HB 13

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to public K-12 education; amending s.
3	1003.41, F.S., relating to the Sunshine State Standards;
4	providing requirements for social studies standards
5	relating to civics education; requiring social studies
6	standards to be included in assessments; amending s.
7	1008.22, F.S.; requiring the Florida Comprehensive
8	Assessment Test to measure student content knowledge and
9	skills in social studies; providing requirements for
10	administration; providing an effective date.
11
12	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14	Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
15	1003.41, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
16	1003.41  Sunshine State Standards.--
17	(1)  Public K-12 educational instruction in Florida is
18	based on the "Sunshine State Standards." The State Board of
19	Education shall review the Sunshine State Standards and replace
20	them with the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards that
21	establish the core content of the curricula to be taught in this
22	state and that specify the core content knowledge and skills
23	that K-12 public school students are expected to acquire. The
24	Next Generation Sunshine State Standards must, at a minimum:
25	(a)  Establish the core curricular content for language
26	arts, science, mathematics, and social studies, as follows:
27	1.  Language arts standards must establish specific
28	curricular content for, at a minimum, the reading process,
29	literary analysis, the writing process, writing applications,
30	communication, and information and media literacy. The standards
31	must include distinct grade level expectations for the core
32	content knowledge and skills that a student is expected to have
33	acquired by each individual grade level from kindergarten
34	through grade 8. The language arts standards for grades 9
35	through 12 may be organized by grade clusters of more than one
36	grade level. The language arts standards must also identify
37	significant literary genres and authors that encompass a
38	comprehensive range of historical periods. The State Board of
39	Education shall, in accordance with the expedited schedule
40	established under subsection (2), review and replace the
41	language arts standards adopted by the state board in 2007 with
42	Next Generation Sunshine State Standards that comply with this
43	subparagraph.
44	2.  Science standards must establish specific curricular
45	content for, at a minimum, the nature of science, earth and
46	space science, physical science, and life science. The standards
47	must include distinct grade level expectations for the core
48	content knowledge and skills that a student is expected to have
49	acquired by each individual grade level from kindergarten
50	through grade 8. The science standards for grades 9 through 12
51	may be organized by grade clusters of more than one grade level.
52	3.  Mathematics standards must establish specific
53	curricular content for, at a minimum, algebra, geometry,
54	probability, statistics, calculus, discrete mathematics,
55	financial literacy, and trigonometry. The standards must include
56	distinct grade level expectations for the core content knowledge
57	and skills that a student is expected to have acquired by each
58	individual grade level from kindergarten through grade 8. The
59	mathematics standards for grades 9 through 12 may be organized
60	by grade clusters of more than one grade level.
61	4.  Social studies standards must establish specific
62	curricular content for, at a minimum, geography, United States
63	and world history, government, civics, economics, and
64	humanities. The standards must include distinct grade level
65	expectations for the core content knowledge and skills that a
66	student is expected to have acquired by each individual grade
67	level from kindergarten through grade 8. The social studies
68	standards for grades 9 through 12 may be organized by grade
69	clusters of more than one grade level. The standards must
70	include an emphasis on the integration of civics education at
71	all grade levels, based on the framework provided by the
72	National Standards for Civics and Government. The social studies
73	standards must be included in all appropriate state testing
74	provisions and assessments as they are developed, with an
75	emphasis on student application, analysis, synthesis, and
76	evaluation.
77	Section 2.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
78	1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
79	1008.22  Student assessment program for public schools.--
80	(3)  STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.--The commissioner shall
81	design and implement a statewide program of educational
82	assessment that provides information for the improvement of the
83	operation and management of the public schools, including
84	schools operating for the purpose of providing educational
85	services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
86	The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued
87	administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation
88	programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may
89	be initiated in 1 fiscal year and continue into the next and may
90	be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years.
