Education Transition Team Policy & Agency Review Recommendations

1) Teacher Quality 2) School Choice

3) Digital learning for All 4) Mentoring

5) Performance Based Funding 6) Accountability

7) Governance

8) Work Force Development 9) Access

10) Innovation

Agency Review Recommendations 1) Organization

2) Personnel

3) Cost Savings & Revenue Enhancement

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Education Transition Team Members:

• David Armstrong (higher education subcommittee lead)

• Dennis Bakke

• Frank Brogan

• Gary Chartrand

• Mindy Cunningham (agency review subcommittee lead)

• Carlos Curbelo

• MaryEllen Elia

• Julio Fuentes

• Judy Genshaft

• Jon Rage

• John Kirtley

•

Mindy Lafevers-Hodge

• Patricia Levesque (chair)

• Fred Lippman

• Liza McFadden

• Ed Moore

• Don Pemberton

• Michelle Rhee

• Steve Scott

• Lyn Stanfield

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Education Transition Team K-20 Policy Recommendations

1. TEACHER QUALITY

"Florida should create a fair system to evaluate, compensate, and reward effective teachers and provide incentives for the best and brightest teachers to teach in Florida."

Recommendations:

a. Implement a new teacher evaluation system aligned with Race to the Top to ensure at least 50% of a teacher's evaluation is based upon multiple year review of student progress.

b. Create a new performance salary schedule to ensure teachers who are effective at achieving academic progress with their students and those who teach in lowincome schools, low-performing schools, high need students and in high need subject areas are paid more. The new performance salary schedule should also provide incentives for teachers to give up tenure within the new salary schedule in exchange for higher salaries.

c. Eliminate tenure for newly hired K-12 teachers. Authorize only annual contracts in the first few years of employment and then permit multi-year contracts not to exceed three years in subsequent years.

d. Empower administrators to keep the most effective teachers in the classroom, rather than rely on seniority for staff reduction decisions.

e. Expedite removal process for ineffective teachers.

f. Require mutual consent of the principal and teacher for placement of a teacher in the school.

g. Teacher evaluations should be removed from the collective bargaining process and should be determined by the superintendent and school board in collaboration with teachers.

h. Require parental consent for student placement in classrooms ofteachers who are rated ineffective.

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i. Charter schools should adopt innovative incentive policies based upon student progress to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers into the classroom.

j. Use qualified adjunct educators at the secondary level, bringing in expanded course expertise without requiring all full-time faculties in high schools.

k. Require the Department of Education to use multi-year value-added calculations to adequately measure teacher effects on student learning.

I. Require districts to provide a structured induction program for all new teachers that includes mentoring for the first two years of service.

m. Create an incentive program (either through loan forgiveness or through Bright Futures Scholarships) to incentivize the top students entering college to go into the teaching program and remain teaching in Florida for at least five years.

n. Ensure better alignment between needs for K-12 educators with postsecondary education training programs.

o. Enhance professional development by continuously helping teachers learn new content and new high yield instructional strategies that improve student learning through new approaches and teaching models.

p. Identify best practices nationally and at Florida schools of education in private and public universities and state colleges based on classroom performance of graduates (inclusive of student performance data) and model, share and mentor other programs to raise performance levels.

q. Allow postsecondary institutions to provide incentives to high quality math and science, engineering and technology (STEM) majors to move into teacher education programs, through tuition breaks, or scholarships and loan forgiveness programs, and possibly incentives to institutions to support expanding these programs. Creating partnerships with school districts in low performing and rural schools should be encouraged and incentives provided. The ultimate incentive to students to enter these fields is to increase compensation in these areas once they enter the teaching profession. Superintendents and school boards should find ways to provide differential compensation for these professions. The Higher Education Coordinating Council (HECC) should identify the best practices several colleges and universities have already demonstrated and propose ways to scale these efforts at other public and private colleges and universities.

