| 1 | Representative Fresen offered the following: |
| 2 |
|
| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Remove everything after the enacting clause and insert: |
| 5 |
|
| 6 | Section 1. Subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection |
| 7 | (2), and subsections (5) through (11) of section 1003.428, |
| 8 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 9 | 1003.428 General requirements for high school graduation; |
| 10 | revised.-- |
| 11 | (1) Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to s. |
| 12 | 1003.429, beginning with students entering grade 9 their first |
| 13 | year of high school in the 2007-2008 school year, graduation |
| 14 | requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 credits, |
| 15 | an International Baccalaureate curriculum, or an Advanced |
| 16 | International Certificate of Education curriculum. Students must |
| 17 | be advised of the Advanced Placement, International |
| 18 | Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate of Education, |
| 19 | career academy coursework that leads to national industry |
| 20 | certification, and dual enrollment courses available, as well as |
| 21 | the availability of course offerings through the Florida Virtual |
| 22 | School. Students must also be advised of eligibility |
| 23 | requirements for state scholarship programs and postsecondary |
| 24 | admissions. |
| 25 | (2) The 24 credits may be earned through applied, |
| 26 | integrated, and combined courses approved by the Department of |
| 27 | Education and shall be distributed as follows: |
| 28 | (a) Sixteen core curriculum credits: |
| 29 | 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in |
| 30 | composition, reading for information, and literature. |
| 31 | 2. Four credits in mathematics, one of which must be |
| 32 | Algebra I, a series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a |
| 33 | higher-level mathematics course. Beginning with students |
| 34 | entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the four |
| 35 | credits must be Algebra I or a series of courses equivalent to |
| 36 | Algebra I as approved by the State Board of Education, and one |
| 37 | credit must be geometry or a series of courses equivalent to |
| 38 | geometry as approved by the State Board of Education. Beginning |
| 39 | with students entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013 school year, one |
| 40 | of the four credits must be Algebra I or a series of courses |
| 41 | equivalent to Algebra I as approved by the State Board of |
| 42 | Education, one credit must be geometry or a series of courses |
| 43 | equivalent to geometry as approved by the State Board of |
| 44 | Education, and one credit must be Algebra II or a series of |
| 45 | courses equivalent to Algebra II as approved by the State Board |
| 46 | of Education. School districts are encouraged to set specific |
| 47 | goals to increase enrollments in, and successful completion of, |
| 48 | geometry and Algebra II. |
| 49 | 3. Three credits in science, two of which must have a |
| 50 | laboratory component. Beginning with students entering grade 9 |
| 51 | in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the three credits must be |
| 52 | Biology I or a series of courses equivalent to Biology I as |
| 53 | approved by the State Board of Education, one credit must be a |
| 54 | physical science or a series of courses equivalent to a physical |
| 55 | science as approved by the State Board of Education, and one |
| 56 | credit must be a higher-level science course. At least two of |
| 57 | the science courses must have a laboratory component. Beginning |
| 58 | with students entering grade 9 in the 2012-2013 school year, one |
| 59 | of the three credits must be Biology I or a series of courses |
| 60 | equivalent to Biology I as approved by the State Board of |
| 61 | Education, one credit must be chemistry or physics or a series |
| 62 | of courses equivalent to chemistry or physics as approved by the |
| 63 | State Board of Education, and one credit must be a higher-level |
| 64 | science course. At least two of the science courses must have a |
| 65 | laboratory component. |
| 66 | 4. Three credits in social studies as follows: one credit |
| 67 | in American history; one credit in world history; one-half |
| 68 | credit in economics; and one-half credit in American government. |
| 69 | 5. One credit in fine or performing arts, speech and |
| 70 | debate, or a practical arts course that incorporates artistic |
| 71 | content and techniques of creativity, interpretation, and |
| 72 | imagination. Eligible practical arts courses shall be identified |
| 73 | through the Course Code Directory. |
| 74 | 6. One credit in physical education to include integration |
| 75 | of health. Participation in an interscholastic sport at the |
| 76 | junior varsity or varsity level for two full seasons shall |
| 77 | satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical education if the |
| 78 | student passes a competency test on personal fitness with a |
| 79 | score of "C" or better. The competency test on personal fitness |
| 80 | must be developed by the Department of Education. A district |
| 81 | school board may not require that the one credit in physical |
| 82 | education be taken during the 9th grade year. Completion of one |
| 83 | semester with a grade of "C" or better in a marching band class, |
| 84 | in a physical activity class that requires participation in |
| 85 | marching band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a |
| 86 | dance class shall satisfy one-half credit in physical education |
| 87 | or one-half credit in performing arts. This credit may not be |
| 88 | used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the |
| 89 | requirement for adaptive physical education under an individual |
| 90 | education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. Completion of 2 years in a |
| 91 | Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class, a significant |
| 92 | component of which is drills, shall satisfy the one-credit |
| 93 | requirement in physical education and the one-credit requirement |
| 94 | in performing arts. This credit may not be used to satisfy the |
| 95 | personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive |
| 96 | physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or |
| 97 | 504 plan. |
| 98 | (5) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing |
