Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 226
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LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Education (Brandes) recommended the following:
1 Senate Substitute for Amendment (478066) (with title
2 amendment)
3
4 Delete everything after the enacting clause
5 and insert:
6 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
7 1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
8 1003.436 Definition of “credit.”—
9 (1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school
10 graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona
11 fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains
12 student performance standards, except as otherwise provided
13 through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s.
14 1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of 120 hours of
15 bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that
16 contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting
17 high school graduation requirements in a district school that
18 has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the
19 district school board. However, district school boards and
20 developmental research schools participating in the Mastery
21 Based Education Pilot Program under s. 1003.4996 may determine
22 and award credit based on a student’s mastery of the core
23 content and skills, consistent with s. 1003.41, as approved by
24 the district school board. The State Board of Education shall
25 determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned
26 through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007.271 that satisfy the
27 requirements of a dual enrollment articulation agreement
28 according to s. 1007.271(21) and that equal one full credit of
29 the equivalent high school course identified pursuant to s.
30 1007.271(9).
31 Section 2. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
32 to read:
33 1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—
34 (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades
35 used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12
36 courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows:
37 (a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has
38 a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
39 progress.”
40 (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has
41 a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above
42 average progress.”
43 (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has
44 a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
45 progress.”
46 (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has
47 a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
48 acceptable progress.”
49 (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent,
50 has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as
51 “failure.”
52 (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
53 average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
54 (2) A district school board and a developmental research
55 school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
56 Program under s. 1003.4996 may use an alternative interpretation
57 of letter grades to measure student success in grade 6 through
58 grade 12; however, the school board and developmental research
59 school must continue to use the 4-point scale established in
60 subsection (1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.
61
62 For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may
63 exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271.
64 Section 3. Section 1003.4996, Florida Statutes, is amended
65 to read:
66 1003.4996 Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot
67 Program.—Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the Mastery
68 Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within
69 the Department of Education to be administered for a period of 5
70 years. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide an
71 educational environment that allows students to advance to
72 higher levels of learning upon the mastery of concepts and
73 skills through statutory exemptions relating to student
74 progression and the awarding of credits.
75 (1) PARTICIPATION.—Developmental research schools
76 established under s. 1002.32, including the P.K. Yonge
77 Developmental Research School, and public school districts,
78 including, but not limited to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas,
79 and Seminole County School Districts, may submit an application
80 in a format prescribed by the department to participate in the
81 pilot program.
82 (2) APPLICATION.—The application to participate in the
83 pilot program must, at a minimum, include:
84 (a) The vision and timelines for the implementation of
85 mastery-based competency-based education within the school
86 district, including a list of the schools that will participate
87 in the pilot program during the first school year and the list
88 of schools that will be integrated into the program in
89 subsequent school years.
90 (b) The annual goals and performance outcomes for
91 participating schools, including, but not limited to:
92 1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34.
93 2. Promotion and retention rates.
94 3. Graduation rates.
95 4. Indicators of college and career readiness.
96 (c) A communication plan for parents and other
97 stakeholders, including local businesses and community members.
98 (d) The scope of and timelines for professional development
99 for school instructional and administrative personnel.
100 (e) A plan for student progression based on the mastery of
101 content, including mechanisms that determine and ensure that a
102 student has satisfied the requirements for grade-level promotion
103 and content mastery.
104 (f) A plan for using technology and digital and blended
105 learning to enhance student achievement and facilitate the
106 mastery-based competency-based education system.
107 (g) The proposed allocation of resources for the pilot
108 program at the school and district levels.
109 (h) The recruitment and selection of participating schools.
110 (i) The rules to be waived for participating schools
111 pursuant to subsection (3) to implement the pilot program.
112 (3) EXEMPTION FROM RULES.—In addition to the waivers
113 authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may
114 authorize the commissioner to grant an additional waiver of
115 rules relating to student progression and the awarding of
116 credits.
117 (4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.—
118 (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating
119 school districts and developmental research schools may amend
120 their applications to include alternatives for awarding credit,
121 as authorized under s. 1003.436, and for the interpretation of
122 middle school and high school letter grades, as authorized under
123 s. 1003.437.
124 1. Alternatives to awarding credit must include
125 verification of the student’s mastery of the applicable course
126 content using rigorous scoring rubrics to evaluate the student’s
127 work. A participating school district and developmental research
128 school must amend its student progression plan required by s.
129 1008.25 to conform to the alternative awarding of credits
130 pursuant to this section.
131 2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and
132 high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language
133 from the school district’s rigorous scoring rubric; however,
134 participating school districts and developmental research
135 schools must continue to use the 4-point scale established in s.
136 1003.437(1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.
137 (b) An application that is amended pursuant to this
138 subsection must be approved by the district school board or
139 developmental research school governing authority, as
140 applicable.
141 (5)(4) STUDENT FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a
142 participating school shall be reported for and generate funding
143 pursuant to s. 1011.62.
144 (6)(5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
145 (a) Compile the student and staff schedules of
146 participating schools before and after implementation of the
147 pilot program.
148 (b) Provide participating schools with access to statewide,
149 standardized assessments required under s. 1008.22.
150 (c) Annually, by June 1, provide to the Governor, the
151 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
152 Representatives a report summarizing the activities and
153 accomplishments of the pilot program and any recommendations for
154 statutory revisions.
155 (7)(6) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt
156 rules to administer this section.
157 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida
158 Statutes, is amended to read:
159 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
160 (1) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
161 shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the
162 State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The agreement must
163 preserve Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation, facilitate the
164 seamless articulation of student credit across and among
165 Florida’s educational entities, and reinforce the provisions of
166 this chapter by governing:
167 (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
168 education, including fair and equitable access for students who
169 have earned high school credit through a mastery-based education
170 program pursuant to s. 1003.4996 and graduate with a standard
171 high school diploma;
172 (b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
173 Florida College System institutions and state universities;
174 (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program
175 graduates from Florida College System institutions or career
176 centers;
177 (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate
178 in applied science degree graduates from Florida College System
179 institutions;
180 (e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
181 nationally standardized examinations through which students may
182 earn credit;
183 (f) General education requirements and statewide course
184 numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
185 (g) Articulation among programs in nursing.
186 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
187 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
188 And the title is amended as follows:
189 Delete everything before the enacting clause
190 and insert:
191 A bill to be entitled
192 An act relating to mastery-based education; amending
193 s. 1003.436, F.S.; authorizing a district school board
194 or developmental research school participating in the
195 Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to award credit
196 based on student mastery of certain content and
197 skills; amending s. 1003.437, F.S.; authorizing a
198 district school board or developmental research school
199 participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
200 Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter
201 grades for certain students; requiring participating
202 district school boards and developmental research
203 schools to use the current 4-point scale in
204 determining student grade point averages; amending s.
205 1003.4996, F.S.; renaming the Competency-Based
206 Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based Education
207 Pilot Program; authorizing public school districts and
208 developmental research schools to submit applications
209 for the program; authorizing participating school
210 districts and developmental research schools to amend
211 their applications to include alternatives for the
212 award of credits and interpretation of letter grades;
213 providing requirements for such alternatives; amending
214 s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation
215 agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for
216 students who have earned high school credit through
217 mastery-based education and graduate with a standard
218 high school diploma; providing an effective date.