Florida Senate - 2015                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for CS for SB 616
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì137530{Î137530                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       Senators Montford and Hays moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 500 - 545
    4  and insert:
    5         (7) TRANSITION.—School grades and school improvement
    6  ratings pursuant to s. 1008.341 for the 2013-2014 school year
    7  shall be calculated based on statutes and rules in effect on
    8  June 30, 2014. To assist in the transition to the new statewide,
    9  standardized assessments 2014-2015 school grades, calculated
   10  based on new statewide, standardized assessments administered
   11  pursuant to s. 1008.22, the 2014-2015 school year grades shall
   12  serve as an informational baseline for schools to work toward
   13  improved performance in future years. School grades may not be
   14  issued for the 2014-2015 school year, and the statewide,
   15  standardized assessments may not be used to determine grade 3
   16  retention, high school graduation, or instructional personnel
   17  and school administrative personnel evaluations for the 2014
   18  2015 school year. In lieu of school grades for the 2014-2015
   19  school year, school districts shall provide summary information
   20  in the form of aggregation of performance data posted on the
   21  website of the school district and each school, as applicable.
   22  The summary should specify the following: the percent of
   23  students who reach proficiency by each school on the statewide,
   24  standardized assessments in end-of-course assessments in English
   25  Language Arts, Mathematics, Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology,
   26  United States History, and Civics; secondary acceleration rates;
   27  and high school graduation rates. This summary shall serve as
   28  baseline information to students, parents, instructional
   29  personnel, school administrators, superintendents, and other
   30  stakeholders. The summary shall be reported in a format
   31  determined by the State Board of Education. Accordingly,
   32  notwithstanding any other provision of law:
   33         (a) A school may not be required to select and implement a
   34  turnaround option pursuant to s. 1008.33 in the 2015-2016 school
   35  year based on the school’s 2014-2015 performance grade or school
   36  improvement rating under s. 1008.341, as applicable. The
   37  benefits of s. 1008.33(4)(c) relating to a school being released
   38  from implementation of the turnaround option, and s.
   39  1008.33(4)(d) relating to a school implementing strategies
   40  identified in its school improvement plan, apply to a school
   41  using turnaround options pursuant to s. 1008.33 which improves
   42  based on the performance data reported pursuant to this
   43  subsection and approved by the Commissioner of Education.
   44         (b)1. A school or approved provider under s. 1002.45 that
   45  would have received receives the same or a lower school grade or
   46  school improvement rating for the 2014-2015 school year compared
   47  to the 2013-2014 school year is not subject to sanctions or
   48  penalties that would otherwise occur as a result of performance
   49  in the 2014-2015 school year grade or rating. A charter school
   50  system or a school district designated as high performing may
   51  not lose the designation based on performance in the 2014-2015
   52  school year grades of any of the schools within the charter
   53  school system or school district, as applicable.
   54         2. The Florida School Recognition Program established under
   55  s. 1008.36 shall continue to be implemented as otherwise
   56  provided in the General Appropriations Act.
   57         (c) Until such time that an independent verification of the
   58  psychometric validity of the statewide, standardized assessments
   59  is completed pursuant to paragraph (d), for purposes of
   60  determining grade 3 retention pursuant to s. 1008.25(5) and high
   61  school graduation pursuant to s. 1003.4282, student performance
   62  on the 2014-2015 statewide, standardized assessments shall be
   63  linked to 2013-2014 student performance expectations. Students
   64  who score in the bottom quintile on the 2014-2015 grade 3
   65  English Language Arts assessment shall be identified as at-risk
   66  students. School districts must notify parents of such students,
   67  provide evidence as outlined in s. 1008.25(6)(b), and provide
   68  the appropriate intervention and support services for student
   69  success in grade 4.
   70         (d) The Commissioner of Education shall have the statewide,
   71  standardized assessments implemented and administered for the
   72  2014-2015 school year independently verified for psychometric
   73  validity by the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational
   74  Evaluation, the American Psychological Association, the National
   75  Council on Measurement in Education, or the Buros Center for
   76  Testing. The commissioner shall submit a report detailing the
   77  findings on the psychometric validity of the assessments to the
   78  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   79  House of Representatives no later than August 1, 2015.
   80  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   81  And the title is amended as follows:
   82         Delete lines 54 - 63
   83  and insert:
   84         removing obsolete language; prohibiting the issuance
   85         of school grades for the 2014-2015 school year;
   86         prohibiting the use of assessment results for purposes
   87         relating to grade 3 retention, high school graduation,
   88         and personnel evaluations for the 2014-2015 school
   89         year; requiring school districts to summarize
   90         specified performance data in lieu of school grades;
   91         specifying applicability of certain accountability
   92         measures to schools using turnaround options;
   93         requiring that students who score in the bottom
   94         quintile on the 2014-2015 grade 3 English Language
   95         Arts assessment be identified as at-risk students;
   96         requiring that each school district notify such
   97         students’ parents, provide evidence, and provide
   98         intervention and support services; requiring the
   99         Commissioner of Education to have the psychometric
  100         validity of the statewide, standardized assessments
  101         independently verified; requiring the commissioner to
  102         submit a report of the findings to the Governor and
  103         the Legislature by a specified date; amending s.