Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0961 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to schools of innovation; creating s. 2
16	16	1003.65, F.S.; establishing the Schools of Innovation 3
17	17	Program within the Department of Education; providing 4
18	18	the purpose of the program; defining terms; 5
19	19	authorizing the State Board of Education to authorize 6
20	20	the Commissioner of Education to waive certain rules; 7
21	21	authorizing public school districts to apply for 8
22	22	identified schools to receive the designation of 9
23	23	school of innovation; requiring school districts 10
24	24	participating in the Competency -Based Education Pilot 11
25	25	Program to transition to the School of Innovation 12
26	26	Program before a specified school year; authorizing 13
27	27	school districts to submit innovation plans to the 14
28	28	department; requiring the department to approve or 15
29	29	reject innovation plans submitted by school districts 16
30	30	within a specified timeframe; requiring that a school 17
31	31	maintains its designation as a school of innovati on 18
32	32	for a 5-year period upon approval of an innovation 19
33	33	plan; authorizing the department to revoke the 20
34	34	designation if specified metrics are not met; 21
35	35	specifying requirements for innovation plans; 22
36	36	authorizing innovation plans to include a request for 23
37	37	waivers from certain rules; specifying duties of the 24
38	38	department; prohibiting a student attending a school 25
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51	of innovation who transfers to another school from 26
52	52	being subject to specified penalties; providing for 27
53	53	funding; requiring the state board to adopt rules; 28
54	54	amending s. 1003.436, F.S.; revising the definition of 29
55	55	the term "credit"; amending s. 1003.437, F.S.; 30
56	56	authorizing schools designated as schools of 31
57	57	innovation to use an alternative definition of letter 32
58	58	grades; requiring such schools to calculate grade 33
59	59	point averages according to a certain scale; amending 34
60	60	s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation 35
61	61	agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for high 36
62	62	school graduates with mastery -based, nontraditional 37
63	63	diplomas and transcripts; providing an effective d ate. 38
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65	65	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 40
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67	67	Section 1. Section 1003.65, Florida Statutes, is created 42
68	68	to read: 43
69	69	1003.65 Schools of Innovation Program. —Beginning with the 44
70	70	2022-2023 school year, the Schools of Innovation Program is 45
71	71	created within the Department of Education. The purpose of the 46
72	72	program is to provide a mechanism for public schools to operate 47
73	73	with greater flexibility in regard to instructional delivery and 48
74	74	instructional strategies to improve student achievement and 49
75	75	enhance academic opportunities. 50
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 51
89	89	(a) "Innovation" means an alternative to the existing 52
90	90	instructional and administrative practices which is intended to 53
91	91	improve learning or enhance academic opportunities for all 54
92	92	students. 55
93	93	(b) "School of innovation" is a designation given to a 56
94	94	public school with an approved application, in accordance with 57
95	95	subsection (4). 58
96	96	(2) EXEMPTION FROM RULES. —In addition to the waivers 59
97	97	authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may 60
98	98	authorize the Commissioner of Education to waive State Board of 61
99	99	Education rules relating to student progression and the awarding 62
100	100	of credits. 63
101	101	(3) PARTICIPATION.— 64
102	102	(a) Any public school district may apply for identified 65
103	103	schools to receive t he designation of school of innovation. 66
104	104	(b) Before the 2023 -2024 school year, school districts 67
105	105	participating in the Competency -Based Education Pilot Program 68
106	106	authorized by s. 1003.4996 shall transition to the Schools of 69
107	107	Innovation Program. 70
108	108	(4) APPLICATION.— 71
109	109	(a) School districts may submit an innovation plan in 72
110	110	accordance with subsection (6) to the department. 73
111	111	(b) Within 60 days after receiving an innovation plan 74
112	112	submission, the department shall approve or reject the 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	innovation plan and notify the dis trict accordingly. 76
126	126	(5) DURATION.— 77
127	127	(a) Upon approval of an innovation plan by the department, 78
128	128	a school shall maintain the school of innovation designation for 79
129	129	a 5-year period. 80
130	130	(b) The department may revoke the innovation designation 81
131	131	if the innovation plan goals, performance indicators, or 82
132	132	implementation milestones are not being met. 83
133	133	(6) INNOVATION PLAN REQUIREMENTS. —An innovation plan, at a 84
134	134	minimum, must include the following information for each school 85
135	135	to be considered: 86
136	136	(a) A statement of the school's mission and why 87
137	137	designation as a school of innovation would enhance the school's 88
138	138	ability to achieve its mission. 89
139	139	(b) A description of the innovative practices the school 90
140	140	would like to implement and a detailed implementation timelin e 91
141	141	not to exceed 5 years. 92
142	142	(c) A plan to address the programs, policies, or 93
143	143	operations at the local level which would need to change to 94
144	144	successfully implement the innovation plan. 95
145	145	(d) A description of annual goals and expected performance 96
146	146	outcomes, including, but not limited to: 97
147	147	1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34. 98
148	148	2. Promotion and retention rates. 99
149	149	3. Graduation rates. 100
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162	162	4. Indicators of college and career readiness. 101
163	163	(e) Anticipated timelines for implementation and proposed 102
164	164	allocation of resources and support at the school and district 103
165	165	levels, including flexibility given under local policies and 104
166	166	procedures to support implementation. 105
167	167	(f) The scope of and timelines for professional 106
168	168	development for school instructional and administrative 107
169	169	personnel. 108
170	170	(g) A summary that demonstrates that meaningful parental, 109
