115C-562.7. Authority reporting requirements.

(a) Repealed by Session Laws 2014-100, s. 8.25(e), effective August 7, 2014.

(b) The Authority shall report annually, no later than October 15, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following information from the prior school year:

(1) Total number, grade level, race, ethnicity, and sex of eligible students receiving scholarship grants.

(2) Total amount of scholarship grant funding awarded.

(3) Number of students previously enrolled in local school administrative units or charter schools in the prior semester by the previously attended local school administrative unit or charter school.

(4) Nonpublic schools in which scholarship grant recipients are enrolled, including numbers of scholarship grant students at each nonpublic school.

(5) Nonpublic schools deemed ineligible to receive scholarships.

(c) The Authority shall report annually, no later than December 1, to the Department of Public Instruction and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following:

(1) Learning gains or losses of students receiving scholarship grants. The report shall include learning gains of participating students on a statewide basis and shall compare, to the extent possible, the learning gains or losses of eligible students by nonpublic school to the statewide learning gains or losses of public school students with similar socioeconomic backgrounds, using aggregate standardized test performance data provided to the Authority by nonpublic schools and by the Department of Public Instruction.

(2) Competitive effects on public school performance on standardized tests as a result of the scholarship grant program. The report shall analyze the impact of the availability of scholarship grants on public school performance on standardized tests by local school administrative units to the extent possible, and shall provide comparisons of the impact by geographic region and between rural and urban local school administrative units.

This report shall be conducted by an independent research organization to be selected by the Authority, which may be a public or private entity or university. The independent research organization shall report to the Authority on the results of its research. The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee shall review reports from the Authority and shall make ongoing recommendations to the General Assembly as needed regarding improving administration and accountability for nonpublic schools accepting students receiving scholarship grants.