FL H7039

Mandates the science of reading and phonics-based instruction as the primary strategy for teaching word reading across all contexts—including teacher preparation programs, charter schools, professional development, instructional materials, and certificate renewal—while explicitly prohibiting the three-cueing system model and visual memory as bases for teaching foundational reading skills.

Establishes a new mathematics deficiency framework for grades K–4 (s. 1008.25(6)), requiring immediate systematic and explicit math instruction—through daily small group interventions or supplemental before/after-school sessions—for students with substantial math deficiency or dyscalculia characteristics, with parent notification, progress monitoring, and home-based plan requirements mirroring existing reading deficiency provisions.

Expands the New Worlds Reading Scholarship Accounts (renamed from "New Worlds Reading Scholarship Accounts") to cover K–5 students with mathematics deficiencies or dyscalculia in addition to reading deficiencies, with eligible expenditures broadened to include tutoring, instructional materials, and summer/after-school programs for mathematics skills development.

Strengthens reading intervention requirements for K–3 students, mandating daily targeted small group interventions during regular school hours, dyslexia-specific interventions for students with dyslexia characteristics, and prohibiting schools from waiting for a failing grade, plan development, or evaluation completion (if professional documentation exists) before initiating interventions.

Enhances the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system to measure both early literacy and mathematics skills, identify students with characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia, and require computer-adaptive administration beginning in 2023-2024; requires the Commissioner to provide recommendations by January 31, 2025 on reducing the statewide assessment footprint, remote administration feasibility, and using progress monitoring results in lieu of end-of-year assessments.

Updates early warning systems and VPK standards by adding K–3 reading deficiency and K–4 mathematics deficiency as early warning indicators, requiring VPK performance standards to address foundational background knowledge grounded in the science of reading, and mandating content-rich sequential knowledge-building early literacy curricula for VPK programs.

Establishes school grading transition protections for 2022-2023, designating grades as an informational baseline, calibrating the grading scale to be statistically equivalent to 2021-2022 results, shielding schools from turnaround requirements and sanctions based on same-or-lower grades, and linking Grade 3 promotion standards to 2021-2022 performance expectations (provisions repealed July 1, 2025).

Requires the Florida Center for Mathematics and Science Education Research to provide recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2023 on preparing teacher candidates and identifying K–4 mathematics training and professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators.

Directs the Just Read, Florida! Office to develop an online repository of digital science of reading materials and instructional resources, assist elementary schools in using state-adopted materials to build background knowledge across subjects, and work with the Florida Center for Reading Research to identify evidence-based programs incorporating decodable or phonetic text strategies.

Appropriates $158 million in nonrecurring General Revenue funds for FY 2023-2024—$150 million to assist school districts in converting from three-cueing to science of reading models (contingent on a needs assessment and detailed spend plan) and $8 million for Department of Education implementation—effective July 1, 2023.