2. SCHOOL CHOICE

"We should continue to allow families more choice in where to send their child to school and have the ability to consider all options available to effectively educate Floridians and put parents in charge of choosing the most effective means to educate their cbikiren."

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Recommendations:

Public School Choice

a. Allow students to enroll in any county public school system, charter school or virtual school without regard to the district of residence ofthe student's parents. However, parents would be responsible for any transportation costs.

b. Allow students to register in any public school within the county, as long as space is available. Parents would be responsible for transportation if the school selected is outside the established transportation zones implemented by the school district.

Home Schooling

a. Provide home school parents with online resources and support equal in value to the FTE of their students.

Charter Schools

a. Develop a new classification of differentiated charter schools: High Performing Charter Schools. These schools should receive greater operational flexibility, equitable funding, expedited approval processes and flexibility in enrolling students.

b. Give high performing charter schools ability to grow enrollment up to 25% by providing notice in advance to school board.

c. Allow any charter schools with a waiting list to grow enrollment if the public schools to which its students would be assigned receive a school grade equal to or lesser than the charter school's grade.

d. Provide high performing charters a longer (15 year) term charter and automatic renewal of charter.

e. Provide high performing charters existing charter capital outlay in year 1, federal start up grant funding as allowed and a share in local capital funding to ensure equitable funding.

f. Create high performing charter school sponsors. Allow the high performing charter sponsor to expand in current and other counties via notice to the local school board.

g. Allow state colleges, state universities and private colleges to authorize/sponsor their own charter schools in elementary, middle and high school. Encourage higher education institutions to establish charter high schools/middle colleges on their campuses.

h. Allow public and private colleges and universities to authorize other charters that would run through the school district.

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i. Direct the Department of Education to contract directly with high performing charter operators using Race to the Top and existing funds to focus on turning around low performing charters and traditional public schools.

j. Require unused school district facilities to be made available to charter schools.

k. Allow all corporate forms of governance - non-profit and for-profit - to operate charters schools.

I. Enhance funding for charter school capital outlay.

Florida Tax Credit Scholarships

a. Protect and grow the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships for low-income students and find a constitutionally-defensible alternative funding source to replace corporate income tax credit funding,

Education Savings Accounts

a. Allow parents of public school students to receive funds for an education savings account equal to 85% of the amount the student would have generated in the public school system.

b. The State will save 15% for every public school parent who chooses this option.

c. Parents would be allowed to use the funds for: i. Private school tuition

ii. Private virtual schooling iii. Private tutoring

iv. Enrollment in dual enrollment courses at Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) institutions

v. Payment of books for dual enrollment in state postsecondary institutions

vi. College 529 savings plan

vii. Florida Prepaid College Plan

d. Creates a marketplace for parents to make education decisions. They are encouraged to shop for high quality low cost education alternatives so they can save for their child's college, while also saving the state money.

e. Allow Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and McKay Scholarship students to apply for any difference in funds between their scholarship and the Education Savings Account amount.

f. Education Savings Accounts are not recommended as a replacement for Florida Tax Credit Scholarships, since tax credit funding remains the safest legal structure for choice programs.

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i, Direct the Department of Education to contract directly with high performing charter operators using Race to the Top and existing funds to focus on turning around low performing charters and traditional public schools.

j. Require unused school district facilities to be made available to charter schools.

k. Allow all corporate forms of governance - non-profit and for-profit - to operate charters schools.

l. Enhance funding for charter school capital outlay.

Florida Tax Credit Scholarships

a. Protect and grow the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships for low-income students and find a constitutionally-defensible alternative funding source to replace corporate income tax credit funding.

