Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 616
       
       
        
       By Senator Legg
       
       
       
       
       
       17-00112B-15                                           2015616__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to education accountability; amending
    3         s. 1008.22, F.S.; revising requirements for the
    4         administration of local assessments; transferring
    5         provisions relating to district school board policies
    6         regarding assessments; restricting the amount of
    7         school hours that a school district may dedicate to
    8         administer specified assessments; requiring a school
    9         district to secure consent of a student’s parent if
   10         school hours dedicated to the administration of local
   11         assessments exceed the threshold amount; authorizing a
   12         student to take an examination or assessment adopted
   13         pursuant to State Board of Education rule; amending s.
   14         1012.34, F.S.; revising the percentage thresholds for
   15         performance evaluation criteria for instructional
   16         personnel and school administrators; specifying
   17         standards for the content and the administration of
   18         local assessments; specifying requirements for
   19         eligibility of salary adjustments for instructional
   20         personnel or school administrators; requiring the
   21         state board to adopt rules by a certain date; amending
   22         s. 1012.22, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes
   23         made by the act; amending s. 1008.34, F.S.; adding
   24         references to school improvement ratings; authorizing
   25         a school district to request approval from the state
   26         board to use student performance results on new
   27         statewide assessments for diagnostic and baseline
   28         purposes; requiring a district school superintendent
   29         to submit the waiver request to the Commissioner of
   30         Education; specifying required content of a waiver
   31         request; requiring the commissioner to review and make
   32         recommendations to the state board regarding each
   33         waiver request; specifying conditions and requirements
   34         for a school that is granted a waiver for the 2014
   35         2015 school year; providing for expiration; providing
   36         an effective date.
   37          
   38  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   39  
   40         Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 1008.22, Florida
   41  Statutes, is amended to read:
   42         1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
   43         (6) LOCAL ASSESSMENTS.—
   44         (a) Measurement of student performance in all subjects and
   45  grade levels, except those subjects and grade levels measured
   46  under the statewide, standardized assessment program described
   47  in this section, is the responsibility of the school districts.
   48         (b) Except for those subjects and grade levels measured
   49  under the statewide, standardized assessment program, beginning
   50  with the 2014-2015 school year, each school district shall
   51  administer for each course offered in the district a local
   52  assessment that measures student mastery of course content at
   53  the necessary level of rigor for the course. As adopted pursuant
   54  to State Board of Education rule, course content is set forth in
   55  the state standards required by s. 1003.41 and in the course
   56  description. Local assessments may include:
   57         1. Statewide assessments.
   58         2. Other standardized assessments, including nationally
   59  recognized standardized assessments.
   60         3. Industry certification assessments.
   61         4. District-developed or district-selected end-of-course
   62  assessments.
   63         5. Teacher-selected or principal-selected assessments.
   64         (c) Each district school board must adopt policies for
   65  selection, development, administration, and scoring of local
   66  assessments and for collection of assessment results. Local
   67  assessments implemented under subparagraphs (b)4. and 5. may
   68  include a variety of assessment formats, including, but not
   69  limited to, project-based assessments, adjudicated performances,
   70  and practical application assignments. For all English Language
   71  Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies courses offered
   72  in the district that are used to meet graduation requirements
   73  under s. 1002.3105, s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282 and that are
   74  not otherwise assessed by statewide, standardized assessments,
   75  the district school board must select the assessments described
   76  in subparagraphs (b)1.-4.
   77         (d) The Commissioner of Education shall identify methods to
   78  assist and support districts in the development and acquisition
   79  of local assessments required under this subsection. Methods may
   80  include developing item banks, facilitating the sharing of
   81  developed tests among school districts, acquiring assessments
   82  from state and national curriculum-area organizations, and
   83  providing technical assistance in best professional practices of
   84  test development based upon state-adopted curriculum standards,
   85  administration, and security.
