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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
1
An act relating to education; amending s. 1002.321, 2
F.S.; providing for the award of grants to school 3
districts to implement artificial intelligence in 4
support of students and teachers; providing 5
requirements for the use of such artificial 6
intelligence; amending s. 1002.411, F.S.; expanding 7
eligibility for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts to 8
certain students enrolled in the Voluntary 9
Prekindergarten Educat ion Program; revising program 10
eligibility criteria; revising eligible expenses for 11
students who have an account; requiring parents to use 12
a specified system to make direct purchases if such 13
system is available; providing that certain 14
organizations are admi nistrators for purposes of 15
establishing scholarship accounts; revising school 16
district and private prekindergarten provider 17
notification requirements; revising requirements for 18
the Department of Education to release scholarship 19
funds; authorizing certain o rganizations to develop a 20
system for the direct purchase of qualifying 21
expenditures; deleting provisions relating to fund 22
transfers and certain payment methods; deleting a 23
requirement for quarterly payments of scholarships; 24
amending s. 1003.01, F.S.; confo rming a cross-25
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reference; amending s. 1003.485, F.S.; providing that 26
the University of Florida Lastinger Center for 27
Learning is the administrator for the New Worlds 28
Reading Initiative; revising definitions; deleting a 29
requirement that the department designa te an 30
administrator for the initiative; requiring the 31
department to provide specified data to the 32
administrator within specified timeframe; requiring 33
the administrator to include certain information in a 34
specified annual report; revising eligibility criter ia 35
for the initiative; deleting obsolete language; 36
amending s. 1003.499, F.S.; conforming a cross -37
reference; creating s. 1004.646, F.S.; creating the 38
Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of 39
Florida; providing duties and responsibilities of the 40
center; amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; making technical 41
changes; requiring progress monitoring results to be 42
provided to prekindergarten instructors within a 43
specified timeframe; creating s. 1008.366, F.S.; 44
providing for the future repeal of s. 1004.646, F.S.; 45
creating s. 1004.561, F.S.; creating the Lastinger 46
Center for Learning at the University of Florida; 47
providing duties and responsibilities of the center; 48
providing an appropriation; creating s. 1008.366, 49
F.S.; creating the New Worlds Tutoring Program to 50
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provide specified academic support for students; 51
providing the purpose of the program; requiring the 52
administrator of the program to annually provide a 53
report to the Legislature and the Commissioner of 54
Education by a specified date; providing an effective 55
date. 56
57
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 58
59
Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 1002.321, 60
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (5) and (6), 61
respectively, and subsection (3) of that section is amended to 62
read: 63
1002.321 Digital learning. — 64
(3) CUSTOMIZED AND ACCELERATED LEARNING. —Artificial 65
intelligence provides opportunities to customize and accelerate 66
learning for students and reduce teacher workload. A school 67
district may receive grant funds for subscript ion fees and 68
professional learning to support and accelerate learning for 69
students in grades 6 through 12 during the school day. Grant 70
recipients must select an artificial intelligence platform that: 71
(a) Uses large language models based on GPT -4, its 72
equivalent, or a successor, and is on a closed system. 73
(b) Provides professional learning to teachers. 74
(c) Provides one-on-one tutoring aligned to the Benchmarks 75
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for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for reading 76
and mathematics. 77
(d) Provides standards-aligned lesson plans and provides 78
insights on student progress. 79
(e) Provides district and school -level reporting and 80
parental access to artificial intelligence interactions. 81
(4) VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION. —A school district must establish 82
multiple opportunities for student participation in part -time 83
and full-time kindergarten through grade 12 virtual instruction. 84
Options include, but are not limited to: 85
(a) School district operated part -time or full-time 86
virtual instruction programs under s. 1 002.45(1)(b) for 87
kindergarten through grade 12 students enrolled in the school 88
district. A full-time program shall operate under its own Master 89
School Identification Number. 90
(b) Florida Virtual School instructional services 91
authorized under s. 1002.37. 92
(c) Blended learning instruction provided by charter 93
schools authorized under s. 1002.33. 94
(d) Virtual charter school instruction authorized under s. 95
1002.33. 96
(e) Courses delivered in the traditional school setting by 97
personnel providing direct instruction through virtual 98
instruction or through blended learning courses consisting of 99
both traditional classroom and online instructional techniques 100
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pursuant to s. 1003.498. 101
(f) Virtual courses offered in the course code di rectory 102
