(a) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, each school that has students who are tested and included in the school grading system shall receive a school grade if the number of its students tested on statewide assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22 meets or exceeds the minimum sample size of 10, except as follows:1. An alternative school may choose to receive a school grade under this section or a school improvement rating under s. 1008.341. For charter schools that meet the definition of an alternative school pursuant to State Board of Education rule, the decision to receive a school grade is the decision of the charter school governing board. 2. A school that serves any combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 which does not receive a school grade because its students are not tested and included in the school grading system shall receive the school grade designation of a K-3 feeder pattern school identified by the Department of Education and verified by the school district. A school feeder pattern exists if at least 60 percent of the students in the school serving a combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 are scheduled to be assigned to the graded school.
3. If a collocated school does not earn a school grade or school improvement rating for the performance of its students, the student performance data of all schools operating at the same facility must be aggregated to develop a school grade that will be assigned to all schools at that location. A collocated school is a school that has its own unique master school identification number, provides for the education of each of its enrolled students, and operates at the same facility as another school that has its own unique master school identification number and provides for the education of each of its enrolled students.
(b)1. A school’s grade shall be based on a combination of:a. Student achievement scores on statewide, standardized assessments under s. 1008.22 and achievement scores for students seeking a special diploma. b. Student learning gains in FCAT Reading or, upon transition to common core assessments, the common core English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments as measured by statewide, standardized assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22, including learning gains for students seeking a special diploma, as measured by an alternate assessment. c. Improvement of the lowest 25th percentile of students in the school in reading or, upon transition to common core assessments, English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments administered pursuant to s. 1008.22, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. 2. Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, for schools comprised of middle grades 6 through 8 or grades 7 and 8, the school’s grade shall include the performance and participation of its students enrolled in high school level courses with statewide, standardized assessments administered under s. 1008.22. Performance and participation must be weighted equally. As valid data becomes available, the school grades shall include the students’ attainment of national industry certification identified in the Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to rules adopted by the state board. 3. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, at least 50 percent of the school grade shall be based on a combination of the factors listed in sub-subparagraphs 1.a.-c. and the remaining percentage on the following factors:a. The high school graduation rate of the school;
b. As valid data becomes available, the performance and participation of the school’s students in College Board Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment courses, and Advanced International Certificate of Education courses; and the students’ achievement of national industry certification identified in the Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to rules adopted by the state board;
c. Postsecondary readiness of all of the school’s on-time graduates as measured by the SAT, the ACT, the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test, or the common placement test;
d. The high school graduation rate of at-risk students, who score Level 1 or Level 2 on grade 8 FCAT Reading or the English Language Arts and mathematics assessments administered under s. 1008.22; e. As valid data becomes available, the performance of the school’s students on statewide, standardized end-of-course assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3)(b)4. and 5.; and f. The growth or decline in the components listed in sub-subparagraphs a.-e. from year to year.
(c) Student assessment data used in determining school grades shall include:1. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school who have been assessed on statewide, standardized assessments in courses required for high school graduation, including, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, the end-of-course assessment in Algebra I; and beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the end-of-course assessments in Geometry and Biology I; and beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, on the statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment in civics education at the middle grades level.
2. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school who have been assessed on statewide, standardized assessments under s. 1008.22 and who have scored at or in the lowest 25th percentile of students in the school in reading and mathematics, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. 3. The achievement scores and learning gains of eligible students attending alternative schools that provide dropout prevention and academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53. The term “eligible students” in this subparagraph does not include students attending an alternative school who are subject to district school board policies for expulsion for repeated or serious offenses, who are in dropout retrieval programs serving students who have officially been designated as dropouts, or who are in programs operated or contracted by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The student performance data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall be included in the calculation of the home school’s grade. As used in this subparagraph and s. 1008.341, the term “home school” means the school to which the student would be assigned if the student were not assigned to an alternative school. If an alternative school chooses to be graded under this section, student performance data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall not be included in the home school’s grade but shall be included only in the calculation of the alternative school’s grade. A school district that fails to assign statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment scores of each of its students to his or her home school or to the alternative school that receives a grade shall forfeit Florida School Recognition Program funds for 1 fiscal year. School districts must require collaboration between the home school and the alternative school in order to promote student success. This collaboration must include an annual discussion between the principal of the alternative school and the principal of each student’s home school concerning the most appropriate school assignment of the student. 4. The achievement scores and learning gains of students designated as hospital- or homebound. Student assessment data for students designated as hospital- or homebound shall be assigned to their home school for the purposes of school grades. As used in this subparagraph, the term “home school” means the school to which a student would be assigned if the student were not assigned to a hospital- or homebound program.
5. For schools comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, the data listed in subparagraphs 1.-3. and the following data as the Department of Education determines such data are valid and available:a. The high school graduation rate of the school as calculated by the department;
b. The participation rate of all eligible students enrolled in the school and enrolled in College Board Advanced Placement courses; International Baccalaureate courses; dual enrollment courses; Advanced International Certificate of Education courses; and courses or sequences of courses leading to national industry certification identified in the Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education;
c. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school in College Board Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, and Advanced International Certificate of Education courses;
d. Earning of college credit by all eligible students enrolled in the school in dual enrollment programs under s. 1007.271; e. Earning of a national industry certification identified in the Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education;
f. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school in reading, mathematics, and other subjects as measured by the SAT, the ACT, the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test, and the common placement test for postsecondary readiness;
g. The high school graduation rate of all eligible at-risk students enrolled in the school who scored Level 2 or lower on grade 8 FCAT Reading and FCAT Mathematics;
h. The performance of the school’s students on statewide, standardized end-of-course assessments administered under s. 1008.22(3)(b)4. and 5.; and i. The growth or decline in the data components listed in sub-subparagraphs a.-h. from year to year.
The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria for each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight to student achievement in reading. Schools earning a grade of “C,” making satisfactory progress, shall be required to demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading and mathematics on statewide, standardized assessments under s. 1008.22, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. For schools comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, the criteria for school grades must also give added weight to the graduation rate of all eligible at-risk students. In order for a high school to earn a grade of “A,” the school must demonstrate that its at-risk students, as defined in this paragraph, are making adequate progress.