Education Savings Accounts

a. Allow parents of public school students to receive funds for an education savings account equal to 85% ofthe amount the student would have generated in the public school system.

b. The State will save 15% for every public school parent who chooses this option.

c. Parents would be allowed to use the funds for: i. Private school tuition

ii. Private virtual schooling iii. Private tutoring

iv. Enrollment in dual enrollment courses at Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) institutions

v. Payment of books for dual enrollment in state postsecondary institutions

vi. College 529 savings plan

vii. Florida Prepaid College Plan

d. Creates a marketplace for parents to make education decisions. They are encouraged to shop for high quality low cost education alternatives so they can save for their child's college, while also saving the state money.

e. Allow Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and McKay Scholarship students to apply for any difference in funds between their scholarship and the Education Savings Account amount.

f. Education Savings Accounts are not recommended as a replacement for Florida Tax Credit Scholarships, since tax credit funding remains the safest legal structure for choice programs.

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McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

a. Expand McKay scholarships to 504 plan students.

b. Review Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act definitions to ensure all students with handicapped conditions are eligible for McKay Scholarships.

Department of Education

a. Require the Department of Education to periodically review the methods used to inform parents of their school choice.

b. Require the Department of Education to create and expand the school choice website to include an easy to use process to identify which choices are available to their children.

c. Require the Department of Education to make recommendations to incentivize school districts to create and operate magnet schools.

3. DIGITAL LEARNING FOR ALL

"Florida should fully explore the potential of virtual learning and aI/ow students to complete courses based upon mastery of content, not an arbitrary school calendar. We should use the power of technology to promote the delivery of one on one instruction."

Recommendations: (NOTE: Items a. through m. apply to K-12 only)

a. Ensure access to high quality digital content and online courses to all students whether public, private, and home education without prior-year public school attendance requirements.

b. Allow students to take online classes full-time, part-time, or by individual course.

c. Allow students to enroll with multiple providers and blend online courses with on site learning.

d. Remove limits on the number credits a student can earn online.

e. Expand the role of high quality teachers by providing alternative certification routes, including online instruction and performance-based certification.

f. Create an open, transparent, expeditious approval process for digital learning providers and treat all approved education providers- public, chartered, not for profit, and private- equally.

g. Administer all state assessments (FCAT and end of course exams) online to provide greater feedback to teachers and save state funds.

h. Require students to take an on-line course to graduate from high school to prepare them for the digital requirements of the zi" century workplace.

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i. Move toward replacing textbooks with digitally-delivered content, including interactive and adaptive multimedia and require content providers to submit web-based content or digital applications.

j. Realign instructional materials categorical to provide consistency in the prioritization of funding the development and delivery of digital content

k. Require all new teachers to take a master teacher digital educator program.

I. Require a portion ofteacher's evaluation be based on the use of technology to deliver instruction.

m. Create a centralized knowledge center to ensure teachers and students have access to the highest quality virtual content available, shared curriculum and best practices while maintaining consistency in delivery systems, instructional models, requirements, quality, funding and accountability.

n. Allow the Department of Education to expand and market the Florida Virtual Curriculum Marketplace and other services out of state. Require the department to report on revenue generated.

o. Support K20 opportunities between higher education institutions and K12 districts to ensure that graduating teachers are prepared to enter the classroom with a high level of proficiency in technology and curriculum integration.

p. Require State Board of Education to adopt 21st Century skills standards to support digital learning. Ensure these skills are developed in the classroom, using technology as a conduit for student learning

q. Fund districts that offer a Florida Virtual School franchise at the same level as Florida Virtual School is funded.

r. Higher education can transform itself, relieve some facilities pressures, and provide broader access with additional support and flexibility to offer e-learning courses. Tuition flexibility and eliminating restrictions on offering a-learning programs to reflect more of a market based approach would free public institutions to grow these programs.

s. At the post-baccalaureate level, deregulate and encourage an open market based approach for public and private sector to offer programs. With no additional cost to the state, universities can provide programs at costs that are responsive to the marketplace and be competitive with other providers who are offering programs from locations outside Florida. Deregulation will stimulate growth in this area.

t. Continue to encourage the use of e-textbooks and open access texts through initiatives that are supported jointlv by the university and state college systems, in collaboration with ICUF. These efforts will provide greater access at lower cost to students. Recent legislation and efforts through the systems should be reviewed and expanded through the HECC in collaboration with the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education.

