CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1931
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
By Representative Merchant
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 232.245, F.S.; revising provisions relating to
4 a district's comprehensive program for pupil
5 progression; requiring remedial instruction and
6 retention of students who have not met
7 district-required and state-required levels of
8 proficiency; providing reporting requirements;
9 authorizing exemption from retention
10 requirements; amending s. 232.2454, F.S.;
11 revising provisions relating to student
12 performance standards, instruments, and
13 assessment procedures; providing an effective
14 date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 232.245, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 232.245 Pupil progression; remedial instruction;
21 reporting requirements.--
22 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that each
23 student's progression from one grade to another be determined,
24 in part, upon proficiency in reading, writing, and
25 mathematics; that school district policies facilitate such
26 proficiency; and that each student and his or her parent or
27 legal guardian be informed of that student's academic
28 progress.
29 (2)(1) Each district school board shall establish a
30 comprehensive program for pupil progression which must
31 include:
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
513-165-97
1 (a) Standards for evaluating shall be based upon an
2 evaluation of each pupil's performance, including how well he
3 or she masters the performance standards approved by the state
4 board according to s. 229.565;.
5 (b) Specific levels of performance in reading,
6 writing, and mathematics for each grade level, including the
7 levels of performance on statewide assessments at selected
8 grade levels in elementary school, middle school, and high
9 school as defined by the Commissioner of Education, below
10 which a student must receive remediation and may be retained;.
11 (c)(2) The district program for pupil progression
12 shall be based upon Local goals and objectives that which are
13 compatible with the state's plan for education, the state's
14 education goals according to s. 229.591, and student
15 performance standards for grades prekindergarten through 12;.
16 (d) Pertinent factors to be considered by the teacher
17 before recommending that a pupil progress from one grade to
18 another; and shall be prescribed by the district school board
19 in its rules.
20 (e)(3) Procedures Each district comprehensive program
21 for pupil progression shall reflect an effort to identify
22 students at each grade level in grades 9 through 12 who have
23 attained a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 1.5 or below
24 and. The program shall further include provisions for
25 assisting such students to achieve the 1.5 cumulative grade
26 point average required for graduation pursuant to s. 232.246.
27 (3) Each student must participate in the statewide
28 assessment tests required by s. 229.57. Each student who does
29 not meet specific levels of performance as determined by the
30 district school board in reading, writing, and mathematics for
31 each grade level, or who does not meet specific levels of
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
513-165-97
1 performance, determined by the Commissioner of Education, on
2 statewide assessments at selected grade levels, must be
3 provided with additional diagnostic assessments to determine
4 the nature of the student's difficulty and areas of academic
5 need. The school in which the student is enrolled must
6 develop, in consultation with the student's parent or legal
7 guardian, and implement an academic improvement plan designed
8 to assist the student in meeting state and district
9 expectations for proficiency. Each plan must include the
10 provision of intensive remedial instruction in the areas of
11 weakness through one or more of the following activities, as
12 considered appropriate by the school administration:
13 (a) Summer school coursework;
14 (b) Extended day services;
15 (c) Parent tutorial programs;
16 (d) Contracted academic services;
17 (e) Exceptional education services; or
18 (f) Suspension of curriculum other than reading,
19 writing, and mathematics. Remedial instruction provided during
20 high school may not be in lieu of English and mathematics
21 credits required for graduation.
22
23 Upon subsequent evaluation, if the documented deficiency has
24 not been corrected in accordance with the academic improvement
25 plan, the student may be retained. Each student who does not
26 meet the minimum performance expectations defined by the
27 Commissioner of Education for the statewide assessment tests
28 in reading, writing, and mathematics must retake the state
29 assessment test in the subject area of deficiency and must
30 continue remedial instruction until the expectations are met
31
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
513-165-97
1 or the student graduates from high school or is not subject to
2 compulsory school attendance.
3 (4) Any student who exhibits substantial deficiency in
4 reading skills, based on locally determined assessments
5 conducted before the end of grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3, or
6 based on teacher recommendation, must be given intensive
7 reading instruction immediately following the identification
8 of the reading deficiency. The student's reading proficiency
9 must be reassessed by locally determined assessment or based
10 on teacher recommendation at the beginning of the grade
11 following the intensive reading instruction, and the student
12 must continue to be given intensive reading instruction until
13 the reading deficiency is remedied. If the student's reading
14 deficiency, as determined by the locally determined
15 assessment, is not remedied by the end of grade 2 or grade 3,
16 or if the student scores below the specific level of
17 performance, determined by the Commissioner of Education, on
18 the statewide assessment test in reading and writing given in
19 elementary school, the student must be retained. The
20 Commissioner of Education may exempt a student from mandatory
21 retention for good cause.
22 (5) Each district must annually report to the parent
23 or legal guardian of each student the progress of the student
24 towards achieving state and district expectations for
25 proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. The district
26 must report to the parent or legal guardian the student's
27 results on each statewide assessment test. The evaluation of
28 each student's progress must be based upon the student's
29 classroom work, observations, tests, district and state
30 assessments, and other relevant information. Progress
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
513-165-97
1 reporting must be provided to the parent or legal guardian in
2 writing in a format adopted by the district school board.
3 (6) The Commissioner of Education shall adopt rules
4 necessary for the administration of this section.
5 (7) The Department of Education shall provide
6 technical assistance as needed to aid school districts in
7 administering this section.
8 Section 2. Section 232.2454, Florida Statutes, is
9 amended to read:
10 232.2454 District student performance standards,
11 instruments, and assessment procedures.--
12 (1) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
13 authorize School districts are required to obtain or develop
14 and implement assessments of student achievement as necessary
15 to accurately measure student progress and to report this
16 progress to parents or legal guardians according to s. 232.245
17 in each major subject area or major area of study approved by
18 the state board and to annually report the results of such
19 assessments to the state board. Each school district shall
20 implement the assessment program pursuant to the procedures it
21 adopts.
22 (2) Each district school board shall adopt student
23 performance standards for each academic program in grades 9
24 through 12 for which credit toward high school graduation is
25 awarded. The board shall also establish policies as to
26 student mastery of performance standards before credit for a
27 program may be awarded. Teacher observations, classroom
28 assignments, and examinations may be considered appropriate
29 methods of assessing student mastery.
30 (3) The Department of Education shall review and make
31 appropriate recommendations for improvement of the student
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1931
513-165-97
1 performance standards and policies adopted by the district
2 relating to passage for credit during each compliance and
3 program performance audit.
4 (4) The department shall provide technical assistance
5 as needed in order to aid district school boards in complying
6 with this section.
7 (5) Effective July 1, 1985, student performance
8 standards must be incorporated in the pupil progression plan
9 for students in grades 9 through 12 in order for the district
10 to receive funding through the Florida Education Finance
11 Program.
12 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.
13
14 *****************************************
15 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
16
Revises provisions relating to a school district's
17 comprehensive program for pupil progression. Requires
remedial instruction for students who do not meet certain
18 levels of proficiency. Requires retention of certain
students who exhibit substantial reading deficiency.
19 Requires student progress reports. Revises provisions
relating to student performance standards, instruments,
20 and assessment procedures.
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
6