   86         (c)(e) Each school district shall establish schedules for
   87  the administration of any district-required local district
   88  mandated assessment and approve the schedules as an agenda item
   89  at a district school board meeting. A school district may not
   90  schedule more than 5 percent of total school hours to administer
   91  statewide, standardized assessments and district-required local
   92  assessments. If a school district requires more than 5 percent
   93  of total school hours to administer district-required local
   94  assessments, the district must secure written consent from a
   95  student’s parent before administering the district-required
   96  local assessments. Notwithstanding this paragraph, a student
   97  may, within a school year, choose to take an examination or
   98  assessment adopted pursuant to State Board of Education rule
   99  pursuant to this section and s. 1008.30. The school district
  100  shall publish its the testing schedules on its website, clearly
  101  specifying the district-required local district-mandated
  102  assessments, and report the schedules to the Department of
  103  Education by October 1 of each year.
  104         Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) and subsections
  105  (7) and (8) of section 1012.34, Florida Statutes, are amended to
  106  read:
  107         1012.34 Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria.—
  108         (3) EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.—Instructional
  109  personnel and school administrator performance evaluations must
  110  be based upon the performance of students assigned to their
  111  classrooms or schools, as provided in this section. Pursuant to
  112  this section, a school district’s performance evaluation is not
  113  limited to basing unsatisfactory performance of instructional
  114  personnel and school administrators solely upon student
  115  performance, but may include other criteria approved to evaluate
  116  instructional personnel and school administrators’ performance,
  117  or any combination of student performance and other approved
  118  criteria. Evaluation procedures and criteria must comply with,
  119  but are not limited to, the following:
  120         (a) A performance evaluation must be conducted for each
  121  employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher,
  122  as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding substitute teachers,
  123  who is newly hired by the district school board must be observed
  124  and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching in
  125  the school district. The performance evaluation must be based
  126  upon sound educational principles and contemporary research in
  127  effective educational practices. The evaluation criteria must
  128  include:
  129         1. Performance of students.—At least 40 50 percent of a
  130  performance evaluation must be based upon data and indicators of
  131  student learning growth assessed annually by statewide
  132  assessments or, for subjects and grade levels not measured by
  133  statewide assessments, by school district assessments pursuant
  134  to subsection (7) as provided in s. 1008.22(6). Each school
  135  district must use the formula adopted pursuant to paragraph
  136  (7)(a) for measuring student learning growth in all courses
  137  associated with statewide assessments and must select an equally
  138  appropriate formula for measuring student learning growth for
  139  all other grades and subjects, except as otherwise provided in
  140  subsection (7).
  141         a. For classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a),
  142  excluding substitute teachers, the student learning growth
  143  portion of the evaluation must include growth data for students
  144  assigned to the teacher over the course of at least 3 years. If
  145  less than 3 years of data are available, the years for which
  146  data are available must be used and the percentage of the
  147  evaluation based upon student learning growth may be reduced to
  148  not less than 30 40 percent.
  149         b. For instructional personnel who are not classroom
  150  teachers, the student learning growth portion of the evaluation
  151  must include growth data on statewide assessments for students
  152  assigned to the instructional personnel over the course of at
  153  least 3 years, or may include a combination of student learning
  154  growth data and other measurable student outcomes that are
  155  specific to the assigned position, provided that the student
  156  learning growth data accounts for not less than 30 percent of
  157  the evaluation. If less than 3 years of student growth data are
  158  available, the years for which data are available must be used
  159  and the percentage of the evaluation based upon student learning
  160  growth may be reduced to not less than 20 percent.
  161         c. For school administrators, the student learning growth
  162  portion of the evaluation must include growth data for students
  163  assigned to the school over the course of at least 3 years. If
  164  less than 3 years of data are available, the years for which
  165  data are available must be used and the percentage of the
  166  evaluation based upon student learning growth may be reduced to
  167  not less than 30 40 percent.
  168         2. Instructional practice.—At least 30 percent of a
  169  performance evaluation criteria used when annually observing
  170  classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), excluding
  171  substitute teachers, must include indicators based upon each of
  172  the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices adopted by the State
  173  Board of Education. For instructional personnel who are not
  174  classroom teachers, evaluation criteria must be based upon
  175  indicators of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices and
  176  may include specific job expectations related to student
  177  support.
  178         3. Instructional leadership.—At least 30 percent of a
  179  performance evaluation for school administrators, evaluation
  180  criteria must include indicators based upon each of the
  181  leadership standards adopted by the State Board of Education
  182  under s. 1012.986, including performance measures related to the
  183  effectiveness of classroom teachers in the school, the
  184  administrator’s appropriate use of evaluation criteria and
  185  procedures, recruitment and retention of effective and highly
  186  effective classroom teachers, improvement in the percentage of
  187  instructional personnel evaluated at the highly effective or
  188  effective level, and other leadership practices that result in
  189  student learning growth. The system may include a means to give
  190  parents and instructional personnel an opportunity to provide
  191  input into the administrator’s performance evaluation.
