FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
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CONTACT PERSON
Name:
Sandra
Dilger
Phone: 850-245-0824
Suncom: 205-0824
Email: Sandra.dilger@fldoe.org
DPS:
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05-013
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE:
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August 6, 2004
TO:
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District Superintendents
FROM:
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Jim Warford
SUBJECT:
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2004 LEGISLATIVE CHANGES RELATING TO SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT PLANS
The 2004 Legislature passed Senate Bill (CS/CS/SB) 354, Public School Educational Instruction,
amending Section 1001.42(16)(a), Florida Statutes, stating additional requirements for School
Improvement Plans. To assist districts in the implementation of this legislation, the Department
is notifying districts of the following additional components listed here in
bold
being required
for school improvement plans:
►
Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, each public school serving middle grade (grade 6,
7 or 8) students, including charter schools, with fewer then 75 percent of its students reading at
or above grade level in grade 6, grade 7, or grade 8 as measured by a student scoring at Level 3
or above on the FCAT during the prior school year, must incorporate by October 1 a
rigorous
reading requirement
for reading and language arts programs as the primary component of its
school improvement plan.
MARY JANE TAPPEN
Chief
Bureau of School Improvement
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 432 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0422 • www.fldoe.org
DPS - 2004 Legislative Changes Relating To School Improvement Plans
August 6, 2004
Page Two
►
Each plan shall also address issues relative to budget, training, instructional materials,
technology, staffing, student support services, specific school safety and discipline
strategies,
student health and fitness, including physical fitness, parental information
on student health and fitness, and indoor environmental air quality
, and other
matters of resource allocations as determined by district school board policy, and shall be
based on an analysis of student achievement and other school performance data.
The Bureau of School Improvement has already included these new requirements in the
web-based school improvement planning tool for use by schools in need of improvement,
performance grade F, or schools required to include a rigorous reading component in
their school improvement plan. The Bureau of School Improvement will include these
new requirements in the 2005 Annual Assurance Report on School Improvement Plan
approval and School Advisory Council composition which it requests from each district
in June. Compliance with each of these requirements is necessary for the release of
Educational Enhancement Trust funds each July pursuant to Section 1008.345(6)(c),
Florida Statutes.
If additional information is needed, please contact the Bureau of School Improvement for
assistance.
NOTE:
Please make sure that persons designated to receive a copy of this memo are
signed-up to receive correspondence from the Department paperless communication site
since hard copies are not being sent out. The site address is
http://www.firn.edu/doe/menu/communications.htm. If they are not currently signed-up,
please provide them with a copy of this memorandum
JW/mjt
cc:
District School Improvement Contacts
