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VPK Bill Gets Traction in Senate
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Senator Gayle Harrell presents her VPK bill to the Senate Education Committee.
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One of the most important bills aimed at improving quality in Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program passed the Legislature last session.
This session, bills have been filed in the House and Senate that continue the effort. The Senate bill (
SB 1594
) unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Filed by Senator Gayle Harrell (R;
Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach), it
shifts the method for assessing Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) providers from a kindergarten readiness rate based on the results of a screening taken in kindergarten to a program score based on assessments and a screening taken during the VPK school year. The bill eliminates the connection between the kindergarten readiness screening and a student's VPK provider and requires the Office of Early Learning to adopt a methodology for calculating each VPK provider's program score.
Among others, the bill also enhances the education standards for VPK by:
- adding mathematical thinking, early math skills, and executive functioning skills to the list of student skills required to be addressed in performance standards, adding early math skills to the required curricula of a VPK provider;
- providing for a program assessment that measures the quality of teacher-child interactions, including emotional and behavioral support, engaged support for learning, classroom organization, and instructional support for children ages 3 to 5 years, in each VPK classroom;
- requiring each VPK provider to implement an evidence-based pre-and post-prekindergarten assessment to determine developmentally appropriate learning gains; and
- requiring adoption of a statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening that assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten.
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Priority United Way Bills Heard this Week
Week of April 1-5, 2019
SB 114
High School Graduation Requirements (Hutson; R-Flagler, St. Johns, Volusia) - Current law requires financial literacy to be taught as a part of a one-half credit economics course, which falls under the three required social studies credits a student must achieve to earn a standard high school diploma. The bill increases the number of social studies credits needed to earn a standard high school diploma to three and one-half credits to include one-half-credit in financial literacy as a separate course. The bill adds financial literacy to those courses that may be satisfied by passing an assessment aligned to the state's financial literacy standards. The bill limits taking the financial literacy course or passing the assessment to those students in grades 11 and 12. Passed by the Rules Committee on March 29.
SB 374 Children and Youth Cabinet
(Harrell; R-
Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach) -
Adds a representative of the Florida Dental Association to the Children and Youth Cabinet, to be appointed by the Governor. Passed by the Senate Rules Committee on April 3.
HB 587 Medicaid School-based Services
(Andrade; R-Escambia, Santa Rosa) - A
ligns current law with the federal Medicaid requirements by allowing all Medicaid-eligible students to receive school-based Medicaid services, not just those who have an individualized education plan or an individualized family service plan. Passed the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee on April 2.
SB 1226 Military Veterans and Servicemembers Court Programs
(Taddeo; D- Miami-Dade) - SB 1226 requires the chief judge of each judicial circuit to establish a Military Veterans and Servicemember Court Program (veterans court). Current law permits, but does not require, a chief judge to establish the program in his or her judicial circuit. Passed by the Military and Veterans Affairs and Space Committee on April 3.
CS/SB 1518 Alternative Treatment Options for Veterans
(Wright; R-
Brevard, Volusia)
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P
ermits the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to contract with a state university or Florida College System institution to provide alternative treatment options for veterans who have been certified by the VA, or any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, as having a Traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. Passed by the Health Policy Committee on April 1.
CS/HB 501 Alternative Treatment Options for Veterans
(Ponder; R-Okaloosa) - P
ermits the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to contract with a state university or Florida College System institution to provide alternative treatment options for veterans who have been certified by the VA, or any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, as having a Traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. Passed the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee on April 2.
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Click for Updates on all Florida United Way Priority Bills.
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