Florida Senate - 2023 SB 478 By Senator Perry 9-01076-23 2023478__ 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 programs administration from the 8 Commissioner of Education to the Department of 9 Education; revising criteria for a school districts 10 eligibility to participate in the program; deleting an 11 obsolete provision requiring the University of 12 Floridas College of Education to conduct a specified 13 evaluation; abrogating the scheduled expiration of 14 provisions governing the program; providing an 15 effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1.Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is amended 20 to read: 21 1003.481Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot 22 Program. 23 (1)The Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot 24 Program is created within the Department of Education. The 25 purpose of the pilot program is to assist participating selected 26 school districts in implementing comprehensive music education 27 programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2. 28 (2)A school district is eligible for participation in the 29 pilot program if the superintendent certifies to the department 30 Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed by the 31 department, that specified elementary schools within the 32 district have established a comprehensive music education 33 program that: 34 (a)Includes all students at the school enrolled in 35 kindergarten through grade 2. 36 (b)Is staffed by certified music educators. 37 (c)Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive 38 minutes 2 days a week. 39 (d)Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03. 40 (e)Complies with the departments standards for early 41 childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten 42 through grade 2. 43 (3)(a)The department commissioner shall approve select 44 school districts for participation in the pilot program, subject 45 to legislative appropriation, based on the school districts 46 proximity to the University of Florida and needs-based criteria 47 established by the State Board of Education. Participating 48 Selected school districts shall annually receive $150 per full 49 time equivalent student in kindergarten through grade 2 who is 50 enrolled in a comprehensive music education program. 51 (b)To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot 52 program, a participating selected school district must annually 53 certify to the department commissioner, in a format prescribed 54 by the department, that each specified elementary school within 55 the district provides a comprehensive music education program 56 that meets the requirements of subsection (2). If a 57 participating selected school district fails to provide the 58 annual certification for a fiscal year, the school district must 59 return all funds received through the pilot program for that 60 fiscal year. 61 (4)The University of Floridas College of Education, in 62 collaboration with Florida International Universitys School of 63 Music, shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by 64 measuring student academic performance and the success of the 65 program. The evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a 66 quantitative analysis of student achievement and a qualitative 67 evaluation of students enrolled in the comprehensive music 68 education programs. The results of the evaluation must be shared 69 with the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated 70 Teaching upon completion of the evaluation. 71 (5)The State Board of Education may adopt rules to 72 administer this section. 73 (6)This section expires June 30, 2023. 74 Section 2.This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.