  192         4. Professional and job responsibilities.—For instructional
  193  personnel and school administrators, no more than 30 percent of
  194  a performance evaluation must include other professional and job
  195  responsibilities must be included as adopted by the State Board
  196  of Education. The district school board may identify additional
  197  professional and job responsibilities.
  198         (7) MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING GROWTH; STATE AND LOCAL
  199  ASSESSMENTS.—
  200         (a) The Commissioner of Education shall approve a formula
  201  to measure individual student learning growth on the statewide,
  202  standardized assessments in English Language Arts and
  203  mathematics administered under s. 1008.22. The formula must take
  204  into consideration each student’s prior academic performance.
  205  The formula must not set different expectations for student
  206  learning growth based upon a student’s gender, race, ethnicity,
  207  or socioeconomic status. In the development of the formula, the
  208  commissioner shall consider other factors such as a student’s
  209  attendance record, disability status, or status as an English
  210  language learner. The commissioner shall select additional
  211  formulas as appropriate for the remainder of the statewide
  212  assessments included under s. 1008.22 and continue to select
  213  formulas as new assessments are implemented in the state system.
  214  After the commissioner approves the formula to measure
  215  individual student learning growth, the State Board of Education
  216  shall adopt these formulas in rule.
  217         (b) For courses associated with the statewide, standardized
  218  assessments under s. 1008.22, each school district shall measure
  219  student learning growth using the formulas approved by the
  220  commissioner under paragraph (a) for courses associated with the
  221  statewide, standardized assessments administered under s.
  222  1008.22 no later than the school year immediately following the
  223  year the formula is approved by the commissioner.
  224         (c) For grades and subjects not assessed by statewide,
  225  standardized assessments, but otherwise locally assessed
  226  pursuant to paragraph (d) as required under s. 1008.22(6), each
  227  school district shall measure performance of students using a
  228  methodology determined by the district. The department shall
  229  provide models for measuring performance of students which
  230  school districts may adopt. However, for a course that is not
  231  measured by a statewide, standardized assessment:
  232         1.(c)For a course that is not measured by a statewide,
  233  standardized assessment, A school district may request, through
  234  the evaluation system approval process, to use a student’s
  235  achievement level rather than student learning growth if
  236  achievement is demonstrated to be a more appropriate measure of
  237  classroom teacher performance. A school district may also
  238  request to use a combination of student learning growth and
  239  achievement, if appropriate.
  240         2.(d)For a course that is not measured by a statewide,
  241  standardized assessment, A school district may request, through
  242  the evaluation system approval process, that the performance
  243  evaluation for the classroom teacher assigned to that course
  244  include the learning growth of his or her students on one or
  245  more statewide, standardized assessments. The request must
  246  clearly explain the rationale supporting the request.
  247         3.(e) For purposes of this section and only for the 2014
  248  2015 school year, a school district may use measurable learning
  249  targets on local assessments administered under paragraph (d)
  250  and s. 1008.22(6) to evaluate the performance of students
  251  portion of a classroom teacher’s evaluation for courses that are
  252  not assessed by statewide, standardized assessments. Learning
  253  targets must be approved by the school principal. A district
  254  school superintendent may assign to instructional personnel in
  255  an instructional team the student learning growth of the
  256  instructional team’s students on statewide assessments. This
  257  subparagraph paragraph expires July 1, 2015.
  258         (d)1.Pursuant to s. 1008.22(6), school districts are
  259  responsible for the measurement of student performance in all
  260  subjects and grade levels, except those subjects and grade
  261  levels measured under the statewide, standardized assessment
  262  program. For subjects and grade levels not measured under the
  263  statewide, standardized program, each school district is
  264  responsible for administering local assessments that measure
  265  student mastery of course content at the necessary level of
  266  rigor. As adopted pursuant to State Board of Education rule,
  267  course content is set forth in the state standards required by
  268  s. 1003.41 and in the course description. Local assessments may
  269  include:
  270         a. Statewide assessments.
  271         b. Other standardized assessments, including nationally
  272  recognized standardized assessments.
  273         c. Industry certification assessments.
  274         d. District-developed or district-selected assessments.
