Senate Bill sb2580
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2580
By Senator Siplin
19-1043-05
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to student assessments;
3 creating s. 1008.225, F.S.; providing for a
4 Standardized Test Academic Grade, or STAG, to
5 be used in lieu of the Florida Comprehensive
6 Assessment Test to assess high school students
7 for purposes of promotion and graduation;
8 providing legislative findings; requiring that
9 the Commissioner of Education develop and
10 implement the STAG program by a specified date;
11 providing purposes; providing eligibility
12 requirements for student use of STAG; providing
13 a formula for computing a student's STAG score;
14 requiring the Department of Education to study
15 the program and report its findings to
16 legislative leaders and to the Commissioner of
17 Education; amending ss. 1003.42 and 1008.22,
18 F.S., to conform; providing an effective date.
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20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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22 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
23 1003.43, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
24 1003.43 General requirements for high school
25 graduation.--
26 (5) Each district school board shall establish
27 standards for graduation from its schools, and these standards
28 must include:
29 (a) Earning passing scores on the FCAT, as defined in
30 s. 1008.22(3)(c), or a satisfactory Standardized Test Academic
31 Grade under s. 1008.225 scores on a standardized test that are
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2580
19-1043-05
1 concordant with passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.
2 1008.22(9).
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4 The standards required in this subsection, and any subsequent
5 modifications, shall be reprinted in the Florida
6 Administrative Code even though not defined as "rules."
7 Section 2. Subsection (9) of section 1008.22, Florida
8 Statutes, is amended to read:
9 1008.22 Student assessment program for public
10 schools.--
11 (9) EQUIVALENCIES FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS.--
12 (a) The Commissioner of Education shall approve the
13 use of STAG scores in accordance with s. 1008.225 the SAT and
14 ACT tests as alternative assessments to the grade 10 FCAT for
15 the 2006-2007 2003-2004 school year and thereafter. Students
16 who attain satisfactory STAG scores on the SAT or ACT which
17 equate to the passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT for purposes
18 of high school graduation shall satisfy the assessment
19 requirement for a standard high school diploma as provided in
20 s. 1003.429(6)(a) or s. 1003.43(5)(a) for the 2003-2004 school
21 year if the students meet the requirement in paragraph (b).
22 (b) A student shall be required to take the grade 10
23 FCAT a total of three times without earning a passing score in
24 order to use the scores on an alternative assessment pursuant
25 to paragraph (a). This requirement shall not apply to a
26 student who is a new student to the public school system in
27 grade 12.
28 Section 3. Section 1008.225, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 1008.225 Standardized Test Academic Grade (STAG).--
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2580
19-1043-05
1 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--The Legislature finds that
2 it is undesirable to evaluate all students on the basis of a
3 single assessment such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment
4 Test (FCAT). The Legislature further finds that, in many
5 instances, it is more sensible to strike a balance between
6 standardized test scores and academic performance in assessing
7 whether a student is qualified to be a high school graduate.
8 (2) DEVELOPMENT.--Pursuant to the statewide assessment
9 program, the Commissioner of Education shall develop and
10 implement during the 2006-2007 school year a student
11 achievement evaluation program known as the Standardized Test
12 Academic Grade, or STAG.
13 (3) PURPOSE.--Use of the Standardized Test Academic
14 Grade is intended to enhance student options for school
15 promotion, to increase the options for a student to obtain a
16 high school diploma, and to create options for school
17 accountability.
18 (4) ELIGIBILITY TO ELECT ASSESSMENT BY STAG.--A
19 student may choose to be assessed through the STAG program if
20 the student:
21 1. Is reading at grade level;
22 2. Has a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or
23 better;
24 3. Has had no disciplinary problems or disciplinary
25 actions during high school;
26 4. Has not accumulated more than 21 days of absence
27 from classes during each school year in grades 9 through 12;
28 and
29 5. Has a parent or guardian who is involved in the
30 student's education, as evidenced by the parent's or
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2580
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1 guardian's having reviewed the student's portfolio at least
2 twice per academic year during grades 9 through 12.
3 (5) COMPUTATION OF STAG.--
4 (a) A student's STAG score is the average of two
5 component scores earned by the student:
6 1. The cumulative grade point average; and
7 2. The standardized test grade point average, or
8 STGPA, as calculated under paragraph (b).
9 (b) To calculate the STGPA, the school must:
10 1. Convert the student's FCAT scores from levels to
11 grades and assign to each grade the number of quality points
12 assigned in accordance with the scale used in calculating the
13 grade point average:
14 FCAT Level Letter Grade Quality
15 Points
16 5 A 4
17 4 B 3
18 3 C 2
19 2 D 1
20 1 F 0
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22 2. Add the number of quality points that the student
23 earned on all FCAT subtests and divide by the number of FCAT
24 subtests to calculate the average of the quality points. That
25 average is the STGPA.
26 (c) The STAG must equal 2.0 or better before a student
27 is promoted to the next level or obtains a regular high school
28 diploma.
29 (6) PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.--The Department of Education
30 shall, by August 1, 2008, study the results of implementing
31 the STAG method of assessment and shall report its findings to
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 2580
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1 the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
2 Representatives, and the Commissioner of Education by December
3 1, 2008.
4 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.
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6 *****************************************
7 SENATE SUMMARY
8 Provides for a Standardized Test Academic Grade, or STAG,
to be used in lieu of the Florida Comprehensive
9 Assessment Test to assess high school students for
purposes of promotion and graduation. Provides
10 legislative findings. Requires that the Commissioner of
Education develop and implement the STAG program by a
11 specified date. Provides purposes of the program.
Provides eligibility requirements for student use of
12 STAG. Provides a formula for computing a student's STAG
score. Requires the Department of Education to study the
13 program and report its findings to legislative leaders
and to the Commissioner of Education.
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