Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2174
By Senator Wise
5-01046A-09 20092174__
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
4 Standards; providing requirements for social studies
5 standards relating to civics education; requiring that
6 social studies standards be included in assessments;
7 amending s. 1008.22, F.S.; requiring that the Florida
8 Comprehensive Assessment Test measure student content
9 knowledge and skills in social studies; requiring that
10 the Commissioner of Education undertake the
11 development of comprehensive assessments of social
12 studies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year;
13 providing requirements for administration; providing
14 an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
19 1003.41, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
20 1003.41 Sunshine State Standards.—
21 (1) Public K-12 educational instruction in Florida is based
22 on the “Sunshine State Standards.” The State Board of Education
23 shall review the Sunshine State Standards and replace them with
24 the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards that establish the
25 core content of the curricula to be taught in this state and
26 that specify the core content knowledge and skills that K-12
27 public school students are expected to acquire. The Next
28 Generation Sunshine State Standards must, at a minimum:
29 (a) Establish the core curricular content for language
30 arts, science, mathematics, and social studies, as follows:
31 1. Language arts standards must establish specific
32 curricular content for, at a minimum, the reading process,
33 literary analysis, the writing process, writing applications,
34 communication, and information and media literacy. The standards
35 must include distinct grade level expectations for the core
36 content knowledge and skills that a student is expected to have
37 acquired by each individual grade level from kindergarten
38 through grade 8. The language arts standards for grades 9
39 through 12 may be organized by grade clusters of more than one
40 grade level. The language arts standards must also identify
41 significant literary genres and authors that encompass a
42 comprehensive range of historical periods. The State Board of
43 Education shall, in accordance with the expedited schedule
44 established under subsection (2), review and replace the
45 language arts standards adopted by the state board in 2007 with
46 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards that comply with this
47 subparagraph.
48 2. Science standards must establish specific curricular
49 content for, at a minimum, the nature of science, earth and
50 space science, physical science, and life science. The standards
51 must include distinct grade level expectations for the core
52 content knowledge and skills that a student is expected to have
53 acquired by each individual grade level from kindergarten
54 through grade 8. The science standards for grades 9 through 12
55 may be organized by grade clusters of more than one grade level.
56 3. Mathematics standards must establish specific curricular
57 content for, at a minimum, algebra, geometry, probability,
58 statistics, calculus, discrete mathematics, financial literacy,
59 and trigonometry. The standards must include distinct grade
60 level expectations for the core content knowledge and skills
61 that a student is expected to have acquired by each individual
62 grade level from kindergarten through grade 8. The mathematics
63 standards for grades 9 through 12 may be organized by grade
64 clusters of more than one grade level.
65 4. Social studies standards must establish specific
66 curricular content for, at a minimum, geography, United States
67 and world history, government, civics, economics, and
68 humanities. The standards must include distinct grade level
69 expectations for the core content knowledge and skills that a
70 student is expected to have acquired by each individual grade
71 level from kindergarten through grade 8. The social studies
72 standards for grades 9 through 12 may be organized by grade
73 clusters of more than one grade level. The standards must
74 include an emphasis on the integration of civics education at
75 all grade levels, based on the framework provided by the
76 National Standards for Civics and Government. The social studies
77 standards must be included in all appropriate state testing
78 provisions and assessments as they are developed, with an
79 emphasis on student application, analysis, synthesis, and
80 evaluation.
81 Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
82 1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
83 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
84 (3) STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.—The commissioner shall
85 design and implement a statewide program of educational
86 assessment that provides information for the improvement of the
87 operation and management of the public schools, including
88 schools operating for the purpose of providing educational
89 services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
90 The commissioner may enter into contracts for the continued
91 administration of the assessment, testing, and evaluation
92 programs authorized and funded by the Legislature. Contracts may
93 be initiated in 1 fiscal year and continue into the next and may
94 be paid from the appropriations of either or both fiscal years.
