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2024 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII EARLY LEARNING-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1008 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY Entire Chapter
SECTION 341
School improvement rating for alternative schools.
F.S. 1008.341
1008.341 School improvement rating for alternative schools.—
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commissioner of Education shall prepare an annual report on the performance of each school receiving a school improvement rating pursuant to this section if the provisions of s. 1002.22 pertaining to student records apply.
(2) SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RATING.—An alternative school is a school that provides dropout prevention and academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53. An alternative school shall receive a school improvement rating pursuant to this section unless the school earns a school grade pursuant to s. 1008.34. An alternative school that chooses to receive a school improvement rating shall receive a school improvement rating if the number of its students for whom student performance data on statewide, standardized assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22 which is available for the current year and previous year meets or exceeds the minimum sample size of 10. If an alternative school does not have at least 10 students with complete data for a component listed in subsection (3), that component may not be used in calculating the school’s improvement rating. The calculation of the school improvement rating shall be based on the percentage of points earned from the components listed in subsection (3). An alternative school that tests at least 80 percent of its students may receive a school improvement rating. If an alternative school tests less than 90 percent of its students, the school may not earn a rating higher than “maintaining.” Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, if an alternative school does not meet the requirements for the issuance of a school improvement rating in the current year, and has failed to receive a school improvement rating for the prior 2 consecutive years, the school shall receive a rating for the current year based upon a compilation of all student Learning Gains, for all grade levels, for those 3 years. Likewise, if the school fails to meet the requirements for a rating the following year or any year thereafter, the school’s rating shall be based on a compilation of student Learning Gains achieved during the current and prior 2 years. The school improvement rating shall identify an alternative school as having one of the following ratings defined according to rules of the State Board of Education:
(a) “Commendable” means a significant percentage of the students attending the school are making Learning Gains.
(b) “Maintaining” means a sufficient percentage of the students attending the school are making Learning Gains.
(c) “Unsatisfactory” means an insufficient percentage of the students attending the school are making Learning Gains.

Schools that improve at least one level or maintain a “commendable” rating pursuant to this section are eligible for school recognition awards pursuant to s. 1008.36.

(3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RATING.—Student Learning Gains based on statewide, standardized assessments, including retakes, administered under s. 1008.22 for all eligible students who were assigned to and enrolled in the school during the October or February FTE count and who have assessment scores, concordant scores, or comparable scores for the preceding school year shall be used in determining an alternative school’s school improvement rating. An alternative school’s rating shall be based on the following components:
(a) The percentage of eligible students who make Learning Gains in English Language Arts as measured by statewide, standardized assessments under s. 1008.22(3).
(b) The percentage of eligible students who make Learning Gains in mathematics as measured by statewide, standardized assessments under s. 1008.22(3).

Student performance results of students 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 may not be included in an alternative school’s school improvement rating.

(4) IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENT LEARNING GAINS.—For each alternative school receiving a school improvement rating, the Department of Education shall annually identify the percentage of students making Learning Gains consistent with the provisions in s. 1008.34(3).
(5) SCHOOL AND STUDENT REPORT CARDS.—The Department of Education shall annually develop, in collaboration with the school districts, a school report card for alternative schools to be delivered to parents throughout each school district. The report card shall include the school improvement rating, identification of student learning gains, student attendance data, information regarding school improvement, and indicators of return on investment. An alternative school that serves at least 10 students who are tested on the statewide, standardized assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22 in the current year and previous year shall distribute an individual student report card to parents which includes the student’s learning gains and progress toward meeting high school graduation requirements. The report card must also include the school’s industry certification rate, college readiness rate, dropout rate, and graduation rate. This subsection does not abrogate the provisions of s. 1002.22 relating to student records or the requirements of 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
(6) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section.
(7) TRANSITION.—Due to the absence of learning gains data in the 2022-2023 school year, school improvement ratings will not be calculated for the 2022-2023 school year. When learning gains data becomes available in the 2023-2024 school year, the State Board of Education shall set the scale for the “Commendable,” “Maintaining,” and “Unsatisfactory” ratings pursuant to rule. This subsection is repealed July 1, 2025.
History.—s. 47, ch. 2006-74; s. 22, ch. 2008-235; s. 101, ch. 2009-21; s. 12, ch. 2010-22; s. 24, ch. 2013-51; s. 7, ch. 2014-23; s. 28, ch. 2017-116; s. 15, ch. 2022-16.