  275         e. Teacher-selected or principal-selected assessments.
  276         2. Each district school board must adopt policies for
  277  selection, development, administration, and scoring of local
  278  assessments and for collection of assessment results. Local
  279  assessments may include a variety of assessment formats,
  280  including, but not limited to, project-based assessments,
  281  adjudicated performances, and practical application assignments.
  282  For all English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social
  283  studies courses offered in the district which are used to meet
  284  graduation requirements under s. 1002.3105, s. 1003.4281, or s.
  285  1003.4282 and which are not otherwise assessed by statewide,
  286  standardized assessments, the district school board must select
  287  the assessments described in sub-subparagraphs (d)1.a.-d. For an
  288  instructional personnel employee or school administrator to be
  289  eligible for salary adjustment under the performance salary
  290  schedule, pursuant to s. 1012.22, the student performance
  291  component of his or her performance evaluation must be based on
  292  an assessment described in sub-subparagraphs (d)1.a.-d. using a
  293  methodology determined by the school district pursuant to
  294  paragraph (c).
  295         (8) RULEMAKING.—No later than August 1, 2015, the State
  296  Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1)
  297  and 120.54 which establish uniform procedures for the
  298  submission, review, and approval of district evaluation systems
  299  and reporting requirements for the annual evaluation of
  300  instructional personnel and school administrators; specific,
  301  discrete standards for each performance level required under
  302  subsection (2) to ensure clear and sufficient differentiation in
  303  the performance levels and to provide consistency in meaning
  304  across school districts; the measurement of student learning
  305  growth and associated implementation procedures required under
  306  subsection (7); and a process for monitoring school district
  307  implementation of evaluation systems in accordance with this
  308  section. Specifically, the rules shall establish student
  309  performance levels that if not met will result in the employee
  310  receiving an unsatisfactory performance evaluation rating. In
  311  like manner, the rules shall establish a student performance
  312  level that must be met in order for an employee to receive a
  313  highly effective rating and a student learning growth standard
  314  that must be met in order for an employee to receive an
  315  effective rating.
  316         Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
  317  1012.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  318         1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the
  319  district school board.—The district school board shall:
  320         (1) Designate positions to be filled, prescribe
  321  qualifications for those positions, and provide for the
  322  appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal
  323  of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this
  324  chapter:
  325         (c) Compensation and salary schedules.—
  326         1. Definitions.—As used in this paragraph, the term:
  327         a. “Adjustment” means an addition to the base salary
  328  schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee’s
  329  permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under
  330  s. 121.021(22).
  331         b. “Grandfathered salary schedule” means the salary
  332  schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before
  333  July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 4.
  334         c. “Instructional personnel” means instructional personnel
  335  as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute
  336  teachers.
  337         d. “Performance salary schedule” means the salary schedule
  338  or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to
  339  subparagraph 5.
  340         e. “Salary schedule” means the schedule or schedules used
  341  to provide the base salary for district school board personnel.
  342         f. “School administrator” means a school administrator as
  343  defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c).
  344         g. “Supplement” means an annual addition to the base salary
  345  for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the
  346  employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the
  347  supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee’s
  348  continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation
  349  under s. 121.021(22).
  350         2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may
  351  provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment:
  352         a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of
  353  employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are
  354  compensated.
  355         b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment
  356  provided to instructional personnel rated as effective.
  357         3. Advanced degrees.—A district school board may not use
  358  advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional
  359  personnel or school administrators hired on or after July 1,
  360  2011, unless the advanced degree is held in the individual’s
  361  area of certification and is only a salary supplement.
  362         4. Grandfathered salary schedule.—
  363         a. The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule
  364  or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all
  365  school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional
  366  personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed
  367  on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 5.
  368  Instructional personnel on continuing contract or professional
  369  service contract may opt into the performance salary schedule if
  370  the employee relinquishes such contract and agrees to be
  371  employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. Such an
  372  employee shall be placed on the performance salary schedule and
  373  may not return to continuing contract or professional service
  374  contract status. Any employee who opts into the performance
  375  salary schedule may not return to the grandfathered salary
  376  schedule.
  377         b. In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for
  378  instructional personnel, a district school board must base a
  379  portion of each employee’s compensation upon performance
  380  demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated
  381  pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators
  382  based upon district-determined factors, including, but not
  383  limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics,
  384  critical shortage areas, and level of job performance
  385  difficulties.
