Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 226
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00392-19                                            2019226__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to mastery-based education; amending
    3         s. 1003.436, F.S.; authorizing a district school board
    4         participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
    5         Program to award credit based on student mastery of
    6         certain content and skills; amending s. 1003.437,
    7         F.S.; authorizing a district school board
    8         participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot
    9         Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter
   10         grades for certain students; amending s. 1003.4996,
   11         F.S.; renaming the Competency-Based Education Pilot
   12         Program as the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program;
   13         authorizing public school districts to submit
   14         applications for the program; authorizing
   15         participating school districts to amend their
   16         applications to include alternatives for the award of
   17         credits and interpretation of letter grades; providing
   18         requirements for such alternatives; amending s.
   19         1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation
   20         agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for
   21         certain students with mastery-based, nontraditional
   22         diplomas and transcripts; providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   27  1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   28         1003.436 Definition of “credit.”—
   29         (1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school
   30  graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona
   31  fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains
   32  student performance standards, except as otherwise provided
   33  through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s.
   34  1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of 120 hours of
   35  bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that
   36  contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting
   37  high school graduation requirements in a district school that
   38  has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the
   39  district school board. However, district school boards
   40  participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program under
   41  s. 1003.4996 may determine and award credit based on a student’s
   42  mastery of the core content and skills, consistent with s.
   43  1003.41, as approved by the district school board. The State
   44  Board of Education shall determine the number of postsecondary
   45  credit hours earned through dual enrollment pursuant to s.
   46  1007.271 that satisfy the requirements of a dual enrollment
   47  articulation agreement according to s. 1007.271(21) and that
   48  equal one full credit of the equivalent high school course
   49  identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(9).
   50         Section 2. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
   51  to read:
   52         1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—
   53         (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades
   54  used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12
   55  courses for students in public schools are shall be as follows:
   56         (a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has
   57  a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
   58  progress.”
   59         (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has
   60  a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above
   61  average progress.”
   62         (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has
   63  a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
   64  progress.”
   65         (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has
   66  a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
   67  acceptable progress.”
   68         (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent,
   69  has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as
   70  “failure.”
   71         (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
   72  average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
   73         (2)District school boards participating in the Mastery
   74  Based Education Pilot Program under s. 1003.4996 may use an
   75  alternative interpretation of letter grades to measure student
   76  success in grade 6 through grade 12.
   77  
   78  For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may
   79  exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271.
   80         Section 3. Section 1003.4996, Florida Statutes, is amended
   81  to read:
   82         1003.4996 Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot
   83  Program.—Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, The Mastery
   84  Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within
   85  the Department of Education to be administered for a period of 5
   86  years. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide an
   87  educational environment that allows students to advance to
   88  higher levels of learning upon the mastery of concepts and
   89  skills through statutory exemptions relating to student
   90  progression and the awarding of credits.
   91         (1) PARTICIPATION.—The P.K. Yonge Developmental Research
   92  School and public school districts, including, but not limited
   93  to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County School
   94  Districts, may submit an application in a format prescribed by
   95  the department to participate in the pilot program.
   96         (2) APPLICATION.—The application to participate in the
   97  pilot program must, at a minimum, include:
   98         (a) The vision and timelines for the implementation of
   99  mastery-based competency-based education within the school
  100  district, including a list of the schools that will participate
  101  in the pilot program during the first school year and the list
  102  of schools that will be integrated into the program in
  103  subsequent school years.
  104         (b) The annual goals and performance outcomes for
  105  participating schools, including, but not limited to:
  106         1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34.
  107         2. Promotion and retention rates.
  108         3. Graduation rates.
  109         4. Indicators of college and career readiness.
  110         (c) A communication plan for parents and other
  111  stakeholders, including local businesses and community members.
  112         (d) The scope of and timelines for professional development
  113  for school instructional and administrative personnel.
  114         (e) A plan for student progression based on the mastery of
  115  content, including mechanisms that determine and ensure that a
  116  student has satisfied the requirements for grade-level promotion
  117  and content mastery.
  118         (f) A plan for using technology and digital and blended
  119  learning to enhance student achievement and facilitate the
  120  mastery-based competency-based education system.
  121         (g) The proposed allocation of resources for the pilot
  122  program at the school and district levels.
  123         (h) The recruitment and selection of participating schools.
  124         (i) The rules to be waived for participating schools
  125  pursuant to subsection (3) to implement the pilot program.
  126         (3) EXEMPTION FROM RULES.—In addition to the waivers
  127  authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may
  128  authorize the commissioner to grant an additional waiver of
  129  rules relating to student progression and the awarding of
  130  credits.
  131         (4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.—
  132         (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating
  133  school districts may amend their applications to include
  134  alternatives for awarding credit, as authorized under s.
  135  1003.436, and for the interpretation of middle school and high
  136  school letter grades, as authorized under s. 1003.437.
  137         1. Alternatives to awarding credit must include
  138  verification of the student’s mastery of the applicable course
  139  content using rigorous scoring rubrics to evaluate the student’s
  140  work.
  141         2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and
  142  high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language
  143  from the school district’s rigorous scoring rubric.
  144         (b) An application that is amended pursuant to this
  145  subsection must be approved by the district school board.
  146         (5)(4) STUDENT FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a
  147  participating school shall be reported for and generate funding
  148  pursuant to s. 1011.62.
  149         (6)(5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
  150         (a) Compile the student and staff schedules of
  151  participating schools before and after implementation of the
  152  pilot program.
  153         (b) Provide participating schools with access to statewide,
  154  standardized assessments required under s. 1008.22.
  155         (c) Annually, by June 1, provide to the Governor, the
  156  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
  157  Representatives a report summarizing the activities and
  158  accomplishments of the pilot program and any recommendations for
  159  statutory revisions.
  160         (7)(6) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt
  161  rules to administer this section.
  162         Section 4. Subsection (7) is added to section 1007.23,
  163  Florida Statutes, to read:
  164         1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
  165         (7) The articulation agreement must ensure fair and
  166  equitable access for high school graduates with mastery-based,
  167  nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.
  168         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.