Senate Bill sb0576

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 576

    By Senator Wilson





    33-14-06

  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.; requiring the Commissioner of

  5         Education to approve the continuing use of

  6         scores on specified tests as alternatives to

  7         scores on the grade-10 Florida Comprehensive

  8         Assessment Test (FCAT) for students who have

  9         failed the FCAT as specified; requiring the

10         State Board of Education to annually determine

11         scores on the SAT and ACT tests which are

12         equivalent to FCAT scores; repealing s.

13         1008.301, F.S., relating to a concordance study

14         of FCAT equivalency; reenacting ss.

15         1003.429(6)(a) and 1003.43(5)(a), F.S.,

16         relating to accelerated high school graduation

17         and general requirements for high school

18         graduation, to incorporate the amendments to s.

19         1008.22, F.S., in reference thereto; providing

20         an effective date.

21  

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

23  

24         Section 1.  Subsection (9) of section 1008.22, Florida

25  Statutes, is amended to read:

26         1008.22  Student assessment program for public

27  schools.--

28         (9)  EQUIVALENCIES FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS.--

29         (a)1.  The Commissioner of Education shall approve the

30  use of the SAT and ACT tests as alternative assessments to the

31  grade 10 FCAT for the 2003-2004 school year. Students who

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 576
    33-14-06




 1  attain scores on the SAT or ACT which equate to the passing

 2  scores on the grade 10 FCAT for purposes of high school

 3  graduation shall satisfy the assessment requirement for a

 4  standard high school diploma as provided in s. 1003.429(6)(a)

 5  or s. 1003.43(5)(a) for the 2003-2004 school year if the

 6  students meet the requirement in paragraph (b).

 7         2.  Annually, the State Board of Education shall

 8  determine which scores on the SAT and the ACT tests are

 9  equivalent to those required on the FCAT for high school

10  graduation.

11         (b)  A student shall be required to take the grade 10

12  FCAT a total of three times without earning a passing score in

13  order to use the scores on an alternative assessment pursuant

14  to paragraph (a). This requirement shall not apply to a

15  student who is a new student to the public school system in

16  grade 12.

17         Section 2.  Section 1008.301, Florida Statutes, is

18  repealed.

19         Section 3.  For the purpose of incorporating the

20  amendments made by this act to section 1008.22, Florida

21  Statutes, in a reference thereto, paragraph (a) of subsection

22  (6) of section 1003.429, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to

23  read:

24         1003.429  Accelerated high school graduation options.--

25         (6)  Students pursuing accelerated 3-year high school

26  graduation options pursuant to paragraph (1)(b) or paragraph

27  (1)(c) are required to:

28         (a)  Earn passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.

29  1008.22(3)(c) or scores on a standardized test that are

30  concordant with passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.

31  1008.22(9).

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 576
    33-14-06




 1  

 2  Weighted grades referred to in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d)

 3  shall be applied to those courses specifically listed or

 4  identified by the department as rigorous pursuant to s.

 5  1009.531(3) or weighted by the district school board for class

 6  ranking purposes.

 7         Section 4.  For the purpose of incorporating the

 8  amendments made by this act to section 1008.22, Florida

 9  Statutes, in a reference thereto, paragraph (a) of subsection

10  (5) of section 1003.43, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to

11  read:

12         1003.43  General requirements for high school

13  graduation.--

14         (5)  Each district school board shall establish

15  standards for graduation from its schools, and these standards

16  must include:

17         (a)  Earning passing scores on the FCAT, as defined in

18  s. 1008.22(3)(c), or scores on a standardized test that are

19  concordant with passing scores on the FCAT as defined in s.

20  1008.22(9).

21  

22  The standards required in this subsection, and any subsequent

23  modifications, shall be reprinted in the Florida

24  Administrative Code even though not defined as "rules."

25         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

26  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                   SB 576
    33-14-06




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Requires the Commissioner of Education to approve the use
      of scores on the SAT or the ACT tests as alternatives to
 4    scores on the grade-10 FCAT, not only for the 2003-2004
      school year, but also thereafter, for students who have
 5    failed the grade-10 FCAT three times. Requires the State
      Board of Education to determine annually which scores on
 6    the alternative tests are equivalent to those on the
      FCAT.
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