to students within the school district or to students in other 103
school districts throughout the state pursuant to s. 1003.498. 104
Section 2. Subsection (2), paragraph (a) of subsection 105
(3), subsections (4) and (6), and paragraphs (c) and (e) throug h 106
(h) of subsection (7) of section 1002.411, Florida Statutes, are 107
amended to read: 108
1002.411 New Worlds Scholarship Accounts. — 109
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—Contingent upon available funds, and on a 110
first-come, first-served basis, each student who is enrolled in 111
the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program pursuant to s. 112
1002.53 or a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade 113
5 is eligible for a scholarship account if the student: 114
(a) Exhibits a substantial deficiency in early literacy 115
skills based upon the results of the most recent progress 116
monitoring administered pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), has a 117
substantial reading deficiency or exhibits characteristics of 118
dyslexia as identified under s. 1008.25(5)(a) , or scored below a 119
Level 3 on the most recent statewide, standardized English 120
Language Arts (ELA) assessment in the prior school year . An 121
eligible student who is classified as an English Language 122
Learner and is enrolled in a program or receiving services that 123
are specifically designed to meet the instruc tional needs of 124
English Language Learner students shall receive priority. 125
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(b) Exhibits a substantial deficiency in early mathematics 126
skills based upon the results of the most recent progress 127
monitoring administered pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), has a 128
substantial deficiency in mathematics or the characteristics of 129
dyscalculia as identified under s. 1008.25(6)(a) , or scored 130
below a Level 3 on the most recent statewide, standardized 131
Mathematics assessment in the prior school year . 132
(3) PARENT AND STUDENT RESPO NSIBILITIES FOR 133
PARTICIPATION.— 134
(a) For an eligible student to receive a scholarship 135
account, the student's parent must: 136
1. Submit an application to an eligible nonprofit 137
scholarship-funding organization by the deadline established by 138
such organization; and 139
2. If available, utilize the administrator's system to 140
make direct purchases Submit eligible expenses to the eligible 141
nonprofit scholarship -funding organization for reimbursement of 142
qualifying expenditures, which may include: 143
a. Instructional mat erials. 144
b. Curriculum. As used in this sub -subparagraph, the term 145
"curriculum" means a complete course of study for a particular 146
content area or grade level, including any required supplemental 147
materials and associated online instruction. 148
c. Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring services 149
provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator's 150
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certificate pursuant to s. 1012.56, a person who holds a 151
baccalaureate or graduate degree in the subject area, a person 152
who holds an adjunct teaching certifica te pursuant to s. 153
1012.57, or a person who has demonstrated a mastery of subject 154
area knowledge pursuant to s. 1012.56(5) , a person who holds a 155
micro-credential under s. 1003.485, or, for a prekindergarten 156
student, a person who holds a credential under s. 157
1002.55(3)(c)1. or an educational credential under s. 158
1002.55(4)(a) or (b) . 159
d. Fees for summer education programs designed to improve 160
reading, literacy, or mathematics skills. 161
e. Fees for after-school education programs designed to 162
improve reading, lit eracy, or mathematics skills. 163
164
A provider of any services receiving payments pursuant to this 165
subparagraph may not share any moneys from the scholarship with, 166
or provide a refund or rebate of any moneys from such 167
scholarship to, the parent or participating student in any 168
manner. A parent, student, or provider of any services may not 169
bill an insurance company, Medicaid, or any other agency for the 170
same services that are paid for using scholarship funds. 171
(4) ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATION.—An eligible nonprofit 172
scholarship-funding organization as defined in s. 1002.395(2) 173
shall be the administrator and participating in the Florida Tax 174
Credit Scholarship Program established by s. 1002.395 may 175
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establish scholarship accounts for eligible students in 176
accordance with the requirements of eligible nonprofit 177
scholarship-funding organizations under this chapter. 178
(6) SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PRIVATE PREKINDERGARTEN PROVIDER 179
OBLIGATIONS; PARENTAL OPTIONS. — 180
(a) Each By September 30, the school district and private 181
prekindergarten provider shall notify the parent of each 182
eligible student of the process to request and receive a 183
scholarship, subject to available funds , when providing results 184
from the standardized coordinated screening and progress 185
monitoring pursuant to s. 1008 .25(9)(c). 186
(b) A school district may not prohibit instructional 187
personnel from providing services pursuant to this section on 188
the instructional personnel's school campus outside regular work 189
hours, subject to school district policies for safety and 190
security operations to protect students, instructional 191
personnel, and educational facilities. 192
(7) ACCOUNT FUNDING AND PAYMENT. — 193
(c) Upon notification from the eligible nonprofit 194
