The Florida Senate

1008.34  School grading system; school report cards; district grade.--

(1)  ANNUAL REPORTS.--The Commissioner of Education shall prepare annual reports of the results of the statewide assessment program which describe student achievement in the state, each district, and each school. The commissioner shall prescribe the design and content of these reports, which must include, without limitation, descriptions of the performance of all schools participating in the assessment program and all of their major student populations as determined by the Commissioner of Education, and must also include the median scores of all eligible students who scored at or in the lowest 25th percentile of the state in the previous school year; provided, however, that the provisions of s. 1002.22 pertaining to student records apply to this section.

(2)  SCHOOL GRADES.--The annual report shall identify schools as having one of the following grades, defined according to rules of the State Board of Education:

(a)  "A," schools making excellent progress.

(b)  "B," schools making above average progress.

(c)  "C," schools making satisfactory progress.

(d)  "D," schools making less than satisfactory progress.

(e)  "F," schools failing to make adequate progress.

Each school designated with a grade of "A," making excellent progress, or having improved at least two grade levels, shall have greater authority over the allocation of the school's total budget generated from the FEFP, state categoricals, lottery funds, grants, and local funds, as specified in state board rule. The rule must provide that the increased budget authority shall remain in effect until the school's grade declines.

(3)  DESIGNATION OF SCHOOL GRADES.--Each school that has students who are tested and included in the school grading system, except an alternative school that receives a school improvement rating pursuant to s. 1008.341, shall receive a school grade; however, an alternative school may choose to receive a school grade under this section in lieu of a school improvement rating. Additionally, a school that serves any combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 which does not receive a school grade because its students are not tested and included in the school grading system shall receive the school grade designation of a K-3 feeder pattern school identified by the Department of Education and verified by the school district. A school feeder pattern exists if at least 60 percent of the students in the school serving a combination of students in kindergarten through grade 3 are scheduled to be assigned to the graded school. School grades itemized in subsection (2) shall be based on the following:

(a)  Criteria.--A school's grade shall be based on a combination of:

1.  Student achievement scores, including achievement scores for students seeking a special diploma.

2.  Student learning gains as measured by annual FCAT assessments in grades 3 through 10; learning gains for students seeking a special diploma, as measured by an alternate assessment tool, shall be included not later than the 2009-2010 school year.

3.  Improvement of the lowest 25th percentile of students in the school in reading, math, or writing on the FCAT, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.

(b)  Student assessment data.--Student assessment data used in determining school grades shall include:

1.  The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT.

2.  The aggregate scores of all eligible students enrolled in the school who have been assessed on the FCAT, including Florida Writes, and who have scored at or in the lowest 25th percentile of students in the school in reading, math, or writing, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.

3.  Effective with the 2005-2006 school year, the achievement scores and learning gains of eligible students attending alternative schools that provide dropout prevention and academic intervention services pursuant to s. 1003.53 The term "eligible students" in this subparagraph does not include students attending an alternative school who are subject to district school board policies for expulsion for repeated or serious offenses, who are in dropout retrieval programs serving students who have officially been designated as dropouts, or who are in programs operated or contracted by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The student performance data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall be included in the calculation of the home school's grade. For purposes of this section and s. 1008.341, "home school" means the school the student was attending when assigned to an alternative school. If an alternative school chooses to be graded pursuant to this section, student performance data for eligible students identified in this subparagraph shall not be included in the home school's grade but shall be included only in the calculation of the alternative school's grade. School districts must require collaboration between the home school and the alternative school in order to promote student success.

The State Board of Education shall adopt appropriate criteria for each school grade. The criteria must also give added weight to student achievement in reading. Schools designated with a grade of "C," making satisfactory progress, shall be required to demonstrate that adequate progress has been made by students in the school who are in the lowest 25th percentile in reading, math, or writing on the FCAT, including Florida Writes, unless these students are exhibiting satisfactory performance.

(4)  SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RATINGS.--The annual report shall identify each school's performance as having improved, remained the same, or declined. This school improvement rating shall be based on a comparison of the current year's and previous year's student and school performance data. Schools that improve at least one grade level are eligible for school recognition awards pursuant to s. 1008.36

(5)  SCHOOL REPORT CARD.--The Department of Education shall annually develop, in collaboration with the school districts, a school report card to be delivered to parents throughout each school district. The report card shall include the school's grade, information regarding school improvement, an explanation of school performance as evaluated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and indicators of return on investment. Each school's report card shall be published annually by the department on its website, and the school district shall provide the school report card to each parent.

(6)  PERFORMANCE-BASED FUNDING.--The Legislature may factor in the performance of schools in calculating any performance-based funding policy that is provided for annually in the General Appropriations Act.

(7)  DISTRICT GRADE.--The annual report required by subsection (1) shall include district grades, which shall consist of weighted district average grades, by level, for all elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the district. A district's weighted average grade shall be calculated by weighting individual school grades determined pursuant to subsection (2) by school enrollment.

History.--s. 378, ch. 2002-387; s. 46, ch. 2006-74.