(1) The Council for Early Grade Success, a council as defined in s. 20.03(7), is created within the Department of Education to oversee the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program under s. 1008.25(9) for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program through grade 3 and, except as otherwise provided in this section, shall operate consistent with s. 20.052.
(a) The council shall be responsible for reviewing the implementation of, training for, and outcomes from the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program to provide recommendations to the department that support grade 3 students reading at or above grade level. The council, at a minimum, shall:
1. Provide recommendations on the implementation of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program, including reviewing any procurement solicitation documents and criteria before being published.
2. Develop training plans and timelines for such training.
3. Identify appropriate personnel, processes, and procedures required for the administration of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program.
4. Provide input on the methodology for calculating a provider’s or school’s performance metric and designations under s. 1002.68(4).
5. Work with the department to review the methodology for determining a child’s kindergarten readiness.
6. Review data on age-appropriate learning gains by grade level that a student would need to attain in order to demonstrate proficiency in reading by grade 3.
7. Continually review anonymized data from the results of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program through grade 3 to help inform recommendations to the department that support practices that will enable grade 3 students to read at or above grade level.
(b) The council shall be composed of 17 members who are residents of this state and appointed as follows:
1. Three members appointed by the Governor, as follows:
a. One representative from the Department of Education.
b. One parent of a child who is 4 to 9 years of age.
c. One representative that is an elementary school administrator.
2. Seven members appointed by the President of the Senate, as follows:
a. One senator who serves at the pleasure of the President of the Senate.
b. One representative of an urban school district.
c. One representative of a rural early learning coalition.
d. One representative of a faith-based early learning provider who offers the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
e. One representative who is a second grade teacher who has at least 5 years of teaching experience.
f. Two representatives with subject matter expertise in early learning, early grade success, or child assessments.
3. Seven members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as follows:
a. One member of the House of Representatives who serves at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House.
b. One representative of a rural school district.
c. One representative of an urban early learning coalition.
d. One representative of an early learning provider who offers the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
e. One member who is a kindergarten teacher who has at least 5 years of teaching experience.
f. Two representatives with subject matter expertise in early learning, early grade success, or child assessment.
4. The four representatives with subject matter expertise in sub-subparagraphs 2.f. and 3.f. may not be direct stakeholders within the early learning or public school systems.
(2) The Commissioner of Education shall:
(a) Develop a plan, in coordination with the Council for Early Grade Success, for implementing the coordinated screening and progress monitoring program in consideration of timelines for implementing new early literacy and mathematics skills and the English Language Arts and mathematics standards established in ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and 1003.41, as appropriate.
(b) Provide data, reports, and information as requested to the Council for Early Grade Success.
(3) The council shall elect a chair and vice chair, one of whom must be a member who has subject matter expertise in early learning, early grade success, or child assessments. The vice chair must be a member appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives who is not one of the four members with subject matter expertise in early learning, early grade success, or child assessments appointed pursuant to sub-subparagraphs (1)(b)2.f. and 3.f. Members of the council shall serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.
History.—s. 65, ch. 2021-10; s. 11, ch. 2022-16; s. 26, ch. 2023-108.