scholarship-funding organization that a student being has been 195
determined eligible for a scholarship, the department shall , 196
within 45 days, release the student's scholarship funds to such 197
organization to be deposited into the student's account. 198
(e) The eligible nonprofit scholarship -funding 199
organization may develop a system that permits eligible students 200
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to use program funds to make direct purchases of qualifying 201
expenditures for payment of scholarship funds by funds transfer, 202
including, but not limited to, debit cards, electronic payment 203
cards, or any other means of payment that the department deems 204
to be commercially viable or cost -effective. A student's 205
scholarship award may not be reduced for debit card or 206
electronic payment fees . Commodities or services related to the 207
development of such a system shall be procured by comp etitive 208
solicitation unless they are purchased from a state term 209
contract pursuant to s. 287.056. 210
(f) Payment of the scholarship shall be made by the 211
eligible nonprofit scholarship -funding organization no less 212
frequently than on a quarterly basis. 213
(f)(g) Moneys received pursuant to this section do not 214
constitute taxable income to the qualified student or his or her 215
parent. 216
(g)(h) A student's scholarship account must be closed and 217
any remaining funds shall revert to the state after: 218
1. Denial or revocation of scholarship eligibility by the 219
commissioner for fraud or abuse, including, but not limited to, 220
the student or student's parent accepting any payment, refund, 221
or rebate, in any manner, from a provider of any services 222
received pursuant to subsection (3); or 223
2. Three consecutive fiscal years in which an account has 224
been inactive. 225
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Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 1003.01, Florida 226
Statutes, is amended to read: 227
1003.01 Definitions. —As used in this chapter, the term: 228
(5) "Core-curricula courses" means: 229
(a) Courses in language arts/reading, mathematics, social 230
studies, and science in prekindergarten through grade 3, 231
excluding extracurricular courses pursuant to subsection (11); 232
(b) Courses in grades 4 through 8 in subjec ts that are 233
measured by state assessment at any grade level and courses 234
required for middle school promotion, excluding extracurricular 235
courses pursuant to subsection (11); 236
(c) Courses in grades 9 through 12 in subjects that are 237
measured by state assessm ent at any grade level and courses that 238
are specifically identified by name in statute as required for 239
high school graduation and that are not measured by state 240
assessment, excluding extracurricular courses pursuant to 241
subsection (11); 242
(d) Exceptional student education courses; and 243
(e) English for Speakers of Other Languages courses. 244
245
The term is limited in meaning and used for the sole purpose of 246
designating classes that are subject to the maximum class size 247
requirements established in s. 1, Art. IX of the State 248
Constitution. This term does not include courses offered under 249
ss. 1002.321(4)(e) 1002.321(3)(e), 1002.33(7)(a)2.c., 1002.37, 250
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1002.45, and 1003.499. 251
Section 4. Section 1003.485, Florida Statutes, is amended 252
to read: 253
1003.485 The New Worlds Reading Initiative.— 254
(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 255
(a) "Administrator" means the a state University of 256
Florida Lastinger Center for Learning registered with the 257
department under s. 1002.395(15)(i) and designated to administer 258
the initiative under paragraph (3)(a) . 259
(b) "Annual tax credit amount" means, for any state fiscal 260
year, the sum of the amount of tax credits approved under 261
paragraph (5)(b), including tax credits to be taken under s. 262
211.0252, s. 212.1833, s. 220.1876, s. 5 61.1212, or s. 263
624.51056, which are approved for taxpayers whose taxable years 264
begin on or after January 1 of the calendar year preceding the 265
start of the applicable state fiscal year. 266
(c) "Department" means the Department of Education. 267
(d) "Division" means the Division of Alcoholic Beverages 268
and Tobacco of the Department of Business and Professional 269
Regulation. 270
(e) "Eligible contribution" means a monetary contribution 271
from a taxpayer, subject to the restrictions provided in this 272
section, to the admin istrator. 273
(f) "Initiative" means the New Worlds Reading Initiative. 274
(g) "Micro-credential" means evidence -based professional 275
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learning development activities grounded in the science of 276
reading which are competency -based, personalized, and on -demand. 277
Educators must demonstrate their competence via evidence 278
submitted and reviewed by trained evaluators. 279
(2) NEW WORLDS READING INITIATIVE; PURPOSE. —The purpose of 280
the New Worlds Reading Initiative established under the 281
department is to instill a love of read ing by providing high -282
quality, free books to students in prekindergarten through grade 283
5 who are reading below grade level and to improve the literacy 284
skills of students in prekindergarten through grade 12. The New 285
Worlds Reading Initiative shall consist o f: 286
(a) The program established under this section to provide 287
high-quality, free books to students. 288
(b) The New Worlds Scholarship Program under s. 1002.411. 289
(c) The New Worlds Scholar program under s. 1008.365, 290