| 99 | and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the |
| 100 | recommendations of the commissioner for the provision of test |
| 101 | accommodations and modifications of procedures as necessary for |
| 102 | students with disabilities which will demonstrate the student's |
| 103 | abilities rather than reflect the student's impaired sensory, |
| 104 | manual, speaking, or psychological process skills. |
| 105 | (6) The public hearing and consideration required in |
| 106 | subsection (5) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the |
| 107 | requirements of security relating to the contents of |
| 108 | examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or |
| 109 | data as prescribed in s. 1008.23. |
| 110 | (5)(7)(a) A student who meets all requirements prescribed |
| 111 | in subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall be awarded a |
| 112 | standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of |
| 113 | Education. |
| 114 | (b) A student who completes the minimum number of credits |
| 115 | and other requirements prescribed by subsections (1), (2), and |
| 116 | (3), but who is unable to meet the standards of paragraph |
| 117 | (4)(b), paragraph (4)(c), or paragraph (4)(d), shall be awarded |
| 118 | a certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the State |
| 119 | Board of Education. However, any student who is otherwise |
| 120 | entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in |
| 121 | the secondary school either as a full-time student or a part- |
| 122 | time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special |
| 123 | instruction designed to remedy his or her identified |
| 124 | deficiencies. |
| 125 | (8)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction |
| 126 | to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency |
| 127 | in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for |
| 128 | successful grade-to-grade progression and high school |
| 129 | graduation. |
| 130 | (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s. |
| 131 | 1007.02(2), for whom the individual education plan (IEP) |
| 132 | committee determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the |
| 133 | student's abilities taking into consideration all allowable |
| 134 | accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of paragraph |
| 135 | (4)(b) waived for the purpose of receiving a standard high |
| 136 | school diploma, if the student: |
| 137 | 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other |
| 138 | requirements prescribed by subsections (1), (2), and (3). |
| 139 | 2. Does not meet the requirements of paragraph (4)(b) |
| 140 | after one opportunity in 10th grade and one opportunity in 11th |
| 141 | grade. |
| 142 | (9) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 143 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 144 | high school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 145 | between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States |
| 146 | Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946, |
| 147 | prior to completing the necessary high school graduation |
| 148 | requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the |
| 149 | State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for |
| 150 | awarding such diplomas. |
| 151 | (10) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 152 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 153 | high school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 154 | between 1950 and 1954, but were inducted into the United States |
| 155 | Armed Forces between June 27, 1950, and January 31, 1955, and |
| 156 | served during the Korean Conflict prior to completing the |
| 157 | necessary high school graduation requirements. Upon the |
| 158 | recommendation of the commissioner, the State Board of Education |
| 159 | may develop criteria and guidelines for awarding such diplomas. |
| 160 | (6)(11) The State Board of Education may adopt rules |
| 161 | pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the |
| 162 | provisions of this section and may enforce the provisions of |
| 163 | this section pursuant to s. 1008.32. |
| 164 | Section 2. Section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 165 | to read: |
| 166 | 1003.4282 Accommodations for students with disabilities; |
| 167 | graduation requirements.--For purposes of high school |
| 168 | graduation: |
| 169 | (1) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing |
| 170 | and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the |
| 171 | recommendations of the Commissioner of Education for the |
| 172 | provision of test accommodations as necessary for students with |
| 173 | disabilities which will demonstrate the student's abilities |
| 174 | rather than reflect the student's impaired sensory, manual, |
| 175 | speaking, or psychological process skills. |
| 176 | (2) The public hearing and consideration required in |
| 177 | subsection (1) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the |
| 178 | requirements of security relating to the contents of |
| 179 | examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or |
| 180 | data as prescribed in s. 1008.23. |
| 181 | (3)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction |
| 182 | to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency |
| 183 | in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for |
| 184 | successful grade-to-grade progression and high school |
| 185 | graduation. |
| 186 | (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s. |
| 187 | 1007.02(2), for whom the individual education plan committee |
| 188 | determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the student's |
| 189 | abilities taking into consideration all allowable |
| 190 | accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of s. |
| 191 | 1003.428(4)(b) or s. 1003.43(5)(a) waived for the purpose of |
| 192 | receiving a high school diploma, if the student: |
| 193 | 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other |
| 194 | requirements prescribed in s. 1003.428(1)-(3) or s. 1003.43(1) |
| 195 | and (4). |
| 196 | 2. Does not meet the FCAT requirements of s. |
| 197 | 1003.428(4)(b) or s. 1003.43(5)(a) after one opportunity in |
| 198 | grade 10 and one opportunity in grade 11. |
| 199 | Section 3. Section 1003.4287, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 200 | to read: |