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4. MENTOR1NG

"We should create multi-level programs leveraging the mentoring capabilities of students, teachers, citizens from the private sector."

Recommendations:

a. Peer to peer student mentoring programs, non-profit mentoring initiatives which place volunteer student mentors inside inner city schools, and corporate based mentoring initiatives will be prioritized when considering funding and organizational requirements.

b. State should link public and private colleges and universities with hometown K- 12 districts for student summer mentoring programs.

c. State should incentivize teen mentoring for receipt of scholarships or school credit.

d. Provide incentives for businesses to establish mentoring and internship programs for students.

e. Conduct research to determine the effectiveness of state funded programs.

f. "Service Learning" should be encouraged and supported by public and private universities, recognized in and accepted in curricula, and supported in articulation agreements and the awarded of credits as students transfer.

g. Initiate a Private Sector Executive Rotation Program (through Public-Private Sector Partnership) whereby an Executive, paid by their employer, is provided as an in-kind service to the Department of Education for a one year rotation to mentor DOE employees and serve as cultural change agents. Service can be provided at all levels throughout the Agency as well as the local level with educational professionals and students. Reward Private Sector companies participating in this program through business incentives.

h. State-funded mentoring programs should be focused on serving the lowestperforming students and schools, and should be mandated to develop an integrated referral system.

5. PERFORMANCE BASED FUNDING

"I believe in investing in technology and programs that create incentives to maximize student learning, achievement and performance. We must create a new model that places more emphasis on learning, and less on seat time."

Recommendations:

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a. K-12: Gradually move the majority of the Florida Education Finance Plan (FEFP) to a course completion vs. seat time model.

i. The new funding formula should allow students to take additional courses and graduate early as long as they are college or career-ready.

ii. The funding formula should maintain equity.

iii. Provisions such as the District Cost Differential and Sparsity adjustments should be reviewed in the new context offunding on performance.

iv. Districts should be required to pass all of the per pupil funding to choice options that parents make, with the exception of agreed upon administrative fees

v. Incentives to schools for increasing student performance and progress should be maintained and increased.

vi. The formula should have funding components that support performance-related compensation programs for instructional personnel

vii. Some portions ofthe funding formula should be provided under the condition of implementing legislative requirements. (For example, create a cost factor for differentiated salaries for special needs instructors. Only release funding to support this if the district implements the policy).

viii. Provide incentives for districts to transfer to the new funding model and correct for unintended consequences.

lx, Retain performance provisions such as School Recognition Program that incentivize growth in student performance and graduation rates.

x. Provide an incentive for districts that reduce administrative costs.

xi. Promote and incentivize Champions for Reform initiatives.

b.ICUF:

1. Continue support for the Florida Resident Access Grant and find ways to better expand the engagement of ICUF schools in economic development efforts.

ll, Maximize the impact from ICUF university research on the economy by ensuring the research conducted is connected to the state's economic development process.

c. State Universities:

i. Invest in university research, laboratories, business incubators, and technology transfer.

ii. Maximize the impact from university research on the economy by ensuring each Florida university - and the research conducted by

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our universities - are connected to the state's economic development process.

d. Increase production of associate's, bachelor's and graduate, and professional degrees to support growth in Florida's economy through innovative, performance approaches to funding, including flexible tuition models, and additional flexibility for distance learning courses and programs. The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education should consider and propose performance funding models as part of budget proposals to promote increased production of degrees and student success and other performance objectives. ICUF institutions should propose metrics to use in the awarding and expansion of student assistance and financial aid programs. To support expansion and greater access, give public colleges and universities greater flexibility in setting tuition and fees that would support expansion of programs, facilities, and access for more students.