which rewards high school students who instill a love of reading 291
and improve the literacy skills of students in kindergarten 292
through grade 3. 293
(d) The New Worlds micro-credential program established 294
under this section which emphasizes strong core instruction and 295
a tiered model of reading inter ventions for struggling readers. 296
(3) DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES. —The department shall: 297
(a) Designate an administrator to implement the initiative 298
and to receive funding as provided in this section. The 299
administrator must have an academic innovation in stitution with 300
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extensive experience in: 301
1. Conducting academic research in early literacy 302
instruction. 303
2. Implementing online delivery of early learning and 304
literacy training for educators nationally. 305
3. Developing online support materials that assist parents 306
and caregivers in developing early literacy skills. 307
4. Conducting fundraising and public awareness campaigns 308
to support the development and growth of evidence -based 309
educational initiatives that support learning at home and in 310
schools. 311
(a)(b) Publish information about the initiative and tax 312
credits under subsection (5) on its website, including the 313
process for a taxpayer to select the administrator as the 314
recipient of funding through a tax credi t. 315
(b)(c) Beginning September 30, 2022, and Annually 316
thereafter, report on its website the number of students 317
participating in the initiative in each school district, 318
information from the annual financial report under paragraph 319
(4)(j), and the academic a chievement and learning gains, as 320
applicable, of participating students based on data provided by 321
school districts as permitted under s. 1002.22. The department 322
shall establish a date by which the administrator and each 323
school district must annually provid e the data necessary to 324
complete the report. 325
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(c) Provide the administrator with progress monitoring 326
data for eligible prekindergarten through grade 12 students 327
within 30 days after the close of each progress monitoring 328
period. 329
(4) ADMINISTRATOR RESPONS IBILITIES.—The administrator 330
shall: 331
(a) Develop, in consultation with the Just Read, Florida! 332
Office under s. 1001.215, a selection of high -quality books 333
encompassing diverse subjects and genres for each grade level to 334
be mailed to students in the initia tive. 335
(b) Distribute books at no cost to students as provided in 336
paragraph (6)(c) either directly or through an agreement with a 337
book distribution company. 338
(c) Assist local implementation of the initiative by 339
providing marketing materials to school dis tricts and any 340
partnering nonprofit organizations to assist with public 341
awareness campaigns and other activities designed to increase 342
family engagement and instill a love of reading in students. 343
(d) Maintain a clearinghouse for information on national, 344
state, and local nonprofit organizations that support efforts to 345
improve literacy and provide books to children. 346
(e) Develop, for parents of students in the initiative, 347
resources and training materials that engage families in reading 348
and support the readi ng achievement of their students. The 349
administrator shall periodically send to parents hyperlinks to 350
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these resources and materials, including video modules, via text 351
message and e-mail. 352
(f) Provide professional learning development and 353
resources to teachers that correlate with the books provided 354
through the initiative. 355
(g) Develop, in consultation with the Just Read, Florida! 356
Office under s. 1001.215, an online repository of digital 357
science of reading materials and science of reading 358
instructional resources that is accessible to public school 359
teachers, school leaders, parents, and educator preparation 360
programs and associated faculty. 361
(h) Develop a micro -credential that requires teachers to 362
demonstrate competency to: 363
1. Diagnose literacy difficulties and determine the 364
appropriate range of literacy interventions based upon the age 365
and literacy deficiency of the student; 366
2. Use evidence-based instructional and intervention 367
practices grounded in the science of reading, including 368
strategies identified by the Just Read, Florida! Office pursuant 369
to s. 1001.215(7); and 370
3. Effectively use progress monitoring and intervention 371
materials. 372
(i) Administer the early literacy micro -credential program 373
established under this section, which must include components on 374
content, student learning, pedagogy, and professional learning 375
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development and must build on a strong foundation of 376
scientifically researched and evidence -based reading 377
instructional and intervention programs that incorporate 378
explicit, systematic, and s equential approaches to teaching 379
phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text 380
comprehension and incorporate decodable or phonetic text 381
instructional strategies, as identified by the Just Read, 382
Florida! Office, pursuant to s. 1001.215(7). 383
1. At a minimum, the micro -credential curriculum must be 384
designed specifically for instructional personnel in 385
prekindergarten through grade 3 based upon the strategies and 386
techniques identified in s. 1002.59 and address foundational 387