95 The commissioner is authorized to negotiate for the sale or
96 lease of tests, scoring protocols, test scoring services, and
97 related materials developed pursuant to law. Pursuant to the
98 statewide assessment program, the commissioner shall:
99 (c) Develop and implement a student achievement testing
100 program known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
101 (FCAT) as part of the statewide assessment program to measure a
102 student's content knowledge and skills in reading, writing,
103 science, and mathematics, and social studies. Other content
104 areas may be included as directed by the commissioner.
105 Comprehensive assessments of reading and mathematics shall be
106 administered annually in grades 3 through 10. Comprehensive
107 assessments of writing and science shall be administered at
108 least once at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
109 The commissioner shall undertake the development of
110 comprehensive assessments of social studies beginning with the
111 2011-2012 school year. Comprehensive assessments of social
112 studies shall be administered at least once at the elementary,
113 middle, and high school levels beginning with the 2014-2015
114 school year. End-of-course assessments for a subject may be
115 administered in addition to the comprehensive assessments
116 required for that subject under this paragraph. An end-of-course
117 assessment must be rigorous, statewide, standardized, and
118 developed or approved by the department. The content knowledge
119 and skills assessed by comprehensive and end-of-course
120 assessments must be aligned to the core curricular content
121 established in the Sunshine State Standards. The commissioner
122 may select one or more nationally developed comprehensive
123 examinations, which may include, but need not be limited to,
124 examinations for a College Board Advanced Placement course,
125 International Baccalaureate course, or Advanced International
126 Certificate of Education course or industry-approved
127 examinations to earn national industry certifications as defined
128 in s. 1003.492, for use as end-of-course assessments under this
129 paragraph, if the commissioner determines that the content
130 knowledge and skills assessed by the examinations meet or exceed
131 the grade level expectations for the core curricular content
132 established for the course in the Next Generation Sunshine State
133 Standards. The commissioner may collaborate with the American
134 Diploma Project in the adoption or development of rigorous end
135 of-course assessments that are aligned to the Next Generation
136 Sunshine State Standards. The testing program must be designed
137 as follows:
138 1. The tests shall measure student skills and competencies
139 adopted by the State Board of Education as specified in
140 paragraph (a). The tests must measure and report student
141 proficiency levels of all students assessed in reading, writing,
142 mathematics, and science, and social studies. The commissioner
143 shall provide for the tests to be developed or obtained, as
144 appropriate, through contracts and project agreements with
145 private vendors, public vendors, public agencies, postsecondary
146 educational institutions, or school districts. The commissioner
147 shall obtain input with respect to the design and implementation
148 of the testing program from state educators, assistive
149 technology experts, and the public.
150 2. The testing program shall be composed of criterion
151 referenced tests that shall, to the extent determined by the
152 commissioner, include test items that require the student to
153 produce information or perform tasks in such a way that allows
154 the core content knowledge and skills he or she uses to can be
155 measured.
156 3. Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the
157 commissioner shall discontinue administration of the selected
158 response test items on the comprehensive assessments of writing.
159 Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the comprehensive
160 assessments of writing shall be composed of a combination of
161 selected-response test items, short-response performance tasks,
162 and extended-response performance tasks, which shall measure a
163 student's content knowledge of writing, including, but not
164 limited to, paragraph and sentence structure, sentence
165 construction, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization,
166 spelling, parts of speech, verb tense, irregular verbs, subject
167 verb agreement, and noun-pronoun agreement.
168 4. A minimum score shall be designated for each subject
169 area tested, below which score a student's performance is deemed
170 inadequate. The school districts shall provide appropriate
171 remedial instruction to students who score below these levels.
172 5. Except as provided in s. 1003.428(8)(b) or s.
173 1003.43(11)(b), students must earn a passing score on the grade
174 10 assessment test described in this paragraph or attain
175 concordant scores as described in subsection (10) in reading,
176 writing, and mathematics to qualify for a standard high school
177 diploma. The State Board of Education shall designate a passing
178 score for each part of the grade 10 assessment test. In
179 establishing passing scores, the state board shall consider any
180 possible negative impact of the test on minority students. The
181 State Board of Education shall adopt rules that which specify
182 the passing scores for the grade 10 FCAT. Any such rules that,
183 which have the effect of raising the required passing scores,
184 shall apply only to students taking the grade 10 FCAT for the
185 first time after such rules are adopted by the State Board of
186 Education.
187 6. Participation in the testing program is mandatory for
188 all students attending public school, including students served
189 in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, except as otherwise
190 prescribed by the commissioner. If a student does not
191 participate in the statewide assessment, the district must
192 notify the student's parent and provide the parent with
193 information regarding the implications of such nonparticipation.
