OVERVIEW
SB 7004 builds on the deregulation of public schools provisions in House Bill 1 (Ch. 2023-16, Laws of Fla.) and provides to school districts additional authority related to prekindergarten programs, retention and graduation, assessments, school improvement, instructional materials, and reporting.
EFFECTIVE CHANGES
Relating to Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Programs
- Removes the requirement that each public school district offer the summer VPK program, modifies summer VPK funding and program attendance systems, and provides access to school district summer reading camps.
- Removes early learning coalition monitoring of public school VPK programs.
Relating to Assessments
- Creates an additional good cause exemption from third-grade retention, effective upon becoming law, to specify that a parent may determine promotion to grade 4 is in the best interest of the student.
- Reduces the frequency of assessments in the summer VPK program.
- Provides that upon becoming law, students will not be required to pass the Algebra 1 end-of-course assessment and grade 10 English Language Arts assessment to earn a standard high school diploma.
- Provides that upon becoming law, a student’s performance on the statewide, standardized grade 10 ELA assessment constitutes 30 percent of the student’s final course grade.
- Eliminates school district requirements relating to the uniform assessment calendar, and that school districts submit the district-wide assessment calendar to the Department of Education.
- Provides that the first two administrations of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system are not subject to the requirements for an extraordinary exemption.
- Removes the requirement for administration of the common assessment for students in Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) prevention, residential, or day treatment programs.
Relating to Public School Accountability and Improvement
- Specifies that changes made by the State Board of Education (SBE) to the school grades model or scale may not go into effect until the following school year.
- Extends from 2 to 4 years the time for a school district to implement a district managed turnaround plan. The bill provides a school exits district-managed turnaround with two consecutive grades of “C,” or a grade of “A” or “B.”
- Expands school turnaround options to include conversion to a community partnership school.
- Prohibits the use of the value-added model (VAM) as the sole determinate in recruiting instructional personnel.
- Removes the requirement that district school boards take action on a provider contract for DJJ educational programs that continue to underperform within six months after a monitoring plan.
Relating To Instructional Materials
- Requires the Commissioner of Education, beginning in the 2026 adoption cycle, to publish the list of adopted instructional materials not later than July 31 of the year preceding the beginning of the adoption period.
- Provides districts school boards additional authority in the provision of adequate instructional materials and major tools of instruction for students in core subject areas.
- Modifies dates for superintendent reporting regarding requisitioned instructional materials and alignment of materials to state standards.
- Provides to principals the authority to determine collection of funds for lost or damaged instructional materials.
Regarding District Programs
- Changes district school board capacity determinations for controlled open enrollment and from every 12 weeks to twice annually.
- Authorizes school district virtual instruction programs to provide equipment to all students, regardless of income status.
- Repeals the Competency-Based Pilot Program and the single-gender programs requirements.
The bill also repeals reporting relating to fine arts, charter technical career centers, middle grades career courses, academically high performing school districts, Committee of Practitioners under the No Child Left Behind Act, and implementation of school improvement and accountability.
Related Bills: HB 1285, HB 7025, SB 996
Bill Status: Bill passed on March 6, 2024