| 201 | 1003.4287 Recognition of veterans; high school diploma.-- |
| 202 | (1) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 203 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 204 | high school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 205 | between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States |
| 206 | Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946, |
| 207 | prior to completing the necessary high school graduation |
| 208 | requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the |
| 209 | State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for |
| 210 | awarding such diplomas. |
| 211 | (2) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 212 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 213 | high school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 214 | between 1949 and 1955 but were inducted into the United States |
| 215 | Armed Forces between June 1949 and January 1955 and served |
| 216 | during the Korean War prior to completing the necessary high |
| 217 | school graduation requirements. Upon the recommendation of the |
| 218 | commissioner, the State Board of Education may develop criteria |
| 219 | and guidelines for awarding such diplomas. |
| 220 | Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1003.429, Florida |
| 221 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 222 | 1003.429 Accelerated high school graduation options.-- |
| 223 | (1) Students who enter grade 9 in the 2006-2007 school |
| 224 | year and thereafter may select, upon receipt of each consent |
| 225 | required by this section, one of the following three high school |
| 226 | graduation options: |
| 227 | (a) Completion of the general requirements for high school |
| 228 | graduation pursuant to s. 1003.43; |
| 229 | (b) Completion of a 3-year standard college preparatory |
| 230 | program requiring successful completion of a minimum of 18 |
| 231 | academic credits in grades 9 through 12. At least 6 of the 18 |
| 232 | credits required for completion of this program must be received |
| 233 | in classes that are offered pursuant to the International |
| 234 | Baccalaureate Program, the Advanced Placement Program, dual |
| 235 | enrollment, or the Advanced International Certificate of |
| 236 | Education Program, or specifically listed or identified by the |
| 237 | Department of Education as rigorous pursuant to s. 1009.531(3). |
| 238 | Students must be advised of the Advanced Placement, |
| 239 | International Baccalaureate, Advanced International Certificate |
| 240 | of Education, career academy coursework that leads to national |
| 241 | industry certification, and dual enrollment courses available, |
| 242 | as well as the availability of course offerings through the |
| 243 | Florida Virtual School. The 18 credits required for completion |
| 244 | of this program shall be primary requirements and shall be |
| 245 | distributed as follows: |
| 246 | 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in |
| 247 | composition and literature; |
| 248 | 2. Three credits in mathematics at the Algebra I level or |
| 249 | higher from the list of courses that qualify for state |
| 250 | university admission; |
| 251 | 3. Three credits in natural science, two of which must |
| 252 | have a laboratory component. Beginning with students entering |
| 253 | grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the three credits |
| 254 | in science must be Biology I or a series of courses that have |
| 255 | been approved by the State Board of Education as equivalent to |
| 256 | Biology I; |
| 257 | 4. Three credits in social sciences, which must include |
| 258 | one credit in American history, one credit in world history, |
| 259 | one-half credit in American government, and one-half credit in |
| 260 | economics; |
| 261 | 5. Two credits in the same second language unless the |
| 262 | student is a native speaker of or can otherwise demonstrate |
| 263 | competency in a language other than English. If the student |
| 264 | demonstrates competency in another language, the student may |
| 265 | replace the language requirement with two credits in other |
| 266 | academic courses; and |
| 267 | 6. Three credits in electives; or |
| 268 | (c) Completion of a 3-year career preparatory program |
| 269 | requiring successful completion of a minimum of 18 academic |
| 270 | credits in grades 9 through 12. The 18 credits shall be primary |
| 271 | requirements and shall be distributed as follows: |
| 272 | 1. Four credits in English, with major concentration in |
| 273 | composition and literature; |
| 274 | 2. Three credits in mathematics, one of which must be |
| 275 | Algebra I; |
| 276 | 3. Three credits in natural science, two of which must |
| 277 | have a laboratory component. Beginning with students entering |
| 278 | grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school year, one of the three credits |
| 279 | in science must be Biology I or a series of courses that have |
| 280 | been approved by the State Board of Education as equivalent to |
| 281 | Biology I; |
| 282 | 4. Three credits in social sciences, which must include |
| 283 | one credit in American history, one credit in world history, |
| 284 | one-half credit in American government, and one-half credit in |
| 285 | economics; |
| 286 | 5. Three credits in a single vocational or career |
| 287 | education program, three credits in career and technical |
| 288 | certificate dual enrollment courses, or five credits in |
| 289 | vocational or career education courses; and |
| 290 | 6. Two credits in electives unless five credits are earned |
| 291 | pursuant to subparagraph 5. |
| 292 |
|
| 293 | Any student who selected an accelerated graduation program |
| 294 | before July 1, 2004, may continue that program, and all |
| 295 | statutory program requirements that were applicable when the |
| 296 | student made the program choice shall remain applicable to the |
| 297 | student as long as the student continues that program. |
| 298 | Section 5. Subsections (8) through (13) of section |
| 299 | 1003.43, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 300 | 1003.43 General requirements for high school graduation.-- |
| 301 | (8) The State Board of Education, after a public hearing |
| 302 | and consideration, shall adopt rules based upon the |
| 303 | recommendations of the commissioner for the provision of test |
| 304 | accommodations and modifications of procedures as necessary for |
