Bill Text: FL S1822 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Early Childhood Learning
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-03-10 - Died in Education [S1822 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-S1822-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2018 SB 1822 By Senator Hukill 14-01388B-18 20181822__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to early childhood learning; amending 3 s. 1002.82, F.S.; requiring the Office of Early 4 Learning to adopt an observation-based child 5 assessment system that contains specified elements, 6 under certain circumstances; amending s. 1002.84, 7 F.S.; requiring each early learning coalition to 8 implement a specified age-appropriate observation 9 based assessment for certain children, rather than a 10 preassessment and postassessment; amending ss. 11 1002.85, 1002.88, and 1002.89, F.S.; conforming 12 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 13 effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (2) of section 18 1002.82, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 19 1002.82 Office of Early Learning; powers and duties.— 20 (2) The office shall: 21 (k) Subject to legislative appropriation, adopt an 22 observation-based child assessment system that includes all of 23 the following elements: 24 1. An observation-based child assessment that isSelect25assessments that arevalid and,reliable, that has interval 26 level and criterion-referenced data that measures equivalent 27 levels of growth across domains, and that may be used for 28 determining developmentally appropriate learning gains. The 29 assessment must beanddevelopmentally appropriate for use a 30 minimum of three times a yearas preassessment and31postassessmentfor children from birth through 4 years ofthe32 ageranges specified in the coalition plans. The assessments 33 must be designed to measure progress in the domains of language, 34 social and emotional skills, and executive functioning, and must 35 measure progress in the performance standards adopted pursuant 36 to paragraph (j);,provide appropriate accommodations for 37 children with disabilities and English language learners;,and 38 be administered by qualified individuals, consistent with the 39 developer’spublisher’sinstructions. 40 2. A statewide implementation plan for the observation 41 based child assessment. The plan must include: 42 a. A process for participation in the observation-based 43 child assessment system and for granting exemptions from the 44 assessment; 45 b. An implementation timeline that requires the collection 46 of assessment data on infants and children up to 2 years of age 47 beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, on children 2 and 3 48 years of age beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, and on 49 children 4 years of age beginning in the 2021-2022 school year; 50 c. Adequate opportunities and training for early learning 51 coalitions or other statewide organizations to ensure that 52 school readiness child care instructors have the opportunity to 53 receive training in a timely manner until they are verified as 54 reliable, in accordance with the developer’s protocols; and 55 d. A mechanism for ensuring the training required under 56 sub-subparagraph c. occurs every 2 years, at a minimum, in order 57 to maintain reliability. 58 3. Adoption of a schedule and protocols for the collection 59 of assessment data which allow for data collection, in 60 accordance with s. 1002.222, and analysis that: 61 a. Safeguard student privacy; 62 b. Check the reliability of the administration of the 63 observation-based assessment; 64 c. Perform longitudinal data analysis across age groups and 65 early learning programs; and 66 d. Analyze trends over time. 67 Section 2. Subsection (6) of section 1002.84, Florida 68 Statutes, is amended to read: 69 1002.84 Early learning coalitions; school readiness powers 70 and duties.—Each early learning coalition shall: 71 (6) Implement an age-appropriate observation-based 72 assessmentpreassessment and postassessmentof children from 73 birth through 4 years of age in accordance with s. 74 1002.82(2)(k), if applicablespecified in the coalition’s75approved plan. 76 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 77 1002.85, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 78 1002.85 Early learning coalition plans.— 79 (2) Each early learning coalition must biennially submit a 80 school readiness program plan to the office before the 81 expenditure of funds. A coalition may not implement its school 82 readiness program plan until it receives approval from the 83 office. A coalition may not implement any revision to its school 84 readiness program plan until the coalition submits the revised 85 plan to and receives approval from the office. If the office 86 rejects a plan or revision, the coalition must continue to 87 operate under its previously approved plan. The plan must 88 include, but is not limited to: 89 (c) The coalition’s procedures for implementing the 90 requirements of this part, including: 91 1. Single point of entry. 92 2. Uniform waiting list. 93 3. Eligibility and enrollment processes. 94 4. Parent access and choice. 95 5. Sliding fee scale and policies on applying the waiver or 96 reduction of fees in accordance with s. 1002.84(8). 