  386         5. Performance salary schedule.—By July 1, 2014, the
  387  district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule
  388  that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional
  389  personnel and school administrators based upon performance
  390  determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1,
  391  2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered
  392  salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be
  393  compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once
  394  they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for
  395  this purpose. However, a classroom teacher whose performance
  396  evaluation uses utilizes student learning growth measures
  397  established under s. 1012.34(7)(c)3. s. 1012.34(7)(e) shall
  398  remain under the grandfathered salary schedule until his or her
  399  teaching assignment changes to a subject for which there is a
  400  statewide, standardized assessment or district-required local an
  401  assessment or the school district establishes equally
  402  appropriate measures of student learning growth as defined under
  403  s. 1012.34 and rules of the State Board of Education.
  404         a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as
  405  follows:
  406         (I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school
  407  administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule
  408  shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including
  409  adjustments only.
  410         (II) Beginning July 1, 2014, instructional personnel or
  411  school administrators new to the district, returning to the
  412  district after a break in service without an authorized leave of
  413  absence, or appointed for the first time to a position in the
  414  district in the capacity of instructional personnel or school
  415  administrator shall be placed on the performance salary
  416  schedule.
  417         b. Salary adjustments.—Salary adjustments for highly
  418  effective or effective performance shall be established as
  419  follows:
  420         (I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
  421  salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must
  422  be greater than the highest annual salary adjustment available
  423  to an employee of the same classification through any other
  424  salary schedule adopted by the district.
  425         (II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
  426  salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal
  427  to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual
  428  adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same
  429  classification.
  430         (III) The performance salary schedule shall not provide an
  431  annual salary adjustment for an employee who receives a rating
  432  other than highly effective or effective for the year.
  433         c. Salary supplements.—In addition to the salary
  434  adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary
  435  supplements for activities that must include, but are not
  436  limited to:
  437         (I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school.
  438         (II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of “F” or
  439  three consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that
  440  the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following
  441  improved performance in that school.
  442         (III) Certification and teaching in critical teacher
  443  shortage areas. Statewide critical teacher shortage areas shall
  444  be identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07.
  445  However, the district school board may identify other areas of
  446  critical shortage within the school district for purposes of
  447  this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the
  448  state board which do not apply within the school district.
  449         (IV) Assignment of additional academic responsibilities.
  450  
  451  If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school
  452  board’s ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the
  453  performance salary schedule may shall not be reduced on the
  454  basis of total cost or the value of individual awards in a
  455  manner that is proportionally greater than reductions to any
  456  other salary schedules adopted by the district.
  457         Section 4. Subsection (7) of section 1008.34, Florida
  458  Statutes, is amended to read:
  459         1008.34 School grading system; school report cards;
  460  district grade.—
  461         (7) TRANSITION.—School grades pursuant to this section and
  462  school improvement ratings pursuant to s. 1008.341 for the 2013
  463  2014 school year shall be calculated based on statutes and rules
  464  in effect on June 30, 2014. To assist in the transition to 2014
  465  2015 school grades and school improvement ratings, calculated
  466  based on new statewide, standardized assessments administered
  467  pursuant to s. 1008.22, the 2014-2015 school grades and school
  468  improvement ratings shall serve as an informational baseline for
  469  schools to work toward improved performance in future years.
  470  Accordingly, notwithstanding any other provision of law:
  471         (a) A school may not be required to select and implement a
  472  turnaround option pursuant to s. 1008.33 in the 2015-2016 school
  473  year based on the school’s 2014-2015 grade or school improvement
  474  rating under s. 1008.341, as applicable.
  475         (b)1. A school or approved provider under s. 1002.45 that
  476  receives the same or a lower school grade or school improvement
  477  rating for the 2014-2015 school year compared to the 2013-2014
  478  school year is not subject to sanctions or penalties that would
  479  otherwise occur as a result of the 2014-2015 school grade or
  480  rating. A charter school system or a school district designated
  481  as high performing may not lose the designation based on the
  482  2014-2015 school grades of any of the schools within the charter
  483  school system or school district, as applicable.
  484         2. The Florida School Recognition Program established under
  485  s. 1008.36 shall continue to be implemented as otherwise
  486  provided in the General Appropriations Act.
