1002.67 Performance standards; curricula and accountability.—
(1)(a) The office shall develop and adopt performance standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. The performance standards must address the age-appropriate progress of students in the development of:
1. The capabilities, capacities, and skills required under s. 1(b), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and
2. Emergent literacy skills, including oral communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development.
By October 1, 2013, the office shall examine the existing performance standards in the area of mathematical thinking and develop a plan to make appropriate professional development and training courses available to prekindergarten instructors.
(b) The office shall periodically review and revise the performance standards for the statewide kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.69 and align the standards to the standards established by the state board for student performance on the statewide assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22.
(2)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public school may select or design the curriculum that the provider or school uses to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, except as otherwise required for a provider or school that is placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c).
(b) Each private prekindergarten provider’s and public school’s curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and must:
1. Be designed to prepare a student for early literacy;
2. Enhance the age-appropriate progress of students in attaining the performance standards adopted by the department under subsection (1); and
3. Prepare students to be ready for kindergarten based upon the statewide kindergarten screening administered under s. 1002.69.
(c) The office shall review and approve curricula for use by private prekindergarten providers and public schools that are placed on probation under paragraph (4)(c). The office shall maintain a list of the curricula approved under this paragraph. Each approved curriculum must meet the requirements of paragraph (b).
(3)(a) Contingent upon legislative appropriation, each private prekindergarten provider and public school in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program must implement an evidence-based pre- and post-assessment that has been approved by rule of the State Board of Education.
(b) In order to be approved, the assessment must be valid, reliable, developmentally appropriate, and designed to measure student progress on domains which must include, but are not limited to, early literacy, numeracy, and language.
(c) The pre- and post-assessment must be administered by individuals meeting requirements established by rule of the State Board of Education.
(4)(a) Each early learning coalition shall verify that each private prekindergarten provider delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program within the coalition’s county or multicounty region complies with this part. Each district school board shall verify that each public school delivering the program within the school district complies with this part.
(b) If a private prekindergarten provider or public school fails or refuses to comply with this part, or if a provider or school engages in misconduct, the office shall require the early learning coalition to remove the provider and require the school district to remove the school from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds under this part for a period of 5 years.
(c)1. If the kindergarten readiness rate of a private prekindergarten provider or public school falls below the minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6), the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall require the provider or school to submit an improvement plan for approval by the coalition or school district, as applicable, and to implement the plan; shall place the provider or school on probation; and shall require the provider or school to take certain corrective actions, including the use of a curriculum approved by the office under paragraph (2)(c) or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction in language development and phonological awareness approved by the office.
2. A private prekindergarten provider or public school that is placed on probation must continue the corrective actions required under subparagraph 1., including the use of a curriculum or a staff development plan to strengthen instruction in language development and phonological awareness approved by the office, until the provider or school meets the minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6). Failure to implement an approved improvement plan or staff development plan shall result in the termination of the provider’s contract to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program for a period of 5 years.
3. If a private prekindergarten provider or public school remains on probation for 2 consecutive years and fails to meet the minimum rate adopted by the office as satisfactory under s. 1002.69(6) and is not granted a good cause exemption by the office pursuant to s. 1002.69(7), the office shall require the early learning coalition or the school district to remove, as applicable, the provider or school from eligibility to deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and receive state funds for the program for a period of 5 years.
(d) Each early learning coalition and the office shall coordinate with the Child Care Services Program Office of the Department of Children and Families to minimize interagency duplication of activities for monitoring private prekindergarten providers for compliance with requirements of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program under this part, the school readiness program under part VI of this chapter, and the licensing of providers under ss. 402.301-402.319.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2004-484; s. 28, ch. 2010-210; s. 453, ch. 2011-142; s. 11, ch. 2011-175; s. 7, ch. 2012-133; s. 10, ch. 2013-252.
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