91	The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale or
92	lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and
93	related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the
94	statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall:
95	(c)  Develop and implement a student achievement testing
96	program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
97	(FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program to measure a
98	student's content knowledge and skills in reading, writing,
99	science, and mathematics, and social studies. Other content
100	areas may be included as directed by the commissioner.
101	Comprehensive assessments of reading and mathematics shall be
102	administered annually in grades 3 through 10. Comprehensive
103	assessments of writing and science shall be administered at
104	least once at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
105	Comprehensive assessments of social studies shall be
106	administered at least once at the elementary, middle, and high
107	school levels beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. End-of-
108	course assessments for a subject may be administered in addition
109	to the comprehensive assessments required for that subject under
110	this paragraph. An end-of-course assessment must be rigorous,
111	statewide, standardized, and developed or approved by the
112	department. The content knowledge and skills assessed by
113	comprehensive and end-of-course assessments must be aligned to
114	the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State
115	Standards. The commissioner may select one or more nationally
116	developed comprehensive examinations, which may include, but
117	need not be limited to, examinations for a College Board
118	Advanced Placement course, International Baccalaureate course,
119	or Advanced International Certificate of Education course or
120	industry-approved examinations to earn national industry
121	certifications as defined in s. 1003.492, for use as end-of-
122	course assessments under this paragraph, if the commissioner
123	determines that the content knowledge and skills assessed by the
124	examinations meet or exceed the grade level expectations for the
125	core curricular content established for the course in the Next
126	Generation Sunshine State Standards. The commissioner may
127	collaborate with the American Diploma Project in the adoption or
128	development of rigorous end-of-course assessments that are
129	aligned to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. The
130	testing program must be designed as follows:
131	1.  The tests shall measure student skills and competencies
132	adopted by the State Board of Education as specified in
133	paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report student
134	proficiency levels of all students assessed in reading, writing,
135	mathematics, and science, and social studies. The commissioner
136	shall provide for the tests to be developed or obtained, as
137	appropriate, through contracts and project agreements with
138	private vendors, public vendors, public agencies, postsecondary
139	educational institutions, or school districts. The commissioner
140	shall obtain input with respect to the design and implementation
141	of the testing program from state educators, assistive
142	technology experts, and the public.
143	2.  The testing program shall be composed of criterion-
144	referenced tests that shall, to the extent determined by the
145	commissioner, include test items that require the student to
146	produce information or perform tasks in such a way that allows
147	the core content knowledge and skills he or she uses to can be
148	measured.
149	3.  Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the
150	commissioner shall discontinue administration of the selected-
151	response test items on the comprehensive assessments of writing.
152	Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the comprehensive
153	assessments of writing shall be composed of a combination of
154	selected-response test items, short-response performance tasks,
155	and extended-response performance tasks, which shall measure a
156	student's content knowledge of writing, including, but not
157	limited to, paragraph and sentence structure, sentence
158	construction, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization,
159	spelling, parts of speech, verb tense, irregular verbs, subject-
160	verb agreement, and noun-pronoun agreement.
161	4.  A minimum score shall be designated for each subject
162	area tested, below which score a student's performance is deemed
163	inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate
164	remedial instruction to students who score below these levels.
165	5.  Except as provided in s. 1003.428(8)(b) or s.
166	1003.43(11)(b), students must earn a passing score on the grade
167	10 assessment test described in this paragraph or attain
168	concordant scores as described in subsection (10) in reading,
169	writing, and mathematics to qualify for a standard high school
170	diploma. The State Board of Education shall designate a passing
171	score for each part of the grade 10 assessment test. In
172	establishing passing scores, the state board shall consider any
173	possible negative impact of the test on minority students. The
174	State Board of Education shall adopt rules that which specify
175	the passing scores for the grade 10 FCAT. Any such rules that,
176	which have the effect of raising the required passing scores,
177	shall apply only to students taking the grade 10 FCAT for the
178	first time after such rules are adopted by the State Board of
179	Education.
180	6.  Participation in the testing program is mandatory for
181	all students attending public school, including students served
182	in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise
183	prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not
184	participate in the statewide assessment, the district must
185	notify the student's parent and provide the parent with
186	information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation.
