Florida Senate - 2025 SB 260
By Senator Arrington
25-00627-25 2025260__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to statewide, standardized
3 assessments; amending ss. 1008.22 and 1008.25, F.S.;
4 requiring the Department of Education to develop
5 versions of statewide, standardized assessments and
6 specified portions of the statewide, standardized
7 coordinated screening and progress monitoring system
8 in certain languages by a specified date; requiring
9 the department to establish criteria for the use of
10 such assessments and portions of the system;
11 authorizing parents to prohibit the use of such
12 assessments and portions of the system in certain
13 languages; requiring the department to develop a
14 timetable and an action plan for the development and
15 implementation of such assessments and written
16 portions of the system; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
21 1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
22 1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.—
23 (3) STATEWIDE, STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.—The
24 Commissioner of Education shall design and implement a
25 statewide, standardized assessment program aligned to the core
26 curricular content established in the state academic standards.
27 The commissioner also must develop or select and implement a
28 common battery of assessment tools that will be used in all
29 juvenile justice education programs in the state. These tools
30 must accurately measure the core curricular content established
31 in the state academic standards. Participation in the assessment
32 program is mandatory for all school districts and all students
33 attending public schools, including adult students seeking a
34 standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282 and students in
35 Department of Juvenile Justice education programs, except as
36 otherwise provided by law. If a student does not participate in
37 the assessment program, the school district must notify the
38 student’s parent and provide the parent with information
39 regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. The
40 statewide, standardized assessment program shall be designed and
41 implemented as follows:
42 (d) Students with disabilities; Florida Alternate
43 Assessment; English language learners.—
44 1. Each district school board must provide instruction to
45 prepare students with disabilities in the core content knowledge
46 and skills necessary for successful grade-to-grade progression
47 and high school graduation.
48 2. A student with a disability, as defined in s. 1007.02,
49 for whom the individual education plan (IEP) team determines
50 that the statewide, standardized assessments under this section
51 cannot accurately measure the student’s abilities, taking into
52 consideration all allowable accommodations, shall have
53 assessment results waived for the purpose of receiving a course
54 grade and a standard high school diploma. Such waiver must shall
55 be designated on the student’s transcript. The statement of
56 waiver is shall be limited to a statement that performance on an
57 assessment was waived for the purpose of receiving a course
58 grade or a standard high school diploma, as applicable.
59 3. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, based
60 upon recommendations of the commissioner, for the provision of
61 assessment accommodations for students with disabilities and for
62 students who have limited English proficiency.
63 a. Accommodations that negate the validity of a statewide,
64 standardized assessment are not allowed during the
65 administration of the assessment. However, instructional
66 accommodations are allowed in the classroom if identified in a
67 student’s IEP. Students using instructional accommodations in
68 the classroom that are not allowed on a statewide, standardized
69 assessment may have assessment results waived if the IEP team
70 determines that the assessment cannot accurately measure the
71 student’s abilities.
72 b. If a student is provided with instructional
73 accommodations in the classroom that are not allowed as
74 accommodations for statewide, standardized assessments, the
75 district must inform the parent in writing and provide the
76 parent with information regarding the impact on the student’s
77 ability to meet expected performance levels. A parent must
78 provide signed consent for a student to receive classroom
79 instructional accommodations that would not be available or
80 permitted on a statewide, standardized assessment and
81 acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the
82 implications of such instructional accommodations.
83 c. If a student’s IEP states that online administration of
84 a statewide, standardized assessment will significantly impair
85 the student’s ability to perform, the assessment must shall be
86 administered in hard copy.
87 d.(I) By the 2027-2028 school year, the Department of
88 Education shall develop a version of each statewide,
89 standardized assessment in the three most prevalent languages
90 represented in the English language learner population within
91 this state. The department shall establish criteria for when the
92 use of such assessments in a language other than English is
93 appropriate. A parent of a student who is an English language
94 learner may prohibit his or her student from being administered
95 an assessment in a language other than English.
96 (II) The department shall develop a timetable and an action
97 plan to develop and implement the assessments in the additional
98 languages as required under sub-sub-subparagraph (I) in addition
99 to such assessments in additional languages, as feasible.
100 4. For students with significant cognitive disabilities,
101 the Department of Education shall provide for implementation of
102 the Florida Alternate Assessment to accurately measure the core
103 curricular content established in the state academic standards.
104 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section
105 1008.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
106 1008.25 Public school student progression; student support;
107 coordinated screening and progress monitoring; reporting
108 requirements.—
109 (9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM.—
110 (a) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the
111 Office of Early Learning, shall procure and require the use of a
112 statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress
113 monitoring system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
114 Program and public schools. The system must:
115 1. Measure student progress in meeting the appropriate
116 expectations in early literacy and mathematics skills and in
117 English Language Arts and mathematics standards as required by
118 ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and 1003.41 and identify the educational
119 strengths and needs of students.
120 2. For students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
121 Program through grade 3, measure student performance in oral
122 language development, phonological and phonemic awareness,
123 knowledge of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
124 and comprehension, as applicable by grade level, and, at a
125 minimum, provide interval level and norm-referenced data that
126 measures equivalent levels of growth.
127 3. Be a valid, reliable, and developmentally appropriate
128 computer-based direct instrument that provides screening and
129 diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress;
130 identifies students who have a substantial deficiency in reading
131 or mathematics, including identifying students with
132 characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning
133 disorders; and informs instruction. Any student identified by
134 the system as having characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia
135 shall undergo further screening. Beginning with the 2023-2024
136 school year, the coordinated screening and progress monitoring
137 system must be computer-adaptive.
138 4. Provide data for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
139 Program accountability as required under s. 1002.68.
140 5. Provide Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
141 providers, school districts, schools, teachers, and parents with
142 data and resources that enhance differentiated instruction and
143 parent communication.
144 6. Provide baseline data to the department of each
145 student’s readiness for kindergarten. The determination of
146 kindergarten readiness must be based on the results of each
147 student’s initial progress monitoring assessment in
148 kindergarten. The methodology for determining a student’s
149 readiness for kindergarten must be developed by the department
150 and aligned to the methodology adopted pursuant to s.
151 1002.68(4).
152 7. Assess how well educational goals and curricular
153 standards are met at the provider, school, district, and state
154 levels and provide information to the department to aid in the
155 development of educational programs, policies, and supports for
156 providers, districts, and schools.
157 8.a. For any written portions of the system and by the
158 2027-2028 school year, be available in the three most prevalent
159 languages represented in the English language learner population
160 within this state. The department shall establish criteria for
161 when the use of such portions of the system in a language other
162 than English is appropriate. A parent of a student who is an
163 English language learner may prohibit his or her student from
164 being administered such portions of the system in a language
165 other than English.
166 b. The department shall develop a timetable and an action
167 plan to develop and implement the written portions of the system
168 in such languages as required by sub-subparagraph a. in addition
169 to such portions in additional languages, as feasible.
170 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.