| 305 | students with disabilities which will demonstrate the student's |
| 306 | abilities rather than reflect the student's impaired sensory, |
| 307 | manual, speaking, or psychological process skills. |
| 308 | (9) The public hearing and consideration required in |
| 309 | subsection (8) shall not be construed to amend or nullify the |
| 310 | requirements of security relating to the contents of |
| 311 | examinations or assessment instruments and related materials or |
| 312 | data as prescribed in s. 1008.23. |
| 313 | (8)(10)(a) A student who meets all requirements prescribed |
| 314 | in subsections (1), (4), and (5) shall be awarded a standard |
| 315 | diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. A |
| 316 | district school board may attach the Florida gold seal career |
| 317 | endorsement to a standard diploma or, instead of the standard |
| 318 | diploma, award differentiated diplomas to those exceeding the |
| 319 | prescribed minimums. |
| 320 | (b) A student who completes the minimum number of credits |
| 321 | and other requirements prescribed by subsections (1) and (4), |
| 322 | but who is unable to meet the standards of paragraph (5)(a), |
| 323 | paragraph (5)(b), or paragraph (5)(c), shall be awarded a |
| 324 | certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the State |
| 325 | Board of Education. However, any student who is otherwise |
| 326 | entitled to a certificate of completion may elect to remain in |
| 327 | the secondary school either as a full-time student or a part- |
| 328 | time student for up to 1 additional year and receive special |
| 329 | instruction designed to remedy his or her identified |
| 330 | deficiencies. |
| 331 | (11)(a) Each district school board must provide |
| 332 | instruction to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate |
| 333 | proficiency in the core content knowledge and skills necessary |
| 334 | for successful grade-to-grade progression and high school |
| 335 | graduation. |
| 336 | (b) A student with a disability, as defined in s. |
| 337 | 1007.02(2), for whom the individual educational plan (IEP) |
| 338 | committee determines that the FCAT cannot accurately measure the |
| 339 | student's abilities taking into consideration all allowable |
| 340 | accommodations, shall have the FCAT requirement of paragraph |
| 341 | (5)(a) waived for the purpose of receiving a standard high |
| 342 | school diploma, if the student: |
| 343 | 1. Completes the minimum number of credits and other |
| 344 | requirements prescribed by subsections (1) and (4). |
| 345 | 2. Does not meet the requirements of paragraph (5)(a) |
| 346 | after one opportunity in 10th grade and one opportunity in 11th |
| 347 | grade. |
| 348 | (12) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 349 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 350 | high school between 1937 and 1946 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 351 | between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted into the United States |
| 352 | Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946, |
| 353 | prior to completing the necessary high school graduation |
| 354 | requirements. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the |
| 355 | State Board of Education may develop criteria and guidelines for |
| 356 | awarding such diplomas. |
| 357 | (13) The Commissioner of Education may award a standard |
| 358 | high school diploma to honorably discharged veterans who started |
| 359 | high school between 1946 and 1950 and were scheduled to graduate |
| 360 | between 1949 and 1955, but were inducted into the United States |
| 361 | Armed Forces between June 1949 and January 1955, and served |
| 362 | during the Korean War prior to completing the necessary high |
| 363 | school graduation requirements. Upon the recommendation of the |
| 364 | commissioner, the State Board of Education may develop criteria |
| 365 | and guidelines for awarding such diplomas. |
| 366 | Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 1007.263, Florida |
| 367 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 368 | 1007.263 Community colleges; admissions of students.--Each |
| 369 | community college board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules |
| 370 | governing admissions of students subject to this section and |
| 371 | rules of the State Board of Education. These rules shall include |
| 372 | the following: |
| 373 | (4) A student who has been awarded a special diploma as |
| 374 | defined in s. 1003.438 or a certificate of completion as defined |
| 375 | in s. 1003.43(8)(10) is eligible to enroll in certificate career |
| 376 | education programs. |
| 377 |
|
| 378 | Each board of trustees shall establish policies that notify |
| 379 | students about, and place students into, adult basic education, |
| 380 | adult secondary education, or other instructional programs that |
| 381 | provide students with alternatives to traditional college- |
| 382 | preparatory instruction, including private provider instruction. |
| 383 | A student is prohibited from enrolling in additional college- |
| 384 | level courses until the student scores above the cut-score on |
| 385 | all sections of the common placement test. |
| 386 | Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section |
| 387 | 1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 388 | 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.-- |
| 389 | (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner shall |
| 390 | design and implement a statewide program of educational |
| 391 | assessment that provides information for the improvement of the |
| 392 | operation and management of the public schools, including |
| 393 | schools operating for the purpose of providing educational |
| 394 | services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs. |
| 395 | The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued |
| 396 | administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation |
| 397 | programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may |
| 398 | be initiated in 1 fiscal year and continue into the next and may |
| 399 | be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years. |
| 400 | The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale or |
| 401 | lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and |
| 402 | related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the |