e. Create greater investment in state higher education research and classroom facilities with no additional burden on taxpayers by permanently raising the gross receipts tax on the sale of communications services by not less than an additional 1.00% and offsetting that increase with a decrease in the state's communications services tax by an equal or greater amount.

f. Redefine residency definitions to attract talented students nationally and internationally into Florida's universities and state colleges. Current residency requirements were designed to limit enrollments to in-state students and through higher cost out-of-state tuition discourage enrollments from out of state. A free market approach would allow universities and colleges to attract more talent to our state in critical need areas to support economic development and growth.

6. ACCOUNTABILITY

(IWe should communicate directly with parents and taxpayers about how well or not so well our schools are per/arming. We believe that it is more than just a school grade. II

Recom mendations:

a. Continue to support the A-F school grading system and the State Board of Education's efforts to increase accountability in the calculation.

b. Districts should annually provide for each family a student achievement growth chart that shows how their children are progressing against predicted growth and college-ready measures.

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c. Provide a "parent trigger" policy to allow for a majority vote of the parents to trigger a school turn-around solution selected by the parents.

d. Provide to all parents the concise easy to understand financial statement about how many resources the school received, how the money was spent and what the academic outcomes were for the year. The data should be compared with other schools in the district and with other schools across the state. The financial statements should show per pupil spending based upon actual expenditures.

e. Districts should annually publish an easily understandable income statement showing how they spent funds. The Department of Education will need to develop a transparent, standardized format to ensure consistency across districts.

f. Florida's higher education delivery systems, both public and private, will integrate best practices relative to student and institutional performance tracking. Common metrics will provide a higher level of accountability, which will facilitate the development of funding models designed for greater return-oninvestment.

7. GOVERNANCE

"I wil! work with the Legislature, business and parents to develop a more comprehensive program that will allow all of Florida's Children to have the best possible education experience that meets each child's unique need."

Recom mendations:

a. Review Article IX of the Florida Constitution relating to the structure and governance of school districts to ensure the structure reflects a studentcentered education system and is still appropriate for the changing environment of the 21st century. Specific attention should be paid to:

1. Ability of dollars to follow the child

ii. Empowerment of parents to make education decisions to meet their

child's education needs iii. Adequacy provisions

iv. Structure and governance of school boards and superintendents

v. Flexibility to allow parental choice including home education, virtual schooling, and charter schools, etc.

vi. Ability to establish an autonomous Charter Authorizing Body.

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b. The Higher Education Coordinating Council will develop a shared strategic vision for all of Florida's education delivery systems, both public and private - creating a more seamless educational experience for Florida students through more effective communication, coordination and utilization of resources. Production of associates, bachelor's, graduate, and professional degrees is a common goal for public and private colleges and universities, and the HECC, working with the governor-elect, should support better collaboration and partnership between the systems and how to deliver and meet Florida's needs in a coordinated way. The HECC will propose suggestions to improve governance to the presidents of the respective public and private systems, as well as the governing and coordinating boards, namely the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education.

8. WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT

"The assessment of teacher quality must include the incorporation of change in the classroom. The incorporation of technology, new delivery media, and societal change all impact learning styles and ultimately the ability of our students to meet the ever changing requirements in the workforce. /I

Recom me ndations:

a. Expand opportunities for high school students to connect workforce requirements with the opportunity to earn college credit on their way toward graduation, thereby expanding opportunities for career-minded high school students to earn industry-certified and career readiness credentials.

b. Ensure strong partnerships between private career colleges and the state's

workforce programs.

c. Use forecasting models for development of appropriate workforce programs as a key indicator to drive short and long-term efforts to improve alignment between school-to-work.

d. Leverage the research strengths of our state's universities - such as recent investments made in medical colleges - to invest in new and emerging technologies that positively impact our economy. State economic development grants will always include partnerships with universities to develop research strengths into unique clusters.

