The Florida Senate
HOUSE MESSAGE SUMMARY
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Education Pre-K -12
[2024s07004.hms.ed]
BILL: CS/SB 7004
INTRODUCER: Fiscal Policy Committee; Education Pre-K -12 Committee; and Senators Simon
and Osgood
SUBJECT: Deregulation of Public Schools/Assessment and Accountability, Instruction, and
Education Choice
DATE: February 29, 2024
I.Amendments Contained in Message:
House Amendment – 944089 (body with title)
II.Summary of Amendments Contained in Message:
House Amendment – 944089 removes from the Senate bill the provisions that:
Change the assessment requirements for high school graduation.
Extend the timeline from 2 to 4 years for district-managed turnaround plans under school
improvement.
Specify that the value-added model (VAM) may not be used a sole determinate for bonus
funding and teacher recruitment for schools that are in turnaround.
Use the initial and mid-year progress monitoring assessment scores to meet the grade three
retention requirement.
Change the district calculation of capacity for controlled open enrollment.
Require the Department of Education (DOE) to adopt a timeline to disburse federal school
improvement funds.
Remove the requirement for school districts to offer summer voluntary prekindergarten
(VPK).
Remove early learning coalition (ELC) oversight of district VPK programs.
Authorize school districts to use other VPK attendance methods.
Modify the timing in adoption cycles relating to school district instructional materials
purchasing.
Remove the uniform K-12 assessment calendar.
Modify the timing for seeking an extraordinary exemption from assessments for exceptional
student education students.
The amendment modifies provisions in the Senate bill that:
Require the DOE to publish an initial list of state-adopted instructional materials, but makes
changes to the required dates.
Authorize a school district to meet turnaround options in law by implementing a community
partnership school, but changes the timeline requirements to specify that the State Board of BILL: CS/SB 7004 Page 2
Education (SBE) may provide additional time to a school in school turnaround, if the school
has received a community school grant.
Allow a student to take the GED at age 16 or 17, but requires the student to file a formal
declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment.
Authorize a school district to satisfy the requirement to offer a summer VPK program by
contracting with a private VPK provider, rather than removing the requirement for a district
to offer such program.
Remove additional requirements in the Department of Juvenile Justice education
accountability programs.
The amendment adds to the Senate bill provisions that:
Delete SBE responsibility for establishing the tuition and out-of-state fees for developmental
education and college-credit instruction.
Delete the requirement for the SBE to establish performance metrics for the Florida College
System (FCS).
Require the DOE to review each ELC’s school readiness program every 3 years instead of 2.
Require each ELC to submit a school readiness program every 3 years instead of 2.
Delete the requirement that automotive service technology education programs be accredited.
Delete outdated language related to the authorization for St. Petersburg College to establish
one or more bachelor’s degrees.
Delete outdated language related to the annual evaluation of the executive director of the
FCS.
Authorize, rather than require, school districts to offer virtual school options, and remove the
requirement that approved virtual instruction providers are non-sectarian.