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The Florida Senate

2020 Florida Statutes

SECTION 30
Common placement testing for public postsecondary education.
F.S. 1008.30
1008.30 Common placement testing for public postsecondary education.
(1) The State Board of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, shall develop and implement a common placement test for the purpose of assessing the basic computation and communication skills of students who intend to enter a degree program at any public postsecondary educational institution. Alternative assessments that may be accepted in lieu of the common placement test shall also be identified in rule. Public postsecondary educational institutions shall provide appropriate modifications of the test instruments or test procedures for students with disabilities.
(2) The common placement testing program shall include the capacity to diagnose basic competencies in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics which are essential for success in meta-majors and to provide test information to students on the specific skills the student needs to attain.
(3) By October 31, 2013, the State Board of Education shall establish by rule the test scores a student must achieve to demonstrate readiness to perform college-level work, and the rules must specify the following:
(a) A student who entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in the 2003-2004 school year, or any year thereafter, and earned a Florida standard high school diploma or a student who is serving as an active duty member of any branch of the United States Armed Services shall not be required to take the common placement test and shall not be required to enroll in developmental education instruction in a Florida College System institution. However, a student who is not required to take the common placement test and is not required to enroll in developmental education under this paragraph may opt to be assessed and to enroll in developmental education instruction, and the college shall provide such assessment and instruction upon the student’s request.
(b) A student who takes the common placement test and whose score on the test indicates a need for developmental education must be advised of all the developmental education options offered at the institution and, after advisement, shall be allowed to enroll in the developmental education option of his or her choice.
(c) A student who demonstrates readiness by achieving or exceeding the test scores established by the state board and enrolls in a Florida College System institution within 2 years after achieving such scores shall not be required to retest or complete developmental education when admitted to any Florida College System institution.
(4) By December 31, 2013, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Governors, shall approve a series of meta-majors and the academic pathways that identify the gateway courses associated with each meta-major. Florida College System institutions shall use placement test results to determine the extent to which each student demonstrates sufficient communication and computation skills to indicate readiness for his or her chosen meta-major. Florida College System institutions shall counsel students into college credit courses as quickly as possible, with developmental education limited to that content needed for success in the meta-major.
(5)(a) Each Florida College System institution board of trustees shall develop a plan to implement the developmental education strategies defined in s. 1008.02 and rules established by the State Board of Education. The plan must be submitted to the Chancellor of the Florida College System for approval no later than March 1, 2014, for implementation no later than the fall semester 2014. Each plan must include, at a minimum, local policies that outline:
1. Documented student achievements such as grade point averages, work history, military experience, participation in juried competitions, career interests, degree major declaration, or any combination of such achievements that the institution may consider, in addition to common placement test scores, for advising students regarding enrollment options.
2. Developmental education strategies available to students.
3. A description of student costs and financial aid opportunities associated with each option.
4. Provisions for the collection of student success data.
5. A comprehensive plan for advising students into appropriate developmental education strategies based on student success data.
(b) Beginning October 31, 2015, each Florida College System institution shall annually prepare an accountability report that includes student success data relating to each developmental education strategy implemented by the institution. The report shall be submitted to the Division of Florida Colleges by October 31 in a format determined by the Chancellor of the Florida College System. By December 31, the chancellor shall compile and submit the institutional reports to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the State Board of Education.
(c) A university board of trustees may contract with a Florida College System institution board of trustees for the Florida College System institution to provide developmental education on the state university campus. Any state university in which the percentage of incoming students requiring developmental education equals or exceeds the average percentage of such students for the Florida College System may offer developmental education without contracting with a Florida College System institution; however, any state university offering college-preparatory instruction as of January 1, 1996, may continue to provide developmental education instruction as defined in s. 1008.02(1).
(6) A student may not be enrolled in a college credit mathematics or English course on a dual enrollment basis unless the student has demonstrated adequate precollegiate preparation on the section of the basic computation and communication skills assessment required pursuant to subsection (1) that is appropriate for successful student participation in the course.
History.s. 373, ch. 2002-387; s. 124, ch. 2007-217; s. 19, ch. 2008-235; s. 10, ch. 2010-22; s. 106, ch. 2011-5; s. 26, ch. 2011-175; s. 14, ch. 2011-177; s. 35, ch. 2013-27; s. 19, ch. 2013-51; s. 10, ch. 2015-6; s. 14, ch. 2018-4.