HB 1423 2003
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to public school student progression;
3    amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; revising provisions relating to
4    mandatory retention; providing for mandatory retention at
5    the end of grade 4 based on reading deficiency
6    demonstrated on statewide assessment testing and teacher
7    observation; providing an effective date.
8         
9          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10         
11          Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 1008.25, Florida
12    Statutes, is amended to read:
13          1008.25 Public school student progression; remedial
14    instruction; reporting requirements.--
15          (5) READING DEFICIENCY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION.--
16          (a) It is the ultimate goal of the Legislature that every
17    student read at or above grade level. Any student who exhibits a
18    substantial deficiency in reading, based upon locally determined
19    or statewide assessments conducted in kindergarten or grade 1,
20    grade 2, or grade 3, or through teacher observations, must be
21    given intensive reading instruction immediately following the
22    identification of the reading deficiency. The student's reading
23    proficiency must be reassessed by locally determined assessments
24    or through teacher observations at the beginning of the grade
25    following the intensive reading instruction. The student must
26    continue to be provided with intensive reading instruction until
27    the reading deficiency is remedied.
28          (b) Beginning with the 2003-20042002-2003school year, if
29    the student's reading deficiency, as identified in paragraph
30    (a), is not remedied by the end of grade 43, as demonstrated by
31    statewide assessment testing in reading and by teacher
32    observation of a deficiency in readingscoring at Level 2 or
33    higher on the statewide assessment test in reading for grade 3,
34    the student must be retained.
35          (c) Beginning with the 2003-20042002-2003school year,
36    the parent of any student who exhibits a substantial deficiency
37    in reading, as described in paragraph (a), must be notified in
38    writing of the following:
39          1. That his or her child has been identified as having a
40    substantial deficiency in reading.
41          2. A description of the current services that are provided
42    to the child.
43          3. A description of the proposed supplemental
44    instructional services and supports that will be provided to the
45    child that are designed to remediate the identified area of
46    reading deficiency.
47          4. That if the child's reading deficiency is not
48    remediated by the end of grade 43, the child must be retained
49    unless he or she is exempt from mandatory retention for good
50    cause.
51          Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.