97 6. Use of observation-based child assessments 98preassessments and postassessments, as applicable. 99 7. Payment rate. 100 Section 4. Present paragraphs (i) through (q) of subsection 101 (1) of section 1002.88, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 102 paragraphs (j) through (r), respectively, a new paragraph (i) is 103 added to that subsection, and present paragraphs (m) and (o) of 104 that subsection and paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of that 105 section are amended, to read: 106 1002.88 School readiness program provider standards; 107 eligibility to deliver the school readiness program.— 108 (1) To be eligible to deliver the school readiness program, 109 a school readiness program provider must: 110 (i) Conduct observation-based child assessment in 111 accordance with s. 1002.82. 112 (n)(m)For a provider that is an informal provider, comply 113 with the provisions of paragraph (m)(l)or maintain homeowner’s 114 liability insurance and, if applicable, a business rider. If an 115 informal provider chooses to maintain a homeowner’s policy, the 116 provider must obtain and retain a homeowner’s insurance policy 117 that provides a minimum of $100,000 of coverage per occurrence 118 and a minimum of $300,000 general aggregate coverage. The office 119 may authorize lower limits upon request, as appropriate. An 120 informal provider must add the coalition as a named 121 certificateholder and as an additional insured. An informal 122 provider must provide the coalition with a minimum of 10 123 calendar days’ advance written notice of cancellation of or 124 changes to coverage. The general liability insurance required by 125 this paragraph must remain in full force and effect for the 126 entire period of the provider’s contract with the coalition. 127 (p)(o)Notwithstanding paragraph (m)(l), for a provider 128 that is a state agency or a subdivision thereof, as defined in 129 s. 768.28(2), agree to notify the coalition of any additional 130 liability coverage maintained by the provider in addition to 131 that otherwise established under s. 768.28. The provider shall 132 indemnify the coalition to the extent permitted by s. 768.28. 133 (3) The office and the coalitions may not: 134(c) Require a provider to administer a preassessment or135postassessment.136 Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 137 1002.89, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 138 1002.89 School readiness program; funding.— 139 (6) Costs shall be kept to the minimum necessary for the 140 efficient and effective administration of the school readiness 141 program with the highest priority of expenditure being direct 142 services for eligible children. However, no more than 5 percent 143 of the funds described in subsection (5) may be used for 144 administrative costs and no more than 22 percent of the funds 145 described in subsection (5) may be used in any fiscal year for 146 any combination of administrative costs, quality activities, and 147 nondirect services as follows: 148 (b) Activities to improve the quality of child care as 149 described in 45 C.F.R. s. 98.51, which shall be limited to the 150 following: 151 1. Developing, establishing, expanding, operating, and 152 coordinating resource and referral programs specifically related 153 to the provision of comprehensive consumer education to parents 154 and the public to promote informed child care choices specified 155 in 45 C.F.R. s. 98.33. 156 2. Awarding grants and providing financial support to 157 school readiness program providers and their staff to assist 158 them in meeting applicable state requirements for child care 159 performance standards, implementing developmentally appropriate 160 curricula and related classroom resources that support 161 curricula, providing literacy supports, and providing continued 162 professional development and training. Any grants awarded 163 pursuant to this subparagraph shall comply with ss. 215.971 and 164 287.058. 165 3. Providing training, technical assistance, and financial 166 support to school readiness program providers, staff, and 167 parents on standards, child screenings, observation-based child 168 assessments, child development research and best practices, 169 developmentally appropriate curricula, character development, 170 teacher-child interactions, age-appropriate discipline 171 practices, health and safety, nutrition, first aid, 172 cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the recognition of communicable 173 diseases, and child abuse detection, prevention, and reporting. 174 4. Providing, from among the funds provided for the 175 activities described in subparagraphs 1.-3., adequate funding 176 for infants and toddlers as necessary to meet federal 177 requirements related to expenditures for quality activities for 178 infant and toddler care. 179 5. Improving the monitoring of compliance with, and 180 enforcement of, applicable state and local requirements as 181 described in and limited by 45 C.F.R. s. 98.40. 182 6. Responding to Warm-Line requests by providers and 183 parents, including providing developmental and health screenings 184 to school readiness program children. 185 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.