literacy skills of studen ts in grades 4 through 12. 388
2. The micro-credential must be competency based and 389
designed for eligible instructional personnel to complete the 390
credentialing process in no more than 60 hours, in an online 391
format. The micro-credential may be delivered in a n in-person 392
format. Eligible instructional personnel may receive the micro -393
credential once competency is demonstrated even if it is before 394
prior to the completion of 60 hours. 395
3. The micro-credential must be available by December 31, 396
2022, at no cost, to instructional personnel as defined in s. 397
1012.01(2); prekindergarten instructors as specified in ss. 398
1002.55, 1002.61, and 1002.63; and child care personnel as 399
defined in ss. 402.302(3) and 1002.88(1)(e). 400
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(j) Annually submit to the department an annual financial 401
report that includes, at a minimum, the amount of eligible 402
contributions received by the administrator; the amount spent on 403
each activity required by this subsection, including 404
administrative expenses; the number of micro-credentials and 405
reading endorsements earned; and the number of students and 406
households served under each component of the initiative, by 407
school district, including the means by which additional 408
literacy support was provided to students . 409
(k) Maintain separate accounts for operat ing funds and 410
funds for the purchase and delivery of books. 411
(l) Expend eligible contributions received only for the 412
purchase and delivery of books and to implement the requirements 413
of this section, as well as for administrative expenses not to 414
exceed 2 percent of total eligible contributions. 415
Notwithstanding s. 1002.395(6)(l)2., the administrator may carry 416
forward up to 25 percent of eligible contributions made before 417
January 1 of each state fiscal year and 100 percent of eligible 418
contributions made on or after January 1 of each state fiscal 419
year to the following state fiscal year for purposes authorized 420
by this subsection. Any eligible contributions in excess of the 421
allowable carry forward not used to provide additional books 422
throughout the year to eligib le students shall revert to the 423
state treasury. 424
(m) Upon receipt of a contribution, provide the taxpayer 425
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that made the contribution with a certificate of contribution. A 426
certificate of contribution must include the taxpayer's name 427
and, if available, its federal employer identification number; 428
the amount contributed; the date of contribution; and the name 429
of the administrator. 430
(6) ELIGIBILITY; NOTIFICATION; SCHOOL DISTRICT 431
OBLIGATIONS.— 432
(a) A student in prekindergarten through grade 5 must be 433
provided books through the initiative if the student is not yet 434
reading on grade level, has a substantial reading deficiency 435
identified under s. 1008.25(5)(a) or (b), has a substantial 436
deficiency in early literacy skills based upon the results of 437
the coordinated screening and progress monitoring under s. 438
1008.25(9), or scored below a Level 3 on the most recent 439
preceding year's statewide, standardized English Language Arts 440
assessment under s. 1008.22. 441
(b) Each school district shall notify the parent of a 442
student who meets the criteria under paragraph (a) that the 443
student is eligible to receive books at no cost through the New 444
Worlds Reading Initiative and provide the parent with the 445
application form developed by the administrator, which must 446
allow for the selection of specific book topics or genres for 447
the student. 448
(c) Once an eligible student is identified, the school 449
district shall coordinate with the administrator to initiate 450
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book delivery on a monthly basis during the school year, which 451
must begin no later than October and continue through at least 452
June. However, for the 2021 -2022 school year only, delivery may 453
begin no later than December 31, 2021, provided that no fewer 454
than 9 books are delivered to each student before book 455
deliveries begin for the 2022-2023 school year. 456
(d) Upon enrollment and at the beginning of each school 457
year, students must be provided options for specific book topics 458
or genres in order to maximize student interest in reading. 459
(e) A student's eligibility for the initiative c ontinues 460
until promotion to grade 6 or until the student's parent opts 461
out of the initiative. 462
(f) Each school district shall participate in the 463
initiative by partnering with local nonprofit organizations, 464
raising awareness of the initiative using marketi ng materials 465
developed by the administrator, coordinating book delivery, and 466
identifying students and notifying parents pursuant to this 467
subsection. 468
(g) Each school district shall coordinate with each 469
charter school it sponsors for purposes of identifyin g eligible 470
students, notifying parents, coordinating book delivery, 471
providing the opportunity to annually select book topics and 472
genres, and raising awareness of the initiative as provided by 473
this section. 474
(h) School districts and partnering nonprofit 475
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organizations shall raise awareness of the initiative, including 476
information on eligibility and video training modules under 477
paragraph (4)(e), through, at least, the following: 478
1. The student handbook and the read -at-home plan under s. 479
1008.25(5)(d). 480
2. A parent or curriculum night or separate initiative 481
