109	109	industry certifications and satisfy high school graduation 72
110	110	requirements pursuant to s. 1003.4282(3). Computer science 73
111	111	courses and technology-related industry certifications 74
112	112	identified by the Commissioner of Education as eligible to meet 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	the mathematics or science credit graduation requirement for 76
126	126	high school graduation under s. 1003.4282(3) must be included in 77
127	127	the Course Code Directory. 78
128	128	(e) Public elementary and middle schools may establish 79
129	129	digital classrooms where students are provided opportunities to 80
130	130	improve their digital literacy and competency; learn digital 81
131	131	skills, including computer science, multimedia presentations, 82
132	132	and the manipulation of multiple digital graphic images; and 83
133	133	earn CAPE Digital Tool Certificates and CAPE industry 84
134	134	certifications pursuant to s. 1003.4203 and grade -appropriate, 85
135	135	technology-related industry certifications. 86
136	136	(3)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a school 87
137	137	district or consortium of school districts may apply to the 88
138	138	department, by a date and in a format prescribed by the 89
139	139	department, for funding to deliver or facilitate training for 90
140	140	instructional personnel to earn an educator certificate in 91
141	141	computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 or a technology -related 92
142	142	industry certification associated with a course identified in 93
143	143	the Course Code Directory pursuant to subsection (1) or for 94
144	144	professional development for instructional personnel to provide 95
145	145	instruction in computer science. Such funding must be used only 96
146	146	to: 97
147	147	1. Provide training pursuant to this paragraph for 98
148	148	instructional personnel. 99
149	149	2. Pay fees for examinations that lead to a credential for 100
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158	158	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162	instructional personnel. 101
163	163	3. Provide professional development f or instructional 102
164	164	personnel. 103
165	165	(b) The department shall establish a deadline for 104
166	166	submitting applications for funding. The department shall award 105
167	167	funding in an equitable manner that accounts for the unique 106
168	168	needs of small or rural school districts. 107
169	169	(c) For purposes of this section, the term "instructional 108
170	170	personnel" has the same meaning as in s. 1012.01(2)(a), (b), and 109
171	171	(c). 110
172	172	(4)(a) Subject to legislative appropriation, a member of 111
173	173	the instructional personnel who was evaluated as effective or 112
174	174	highly effective pursuant to s. 1012.34 in the previous school 113
175	175	year or who is newly hired by the district school board and has 114
176	176	not been evaluated pursuant to s. 1012.34 must receive a bonus 115
177	177	as follows: 116
178	178	1. If the member of the instructional personnel holds an 117
179	179	educator certificate in computer science pursuant to s. 1012.56 118
180	180	or if he or she has passed the computer science subject area 119
181	181	examination and holds an adjunct certificate issued by a school 120
182	182	district pursuant to s. 1012.57, he or she must receive a bonus 121
183	183	of $1,000 after each year he or she completes teaching a 122
184	184	computer science course identified in the Course Code Directory 123
185	185	pursuant to subsection (1) at a public elementary, middle, high, 124
186	186	or combination school for up to 3 years. 125
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199	199	2. If the member of the instructional pe rsonnel holds an 126
200	200	industry certification associated with a course identified in 127
201	201	the Course Code Directory pursuant to subsection (1), he or she 128
202	202	must receive a bonus of $500 after each year he or she completes 129
203	203	teaching the identified course at a public eleme ntary, middle, 130
204	204	high, or combination school for up to 3 years. 131
205	205	(b) A school district shall report a member of the 132
206	206	instructional personnel who is eligible for a bonus under this 133
207	207	subsection to the department by a date and in a format 134
208	208	established by the depa rtment. An eligible member of the 135
209	209	instructional personnel shall receive his or her bonus upon 136
210	210	completion of the school year in which he or she taught the 137
211	211	computer science course. A member of the instructional personnel 138
212	212	may not receive more than one bonus p er year under this 139
213	213	subsection. 140
214	214	(5) Any unexpended balance of funds appropriated pursuant 141
215	215	to this section shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year 142
216	216	for the same purpose. 143
217	217	(6) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to 144
218	218	administer this sectio n. 145
219	219	Section 3. Section 1007.2616, Florida Statutes, is 146
220	220	repealed. 147
221	221	Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 148