171	171	educator, and community input was gathered in creating the 110
172	172	innovation plan. 111
173	173	(h) The formative, benchmark, and summative assessments 112
174	174	that will be used to monitor progress and outcomes . 113
175	175	(i) A communication plan for parents and other 114
176	176	stakeholders, including local businesses and community members. 115
177	177	(7) WAIVER REQUEST. —An innovation plan may include a 116
178	178	request for waivers from State Board of Education rules. 117
179	179	(8) DEPARTMENT DUTIES. —The department shall: 118
180	180	(a) Support all schools of innovation through a statewide 119
181	181	innovation network. The statewide innovation network should be 120
182	182	composed of stakeholders from each school of innovation and 121
183	183	convene annually to share best practices, lessons learn ed, and 122
184	184	recommendations. 123
185	185	(b) Develop a process and timeline by which schools of 124
186	186	innovation report on the outcomes of their innovation plans. 125
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199	199	(c) Compile the schools of innovation reports into a 126
200	200	single annual report that analyzes the status of innovatio n 127
201	201	across this state and includes a list of requested and approved 128
202	202	flexibility requests as well as any statutory recommendations. 129
203	203	The report shall be presented annually, by June 1, to the 130
204	204	Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the 131
205	205	House of Representatives. 132
206	206	(9) STUDENT PROTECTIONS. —A student attending a school of 133
207	207	innovation who transfers to another school within this state may 134
208	208	not be penalized by being required to repeat coursework or 135
209	209	content that the student has already demonstrated mast ery of, by 136
210	210	having his or her grades changed, or by receiving any other 137
211	211	penalty related to the student's previous attendance at a school 138
212	212	of innovation. 139
213	213	(10) STUDENT FUNDING. —Students enrolled in a participating 140
214	214	school shall be reported for and generate fu nding pursuant to s. 141
215	215	1011.62. 142
216	216	(11) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 143
217	217	to administer this section. 144
218	218	Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 145
219	219	1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 146
220	220	1003.436 Definition of "credi t."— 147
221	221	(1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school 148
222	222	graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona 149
223	223	fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains 150
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236	236	student performance standards, except as otherwise provided 151
237	237	through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s. 152
238	238	1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of 120 hours of 153
239	239	bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that 154
240	240	contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting 155
241	241	high school graduation requirements in a district school that 156
242	242	has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the 157
243	243	district school board. The State Board of Education shall 158
244	244	determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned 159
245	245	through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007 .271 that satisfy the 160
246	246	requirements of a dual enrollment articulation agreement 161
247	247	according to s. 1007.271(21) and that equal one full credit of 162
248	248	the equivalent high school course identified pursuant to s. 163
249	249	1007.271(9). In lieu of the 135-hour and 120-hour instruction 164
250	250	requirements, a school designated as a school of innovation 165
251	251	pursuant to s. 1003.65 may determine and award credit based on a 166
252	252	student's mastery of the core content and skills, consistent 167
253	253	with s. 1003.41. 168
254	254	Section 3. Section 1003.437, Florida Stat utes, is amended 169
255	255	to read: 170
256	256	1003.437 Middle and high school grading system. — 171
257	257	(1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades 172
258	258	used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12 173
259	259	courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows: 174
260	260	(a)(1) Grade "A" equals 90 percent through 100 percent, 175
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273	273	has a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as 176
274	274	"outstanding progress." 177
275	275	(b)(2) Grade "B" equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has 178
276	276	a grade point average value of 3, and is def ined as "above 179
277	277	average progress." 180
278	278	(c)(3) Grade "C" equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has 181
279	279	a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as "average 182
280	280	progress." 183
281	281	(d)(4) Grade "D" equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has 184
282	282	a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as "lowest 185
283	283	acceptable progress." 186
284	284	(e)(5) Grade "F" equals zero percent through 59 percent, 187
285	285	has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as 188
286	286	"failure." 189
287	287	(f)(6) Grade "I" equals zero percent, has a grade point 190
288	288	average value of zero, and is defined as "incomplete." 191
289	289	(2) Schools with a school of innovation designation 192
290	290	pursuant to s. 1003.65 may use an alternative definition of 193
291	291	letter grades to measure student success in kindergarten through 194
292	292	grade 12; however, the student's grad e point average must be 195
293	293	calculated using the 4 -point scale established in subsection 196
294	294	(1). 197
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296	296	For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may 199
297	297	exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271. 200
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310	310	Section 4. Subsection (10) is added to section 1007.23, 201
311	311	Florida Statutes, to read: 202
312	312	1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement. — 203
313	313	(10) The articulation agreement must ensure fair and 204
314	314	equitable access for high school graduates with mastery -based, 205
315	315	nontraditional diplomas and transcripts. 206
316	316	Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 207