| 403 | statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall: |
| 404 | (c) Develop and implement a student achievement testing |
| 405 | program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test |
| 406 | (FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program to measure a |
| 407 | student's content knowledge and skills in reading, writing, |
| 408 | science, and mathematics. Other content areas may be included as |
| 409 | directed by the commissioner. Comprehensive assessments of |
| 410 | reading and mathematics shall be administered annually in grades |
| 411 | 3 through 10. Comprehensive assessments of writing and science |
| 412 | shall be administered at least once at the elementary, middle, |
| 413 | and high school levels. During the 2010-2011 school year, an |
| 414 | end-of-course assessment in biology shall be administered as a |
| 415 | field test at the high school level. Beginning with the 2011- |
| 416 | 2012 school year, the end-of-course assessment in biology shall |
| 417 | replace the comprehensive assessment of science administered at |
| 418 | the high school level. During the 2011-2012 school year, each |
| 419 | student's performance on the end-of-course assessment in biology |
| 420 | shall constitute 30 percent of the student's final course grade. |
| 421 | Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, a student must earn a |
| 422 | passing score on the end-of-course assessment in biology in |
| 423 | order to pass the course and receive course credit. End-of- |
| 424 | course assessments for a subject may be administered in addition |
| 425 | to the comprehensive assessments required for that subject under |
| 426 | this paragraph. An end-of-course assessment must be rigorous, |
| 427 | statewide, standardized, and developed or approved by the |
| 428 | department. The content knowledge and skills assessed by |
| 429 | comprehensive and end-of-course assessments must be aligned to |
| 430 | the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State |
| 431 | Standards. The commissioner may select one or more nationally |
| 432 | developed comprehensive examinations, which may include, but |
| 433 | need not be limited to, examinations for a College Board |
| 434 | Advanced Placement course, International Baccalaureate course, |
| 435 | or Advanced International Certificate of Education course or |
| 436 | industry-approved examinations to earn national industry |
| 437 | certifications as defined in s. 1003.492, for use as end-of- |
| 438 | course assessments under this paragraph, if the commissioner |
| 439 | determines that the content knowledge and skills assessed by the |
| 440 | examinations meet or exceed the grade level expectations for the |
| 441 | core curricular content established for the course in the Next |
| 442 | Generation Sunshine State Standards. The commissioner may |
| 443 | collaborate with the American Diploma Project in the adoption or |
| 444 | development of rigorous end-of-course assessments that are |
| 445 | aligned to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. The |
| 446 | testing program must be designed as follows: |
| 447 | 1. The tests shall measure student skills and competencies |
| 448 | adopted by the State Board of Education as specified in |
| 449 | paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report student |
| 450 | proficiency levels of all students assessed in reading, writing, |
| 451 | mathematics, and science. The commissioner shall provide for the |
| 452 | tests to be developed or obtained, as appropriate, through |
| 453 | contracts and project agreements with private vendors, public |
| 454 | vendors, public agencies, postsecondary educational |
| 455 | institutions, or school districts. The commissioner shall obtain |
| 456 | input with respect to the design and implementation of the |
| 457 | testing program from state educators, assistive technology |
| 458 | experts, and the public. |
| 459 | 2. The testing program shall be composed of criterion- |
| 460 | referenced tests that shall, to the extent determined by the |
| 461 | commissioner, include test items that require the student to |
| 462 | produce information or perform tasks in such a way that the core |
| 463 | content knowledge and skills he or she uses can be measured. |
| 464 | 3. Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the |
| 465 | commissioner shall discontinue administration of the selected- |
| 466 | response test items on the comprehensive assessments of writing. |
| 467 | Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the comprehensive |
| 468 | assessments of writing shall be composed of a combination of |
| 469 | selected-response test items, short-response performance tasks, |
| 470 | and extended-response performance tasks, which shall measure a |
| 471 | student's content knowledge of writing, including, but not |
| 472 | limited to, paragraph and sentence structure, sentence |
| 473 | construction, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, |
| 474 | spelling, parts of speech, verb tense, irregular verbs, subject- |
| 475 | verb agreement, and noun-pronoun agreement. |
| 476 | 4. A score shall be designated for each subject area |
| 477 | tested, below which score a student's performance is deemed |
| 478 | inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate |
| 479 | remedial instruction to students who score below these levels. |
| 480 | 5. Except as provided in s. 1003.4282 1003.428(8)(b) or s. |
| 481 | 1003.43(11)(b), students must earn a passing score on the grade |
| 482 | 10 assessment test described in this paragraph or attain |
| 483 | concordant scores as described in subsection (10) in reading, |
| 484 | writing, and mathematics to qualify for a standard high school |
| 485 | diploma. The State Board of Education shall designate a passing |
| 486 | score for each part of the grade 10 assessment test and the end- |
| 487 | of-course assessment in biology. In establishing passing scores, |
| 488 | the state board shall consider any possible negative impact of |
| 489 | the test on minority students. The State Board of Education |
| 490 | shall adopt rules which specify the passing scores for each part |
| 491 | of the grade 10 assessment test and the end-of-course assessment |
| 492 | in biology FCAT. Such passing scores must at a minimum meet |
| 493 | grade-level proficiency. Any such rules, which have the effect |
