Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 226
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì399290:Î399290                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/08/2019           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (Brandes) recommended
       the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 47 - 182
    4  and insert:
    5  Based Education Program under s. 1003.4996 may determine and
    6  award credit based on a student’s mastery of the core content
    7  and skills, consistent with s. 1003.41, as approved by the
    8  district school board or developmental research school governing
    9  authority, as applicable. The State Board of Education shall
   10  determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned
   11  through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007.271 that satisfy the
   12  requirements of a dual enrollment articulation agreement
   13  according to s. 1007.271(21) and that equal one full credit of
   14  the equivalent high school course identified pursuant to s.
   15  1007.271(9).
   16         Section 2. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
   17  to read:
   18         1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—
   19         (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades
   20  used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12
   21  courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows:
   22         (a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has
   23  a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
   24  progress.”
   25         (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has
   26  a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above
   27  average progress.”
   28         (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has
   29  a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
   30  progress.”
   31         (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has
   32  a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
   33  acceptable progress.”
   34         (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent,
   35  has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as
   36  “failure.”
   37         (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
   38  average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
   39         (2)A district school board and a developmental research
   40  school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Program
   41  under s. 1003.4996 may use an alternative interpretation of
   42  letter grades to measure student success in grade 6 through
   43  grade 12; however, the school board and developmental research
   44  school must continue to use the 4-point scale established in
   45  subsection (1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.
   46  
   47  For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may
   48  exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271.
   49         Section 3. Section 1003.4996, Florida Statutes, is amended
   50  to read:
   51         1003.4996 Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot
   52  Program.—Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the Mastery
   53  Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within
   54  the Department of Education to be administered for a period of 5
   55  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide an
   56  educational environment that allows students to advance to
   57  higher levels of learning upon the mastery of concepts and
   58  skills through statutory exemptions relating to student
   59  progression and the awarding of credits.
   60         (1) PARTICIPATION.—Developmental research schools
   61  established under s. 1002.32, including the P.K. Yonge
   62  Developmental Research School, and public school districts,
   63  including, but not limited to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas,
   64  and Seminole County School Districts, may submit an application
   65  in a format prescribed by the department to participate in the
   66  pilot program.
   67         (2) APPLICATION.—The application to participate in the
   68  pilot program must, at a minimum, include:
   69         (a) The vision and timelines for the implementation of
   70  mastery-based competency-based education within the school
   71  district, including a list of the schools that will participate
   72  in the pilot program during the first school year and the list
   73  of schools that will be integrated into the program in
   74  subsequent school years.
   75         (b) The annual goals and performance outcomes for
   76  participating schools, including, but not limited to:
   77         1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34.
   78         2. Promotion and retention rates.
   79         3. Graduation rates.
   80         4. Indicators of college and career readiness.
   81         (c) A communication plan for parents and other
   82  stakeholders, including local businesses and community members.
   83         (d) The scope of and timelines for professional development
   84  for school instructional and administrative personnel.
   85         (e) A plan for student progression based on the mastery of
   86  content, including mechanisms that determine and ensure that a
   87  student has satisfied the requirements for grade-level promotion
   88  and content mastery.
   89         (f) A plan for using technology and digital and blended
   90  learning to enhance student achievement and facilitate the
   91  mastery-based competency-based education system.
   92         (g) The proposed allocation of resources for the pilot
   93  program at the school and district levels.
   94         (h) The recruitment and selection of participating schools.
   95         (i) The rules to be waived for participating schools
   96  pursuant to subsection (3) to implement the pilot program.
   97         (3) EXEMPTION FROM RULES.—In addition to the waivers
   98  authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may
   99  authorize the commissioner to grant an additional waiver of
  100  rules relating to student progression and the awarding of
  101  credits.
  102         (4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.—
  103         (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating
  104  school districts and developmental research schools may amend
  105  their applications to include alternatives for awarding credit,
  106  as authorized under s. 1003.436, and for the interpretation of
  107  middle school and high school letter grades, as authorized under
  108  s. 1003.437.
  109         1. Alternatives to awarding credit must include
  110  verification of the student’s mastery of the applicable course
  111  content using rigorous scoring rubrics to evaluate the student’s
  112  work. A participating school district and developmental research
  113  school must amend its student progression plan required by s.
  114  1008.25 to conform to the alternative awarding of credits
  115  pursuant to this section.
  116         2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and
  117  high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language
  118  from the school district’s rigorous scoring rubric; however,
  119  participating school districts and developmental research
  120  schools must continue to use the 4-point scale established in s.
  121  1003.437(1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.
  122         (b) An application that is amended pursuant to this
  123  subsection must be approved by the district school board or
  124  developmental research school governing authority, as
  125  applicable.
  126         (5)(4) STUDENT FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a
  127  participating school shall be reported for and generate funding
  128  pursuant to s. 1011.62.
  129         (6)(5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
  130         (a) Compile the student and staff schedules of
  131  participating schools before and after implementation of the
  132  pilot program.
  133         (b) Provide participating schools with access to statewide,
  134  standardized assessments required under s. 1008.22.
  135         (c) Annually, by June 1, provide to the Governor, the
  136  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
  137  Representatives a report summarizing the activities and
  138  accomplishments of the pilot program and any recommendations for
  139  statutory revisions.
  140         (7)(6) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt
  141  rules to administer this section.
  142  
  143  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  144  And the title is amended as follows:
  145         Delete lines 5 - 17
  146  and insert:
  147         Mastery-Based Education Program to award credit based
  148         on student mastery of certain content and skills;
  149         amending s. 1003.437, F.S.; authorizing a district
  150         school board or developmental research school
  151         participating in the Mastery-Based Education Program
  152         to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades
  153         for certain students; requiring participating district
  154         school boards and developmental research schools to
  155         use the current 4-point scale in determining student
  156         grade point averages; amending s. 1003.4996, F.S.;
  157         renaming the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program
  158         as the Mastery-Based Education Program; authorizing
  159         public school districts and