The Florida Senate

Assess the annual learning gains of each student toward achieving the Sunshine State Standards appropriate for the student’s grade level.

Provide data for making decisions regarding school accountability and recognition.

Identify the educational strengths and needs of students and the readiness of students to be promoted to the next grade level or to graduate from high school with a standard or special high school diploma.

Assess how well educational goals and curricular standards are met at the school, district, and state levels.

Provide information to aid in the evaluation and development of educational programs and policies.

Provide information on the performance of Florida students compared with that of other students across the United States.

Submit proposed Next Generation Sunshine State Standards to the State Board of Education for adoption and periodic review and revision under s. 1003.41.

Develop and implement a uniform system of indicators to describe the performance of public school students and the characteristics of the public school districts and the public schools. These indicators must include, without limitation, information gathered by the comprehensive management information system created pursuant to s. 1008.385 and student achievement information obtained pursuant to this section.

Develop and implement a student achievement testing program as follows:

Conduct ongoing research to develop improved methods of assessing student performance, including, without limitation, the use of technology to administer tests, score, or report the results of, the use of electronic transfer of data, the development of work-product assessments, and the development of process assessments.

Conduct ongoing research and analysis of student achievement data, including, without limitation, monitoring trends in student achievement by grade level and overall student achievement, identifying school programs that are successful, and analyzing correlates of school achievement.

Provide technical assistance to school districts in the implementation of state and district testing programs and the use of the data produced pursuant to such programs.

Study the cost and student achievement impact of secondary end-of-course assessments, including web-based and performance formats, and report to the Legislature prior to implementation.

Distributing to students the sample test books and answer keys published by the Department of Education.

Providing individualized instruction in test-taking strategies, without suspending the school’s regular program of curricula, for a student who scores at Level 1 or Level 2 on a prior administration of the statewide assessment.

Providing individualized instruction in the content knowledge and skills assessed, without suspending the school’s regular program of curricula, for a student who scores at Level 1 or Level 2 on a prior administration of the statewide assessment or a student who, through a diagnostic assessment administered by the school district, is identified as having a deficiency in the content knowledge and skills assessed.

Incorporating test-taking exercises and strategies into curricula for intensive reading and mathematics intervention courses.

Administering a practice test or engaging in other test-preparation activities for the statewide assessment which are determined necessary to familiarize students with the organization of the assessment, the format of the test items, and the test directions, or which are otherwise necessary for the valid and reliable administration of the assessment, as set forth in rules adopted by the State Board of Education with specific reference to this paragraph.

The statistical system for the annual assessments shall use measures of student learning, such as the FCAT, to determine teacher, school, and school district statistical distributions, which shall be determined using available data from the FCAT, and other data collection as deemed appropriate by the Department of Education, to measure the differences in student prior year achievement compared to the current year achievement for the purposes of accountability and recognition.

The statistical system shall provide the best estimates of teacher, school, and school district effects on student progress. The approach used by the department shall be approved by the commissioner before implementation.

The annual testing program shall be administered to provide for valid statewide comparisons of learning gains to be made for purposes of accountability and recognition. District school boards shall not establish school calendars that jeopardize or limit the valid testing and comparison of student learning gains.

If the Commissioner of Education revises a statewide assessment and the revisions require the State Board of Education to modify the assessment’s performance levels or modify the passing scores, until the state board adopts the modifications by rule, the commissioner shall use calculations for scoring the assessment which adjust student scores on the revised assessment for statistical equivalence to student scores on the former assessment.

A student must attain the passing scores on the statewide assessment required for a standard high school diploma or for high school course credits under sub-sub-subparagraphs (3)(c)2.a.(I) and (II) which are in effect at the time the student enters grade 9. If a student transfers into a high school, the school principal shall determine, in accordance with State Board of Education rule, whether the student must take an end-of-course assessment in a course for which the student has credit that was earned from the previous school.

If the commissioner revises a statewide assessment and the revisions require the State Board of Education to modify the passing scores required for a standard high school diploma or for high school course credits under sub-sub-subparagraphs (3)(c)2.a.(I) and (II), the commissioner may, with approval of the state board, discontinue administration of the former assessment upon the graduation, based on normal student progression, of students participating in the final regular administration of the former assessment. The state board shall adopt by rule passing scores for the revised assessment which are statistically equivalent to passing scores on the discontinued assessment for a student required under paragraph (b) to attain passing scores on the discontinued assessment.

The Commissioner of Education shall analyze the content and concordant data sets for nationally recognized high school achievement tests, including, but not limited to, the PSAT, PLAN, SAT, ACT, and College Placement Test, to assess if concordant scores for FCAT scores can be determined for high school graduation. When content alignment and concordant scores can be determined, the Commissioner of Education shall adopt those scores as meeting the graduation requirement in lieu of achieving the FCAT passing score and may adopt those scores as being sufficient to achieve additional purposes as determined by rule. Each time that test content or scoring procedures change for the FCAT or for a high school achievement test for which a concordant score is determined, new concordant scores must be determined.

The State Board of Education may define by rule the allowable uses, other than to satisfy the high school graduation requirement, for concordant scores as described in this subsection. Such uses may include, but need not be limited to, achieving appropriate standardized test scores required for the awarding of Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and college placement.

The Commissioner of Education shall analyze the content and equivalent data sets for nationally recognized high school achievement tests and industry certification tests under the Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education, including, but not limited to, grade 10 FCAT Mathematics retakes until such retakes are discontinued pursuant to subsection (9), the PSAT, the PLAN, the SAT, the ACT, and the College Placement Test, to assess if equivalent scores for end-of-course assessment scores can be determined for passage of an end-of-course assessment. When content alignment and equivalent scores can be determined, the Commissioner of Education shall adopt those scores as meeting the requirement to pass the end-of-course assessment and as being sufficient to achieve additional purposes as determined by rule. Each time that assessment content or scoring procedures change for an end-of-course assessment or for a high school achievement test or an industry certification test under the Industry Certification Funding List, pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education for which an equivalent score is determined, new equivalent scores must be determined.

Use of an equivalent score adopted by the State Board of Education under paragraph (a) for purposes of grade adjustment, grade forgiveness, or course credit recovery is contingent upon and subject to district school board rules.

Longitudinal performance of students in mathematics and reading.

Longitudinal performance of students by grade level in mathematics and reading.

Longitudinal performance regarding efforts to close the achievement gap.

Other student performance data based on national norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, when available, and numbers of students who after 8th grade enroll in adult education rather than other secondary education.