| 494 | of raising the required passing scores, shall apply only to |
| 495 | students taking the assessment grade 10 FCAT for the first time |
| 496 | after such rules are adopted by the State Board of Education. |
| 497 | 6. Participation in the testing program is mandatory for |
| 498 | all students attending public school, including students served |
| 499 | in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise |
| 500 | prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not |
| 501 | participate in the statewide assessment, the district must |
| 502 | notify the student's parent and provide the parent with |
| 503 | information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. |
| 504 | A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive |
| 505 | classroom instructional accommodations that would not be |
| 506 | available or permitted on the statewide assessments and must |
| 507 | acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the |
| 508 | implications of such instructional accommodations. The State |
| 509 | Board of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations |
| 510 | of the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations |
| 511 | for students in exceptional education programs and for students |
| 512 | who have limited English proficiency. Accommodations that negate |
| 513 | the validity of a statewide assessment are not allowable in the |
| 514 | administration of the FCAT. However, instructional |
| 515 | accommodations are allowable in the classroom if included in a |
| 516 | student's individual education plan. Students using |
| 517 | instructional accommodations in the classroom that are not |
| 518 | allowable as accommodations on the FCAT may have the FCAT |
| 519 | requirement waived pursuant to the requirements of s. 1003.4282 |
| 520 | 1003.428(8)(b) or s. 1003.43(11)(b). |
| 521 | 7. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must |
| 522 | meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school |
| 523 | student must meet. |
| 524 | 8. District school boards must provide instruction to |
| 525 | prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the core |
| 526 | curricular content established in the Next Generation Sunshine |
| 527 | State Standards adopted under s. 1003.41, including the core |
| 528 | content knowledge and skills necessary for successful grade-to- |
| 529 | grade progression and high school graduation. If a student is |
| 530 | provided with instructional accommodations in the classroom that |
| 531 | are not allowable as accommodations in the statewide assessment |
| 532 | program, as described in the test manuals, the district must |
| 533 | inform the parent in writing and must provide the parent with |
| 534 | information regarding the impact on the student's ability to |
| 535 | meet expected proficiency levels in reading, writing, and |
| 536 | mathematics. The commissioner shall conduct studies as necessary |
| 537 | to verify that the required core curricular content is part of |
| 538 | the district instructional programs. |
| 539 | 9. District school boards must provide opportunities for |
| 540 | students to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an |
| 541 | alternative standardized assessment approved by the State Board |
| 542 | of Education following enrollment in summer academies. |
| 543 | 10. The Department of Education must develop, or select, |
| 544 | and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be |
| 545 | used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools |
| 546 | must accurately measure the core curricular content established |
| 547 | in the Sunshine State Standards. |
| 548 | 11. For students seeking a special diploma pursuant to s. |
| 549 | 1003.438, the Department of Education must develop or select and |
| 550 | implement an alternate assessment tool that accurately measures |
| 551 | the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State |
| 552 | Standards for students with disabilities under s. 1003.438. |
| 553 | 12. The Commissioner of Education shall establish |
| 554 | schedules for the administration of statewide assessments and |
| 555 | the reporting of student test results. The commissioner shall, |
| 556 | by August 1 of each year, notify each school district in writing |
| 557 | and publish on the department's Internet website the testing and |
| 558 | reporting schedules for, at a minimum, the school year following |
| 559 | the upcoming school year. The testing and reporting schedules |
| 560 | shall require that: |
| 561 | a. There is the latest possible administration of |
| 562 | statewide assessments and the earliest possible reporting to the |
| 563 | school districts of student test results which is feasible |
| 564 | within available technology and specific appropriations; |
| 565 | however, test results must be made available no later than the |
| 566 | final day of the regular school year for students. |
| 567 | b. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a |
| 568 | comprehensive statewide assessment of writing is not |
| 569 | administered earlier than the week of March 1 and a |
| 570 | comprehensive statewide assessment of any other subject is not |
| 571 | administered earlier than the week of April 15. |
| 572 | c. A statewide standardized end-of-course assessment is |
| 573 | administered within the last 2 weeks of the course. |
| 574 |
|
| 575 | The commissioner may, based on collaboration and input from |
| 576 | school districts, design and implement student testing programs, |
| 577 | for any grade level and subject area, necessary to effectively |
| 578 | monitor educational achievement in the state, including the |
| 579 | measurement of educational achievement of the Sunshine State |
| 580 | Standards for students with disabilities. Development and |
| 581 | refinement of assessments shall include universal design |
| 582 | principles and accessibility standards that will prevent any |
| 583 | unintended obstacles for students with disabilities while |
| 584 | ensuring the validity and reliability of the test. These |
| 585 | principles should be applicable to all technology platforms and |
| 586 | assistive devices available for the assessments. The field |
| 587 | testing process and psychometric analyses for the statewide |
| 588 | assessment program must include an appropriate percentage of |
| 589 | students with disabilities and an evaluation or determination of |
