Senate Bill sb1076
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1076
By Senator Miller
18-325-05
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to requirements for high school
3 graduation; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.;
4 prescribing a formula for computing each
5 student's graduation grade point average, which
6 formula includes results from the student's
7 grade-10 FCAT and grade-10 norm-referenced
8 test, as well as coursework grades; providing
9 an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 1003.43, Florida
14 Statutes, is amended to read:
15 1003.43 General requirements for high school
16 graduation.--
17 (5)(a) Each district school board shall establish
18 standards for graduation from its schools which, and these
19 standards must include the following requirements:
20 (a) Earning passing scores on the FCAT, as defined in
21 s. 1008.22(3)(c), or scores on a standardized test that are
22 concordant with passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.
23 1008.22(9).
24 1.(b) Each student shall complete all Completion of
25 all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district
26 school board pursuant to s. 1008.25.
27 (c) Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of
28 1.5 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, for students entering
29 9th grade before the 1997-1998 school year; however, these
30 students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on
31 a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1076
18-325-05
1 subsection (1) that are taken after July 1, 1997, or have an
2 overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above.
3 2.(d) Each student shall achieve Achievement of a
4 cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its
5 equivalent, in the courses required by subsection (1), for
6 students entering 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and
7 thereafter.
8 3. Each student shall take the FCAT in grade 10 and
9 subsequent grades as prescribed.
10 4. Each student shall take the norm-referenced test
11 (NRT) as prescribed.
12 5. Each student shall earn a letter grade and grade
13 points that correspond to the level attained on each section
14 of the grade-10 FCAT test, as follows:
15 a. For Level 1, an "F" and 0 grade points.
16 b. For Level 2 with a score of less than 300, a "D"
17 and 1 grade point.
18 c. For Level 2 with a score of 300 or more, a "C" and
19 2 grade points.
20 d. For Level 3, a "B" and 3 grade points.
21 e. For Level 4 or Level 5, an "A" and 4 grade points.
22 6. Each student shall earn a letter grade and grade
23 points that correspond to the percentile ranking attained on
24 each section of the grade-10 norm-referenced test (NRT), as
25 follows:
26 a. For the 1st-30th percentile, an "F" and 0 grade
27 points.
28 b. For the 31st-39th percentile, a "D" and 1 grade
29 point.
30 c. For the 40th-64th percentile, a "C" and 2 grade
31 points.
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1076
18-325-05
1 d. For the 65th-80th percentiles, a "B" and 3 grade
2 points.
3 e. For the 81st-99th percentile, an "A" and 4 grade
4 points.
5 7. The average of the grade points earned from all of
6 a student's grade-10 FCAT subtests shall comprise 40 percent
7 of the student's graduation grade point average.
8 8. The average of the grade points earned from all of
9 a student's NRT subtests shall comprise 20 percent of the
10 student's graduation grade point average.
11 9. The grade point average from a student's course
12 work shall comprise 40 percent of the student's graduation
13 grade point average.
14 10. A student's graduation grade point average shall
15 be determined as follows:
16
17 0.40 x FCAT grade point average +
18 0.20 x NRT grade point average +
19 0.40 x coursework grade point average =
20 graduation grade point average
21
22 11. A student may not graduate unless his or her
23 graduation grade point average is at least 2.0.
24 (b)(e) For purposes of subparagraph (a)2. paragraphs
25 (c) and (d):
26 1. Each district school board shall adopt policies
27 designed to assist students in meeting these requirements.
28 These policies may include, but are not limited to:
29 forgiveness policies, summer school or before or after school
30 attendance, special counseling, volunteer or and/or peer
31 tutors, school-sponsored help sessions, homework hotlines, and
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1076
18-325-05
1 study skills classes. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year
2 and each year thereafter, forgiveness policies for required
3 courses shall be limited to replacing a grade of "D" or "F,"
4 or the equivalent of a grade of "D" or "F," with a grade of
5 "C" or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of "C" or higher,
6 earned subsequently in the same or comparable course.
7 Forgiveness policies for elective courses shall be limited to
8 replacing a grade of "D" or "F," or the equivalent of a grade
9 of "D" or "F," with a grade of "C" or higher, or the
10 equivalent of a grade of "C" or higher, earned subsequently in
11 another course. Any course grade not replaced according to a
12 district school board forgiveness policy shall be included in
13 the calculation of the cumulative grade point average required
14 for graduation.
15 2. At the end of each semester, the parent of each
16 student in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 who has a cumulative grade
17 point average of less than 0.5 above the cumulative grade
18 point average required for graduation shall be notified that
19 the student is at risk of not meeting the requirements for
20 graduation. The notice shall contain an explanation of the
21 policies the district school board has in place to assist the
22 student in meeting the grade point average requirement.
23 3. Special assistance to obtain a high school
24 equivalency diploma pursuant to s. 1003.435 may be given only
25 when the student has completed all requirements for graduation
26 except the attainment of the required cumulative grade point
27 average.
28
29 The standards required in this subsection, and any subsequent
30 modifications, shall be reprinted in the Florida
31 Administrative Code even though not defined as "rules."
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1076
18-325-05
1 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.
2
3 *****************************************
4 SENATE SUMMARY
5 Amends the general requirements for high school
graduation by prescribing a formula for computing each
6 student's graduation grade point average, which formula
includes results from the student's grade-10 FCAT and
7 grade-10 norm-referenced test, as well as coursework
grades.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.