Senate Bill 2350
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
By Senator Cowin
11-1397C-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education (RAB); amending s.
3 229.57, F.S.; authorizing the Commissioner of
4 Education to establish criteria for exempting a
5 student from taking certain parts of the high
6 school competency test; amending s. 232.2466,
7 F.S.; modifying the criteria for awarding a
8 differentiated college-ready diploma; amending
9 s. 240.116, F.S.; requiring the State Board of
10 Education to adopt rules for any
11 dual-enrollment programs involving requirements
12 for high school graduation; amending s. 240.33,
13 F.S.; requiring the State Board of Education to
14 adopt rules to articulate foreign-language
15 competency and equivalency between secondary
16 and postsecondary schools; providing an
17 effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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21 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
22 229.57, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
23 229.57 Student assessment program.--
24 (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner is
25 directed to design and implement a statewide program of
26 educational assessment that provides information for the
27 improvement of the operation and management of the public
28 schools. The program must be designed, as far as possible, so
29 as not to conflict with ongoing district assessment programs
30 and so as to use information obtained from district programs.
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
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1 Pursuant to the statewide assessment program, the commissioner
2 shall:
3 (c) Develop and implement a student achievement
4 testing program as part of the statewide assessment program,
5 to be administered at designated times at the elementary,
6 middle, and high school levels to measure reading, writing,
7 and mathematics. The testing program must be designed so
8 that:
9 1. The tests measure student skills and competencies
10 adopted by the state board as specified in paragraph (a). The
11 tests must measure and report student proficiency levels in
12 reading, writing, and mathematics. Other content areas may be
13 included as directed by the commissioner. The commissioner
14 shall provide for the tests to be developed or obtained, as
15 appropriate, through contracts and project agreements with
16 private vendors, public vendors, public agencies,
17 postsecondary institutions, or school districts. The
18 commissioner shall obtain input with respect to the design and
19 implementation of the testing program from state educators and
20 the public.
21 2. The tests are criterion-referenced and include, to
22 the extent determined by the commissioner, items that require
23 the student to produce information or perform tasks in such a
24 way that the skills and competencies he or she uses can be
25 measured.
26 3. Each testing program, whether at the elementary,
27 middle, or high school level, includes a test of writing in
28 which students are required to produce writings which are then
29 scored by appropriate methods.
30 4. A score is designated for each subject area tested,
31 below which score a student's performance is deemed
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
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1 inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate
2 remedial instruction to students who score below these levels.
3 5. All 11th grade students take a high school
4 competency test developed by the state board to test minimum
5 student performance skills and competencies in reading,
6 writing, and mathematics. The test must be based on the skills
7 and competencies adopted by the state board pursuant to
8 paragraph (a). Upon recommendation of the commissioner, the
9 state board shall designate a passing score for each part of
10 the high school competency test. In establishing passing
11 scores, the state board shall consider any possible negative
12 impact of the test on minority students. The commissioner may
13 establish criteria whereby a student who successfully
14 demonstrates proficiency in either reading or mathematics or
15 both may be exempted from taking the corresponding section of
16 the high school competency test or the college placement test.
17 A student must earn a passing score or have been exempted from
18 on each part of the high school competency test in order taken
19 to qualify for a regular high school diploma. The school
20 districts shall provide appropriate remedial instruction to
21 students who do not pass part of the competency test.
22 6. Participation in the testing program is mandatory
23 for all students, except as otherwise prescribed by the
24 commissioner. The commissioner shall recommend rules to the
25 state board for the provision of test adaptations and
26 modifications of procedures as necessary for students in
27 exceptional education programs and for students who have
28 limited English proficiency.
29 7. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must
30 meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school
31 student must meet.
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
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2 The commissioner may design and implement student testing
3 programs for any grade level and subject area, based on
4 procedures designated by the commissioner to monitor
5 educational achievement in the state.
6 Section 2. Section 232.2466, Florida Statutes, is
7 amended to read:
8 232.2466 College-ready diploma program.--
9 (1) Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, Each
10 school district shall award a differentiated college-ready
11 diploma to each student who:
12 (a) Successfully completes the requirements for a
13 standard high school diploma as prescribed by s. 232.246;
14 (b) Has achieved a 3.0 weighted grade point average,
15 or its equivalent, in high school courses that are adopted by
16 the Board of Regents and recommended by the State Board of
17 Community Colleges as college-preparatory academic courses;
18 and. Among courses taken to fulfill the 24-academic-credit
19 requirement, a student must take:
20 1. Two credits in algebra and one credit in geometry,
21 or their equivalents, as determined by the state board.