| 590 | the effect of test items on such students. |
| 591 | Section 8. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3) of |
| 592 | section 1008.34, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 593 | 1008.34 School grading system; school report cards; |
| 594 | district grade.-- |
| 595 | (3) DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.-- |
| 596 | (b)1. A school's grade shall be based on a combination of: |
| 597 | a. Student achievement scores, including achievement |
| 598 | scores for students seeking a special diploma. |
| 599 | b. Student learning gains as measured by annual FCAT |
| 600 | assessments in grades 3 through 10; learning gains for students |
| 601 | seeking a special diploma, as measured by an alternate |
| 602 | assessment tool, shall be included not later than the 2009-2010 |
| 603 | school year. |
| 604 | c. Improvement of the lowest 25th percentile of students |
| 605 | in the school in reading, mathematics, or writing on the FCAT, |
| 606 | unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. |
| 607 | 2. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools |
| 608 | comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, |
| 609 | 11, and 12, 50 percent of the school grade shall be based on a |
| 610 | combination of the factors listed in sub-subparagraphs 1.a.-c. |
| 611 | and the remaining 50 percent on the following factors: |
| 612 | a. The high school graduation rate of the school; |
| 613 | b. As valid data becomes available, the performance and |
| 614 | participation of the school's students in College Board Advanced |
| 615 | Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, dual |
| 616 | enrollment courses, and Advanced International Certificate of |
| 617 | Education courses; and the students' achievement of industry |
| 618 | certification, as determined by the Agency for Workforce |
| 619 | Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a career and professional |
| 620 | academy, as described in s. 1003.493; |
| 621 | c. Postsecondary readiness of the school's students as |
| 622 | measured by the SAT, ACT, or the common placement test; |
| 623 | d. The high school graduation rate of at-risk students who |
| 624 | scored at Level 2 or lower on the grade 8 FCAT Reading and |
| 625 | Mathematics examinations; |
| 626 | e. As valid data becomes available, the performance of the |
| 627 | school's students on statewide standardized end-of-course |
| 628 | assessments not required for high school graduation, which are |
| 629 | administered under s. 1008.22; and |
| 630 | f. The growth or decline in the components listed in sub- |
| 631 | subparagraphs a.-e. from year to year. |
| 632 | (c) Student assessment data used in determining school |
| 633 | grades shall include: |
| 634 | 1. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled |
| 635 | in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT and |
| 636 | standardized end-of-course assessments required for high school |
| 637 | graduation, including, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, |
| 638 | the end-of-course assessment in biology. |
| 639 | 2. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled |
| 640 | in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT and who have |
| 641 | scored at or in the lowest 25th percentile of students in the |
| 642 | school in reading, mathematics, or writing, unless these |
| 643 | students are exhibiting satisfactory performance. |
| 644 | 3. Effective with the 2005-2006 school year, the |
| 645 | achievement scores and learning gains of eligible students |
| 646 | attending alternative schools that provide dropout prevention |
| 647 | and academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53. The |
| 648 | term "eligible students" in this subparagraph does not include |
| 649 | students attending an alternative school who are subject to |
| 650 | district school board policies for expulsion for repeated or |
| 651 | serious offenses, who are in dropout retrieval programs serving |
| 652 | students who have officially been designated as dropouts, or who |
| 653 | are in programs operated or contracted by the Department of |
| 654 | Juvenile Justice. The student performance data for eligible |
| 655 | students identified in this subparagraph shall be included in |
| 656 | the calculation of the home school's grade. As used in this |
| 657 | section and s. 1008.341, the term "home school" means the school |
| 658 | to which the student would be assigned if the student were not |
| 659 | assigned to an alternative school. If an alternative school |
| 660 | chooses to be graded under this section, student performance |
| 661 | data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall |
| 662 | not be included in the home school's grade but shall be included |
| 663 | only in the calculation of the alternative school's grade. A |
| 664 | school district that fails to assign the FCAT scores of each of |
| 665 | its students to his or her home school or to the alternative |
| 666 | school that receives a grade shall forfeit Florida School |
| 667 | Recognition Program funds for 1 fiscal year. School districts |
| 668 | must require collaboration between the home school and the |
| 669 | alternative school in order to promote student success. This |
| 670 | collaboration must include an annual discussion between the |
| 671 | principal of the alternative school and the principal of each |
| 672 | student's home school concerning the most appropriate school |
| 673 | assignment of the student. |
| 674 | 4. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year for schools |
| 675 | comprised of high school grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, |
| 676 | 11, and 12, the data listed in subparagraphs 1.-3. and the |
| 677 | following data as the Department of Education determines such |
| 678 | data are valid and available: |
| 679 | a. The high school graduation rate of the school as |
| 680 | calculated by the Department of Education; |
| 681 | b. The participation rate of all eligible students |
| 682 | enrolled in the school and enrolled in College Board Advanced |
| 683 | Placement courses; International Baccalaureate courses; dual |
| 684 | enrollment courses; Advanced International Certificate of |
| 685 | Education courses; and courses or sequence of courses leading to |
| 686 | industry certification, as determined by the Agency for |