e. State and local governments should partner with our postsecondary institutions

to create regional innovation and incubator systems, which provide traditional

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startup entrepreneurs with the support and environment to transfer research to new incubator companies.

i. Florida should make every legal and practical effort to

remove administrative obstacles to these innovation and incubator systems. In partnership with the private sector, the state should facilitate the venture capital process for entrepreneurs who take university driven research to market. ii. Local, city, and county governments should create inter-

government partnerships and with State University System institutions to jointly grow, retain, and attract high technology industry to their service areas. The State can assist through coordination efforts.

f. Bachelor's and graduate degree production is an obvious priority to grow our

economy. However, a foundation of our talent supply chain that supports the ongoing workforce infrastructure of business and industry are career and technical education programs at Technical Centers and State Colleges. Competency based programs that prepare students immediately for jobs after graduation from high school career academies and from one- to two- year certification and degree programs after high school are critical for job growth and economic development. More flexible, market based, deregulated tuition, program delivery, and e-Iearning initiatives would free these programs to be more efficient and effective.

g. High school curriculum should prepare students to be college-ready for postsecondary institutions or work ready with an industry standard certification by the end oftheir iz" grade year.

h. Align Economic and Workforce Development Strategy with Educational Strategy. Create and communicate an intentional strategy for economic development forthe state of Florida and align the creation of industry specific educational programs to support this strategy throughout the K-20 system. This will ensure we are creating a workforce with the skills and talents needed to attract the industries and business sectors we are targeting

9. ACCESS

"We must provide greater opportunities for our high school students to excel by blurring the lines between secondary and postsecondary education by expanding opportunities for high school students to connect workforce requirements with the opportunity to earn college credit on their way toward graduation."

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Recommendations:

a. Allow students to graduate from high school early and offer them a college scholarship equal to 50% of the amount the state would have spent on the last year of high school. Alternatively, allow students who are academically ready (passed the college placement test) to enroll early in state colleges and universities, and count their general education courses as completion of the equivalent of a high school diploma at the same time they are earning their college degree, yielding significant state cost savings.

b. Encourage co-location of high schools on college campuses or invite colleges to share facilities at high schools to offer core general education classes on the high school campuses. See North Carolina model or other "early college" and "middle college" models as way to improve graduation rates and transitions into college. There may also be cost savings with joint bonding opportunities.

c. To grow Florida's economy, we must target production of more bachelor's degrees, where we trail most states. We need a plan for production of degrees, and the appropriate role each system can contribute to attaining the goal. The governor elect will work in conjunction with the Higher Education Coordinating Council (HECC), in collaboration with the public and private university systems, the state/community college system, and the presidents from the respective systems, the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to develop a plan that is competitive with leaders in other states and globally. Additional flexibility and market-based approaches to setting tuition and fees would help support expansion and growth in facilities and capacity to grow programs for the public colleges and universities who are regulated and restricted now through legislative appropriations processes.

d. In addition to bachelor's degrees, the state's public and private universities should target resources to graduate and professional degrees that support Florida's economic development growth plans in key targeted and cluster industry areas. The HECC should develop propose goals that the Board of Governors and ICUF universities use to develop future plans and budgets to support growth in these areas to support economic development. In these programs in particular, which are mostly highly limited, high demand and restricted in enrollments, additional flexibility and market-based approaches to setting tuition and fees would help support expansion and growth in facilities and capacity to grow programs for the public universities who are regulated and restricted now through legislative appropriations processes.

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e. Far too many high school graduates are not "ready" or prepared for college level work when they enter our public and private colleges and universities. While progress is being made in this area, the HECC should make this a priority in working with the State Board of Education and Commissioner of Education.

f. The State Board of Education to continue to align standards and assessments for college readiness, and thereby reducing the need for remediation.

g. Revise the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to increase the minimum SAT score for receipt of a scholarship to ensure the scholarship is merit-based. Potentially add a need-based scale to the award amount, and/or cap the amount paid per scholarship

10. INNOVATION

liAs Governor I will work to attract individuals from the private sector with the skiffs in foundational subjects, such as math and science, by creating an expedited accreditation process and removing barriers to recruitment."