187	A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive
188	classroom instructional accommodations that would not be
189	available or permitted on the statewide assessments and must
190	acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the
191	implications of such instructional accommodations. The State
192	Board of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations
193	of the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations
194	for students in exceptional education programs and for students
195	who have limited English proficiency. Accommodations that negate
196	the validity of a statewide assessment are not allowable in the
197	administration of the FCAT. However, instructional
198	accommodations are allowable in the classroom if included in a
199	student's individual education plan. Students using
200	instructional accommodations in the classroom that are not
201	allowable as accommodations on the FCAT may have the FCAT
202	requirement waived pursuant to the requirements of s.
203	1003.428(8)(b) or s. 1003.43(11)(b).
204	7.  A student seeking an adult high school diploma must
205	meet the same testing requirements that a regular high school
206	student must meet.
207	8.  District school boards must provide instruction to
208	prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the core
209	curricular content established in the Next Generation Sunshine
210	State Standards adopted under s. 1003.41, including the core
211	content knowledge and skills necessary for successful grade-to-
212	grade progression and high school graduation. If a student is
213	provided with instructional accommodations in the classroom that
214	are not allowable as accommodations in the statewide assessment
215	program, as described in the test manuals, the district must
216	inform the parent in writing and must provide the parent with
217	information regarding the impact on the student's ability to
218	meet expected proficiency levels in reading, writing, and
219	mathematics. The commissioner shall conduct studies as necessary
220	to verify that the required core curricular content is part of
221	the district instructional programs.
222	9.  District school boards must provide opportunities for
223	students to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an
224	alternative standardized assessment approved by the State Board
225	of Education following enrollment in summer academies.
226	10.  The Department of Education must develop, or select,
227	and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be
228	used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools
229	must accurately measure the core curricular content established
230	in the Sunshine State Standards.
231	11.  For students seeking a special diploma pursuant to s.
232	1003.438, the Department of Education must develop or select and
233	implement an alternate assessment tool that accurately measures
234	the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State
235	Standards for students with disabilities under s. 1003.438.
236	12.  The Commissioner of Education shall establish
237	schedules for the administration of statewide assessments and
238	the reporting of student test results. The commissioner shall,
239	by August 1 of each year, notify each school district in writing
240	and publish on the department's Internet website the testing and
241	reporting schedules for, at a minimum, the school year following
242	the upcoming school year. The testing and reporting schedules
243	shall require that:
244	a.  There is the latest possible administration of
245	statewide assessments and the earliest possible reporting to the
246	school districts of student test results which is feasible
247	within available technology and specific appropriations;
248	however, test results must be made available no later than the
249	final day of the regular school year for students.
250	b.  Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a
251	comprehensive statewide assessment of writing is not
252	administered earlier than the week of March 1 and a
253	comprehensive statewide assessment of any other subject is not
254	administered earlier than the week of April 15.
255	c.  A statewide standardized end-of-course assessment is
256	administered within the last 2 weeks of the course.
257
258	The commissioner may, based on collaboration and input from
259	school districts, design and implement student testing programs,
260	for any grade level and subject area, necessary to effectively
261	monitor educational achievement in the state, including the
262	measurement of educational achievement of the Sunshine State
263	Standards for students with disabilities. Development and
264	refinement of assessments shall include universal design
265	principles and accessibility standards that will prevent any
266	unintended obstacles for students with disabilities while
267	ensuring the validity and reliability of the test. These
268	principles should be applicable to all technology platforms and
269	assistive devices available for the assessments. The field
270	testing process and psychometric analyses for the statewide
271	assessment program must include an appropriate percentage of
272	students with disabilities and an evaluation or determination of
273	the effect of test items on such students.
274	Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.