| 687 | Workforce Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a career and |
| 688 | professional academy, as described in s. 1003.493; |
| 689 | c. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled |
| 690 | in the school in College Board Advanced Placement courses, |
| 691 | International Baccalaureate courses, and Advanced International |
| 692 | Certificate of Education courses; |
| 693 | d. Earning of college credit by all eligible students |
| 694 | enrolled in the school in dual enrollment programs under s. |
| 695 | 1007.271; |
| 696 | e. Earning of an industry certification, as determined by |
| 697 | the Agency for Workforce Innovation under s. 1003.492(2) in a |
| 698 | career and professional academy, as described in s. 1003.493; |
| 699 | f. The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled |
| 700 | in the school in reading, mathematics, and other subjects as |
| 701 | measured by the SAT, the ACT, and the common placement test for |
| 702 | postsecondary readiness; |
| 703 | g. The high school graduation rate of all eligible at-risk |
| 704 | students enrolled in the school who scored at Level 2 or lower |
| 705 | on the grade 8 FCAT Reading and Mathematics examinations; |
| 706 | h. The performance of the school's students on statewide |
| 707 | standardized end-of-course assessments not required for high |
| 708 | school graduation, which are administered under s. 1008.22; and |
| 709 | i. The growth or decline in the data components listed in |
| 710 | sub-subparagraphs a.-h. from year to year. |
| 711 |
|
| 712 | The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria |
| 713 | for each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight |
| 714 | to student achievement in reading. Schools designated with a |
| 715 | grade of "C," making satisfactory progress, shall be required to |
| 716 | demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in |
| 717 | the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading, |
| 718 | mathematics, or writing on the FCAT, unless these students are |
| 719 | exhibiting satisfactory performance. Beginning with the 2009- |
| 720 | 2010 school year for schools comprised of high school grades 9, |
| 721 | 10, 11, and 12, or grades 10, 11, and 12, the criteria for |
| 722 | school grades must also give added weight to the graduation rate |
| 723 | of all eligible at-risk students, as defined in this paragraph. |
| 724 | Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, in order for a high |
| 725 | school to be designated as having a grade of "A," making |
| 726 | excellent progress, the school must demonstrate that at-risk |
| 727 | students, as defined in this paragraph, in the school are making |
| 728 | adequate progress. |
| 729 | Section 9. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section |
| 730 | 1009.531, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 731 | 1009.531 Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program; |
| 732 | student eligibility requirements for initial awards.-- |
| 733 | (1) Effective January 1, 2008, in order to be eligible for |
| 734 | an initial award from any of the three types of scholarships |
| 735 | under the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, a student |
| 736 | must: |
| 737 | (b) Earn a standard Florida high school diploma or its |
| 738 | equivalent as described in s. 1003.428, s. 1003.429, s. 1003.43, |
| 739 | or s. 1003.435 unless: |
| 740 | 1. The student completes a home education program |
| 741 | according to s. 1002.41; or |
| 742 | 2. The student earns a high school diploma from a non- |
| 743 | Florida school while living with a parent or guardian who is on |
| 744 | military or public service assignment away from Florida. |
| 745 | Section 10. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |
| 746 |
|
| 747 |
|
| 748 | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 749 | T I T L E A M E N D M E N T |
| 750 | Remove the entire title and insert: |
| 751 | A bill to be entitled |
| 752 | An act relating to high school graduation; amending s. 1003.428, |
| 753 | F.S.; requiring that students be advised of the availability of |
| 754 | certain courses for purposes of high school graduation; |
| 755 | providing credit requirements for high school graduation with a |
| 756 | standard diploma beginning with students entering grade 9 in the |
| 757 | 2010-2011 school year and students entering grade 9 in the 2012- |
| 758 | 2013 school year; deleting provisions relating to general |
| 759 | requirements for high school graduation to conform to changes |
| 760 | made by the act; creating s. 1003.4282, F.S.; providing for |
| 761 | accommodations for students with disabilities for purposes of |
| 762 | high school graduation; creating s. 1003.4287, F.S.; authorizing |
| 763 | the award of a standard high school diploma to certain honorably |
| 764 | discharged veterans; amending s. 1003.429, F.S.; requiring that |
| 765 | students be advised of the availability of certain courses for |
| 766 | purposes of an accelerated high school graduation option; |
| 767 | providing credit requirements for high school graduation |
| 768 | beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2010-2011 school |
| 769 | year; amending s. 1003.43, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to |
| 770 | general requirements for high school graduation to conform to |
| 771 | changes made by the act; amending s. 1007.263, F.S.; conforming |
| 772 | a cross-reference; amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; requiring the |
| 773 | administration of an end-of-course assessment in biology as a |
| 774 | field test during the 2010-2011 school year; requiring the end- |
| 775 | of-course assessment in biology to replace the comprehensive |
| 776 | assessment of science administered at the high school level |
| 777 | beginning with the 2011-2012 school year; providing requirements |
| 778 | for course grade and course credit; requiring the State Board of |
| 779 | Education to designate a passing score for the end-of-course |
| 780 | assessment in biology; requiring passing scores to meet grade- |
| 781 | level proficiency; conforming cross-references; amending s. |
| 782 | 1008.34, F.S.; requiring the inclusion of biology end-of-course |
| 783 | assessment data in determining school grades beginning with the |
| 784 | 2011-2012 school year; amending s. 1009.531, F.S.; conforming |
| 785 | provisions; providing an effective date. |