Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1644
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       35-01728-21                                           20211644__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the measurement of student
    3         performance; amending s. 1012.34, F.S.; requiring the
    4         Commissioner of Education to annually provide learning
    5         growth data calculated in accordance with a certain
    6         formula to school districts by a specified date;
    7         providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
   12  1012.34, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         1012.34 Personnel evaluation procedures and criteria.—
   14         (7) MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE.—
   15         (a) The Commissioner of Education shall approve a formula
   16  to measure individual student learning growth on the statewide,
   17  standardized assessments in English Language Arts and
   18  mathematics administered under s. 1008.22 and by each July 31
   19  shall provide to school districts student learning growth data
   20  as calculated in accordance with the formula. A third party,
   21  independent of the assessment developer, must analyze student
   22  learning growth data calculated using the formula and provide
   23  access to a data visualization tool that enables teachers to
   24  understand and evaluate the data and school administrators to
   25  improve instruction, evaluate programs, allocate resources, plan
   26  professional development, and communicate with stakeholders. The
   27  formula must take into consideration each student’s prior
   28  academic performance. The formula must not set different
   29  expectations for student learning growth based upon a student’s
   30  gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. In the
   31  development of the formula, the commissioner shall consider
   32  other factors such as a student’s attendance record, disability
   33  status, or status as an English language learner. The
   34  commissioner may select additional formulas to measure student
   35  performance as appropriate for the remainder of the statewide,
   36  standardized assessments included under s. 1008.22 and continue
   37  to select formulas as new assessments are implemented in the
   38  state system.
   39         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.