awareness event at each elementary school. 482
3. Partnering with the county library to host awareness 483
events, which should coincide with other initiatives such as 484
library card drives, family library nights , summer access 485
events, and other family engagement programming. 486
(i) Each school district shall establish a data sharing 487
agreement with the initiative's administrator which allows for a 488
streamlined student verification and enrollment process. 489
(7) ADMINISTRATION; RULES.— 490
(a) The Department of Revenue, the division, and the 491
Department of Education may develop a cooperative agreement to 492
assist in the administration of this section, as needed. 493
(b) The Department of Revenue may adopt rules necessary to 494
administer this section and ss. 211.0252, 212.1833, 220.1876, 495
561.1212, and 624.51056, including rules establishing 496
application forms, procedures governing the approval of tax 497
credits and carryforward tax credits under subsection (5), and 498
procedures to be followed by taxpayers when claiming approved 499
tax credits on their returns. 500
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(c) The division may adopt rules necessary to administer 501
its responsibilities under this section and s. 561.1212. 502
(d) The Department of Education may adopt rules necessary 503
to administer this section. 504
(e) Notwithstanding any provision of s. 213.053 to the 505
contrary, sharing information with the division related to this 506
tax credit is considered the conduct of the Department of 507
Revenue's official duties as contemplated in s. 213.053 (8)(c), 508
and the Department of Revenue and the division are specifically 509
authorized to share information as needed to administer this 510
section. 511
Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 1003.499, Florida 512
Statutes, is amended to read: 513
1003.499 Florida Approv ed Courses and Tests (FACT) 514
Initiative.— 515
(2) FLORIDA APPROVED COURSES. —The Department of Education 516
shall annually publish online a list of providers approved to 517
offer Florida approved courses which shall be listed in the 518
online catalog pursuant to s. 1002.321(6) s. 1002.321(5). 519
(a) As used in this section, the term "Florida approved 520
courses" means online courses provided by individuals which 521
include, but are not limited to, massive open online courses or 522
remedial education associated with the courses th at are measured 523
pursuant to s. 1008.22. Massive open online courses may be 524
authorized in the following subject areas: Algebra I, biology, 525
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geometry, and civics. Courses may be applied toward requirements 526
for promotion or graduation in whole, in subparts, or in a 527
combination of whole and subparts. A student may not be required 528
to repeat subparts that are satisfactorily completed. 529
(b) A Florida approved course must be annually identified, 530
approved, published, and shared for consideration by interested 531
students and school districts. The Commissioner of Education 532
shall approve each Florida approved course for application in K -533
12 public schools in accordance with rules of the State Board of 534
Education. 535
Section 6. Section 1004.646, Florida Statutes, is created 536
to read: 537
1004.646 University of Florida Lastinger Center For 538
Learning.—There is created at the University of Florida, the 539
Lastinger Center for Learning. The center shall: 540
(1) Develop and administer programs to improve student 541
achievement outcomes in e arly learning, literacy, and 542
mathematics. 543
(2) Provide professional learning for educators to improve 544
the quality of instruction in early learning, literacy, and 545
mathematics. Professional learning shall include the development 546
of micro-credentials that require educators to demonstrate 547
competency. Micro-credentials must be provided at low or no cost 548
and be personalized, and may be provided online or in person. 549
(3) Provide technical assistance and support to school 550
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districts and schools in improving studen t achievement. 551
(4) Conduct and publish research on teaching and learning 552
in early learning, literacy, and mathematics as well as 553
professional learning for educators. 554
(5) This section is repealed effective July 1, 2024. 555
Section 7. Section 1004.561, Florida Statutes, is created 556
to read: 557
1004.561 University of Florida Lastinger Center For 558
Learning.—There is created at the University of Florida, the 559
Lastinger Center for Learning. The center shall: 560
(1) Develop and admini ster programs to improve student 561
achievement outcomes in early learning, literacy, and 562
mathematics. 563
(2) Provide professional learning for educators to improve 564
the quality of instruction in early learning, literacy, and 565
mathematics. Professional learning shall include the development 566
of micro-credentials that require educators to demonstrate 567
competency. Micro-credentials must be provided at low or no cost 568
and be personalized, and may be provided online or in person. 569
(3) Provide technical assistance and s upport to school 570
districts and schools in improving student achievement. 571
(4) Conduct and publish research on teaching and learning 572
in early learning, literacy, and mathematics as well as 573
professional learning for educators. 574
(5) Administer the New World s Tutoring Program that 575
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supports school districts and schools in improving student 576