Recommendations:

a. Fund the Board of Governors' New Florida Initiative, which calls for increased degree production, improved graduation and retention rates, additional business start-ups, and increased research and licensing revenue through expanded support of research. Funding received for this initiative will be aligned with university work plans to ensure greater system wide coordination. In allocating funding, primary consideration will be given to areas with greatest potential return on investment.

b. Seek options for healthcare related residency expansion in Florida. Use Medicaid revisions to explore medical residency funding options. Boost nursing advanced degree production and clinical settings

c. Allow students to use state aid and assistance programs, including Bright Futures scholarship and "pre-paid" plan funds, for 120 credit hours at any level, including graduate school, if the student graduated early. Similarly, consider allowing high school students an option to move into state colleges at the 11th and iz" grades and use pre-paid and Bright Futures or other funds to pay for one or two years of college early and receive concurrent high school diploma awards. These ideas could be implemented in summer terms or year round, and potentially utilize elearning options.

d. Continue to encourage and support public-private partnership (P3) financing to create University Centers at Florida College System sites, allowing public and

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private universities to offer baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. These programs have to be mutually planned and proposed by the state colleges and public and private universities in a collaborative way for them to work.

e. Provide Postsecondary Education Readiness Tests (PERT) online at each high school for student self assessments beginning in the 9th grade. Students would receive early feedback on their readiness for college and should as a result develop a plan for remediation and readiness for college or a career.

f. Create tax incentives for corporations or individuals to give to school districts.

g. Implement policies to empower superintendents and school boards to be more effective in implementing reform policies within school districts, including:

i. Ensure collective bargaining process is limited to negotiations on salaries and benefits and remove terms and conditions from the negotiation process.

h. Implement pension reforms including:

i. Move from a defined benefit to a defined contribution system

ii. Evaluate the Florida model that is a fully funded state contribution to move to a cost share approach for Florida Retirement System membership.

i. Revise the definition of "core" courses for purposes of implementation of constitutional class size requirements.

j. School districts should be encouraged to develop consortiums for shared services, especially for insurance, worker's compensation and health care.

Education Transition Team K-20 Agency Review Recommendations

1) ORGANIZATION

a. Reinvent the DOE as the Florida Department of Education Innovation. The entire focus ofthe newly rebranded organization becomes a bold and compelling vision singularly focused on developing, championing, nurturing, field testing and disseminating game changing innovations that would have a profound impact on altering the quality of teaching and learning in our state.

b. Promulgate a New Strategic Vision and Mission of the New Florida Department of Education Innovation, supporting a bold agenda to reinvent Education in the state of Florida as one of a "facilitator and innovator of learning" rather than an "administrator of learning."

i. Strategic Vision: The Florida Department of Education Innovation will be the catalyst organization for innovation, system-wide productivity, bold reform and effective governance of the education system in the state of Florida.

ii. Mission: To ensure every Florida student has access to a high quality education preparing them to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy.

c. Promote and Reward "Champions o/Reform Initiatives" to ensure bold reform initiatives are implemented in Teacher and Leader Quality; School Choice; Academic and Fiscal Accountability; and Mentoring and Support for Struggling Students. Empower leaders to create a culture that fosters innovation across the organization

d. Foster Innovation, Continuous Improvement, Integrity, and Execution of Re/orm Initiatives, through implementation ot

a) Public-Private Sector Innovation Hub and Venture Fund;

b) Virtual Communities and Coordinating Councils;

c) Enterprise Process Improvement and

d) Enterprise Risk Management.

e. Realign Core and Non-Core Functions and Services to focus the Department of Education Innovation personnel on their programmatic mission.

