| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to student assessment in the public |
| 3 | schools; terminating the administration of the Florida |
| 4 | Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) to students in |
| 5 | grades 9 through 12; requiring the Preliminary |
| 6 | SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test |
| 7 | (PSAT/NMSQT) or the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests to |
| 8 | replace the grade 10 FCAT for purposes of measuring a |
| 9 | student's knowledge and skills; requiring students to |
| 10 | take the PSAT/NMSQT in grade 10 or the ACT's EXPLORE |
| 11 | and PLAN tests in grades 9 and 10, respectively; |
| 12 | requiring students to earn passing scores on the |
| 13 | PSAT/NMSQT or the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests to |
| 14 | qualify for a standard high school diploma; requiring |
| 15 | the State Board of Education to designate passing |
| 16 | scores; requiring use of student performance on the |
| 17 | PSAT/NMSQT or the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests for |
| 18 | school grading purposes; providing for application |
| 19 | beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2013- |
| 20 | 2014 school year; providing an effective date. |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Section 1. Notwithstanding ss. 1003.428, 1003.429, and |
| 25 | 1008.22, Florida Statutes, and any other provision of law to the |
| 26 | contrary, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) shall |
| 27 | not be administered to students in grades 9 through 12. The |
| 28 | Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test |
| 29 | (PSAT/NMSQT) or the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests shall replace |
| 30 | the grade 10 FCAT for purposes of measuring a student's |
| 31 | knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics, and writing. The |
| 32 | PSAT/NMSQT shall be taken by students in grade 10 or the ACT's |
| 33 | EXPLORE and PLAN tests shall be taken by students in grades 9 |
| 34 | and 10, respectively, to provide teachers and students with |
| 35 | feedback on a student's strengths and weaknesses and shall be |
| 36 | used as practice and preparation for the SAT Reasoning Test |
| 37 | (SAT) or the ACT as part of the college admission process. |
| 38 | Students must earn a passing score on the PSAT/NMSQT or the |
| 39 | ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests in reading, mathematics, and |
| 40 | writing to qualify for a standard high school diploma. The State |
| 41 | Board of Education shall designate for each section of the |
| 42 | PSAT/NMSQT and the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests a passing score |
| 43 | that is aligned to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards |
| 44 | and demonstrates the proficiency level required for high school |
| 45 | graduation. If a required passing score is raised by the State |
| 46 | Board of Education, the passing score shall apply only to |
| 47 | students taking the PSAT/NMSQT or the ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN |
| 48 | tests for the first time after such designation. For purposes of |
| 49 | the public school grading system under ss. 1008.34 and 1008.341, |
| 50 | Florida Statutes, student performance on the PSAT/NMSQT or the |
| 51 | ACT's EXPLORE and PLAN tests shall be used in place of student |
| 52 | performance on the FCAT, as applicable. The provisions of this |
| 53 | section shall apply to public school students entering grade 9 |
| 54 | in the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter. |
| 55 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012. |