Senate Bill sb1912
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1912
By Senator Wilson
33-984A-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the student assessment
3 program for public schools; amending s.
4 1008.22, F.S.; delaying the date by which the
5 Commissioner of Education must approve the use
6 of other available standardized tests as
7 alternatives to the grade-10 Florida
8 Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT); amending
9 s. 1003.433, F.S.; providing an exemption from
10 the assessment requirement for high school
11 graduation for certain students whose parents
12 transfer to this state under military orders;
13 requiring evidence of stationing orders be
14 provided to the school district; providing an
15 effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Subsection (9) of section 1008.22, Florida
20 Statutes, is amended to read:
21 1008.22 Student assessment program for public
22 schools.--
23 (9) EQUIVALENCIES FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS.--The
24 Commissioner of Education shall determine the comparable
25 validity of other available standardized tests, including the
26 SAT, ACT, College Placement Test, PSAT, PLAN, and tests used
27 for entry into the military. If such tests are deemed to be
28 valid and reliable measures, the commissioner shall approve
29 the use of such tests as alternative alternate assessments to
30 the grade 10 FCAT for the 2003-2004 2002-2003 school year and
31 thereafter. Students who attain scores that equate to the
1
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1912
33-984A-04
1 passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT for purposes of high
2 school graduation on any of the approved alternative
3 assessments shall satisfy the assessment requirement for a
4 standard high school diploma as provided in s. 1003.43(5)(a)
5 for the 2002-2003 school year graduating class. Prior to the
6 application of these alternative assessments in subsequent
7 school years, the Legislature shall review the continued use
8 of these alternative tests.
9 Section 2. Section 1003.433, Florida Statutes, is
10 amended to read:
11 1003.433 Learning opportunities for out-of-state and
12 out-of-country transfer students and students needing
13 additional instruction to meet high school graduation
14 requirements; exemption.--
15 (1)(a) Students who enter a Florida public school at
16 the eleventh or twelfth grade from out of state or from a
17 foreign country shall not be required to spend additional time
18 in a Florida public school in order to meet the high school
19 course requirements if the student has met all requirements of
20 the school district, state, or country from which he or she is
21 transferring. Such students who are not proficient in English
22 should receive immediate and intensive instruction in English
23 language acquisition. However, to receive a standard high
24 school diploma, a transfer student must earn a 2.0 grade point
25 average and pass the grade 10 FCAT required in s. 1008.22(3)
26 or an alternative alternate assessment as described in s.
27 1008.22(9).
28 (b) A student who enrolls in and attends a Florida
29 public school in the eleventh or twelfth grade due to his or
30 her parent's transfer from out of state under military orders
31 to report for duty at a military base in this state is exempt
2
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1912
33-984A-04
1 from the requirement to earn a passing score on the assessment
2 requirement for a standard high school diploma as provided in
3 s. 1003.43(5)(a). However, as a condition of qualifying for
4 this exemption, the student's parent must provide the school
5 district with evidence of the parent's military base
6 stationing orders.
7 (2) Students who have met all requirements for the
8 standard high school diploma except for passage of the grade
9 10 FCAT or an alternative alternate assessment by the end of
10 grade 12 must be provided the following learning
11 opportunities:
12 (a) Participation in an accelerated high school
13 equivalency diploma preparation program during the summer.
14 (b) Upon receipt of a certificate of completion, be
15 allowed to take the College Placement Test and be admitted to
16 remedial or credit courses at a state community college, as
17 appropriate.
18 (c) Participation in an adult general education
19 program as provided in s. 1004.93 for such time as the student
20 requires to master English, reading, mathematics, or any other
21 subject required for high school graduation. Students
22 attending adult basic, adult secondary, or
23 vocational-preparatory instruction are exempt from any
24 requirement for the payment of tuition and fees, including lab
25 fees, pursuant to s. 1009.25. A student attending an adult
26 general education program shall have the opportunity to take
27 the grade 10 FCAT an unlimited number of times in order to
28 receive a standard high school diploma.
29 (3) Students who have been enrolled in an ESOL program
30 for less than 2 school years and have met all requirements for
31 the standard high school diploma except for passage of the
3
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Florida Senate - 2004 SB 1912
33-984A-04
1 grade 10 FCAT or an alternative alternate assessment may
2 receive immersion English language instruction during the
3 summer following their senior year. Students receiving such
4 instruction are eligible to take the FCAT or an alternative
5 alternate assessment and receive a standard high school
6 diploma upon passage of the grade 10 FCAT or the alternative
7 alternate assessment. This subsection shall be implemented to
8 the extent funding is provided in the General Appropriations
9 Act.
10 (4) The district school superintendent shall be
11 responsible for notifying all students of the consequences of
12 failure to receive a standard high school diploma, including
13 the potential ineligibility for financial assistance at
14 postsecondary educational institutions.
15 (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
16 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this
17 section.
18 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
19 law.
20
21 *****************************************
22 SENATE SUMMARY
23 Delays, from the 2002-2003 school year to the 2003-2004
school year, the date by which the Commissioner of
24 Education must approve the use of other available
standardized tests as alternatives to the grade-10
25 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Provides an
exemption from the assessment requirement for high school
26 graduation for certain students whose parents transfer to
Florida under military orders. Requires evidence of
27 stationing orders.
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