194 A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive
195 classroom instructional accommodations that would not be
196 available or permitted on the statewide assessments and must
197 acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the
198 implications of such instructional accommodations. The State
199 Board of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations
200 of the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations
201 for students in exceptional education programs and for students
202 who have limited English proficiency. Accommodations that negate
203 the validity of a statewide assessment are not allowable in the
204 administration of the FCAT. However, instructional
205 accommodations are allowable in the classroom if included in a
206 student's individual education plan. Students using
207 instructional accommodations in the classroom that are not
208 allowable as accommodations on the FCAT may have the FCAT
209 requirement waived pursuant to the requirements of s.
210 1003.428(8)(b) or s. 1003.43(11)(b).
211 7. A student seeking an adult high school diploma must meet
212 the same testing requirements that a regular high school student
213 must meet.
214 8. District school boards must provide instruction to
215 prepare students to demonstrate proficiency in the core
216 curricular content established in the Next Generation Sunshine
217 State Standards adopted under s. 1003.41, including the core
218 content knowledge and skills necessary for successful grade-to
219 grade progression and high school graduation. If a student is
220 provided with instructional accommodations in the classroom that
221 are not allowable as accommodations in the statewide assessment
222 program, as described in the test manuals, the district must
223 inform the parent in writing and must provide the parent with
224 information regarding the impact on the student's ability to
225 meet expected proficiency levels in reading, writing, and
226 mathematics. The commissioner shall conduct studies as necessary
227 to verify that the required core curricular content is part of
228 the district instructional programs.
229 9. District school boards must provide opportunities for
230 students to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an
231 alternative standardized assessment approved by the State Board
232 of Education following enrollment in summer academies.
233 10. The Department of Education must develop, or select,
234 and implement a common battery of assessment tools that will be
235 used in all juvenile justice programs in the state. These tools
236 must accurately measure the core curricular content established
237 in the Sunshine State Standards.
238 11. For students seeking a special diploma pursuant to s.
239 1003.438, the Department of Education must develop or select and
240 implement an alternate assessment tool that accurately measures
241 the core curricular content established in the Sunshine State
242 Standards for students with disabilities under s. 1003.438.
243 12. The Commissioner of Education shall establish schedules
244 for the administration of statewide assessments and the
245 reporting of student test results. The commissioner shall, by
246 August 1 of each year, notify each school district in writing
247 and publish on the department's Internet website the testing and
248 reporting schedules for, at a minimum, the school year following
249 the upcoming school year. The testing and reporting schedules
250 shall require that:
251 a. There is the latest possible administration of statewide
252 assessments and the earliest possible reporting to the school
253 districts of student test results which is feasible within
254 available technology and specific appropriations; however, test
255 results must be made available no later than the final day of
256 the regular school year for students.
257 b. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, a
258 comprehensive statewide assessment of writing is not
259 administered earlier than the week of March 1 and a
260 comprehensive statewide assessment of any other subject is not
261 administered earlier than the week of April 15.
262 c. A statewide standardized end-of-course assessment is
263 administered within the last 2 weeks of the course.
264
265 The commissioner may, based on collaboration and input from
266 school districts, design and implement student testing programs,
267 for any grade level and subject area, necessary to effectively
268 monitor educational achievement in the state, including the
269 measurement of educational achievement of the Sunshine State
270 Standards for students with disabilities. Development and
271 refinement of assessments shall include universal design
272 principles and accessibility standards that will prevent any
273 unintended obstacles for students with disabilities while
274 ensuring the validity and reliability of the test. These
275 principles should be applicable to all technology platforms and
276 assistive devices available for the assessments. The field
277 testing process and psychometric analyses for the statewide
278 assessment program must include an appropriate percentage of
279 students with disabilities and an evaluation or determination of
280 the effect of test items on such students.
281 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.