achievement in reading and mathematics pursuant to s. 1008.366. 577
(6)(a) Collaborate with school districts on the 578
implementation of s. 1002.321(3) and award grant funds to 579
eligible recipients. 580
(b) The sum of $2 million in recurring funds from the 581
General Revenue Fund are appropriated to the University of 582
Florida Lastinger Center for Learning for the grants awarded 583
pursuant to this subsection. 584
Section 8. Paragraph (d) of subsection (5), paragraph (c) 585
of subsection (6), and paragraph (c) of subsection (9) of 586
section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 587
1008.25 Public school student progression; student 588
support; coordinated screening and progress monitoring; 589
reporting requirements. — 590
(5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. — 591
(d) The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial 592
deficiency in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be 593
notified in writing of the following: 594
1. That his or her child has been identified as having a 595
substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and 596
explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact 597
nature of the student's difficulty in learning and lack of 598
achievement in reading. 599
2. A description of the current services that are provided 600
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to the child. 601
3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions 602
and supports that will be provided to the child that are 603
designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency. 604
4. That if the child's reading deficiency is not 605
remediated by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained 606
unless he or she is exempt from mandatory retention for good 607
cause. 608
5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and 609
programming, through a read -at-home plan the parent can use in 610
helping his or her child succeed in reading. The read -at-home 611
plan must provide access to the resources identified in 612
paragraph (e) (f). 613
6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts 614
assessment is not the so le determiner of promotion and that 615
additional evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are 616
available to the child to assist parents and the school district 617
in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and 618
ready for grade promotion. 619
7. The district's specific criteria and policies for a 620
portfolio as provided in subparagraph (7)(b)4. and the evidence 621
required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida's 622
academic standards for English Language Arts. A school must 623
immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a 624
student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention 625
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or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first. 626
8. The district's specific criteria and policies for 627
midyear promotion. Midyear promotion means promotion of a 628
retained student at any time during the year of retention once 629
the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level. 630
9. Information about the student's eligibility for the New 631
Worlds Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485 and t he New Worlds 632
Scholarship Accounts under s. 1002.411 and information on parent 633
training modules and other reading engagement resources 634
available through the initiative. 635
636
After initial notification, the school shall apprise the parent 637
at least monthly of th e student's progress in response to the 638
intensive interventions and supports. Such communications must 639
be in writing and must explain any additional interventions or 640
supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student's 641
progress if the intervention s and supports already being 642
implemented have not resulted in improvement. 643
(6) MATHEMATICS DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. — 644
(c) The parent of a student who exhibits a substantial 645
deficiency in mathematics, as described in paragraph (a), must 646
be notified in writing of the following: 647
1. That his or her child has been identified as having a 648
substantial deficiency in mathematics, including a description 649
and explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the 650
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exact nature of the student's diff iculty in learning and lack of 651
achievement in mathematics. 652
2. A description of the current services that are provided 653
to the child. 654
3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions 655
and supports that will be provided to the child that are 656
designed to remediate the identified area of mathematics 657
deficiency. 658
4. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and 659
programming, through a home -based plan the parent can use in 660
helping his or her child succeed in mathematics. The home -based 661
plan must provide access to the resources identified in 662
paragraph (d) (e). 663
664
After the initial notification, the school shall apprise the 665
parent at least monthly of the student's progress in response to 666
the intensive interventions and supports. Such communi cations 667
must be in writing and must explain any additional interventions 668
or supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student's 669
progress if the interventions and supports already being 670
implemented have not resulted in improvement. 671
(9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM. — 672
