Senate Bill sb1302c1

    Florida Senate - 2004                           CS for SB 1302

    By the Committee on Education; and Senator Cowin





    304-2551-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to student report cards;

  3         amending s. 1033.33, F.S.; requiring district

  4         school boards to prohibit schools from using a

  5         student's grade for conduct and behavior or for

  6         attendance in calculating the student's grade

  7         for academic performance; providing an

  8         exception; providing an effective date.

  9  

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

11  

12         Section 1.  Section 1003.33, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         1003.33  Report cards; end-of-the-year status.--

15         (1)  Each district school board shall establish and

16  publish policies requiring the content and regular issuance of

17  student report cards for all elementary school, middle school,

18  and high school students.  These report cards must clearly

19  depict and separately grade each of the following:

20         (a)  The student's academic performance in each class

21  or course, which in grades 1 through 12 must be based upon

22  examinations as well as written papers, class participation,

23  and other academic performance criteria, and must include the

24  student's performance or nonperformance at his or her grade

25  level.

26         (b)  The student's conduct and behavior.

27         (c)  The student's attendance, including absences and

28  tardiness.

29  

30  The district school board may not allow schools to use a

31  student's grade for conduct and behavior under paragraph (b)

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                           CS for SB 1302
    304-2551-04




 1  or a student's grade for attendance under paragraph (c) in

 2  calculating the student's grade for academic performance under

 3  paragraph (a). If a student has been absent from school,

 4  whether the absence is excused or unexcused, and the student

 5  has not made up the required work, the student may be given a

 6  grade and the grade may be applied to the student's academic

 7  performance.

 8         (2)  A student's final report card for a school year

 9  shall contain a statement indicating end-of-the-year status

10  regarding performance or nonperformance at grade level,

11  acceptable or unacceptable behavior and attendance, and

12  promotion or nonpromotion.

13  

14  District school boards shall not allow schools to exempt

15  students from academic performance requirements based on

16  practices or policies designed to encourage student

17  attendance. A student's attendance record may not be used in

18  whole or in part to provide an exemption from any academic

19  performance requirement.

20         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

21  

22          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
23                             SB 1302

24                                 

25  The CS provides an exception to the prohibition on using a
    student's grade for conduct, behavior, or attendance in
26  calculating the student's grade for academic performance.  The
    exception occurs when the student is absent from school and
27  fails to make up the required work.

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31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.