Florida Senate - 2008 PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Bill No. SB 1908
136464
581-04577C-08
Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Education Pre-K
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to the designation of high school grades;
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amending s. 1008.34, F.S, relating to the school grading
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system; providing for a revised high school grading system
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beginning with the 2009-2010 school year which includes
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the statewide standardized assessment, graduation rates,
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performance and participation in certain courses,
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postsecondary readiness as measured by certain
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examinations, and the change in these factors from year to
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year; specifying the data components to be used in
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determining the revised high school grading system;
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requiring that the criteria for school grades give added
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weight to the graduation rate of all eligible at-risk
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students; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 1008.34, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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1008.34 School grading system; school report cards;
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district grade.--
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(3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.--Each school that has
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students who are tested and included in the school grading
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system, except an alternative school that receives a school
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improvement rating pursuant to s. 1008.341, shall receive a
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school grade; however, an alternative school may choose to
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receive a school grade under this section in lieu of a school
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improvement rating. Additionally, a school that serves any
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combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 which
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does not receive a school grade because its students are not
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tested and included in the school grading system shall receive
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the school grade designation of a K-3 feeder pattern school
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identified by the Department of Education and verified by the
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school district. A school feeder pattern exists if at least 60
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percent of the students in the school serving a combination of
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students in kindergarten through grade 3 are scheduled to be
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assigned to the graded school. School grades itemized in
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subsection (2) shall be based on the following:
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(a)1. Criteria.--A school's grade shall be based on a
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combination of:
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a.1. Student achievement scores, including achievement
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scores for students seeking a special diploma.
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b.2. Student learning gains as measured by annual FCAT
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assessments in grades 3 through 10; learning gains for students
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seeking a special diploma, as measured by an alternate assessment
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tool, shall be included not later than the 2009-2010 school year.
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c.3. Improvement of the lowest 25th percentile of students
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in the school in reading, math, or writing on the FCAT, unless
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these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.
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2. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools
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comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10,
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11, and 12, 50 percent of the school grade shall be based on a
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combination of the factors listed in sub-subparagraphs 1.a.-c.
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and the remaining 50 percent on the following factors:
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a. The high school graduation rate of the school;
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b. As valid data becomes available, the performance and
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participation of the school's students in College Board Advanced
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Placement courses; International Baccalaureate courses; dual
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enrollment courses; Advanced International Certificate of
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Education courses; and achievement of industry certification, as
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determined by the Agency for Workforce Innovation under s.
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1003.492(2) in a career and professional academy, as described in
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s. 1003.493;
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c. Postsecondary readiness of the school's students as
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measured by the SAT, ACT, or the common placement test;
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d. The high school graduation rate of at-risk students who
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scored at Level 2 or lower on the 8th grade FCAT Reading and
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Mathematics examinations; and
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e. The growth or decline in the components listed in sub-
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subparagraphs a. through d. from year to year.
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(b) Student assessment data.--Student assessment data used
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in determining school grades shall include:
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1. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
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in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT.
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2. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
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in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT, including
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Florida Writes, and who have scored at or in the lowest 25th
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percentile of students in the school in reading, math, or
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writing, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory
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performance.
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3. Effective with the 2005-2006 school year, the
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achievement scores and learning gains of eligible students
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attending alternative schools that provide dropout prevention and
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academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53. The term
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"eligible students" in this subparagraph does not include
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students attending an alternative school who are subject to
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district school board policies for expulsion for repeated or
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serious offenses, who are in dropout retrieval programs serving
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students who have officially been designated as dropouts, or who
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are in programs operated or contracted by the Department of
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Juvenile Justice. The student performance data for eligible
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students identified in this subparagraph shall be included in the
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calculation of the home school's grade. For purposes of this
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section and s. 1008.341, "home school" means the school the
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student was attending when assigned to an alternative school. If
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an alternative school chooses to be graded pursuant to this
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section, student performance data for eligible students
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identified in this subparagraph shall not be included in the home
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school's grade but shall be included only in the calculation of
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the alternative school's grade. School districts must require
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collaboration between the home school and the alternative school
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in order to promote student success.
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4. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools
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comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10,
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11, and 12, the data listed in subparagraphs 1. through 3. and
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the following data as the Department of Education determines such
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data are valid and available:
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a. The high school graduation rate of the school as
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calculated by the Department of Education;
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b. The participation rate of all eligible students enrolled
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in the school and enrolled in College Board Advanced Placement
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courses; International Baccalaureate courses; dual enrollment
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courses; Advanced International Certificate of Education courses;
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and courses or sequence of courses leading to industry
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certification, as determined by the Agency for Workforce
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Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a career and professional
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academy, as described in s. 1003.493;
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c. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
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in the school in College Board Advanced Placement courses,
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International Baccalaureate courses, and Advanced International
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Certificate of Education courses;
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d. Earning of college credit by all eligible students
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enrolled in the school in dual enrollment programs under s.
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1007.271;
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e. Earning of an industry certification, as determined by
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the Agency for Workforce Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a
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career and professional academy, as described in s. 1003.493;
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f. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled
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in the school in reading, mathematics, and other subjects as
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measured by the SAT, ACT, and common placement test for
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postsecondary readiness;
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g. The high school graduation rate of all eligible at-risk
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students enrolled in the school who scored at Level 2 or lower on
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the 8th grade FCAT Reading and Mathematics examinations; and
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h. The growth or decline in the data components listed in
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sub-subparagraphs a. through g. from year to year.
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The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria for
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each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight to
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student achievement in reading. Schools designated with a grade
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of "C," making satisfactory progress, shall be required to
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demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in
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the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading,
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math, or writing on the FCAT, including Florida Writes, unless
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these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. Beginning
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with the 2009-2010 school year for schools comprised of high
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school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, the
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criteria for school grades must also give added weight to the
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graduation rate of all eligible at-risk students, as defined in
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this paragraph. Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, in order
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for a high school to be designated as having a grade of "A,"
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making excellent progress, the school must demonstrate that at-
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risk students, as defined in this paragraph, in the school are
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making adequate progress.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.