Function, mission, and goals of the Florida Early Learning-20 education system.

(1) Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system shall be a decentralized system without excess layers of bureaucracy. Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system shall maintain a systemwide technology plan based on a common set of data definitions.

(2)(a) The Legislature shall establish education policy, enact education laws, and appropriate and allocate education resources.

(b) With the exception of matters relating to the State University System, the State Board of Education shall oversee the enforcement of all laws and rules, and the timely provision of direction, resources, assistance, intervention when needed, and strong incentives and disincentives to force accountability for results.

(c) The Board of Governors shall oversee the enforcement of all state university laws and rules and regulations and the timely provision of direction, resources, assistance, intervention when needed, and strong incentives and disincentives to force accountability for results.

(3) Public education is a cooperative function of the state and local educational authorities. The state retains responsibility for establishing a system of public education through laws, standards, and rules to assure efficient operation of an Early Learning-20 system of public education and adequate educational opportunities for all individuals. Local educational authorities have a duty to fully and faithfully comply with state laws, standards, and rules and to efficiently use the resources available to them to assist the state in allowing adequate educational opportunities.

(4) The mission of Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system is to allow its students to increase their proficiency by allowing them the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills through rigorous and relevant learning opportunities, in accordance with the mission statement and accountability requirements of s. 1008.31.

(5) The priorities of Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system include:

(a) Learning and completion at all levels, including increased high school graduation rate and readiness for postsecondary education without remediation.—All students demonstrate increased learning and completion at all levels, graduate from high school, and are prepared to enter postsecondary education without remediation.

(b) Student performance.—Students demonstrate that they meet the expected academic standards consistently at all levels of their education.

(c) Civic literacy.—Students are prepared to become civically engaged and knowledgeable adults who make positive contributions to their communities.

(d) Alignment of standards and resources.—Academic standards for every level of the Early Learning-20 education system are aligned, and education financial resources are aligned with student performance expectations at each level of the Early Learning-20 education system.

(e) Educational leadership.—The quality of educational leadership at all levels of Early Learning-20 education is improved.

(f) Workforce education.—Workforce education is appropriately aligned with the skills required by the new global economy.

(g) Parental, student, family, educational institution, and community involvement.—Parents, students, families, educational institutions, and communities are collaborative partners in education, and each plays an important role in the success of individual students. Therefore, the State of Florida cannot be the guarantor of each individual student’s success. The goals of Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system are not guarantees that each individual student will succeed or that each individual school will perform at the level indicated in the goals.

(h) Comprehensive Early Learning-20 career and education planning.—It is essential that Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system better prepare all students at every level for the transition from school to postsecondary education or work by providing information regarding:

1. Career opportunities, educational requirements associated with each career, educational institutions that prepare students to enter each career, and student financial aid available to pursue postsecondary instruction required to enter each career.

2. How to make informed decisions about the program of study that best addresses the students’ interests and abilities while preparing them to enter postsecondary education or the workforce.

3. Recommended coursework and programs that prepare students for success in their areas of interest and ability.

This information shall be provided to students and parents through websites, handbooks, manuals, or other regularly provided communications.