1. Consolidate Voluntary Prek and CESA programs and services into the DOE.

2. Move Blind Services and Vocational Rehabilitation to the Agency for Persons With Disabilities.

3. Move transactional business services to a Shared Service Center, including but not limited to Information Technology Services - data center operations, applications development and support, customer and end user support, database collection and maintenance; business services, human resources, payroll, travel reimbursement,

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property management, warehousing, distribution, relocation services, other general services, procurement, contract and lease management.

f. Name Chair or Vice Chair of Board of Governors as ex-officio member of State Board of Education to better align priorities and strengthen communication/coordination across education system for purpose ofimplementing the overall economic strategy for the state.

g. Conduct a comprehensive organizational review of all functions and related activities within the Department of Education and State University System. Restructure the Education System where necessary to ensure the agencies are the most effective and efficient organization to carry out the necessary reforms for bold student centered solutions.

h. Discard old terminology and mindset that create barriers or exclusions. Rename the Division of Public Schools to the "Dtvision of PreK-12 Academic Excellence", embracing the concept of School Choice across all mediums of learning and all boundaries.

2. PERSONNEL

a. State Board of Education - 3 Critical vacant positions appointed by Governor, including the Chair.

b. Board of Governors - No vacant positions (Chair, 2 year term reappoint 1/2012; 14 Me mbers serve 7 year terms, 3 serve by virtue of position)

i. Required Characteristics of Board Members: Attract accomplished people who have challenged the status quo and brought about transformational change in their organizations. Ability to inspire - passionate, charismatic. Ability to move the system forward for the best interest of the state. Ability to articulate messages well and an understanding of how to influence state policy. Experience in strategic planning. Independent thinker and courage to be a change agent. Passion for education at all levels of lifelong learning. Overall make-up of board should reflect the diversity of our students. Overall make-up of board should include a member with specific focus on fiscal accountability. In addition for the SBOE: Supportive of educational reform initiatives including but not limited to school choice, virtual education, homeschooling. Proven track record of reform (public or private sector).

c. Commissioner of Education Innovation - Required Characteristics: Embody the role of Chief Educational Reform Officer. Ability to drive transformational cultural change throughout the entire Florida education system. Ability to inspire and motivate everyone in the system to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Strong sense offiduciary responsibility with ability to provide oversight and accountability to one-third of state budget. Broad understanding of and passion for education and the students of Florida at all levels of lifelong learning. Innovative. Change Agent. Demands excellence. Inspiring - able to convince people to jump on board even when they are apprehensive. Charismatic. Media savvy. Ability to implement legislative reform. Effective leader with executive presence.

d. Chancellor of State University System - Required Characteristics: Familiar with higher educational issues in Florida and across the country. Broad understanding of and passion for education and the students of Florida at all levels of lifelong learning. Education leadership background. Ability to work daily with all stakeholders. Strong sense of fiduciary responsibility. Effective leader with executive presence.

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3. COST SAVINGS AND REVENUE ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

a. Move transactional business services to a Shared Service Center, including but not limited to Information Technology Services - data center operations, applications development and support, customer and end user support, database collection and maintenance; business services, human resources, payroll, travel reimbursement, property management, warehousing, distribution, relocation services, other general services, procurement, contract and lease management.

b. Conduct a comprehensive review of all functions and related activities within the Department of Education and State University System to identify internal and external best practices, processes and systems to gain efficiencies and cost savings.

c. Develop an effective, seamless, automated academic and fiscal accountability system using a Balance Scorecard approach. Integrate and leverage the accountability system being developed by the State University System.

d. Create and market educational offerings including new solutions developed through Public-Private Sector Innovation Hub and Venture Fund, Florida Virtual Schools, FAIRreading diagnostic program, Educator Professional Development and Virtual Marketplace. Reinvest funds generated into our educational system ..

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