Florida Senate - 2014                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1394
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       Senator Soto moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 43 and 44
    4  insert:
    5         Section 9. Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and paragraph
    6  (b) of subsection (6) of section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, are
    7  amended to read:
    8         1008.25 Public school student progression; remedial
    9  instruction; reporting requirements.—
   10         (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.—
   11         (c) The parent of any student who exhibits a substantial
   12  deficiency in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be
   13  notified in writing of the following:
   14         1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
   15  substantial deficiency in reading.
   16         2. A description of the current services that are provided
   17  to the child.
   18         3. A description of the proposed supplemental instructional
   19  services and supports that will be provided to the child that
   20  are designed to remediate the identified area of reading
   21  deficiency.
   22         4. That if the child’s reading deficiency is not remediated
   23  by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained unless he or
   24  she is exempt from mandatory retention for good cause.
   25         5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child
   26  succeed in reading proficiency.
   27         6. That the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is
   28  not the sole determiner of promotion and that additional
   29  evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are available to
   30  the child to assist parents and the school district in knowing
   31  when a child is reading at or above grade level and ready for
   32  grade promotion.
   33         7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for a
   34  portfolio as provided in subparagraph (6)(b)4. and the evidence
   35  required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s
   36  academic standards for English Language Arts. A parent of a
   37  student in grade 3 who is identified anytime during the year as
   38  being at risk of retention may request that the school
   39  immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio.
   40         8.7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for
   41  midyear promotion. Midyear promotion means promotion of a
   42  retained student at any time during the year of retention once
   43  the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
   44         (6) ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL PROMOTION.—
   45         (b) The district school board may only exempt students from
   46  mandatory retention, as provided in paragraph (5)(b), for good
   47  cause. A student who is promoted to grade 4 with a good cause
   48  exemption shall be provided intensive reading instruction and
   49  intervention that include specialized diagnostic information and
   50  specific reading strategies to meet the needs of each student so
   51  promoted. The school district shall assist schools and teachers
   52  with the implementation of reading strategies for students
   53  promoted with a good cause exemption which research has shown to
   54  be successful in improving reading among students that have
   55  reading difficulties. Good cause exemptions are shall be limited
   56  to the following:
   57         1. Limited English proficient students who have had less
   58  than 2 years of instruction in an English for Speakers of Other
   59  Languages program.
   60         2. Students with disabilities whose individual education
   61  plan indicates that participation in the statewide assessment
   62  program is not appropriate, consistent with the requirements of
   63  State Board of Education rule.
   64         3. Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of
   65  performance on an alternative standardized reading or English
   66  Language Arts assessment approved by the State Board of
   67  Education.
   68         4. A student who demonstrates through a student portfolio
   69  that he or she is performing at least at Level 2 on FCAT Reading
   70  or the common core English Language Arts assessment, as
   71  applicable under s. 1008.22.
   72         5. Students with disabilities who participate in FCAT
   73  Reading or the common core English Language Arts assessment, as
   74  applicable under s. 1008.22, and who have an individual
   75  education plan or a Section 504 plan that reflects that the
   76  student has received intensive remediation in reading and
   77  English Language Arts for more than 2 years but still
   78  demonstrates a deficiency and was previously retained in
   79  kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3.
   80         6. Students who have received intensive reading
   81  intervention for 2 or more years but still demonstrate a
   82  deficiency in reading and who were previously retained in
   83  kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3 for a total of 2
   84  years. A student may not be retained more than once in grade 3.
   85         7.6. Students who have received intensive remediation in
   86  reading and English Language Arts, as applicable under s.
   87  1008.22, for 2 or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency
   88  and who were previously retained in kindergarten, grade 1, grade
   89  2, or grade 3 for a total of 2 years. Intensive instruction for
   90  students so promoted must include an altered instructional day
   91  that includes specialized diagnostic information and specific
   92  reading strategies for each student. The district school board
   93  shall assist schools and teachers to implement reading
   94  strategies that research has shown to be successful in improving
   95  reading among low-performing readers.
   96         8. A student who scores within 5 points below the benchmark
   97  for passage on the statewide, standardized assessment, who has
   98  passing grades in reading, and who receives a recommendation for
   99  promotion from the student’s teacher and principal shall be
  100  provided an intensive reading program until such time as the
  101  student receives a passing score on the statewide, standardized
  102  assessment.
  103  
  104  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  105  And the title is amended as follows:
  106         Between lines 6 and 7
  107  insert:
  108         amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; requiring written
  109         notification relating to portfolios to a parent of a
  110         student with a substantial reading deficiency;
  111         requiring a student promoted to a certain grade with a
  112         good cause exemption to receive intensive reading
  113         instruction and intervention; requiring a school
  114         district to assist schools and teachers with the
  115         implementation of reading strategies; revising good
  116         cause exemptions;