  487         (c) For purposes of determining grade 3 retention pursuant
  488  to s. 1008.25(5) and high school graduation pursuant to s.
  489  1003.4282, student performance on the 2014-2015 statewide,
  490  standardized assessments shall be linked to 2013-2014 student
  491  performance expectations.
  492  
  493  This subsection is repealed July 1, 2017.
  494         Section 5. School district contingency plan.
  495  Notwithstanding s. 1008.34(7), Florida Statutes, a school
  496  district may, by supermajority vote of the district school
  497  board, request approval from the State Board of Education to
  498  waive all requirements and benefits outlined in s. 1008.34(7),
  499  Florida Statutes, and instead use results from student
  500  performance on the new statewide, standardized assessments
  501  administered in the 2014-2015 school year pursuant to s.
  502  1008.22, Florida Statutes, for diagnostic and baseline purposes
  503  only.
  504         (1) A school district’s request must be submitted to the
  505  Commissioner of Education by the school district superintendent,
  506  during the period from the last day of administration of
  507  statewide, standardized assessments through June 5, 2015, in
  508  accordance with the guidelines established by the commissioner.
  509  At a minimum, the request, must include identification of:
  510         (a) The scope of the request, to apply either to the school
  511  district or to a school or certain schools within the school
  512  district. The request must be made at a district or school
  513  level. The request may not be made at a grade level, a subject
  514  area level or another level.
  515         (b) The reason for the request, including a description of
  516  the systemic or unique implementation failure. Quantifiable data
  517  substantiating the reason for such failure must accompany the
  518  request. A school district’s inability to assess the minimum
  519  percentage of students pursuant to ss. 1008.34 and 1008.341,
  520  Florida Statutes, does not, in itself, constitute a reasonable
  521  justification for requesting the waiver under this section.
  522         (c) The school district’s corrective action plan and
  523  certification that the identified implementation failure must be
  524  resolved in time for successful administration of the statewide,
  525  standardized assessments during the 2015-2016 school year and
  526  each school year thereafter. The district must identify how the
  527  district plans to allocate resources and technical assistance
  528  that the district needs from the Department of Education to
  529  facilitate the district’s successful resolution of deficiencies.
  530         (d) The school district’s plan for using the diagnostic
  531  data to facilitate continuous improvement in student performance
  532  and the effectiveness of schools, instructional personnel, and
  533  school administrators; public reporting on the performance of
  534  students, schools, and the district; and informing parents about
  535  instruction associated with remediation and retention and
  536  options available to students including acceleration,
  537  graduation, and school choice. The district must also describe
  538  its plans for implementing student progression plans,
  539  performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school
  540  administrators, performance salary schedule requirements, and
  541  other uses as identified by the commissioner.
  542         (2) The commissioner shall review each request for a waiver
  543  and consult with the applicable school district superintendent.
  544  The commissioner shall make, and provide reasons for,
  545  recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding
  546  granting or denying a request for waiver. The state board shall
  547  consider recommendations made by the commissioner to approve or
  548  deny school district requests. Notwithstanding any other
  549  provision of law, the commissioner’s recommendation to approve
  550  may, after consultation with the school district superintendent,
  551  include conditional requirements that must apply if approved by
  552  the state board. The decision of the state board is final.
  553         (3) For only the 2014-2015 school year, if a waiver is
  554  granted under this section:
  555         (a) A school or a school district may not receive a school
  556  grade, school improvement rating, or school district grade, as
  557  applicable.
  558         (b) A school may, at the school district’s discretion,
  559  choose to use new statewide, standardized assessment results in
  560  performance evaluations of instructional personnel and school
  561  administrators.
  562         (c) A school district shall continue to have its student
  563  performance results included in the statewide, standardized
  564  assessment results published by the department pursuant to s.
  565  1008.22, Florida Statutes.
  566         (d) A school shall forfeit eligibility to earn school
  567  recognition funds pursuant to s. 1008.36, Florida Statutes, as
  568  provided in the General Appropriations Act.
  569         (e) A school district shall forfeit the district’s
  570  eligibility to earn the designation and benefits associated with
  571  high performing school districts pursuant to s. 1003.621,
  572  Florida Statutes.
  573  
  574  This section expires July 1, 2016.
  575         Section 6. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.