Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 226
Ì478066AÎ478066
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Education (Brandes) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
6 1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
7 1003.436 Definition of “credit.”—
8 (1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school
9 graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona
10 fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains
11 student performance standards, except as otherwise provided
12 through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s.
13 1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of 120 hours of
14 bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that
15 contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting
16 high school graduation requirements in a district school that
17 has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the
18 district school board. However, district school boards
19 participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program under
20 s. 1003.4996 may determine and award credit based on a student’s
21 mastery of the core content and skills, consistent with s.
22 1003.41, as approved by the district school board. The State
23 Board of Education shall determine the number of postsecondary
24 credit hours earned through dual enrollment pursuant to s.
25 1007.271 that satisfy the requirements of a dual enrollment
26 articulation agreement according to s. 1007.271(21) and that
27 equal one full credit of the equivalent high school course
28 identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(9).
29 Section 2. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
30 to read:
31 1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—
32 (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades
33 used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12
34 courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows:
35 (a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has
36 a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
37 progress.”
38 (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has
39 a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above
40 average progress.”
41 (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has
42 a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
43 progress.”
44 (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has
45 a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
46 acceptable progress.”
47 (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent,
48 has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as
49 “failure.”
50 (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
51 average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
52 (2) A district school board participating in the Mastery
53 Based Education Pilot Program under s. 1003.4996 may use an
54 alternative interpretation of letter grades to measure student
55 success in grade 6 through grade 12; however, the school board
56 must continue to use the 4-point scale established in subsection
57 (1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.
58
59 For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may
60 exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271.
61 Section 3. Section 1003.4996, Florida Statutes, is amended
62 to read:
63 1003.4996 Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot
64 Program.—Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the Mastery
65 Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within
66 the Department of Education to be administered for a period of 5
67 years. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide an
68 educational environment that allows students to advance to
69 higher levels of learning upon the mastery of concepts and
70 skills through statutory exemptions relating to student
71 progression and the awarding of credits.
72 (1) PARTICIPATION.—The P.K. Yonge Developmental Research
73 School and public school districts, including, but not limited
74 to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County School
75 Districts, may submit an application in a format prescribed by
76 the department to participate in the pilot program.
77 (2) APPLICATION.—The application to participate in the
78 pilot program must, at a minimum, include:
79 (a) The vision and timelines for the implementation of
80 mastery-based competency-based education within the school
81 district, including a list of the schools that will participate
82 in the pilot program during the first school year and the list
83 of schools that will be integrated into the program in
84 subsequent school years.
85 (b) The annual goals and performance outcomes for
86 participating schools, including, but not limited to:
87 1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34.
88 2. Promotion and retention rates.
89 3. Graduation rates.
90 4. Indicators of college and career readiness.
91 (c) A communication plan for parents and other
92 stakeholders, including local businesses and community members.
93 (d) The scope of and timelines for professional development
94 for school instructional and administrative personnel.
95 (e) A plan for student progression based on the mastery of
96 content, including mechanisms that determine and ensure that a
97 student has satisfied the requirements for grade-level promotion
98 and content mastery.
99 (f) A plan for using technology and digital and blended
100 learning to enhance student achievement and facilitate the
101 mastery-based competency-based education system.
102 (g) The proposed allocation of resources for the pilot
103 program at the school and district levels.
104 (h) The recruitment and selection of participating schools.
105 (i) The rules to be waived for participating schools
106 pursuant to subsection (3) to implement the pilot program.
107 (3) EXEMPTION FROM RULES.—In addition to the waivers
108 authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may
109 authorize the commissioner to grant an additional waiver of
110 rules relating to student progression and the awarding of
111 credits.
112 (4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.—
113 (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating
114 school districts may amend their applications to include
115 alternatives for awarding credit, as authorized under s.
116 1003.436, and for the interpretation of middle school and high
117 school letter grades, as authorized under s. 1003.437.
118 1. Alternatives to awarding credit must include
119 verification of the student’s mastery of the applicable course
120 content using rigorous scoring rubrics to evaluate the student’s
121 work. A participating school district must amend its student
122 progression plan required by s. 1008.25 to conform to the
123 alternative awarding of credits pursuant to this section.
124 2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and
125 high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language
126 from the school district’s rigorous scoring rubric; however,
127 participating school districts must continue to use the 4-point
128 scale established in s. 1003.437(1) for calculating a student’s
129 grade point average.
130 (b) An application that is amended pursuant to this
131 subsection must be approved by the district school board.
132 (5)(4) STUDENT FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a
133 participating school shall be reported for and generate funding
134 pursuant to s. 1011.62.
135 (6)(5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
136 (a) Compile the student and staff schedules of
137 participating schools before and after implementation of the
138 pilot program.
139 (b) Provide participating schools with access to statewide,
140 standardized assessments required under s. 1008.22.
141 (c) Annually, by June 1, provide to the Governor, the
142 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
143 Representatives a report summarizing the activities and
144 accomplishments of the pilot program and any recommendations for
145 statutory revisions.
146 (7)(6) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt
147 rules to administer this section.
148 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida
149 Statutes, is amended to read:
150 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
151 (1) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
152 shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the
153 State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The agreement must
154 preserve Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation, facilitate the
155 seamless articulation of student credit across and among
156 Florida’s educational entities, and reinforce the provisions of
157 this chapter by governing:
158 (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
159 education, including fair and equitable access for students who
160 have earned high school credit through a mastery-based education
161 program pursuant to s. 1003.4996 and graduate with a standard
162 high school diploma;
163 (b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
164 Florida College System institutions and state universities;
165 (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program
166 graduates from Florida College System institutions or career
167 centers;
168 (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate
169 in applied science degree graduates from Florida College System
170 institutions;
171 (e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
172 nationally standardized examinations through which students may
173 earn credit;
174 (f) General education requirements and statewide course
175 numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
176 (g) Articulation among programs in nursing.
177 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
178
179 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
180 And the title is amended as follows:
181 Delete everything before the enacting clause
182 and insert:
183 A bill to be entitled
184 An act relating to mastery-based education; amending
185 s. 1003.436, F.S.; authorizing a district school board
186 participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
187 Program to award credit based on student mastery of
188 certain content and skills; amending s. 1003.437,
189 F.S.; authorizing a district school board
190 participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
191 Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter
192 grades for certain students; requiring participating
193 district school boards to use the current 4-point
194 scale in determining student grade point averages;
195 amending s. 1003.4996, F.S.; renaming the Competency
196 Based Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based
197 Education Pilot Program; authorizing public school
198 districts to submit applications for the program;
199 authorizing participating school districts to amend
200 their applications to include alternatives for the
201 award credits and interpretation of letter grades;
202 providing requirements for such alternatives; amending
203 s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation
204 agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for
205 students who have earned high school credit through
206 mastery-based education and graduate with a standard
207 high school diploma; providing an effective date.