22 2. One credit in biology, one credit in chemistry, and
23 one credit in physics, or their equivalents, as determined by
24 the state board.
25 3. Two credits in the same foreign language, taken for
26 elective credit. A student whose native language is not
27 English is exempt from this requirement if the student
28 demonstrates proficiency in the native language. American sign
29 language constitutes a foreign language.
30 (c)(b) Has obtained at least the qualifying score for
31 the Florida Merit Scholars award on the combined verbal and
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1 quantitative parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the
2 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the recentered Scholastic
3 Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination, or an
4 equivalent score on the American College Testing Program.
5 Takes the postsecondary education common placement test
6 prescribed in s. 240.117, or an equivalent test identified by
7 the State Board of Education, before graduation and scores at
8 or above the established statewide passing score in each test
9 area.
10 (2) For purposes of calculating the grade point
11 average to be used in determining eligibility for a
12 college-ready diploma, the department shall assign additional
13 weights to grades earned in courses identified in the Course
14 Code Directory as Advanced Placement, pre-Internal
15 Baccalaureate, or International Baccalaureate. The department
16 may assign additional weights to courses, other than those
17 described in this subsection, which are identified by the
18 Articulation Coordinating Committee as containing rigorous
19 academic curriculum and performance standards. The additional
20 weight assigned to a course under this subsection must not
21 exceed 0.5 per semester per course.
22 (3)(2) A college-ready diploma entitles a student to
23 admission without placement testing to a public postsecondary
24 education program that terminates in a technical certificate,
25 an associate in science degree, or an associate in arts
26 degree, if the student enters postsecondary education within 2
27 years after earning the college-ready diploma.
28 (3) The Department of Education shall convene a task
29 force of educators and employers to recommend additional
30 incentives for students to pursue a college-ready diploma.
31 The incentives may include awards and recognition, preference
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
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1 for positions in firms, and early registration privileges in
2 postsecondary education institutions.
3 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 240.116, Florida
4 Statutes, is amended to read:
5 240.116 Articulated acceleration.--
6 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that a variety
7 of articulated acceleration mechanisms be available for
8 secondary and postsecondary students attending public
9 educational institutions. It is intended that articulated
10 acceleration serve to shorten the time necessary for a student
11 to complete the requirements associated with the conference of
12 a degree, broaden the scope of curricular options available to
13 students, or increase the depth of study available for a
14 particular subject. Articulated acceleration mechanisms shall
15 include, but not be limited to, dual enrollment, early
16 admission, advanced placement, credit by examination, and the
17 International Baccalaureate Program. The State Board of
18 Education shall adopt rules for any dual-enrollment programs
19 involving requirements for high school graduation.
20 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 240.233, Florida
21 Statutes, is amended to read:
22 240.233 Universities; admissions of students.--Each
23 university shall govern admissions of students, subject to
24 this section and rules of the Board of Regents.
25 (1) Minimum academic standards for undergraduate
26 admission to a university shall include the requirements that:
27 (a) Each student have received a high school diploma
28 pursuant to s. 232.246, or its equivalent, except as provided
29 in s. 240.116(2) and (3).
30 (b) Each student have earned two credits of sequential
31 foreign language at the secondary level or the equivalent of
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Florida Senate - 1998 SB 2350
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1 such instruction at the postsecondary level. A student whose
2 native language is not English is exempt from this admissions
3 requirement, provided that the student demonstrates
4 proficiency in the native language. If a standardized test is
5 not available in the student's native language for the
6 demonstration of proficiency, the university may provide an
7 alternative method of assessment. The State Board of Education
8 shall adopt rules to articulate foreign-language competency
9 and equivalency between secondary and postsecondary
10 institutions. A student who received an associate in arts
11 degree prior to September 1, 1989, or who enrolled in a
12 program of studies leading to an associate degree from a
13 Florida community college prior to August 1, 1989, and
14 maintains continuous enrollment shall be exempt from this
15 admissions requirement.
16 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.
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19 SENATE SUMMARY
20 Authorizes the Commissioner of Education to establish
criteria for exempting a student from taking certain
21 parts of the high school competency test. Modifies the
criteria for awarding a differentiated college-ready
22 diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt
rules for any dual-enrollment programs involving
23 requirements for high school graduation. Requires the
State Board of Education to adopt rules to articulate
24 foreign-language competency and equivalency between
secondary and postsecondary schools.
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