(c) To facilitate timely interventions and supports 673
pursuant to subsection (4), the system must provide results from 674
the first two administrations of the progress monitoring to a 675
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student's teacher or prekindergarten instructor within 1 week 676
and to the student's parent within 2 weeks after of the 677
administration of the progress monitoring. Delivery of results 678
from the comprehensive, end -of-year progress monitoring ELA 679
assessment for grades 3 through 10 and Mathe matics assessment 680
for grades 3 through 8 must be in accordance with s. 681
1008.22(7)(h). 682
1. A student's results from the coordinated screening and 683
progress monitoring system must be recorded in a written, easy -684
to-comprehend individual student report. Each s chool district 685
shall provide a parent secure access to his or her child's 686
individual student reports through a web -based portal as part of 687
its student information system. Each early learning coalition 688
shall provide parents the individual student report in a format 689
determined by state board rule. 690
2. In addition to the information under subparagraph 691
(a)5., the report must also include parent resources that 692
explain the purpose of progress monitoring, assist the parent in 693
interpreting progress monitoring resu lts, and support informed 694
parent involvement. Parent resources may include personalized 695
video formats. 696
3. The department shall annually update school districts 697
and early learning coalitions on new system features and 698
functionality and collaboratively ide ntify with school districts 699
and early learning coalitions strategies for meaningfully 700
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reporting to parents results from the coordinated screening and 701
progress monitoring system. The department shall develop ways to 702
increase the utilization, by instructiona l staff and parents, of 703
student assessment data and resources. 704
4. An individual student report must be provided in a 705
printed format upon a parent's request. 706
Section 9. Section 1008.366, Florida Statutes, is created 707
to read: 708
1008.366 The New Worlds Tutoring Program.— 709
(1) The New Worlds Tutoring Program is created to support 710
school districts and schools in improving student achievement in 711
reading and mathematics by: 712
(a) Providing best practice science of reading guidelines 713
for districts in consult ation with the Just Read, Florida! 714
Office. 715
(b) Providing best practice guidelines for mathematics 716
tutoring in alignment with Florida's Benchmarks for Excellent 717
Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for mathematics. 718
(c) Establishing minimum standards th at each school 719
district must meet to participate in the program. The minimum 720
standards must address: 721
1. Appropriate group sizes for tutoring sessions. 722
2. The frequency and duration of tutoring sessions. 723
3. Minimum staffing qualifications for tutors. 724
4. The use of ongoing, informal and formal assessments to 725
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target instructional interventions. 726
5. Prioritization strategies for tutoring students. 727
(d) Providing access during the school day to additional 728
literacy or mathematics support through evidenc e-based automated 729
literacy tutoring software that provides each student with real -730
time interventions that are based in science of reading 731
principles or mathematics instructional best practices and 732
individually tailored to the needs and ability of each stud ent. 733
Access shall be provided to students in kindergarten through 734
grade 5 enrolled in a public school who have a substantial 735
deficiency in reading or mathematics in accordance with s. 736
1008.25. The term "evidence -based" has the same meaning as in s. 737
1003.4201(6). 738
(e) Awarding grants to school districts that may be used 739
for stipends for in-person tutoring during the school day, 740
before and after school, or during a summer program. In -person 741
tutoring may be provided to, at a minimum, kindergarten through 742
grade 5 students enrolled in a public school who have a 743
substantial deficiency in reading or mathematics in accordance 744
with s. 1008.25. To identify eligible students, the department 745
shall provide the administrator with mathematics and reading 746
progress monitoring data for eligible kindergarten through grade 747
12 students within 30 days after the close of each progress 748
monitoring period. 749
(f) Providing technical assistance and professional 750
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learning to school districts, including: 751
1. Advising district staff on tutoring program design and 752
intervention selection upon request. 753
2. Assisting districts in reviewing tutoring programs, 754
professional learning programs, curriculum, and resources to 755
ensure that they adhere to the science of reading or best 756
practices in mathematics. 757
3. Providing professional learning to district staff to 758
build their knowledge and skills around the science of reading 759
or best practices in mathematics. 760
(2) Annually, by July 1, the administrator of the New 761
Worlds Tutoring Program shall provide to the President of the 762
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 763
Commissioner of Education a report summarizing school district 764
use of program funds and student academic outcomes as a result 765
of the additional literacy or mathematics support provided under 766
this section. 767
Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 768