Bill Text: FL S0968 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Mastery-based Education
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-03-10 - Died in Education [S0968 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-S0968-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2018 SB 968
By Senator Brandes
24-01023A-18 2018968__
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
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 students with mastery-based, nontraditional diplomas
22 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 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) ALTERNATE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.—
132 (a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 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 a
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, 2018.
