This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives.
STORAGE NAME: h1193z.DOCX
DATE: 3/28/2022
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/CS/HB 1193 K-12 Assessments and Accountability
SPONSOR(S): Education & Employment Committee and Early Learning & Elementary Education
Subcommittee, Plasencia, and others
TIED BILLS: None IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 1048
FINAL HOUSE FLOOR ACTION: 83 Y’s
31 N’s GOVERNOR’S ACTION: Approved
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
CS/CS/HB 1193 passed the House on March 9, 2022, as CS/SB 1048.
In 2021, the Legislature passed HB 7011 which requires the Department of Education to implement a
statewide English language arts (ELA) and mathematics progress monitoring system for students in Voluntary
Prekindergarten (VPK) through grade 8. The bill expands the VPK through grade 8 progress monitoring system
to include English Language Arts (ELA) in grades 9 and 10 and replaces the statewide, standardized ELA and
mathematics assessments with the end-of-year administration of the progress monitoring system (PM system).
The bill establishes timelines for providing teachers and parents progress monitoring results and requires that
PM system and statewide, standardized assessment data be provided to parents in an individual student
report. The individual student reports must be provided electronically and contain resources to support
informed parent involvement. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, ELA and mathematics assessment
results must be made available by May 31.
The bill provides for the transition to the new PM system by holding schools harmless for 2022-2023 school
grades and school improvement ratings. Once learning gains can be calculated following the 2023-2024 school
year, State Board of Education must evaluate the school grading scale to determine if the scale should be
adjusted.
The bill requires the Commissioner of Education, based on a third-party review and by January 31, 2025, to
report on and make recommendations related to the implementation of the PM system. The bill authorizes the
Department of Education, as needed, to amend assessment contracts to comply with the requirements of the
bill.
The bill does not appear to have a fiscal impact. See Fiscal Comments.
The bill was approved by the Governor on March 15, 2022, ch. 2022-16, L.O.F., and will become effective on
July 1, 2022, except as otherwise provided.
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I. SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION
A. EFFECT OF CHANGES:
Present Situation
Florida’s Statewide Public School Accountability System
Background
School accountability generally refers to the actions taken by states and school districts to improve
academic outcomes for all students by measuring and providing public information on student success
and school and educator quality. Florida’s K-12 Accountability System was created to provide for a
uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to
obtain a high-quality education in accordance with s. 1, Art. IX of the Florida Constitution.
1
Federal Requirements
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law in 1965
2
and was
reauthorized by the No Child Left behind (NCLB) act in 2002 and the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA) in 2015.
3
The ESSA, like its predecessors NCLB and ESEA, aims to improve elementary and secondary
education in public schools by conditioning the receipt of federal funds on the implementation of federal
requirements. In order to receive Title I funds under ESSA, states must implement a statewide
accountability system for K-12 public schools. ESSA also offers competitive and noncompetitive grant
funds for teacher and school leader development, family engagement, student support, weighted per-
pupil funding, and the development of innovative student progression systems and assessment
formats.
4
The ESSA requires each state receiving Title I funds to submit a plan that includes:
challenging academic standards for reading or English language arts (ELA) and mathematics;
5
high quality assessments in ELA, mathematics, and science;
6
long-term goals for all students and student subgroups
7
in the state, including measurements of
interim progress toward meeting the goals;
8
multiple indicators of student success and school quality,
9
including:
o academic achievement as measured by statewide assessments in ELA and mathematics;
o a 4-year graduation rate for high schools;
o for elementary and middle schools, student growth or another academic indicator;
o progress of English learners
10
(EL) toward English proficiency; and
1
See s. 1008.345(1), F.S. The Commissioner of Education is responsible for implementing and maintaining a system of intensive
school improvement and stringent education accountability. See id.
2
Pub. L. No. 89-10 (April 11, 1965).
3
U.S. Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act, https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn (last visited March 17, 2022).
4
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(a)(1).
5
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(b)(1).
6
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(b)(2).
7
For purposes of statewide accountability systems, student subgroups include economically disadvantaged students, students from
major racial and ethnic groups, children with disabilities, and English learners. 20 U.S.C. s. 6311(c)(2).
8
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(c)(4)(A).
9
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(c)(4)(B).
10
An English learner is between 3 to 21 years old; is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary or secondary school; was not
born in the U.S. or has a native language other than English; and has difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the
English language such that the student cannot meet the state’s academic standards, cannot achieve in a classroom with instruction in
English, or does not have the opportunity to participate fully in society. See 20 U.S.C. s. 7801(20).
STORAGE NAME: h1193z.DOCX PAGE: 3
DATE: 3/28/2022
o an additional indicator of school quality or student success;
annual meaningful differentiation (i.e., levels of performance) based on the system’s
indicators;
11
and
identification of schools, based on annual meaningful differentiation, that require comprehensive
support and improvement or targeted support and improvement for specific student
subgroups.
12
The ESSA also requires each state and each local school district to annually publish a report card that
provides information on student success, school quality, per-pupil funding, the progress of ELs toward
English language proficiency, and, for the state, progress toward its long-term goals.
13
The U.S. Department of Education approved Florida’s ESSA State Plan in 2018.
14
Overview of Florida’s Accountability system
Florida’s statewide accountability system, as amended by the Legislature in 2017,
15
comprises the
following:
Rigorous academic standards that establish what knowledge and skills students in kindergarten
through grade 12 need to learn.
16
Statewide, standardized assessments to measure student achievement of the standards in
specified subject areas and grade levels.
17
School and district grades based on student achievement of the standards and other indicators
of school and district quality as well as school improvement ratings based on student learning
growth.
18
School recognition funds that award schools for improving or achieving high levels of
performance.
19
Performance evaluation criteria for teachers and administrators based in part on student
achievement of the standards.
20
Public reporting of school, district, and teacher performance.
21
School improvement requirements to help struggling schools incorporate best practices and,
when needed, to fundamentally restructure schools that continue to fail.
22
Florida’s Academic Standards
Together, all of Florida’s academic standards compose the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
(NGSSS), which establish the core content of the curricula to be taught and specify the core content
knowledge and skills that K-12 public school students are expected to acquire in ELA, science,
mathematics, social studies, visual and performing arts, physical education, health, and foreign
11
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(c)(4)(C).
12
20 U.S.C. s. 6311(c)(4)(D).
13
See 20 U.S.C. s. 6311(h)(1) and (2).
14
Florida Department of Education, Approval Letter from the U.S. Department of Education, (Sept. 26, 2018), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/14196/urlt/ESSA-ApprovalLetter.pdf.
15
Chapter 2017-116, L.O.F.
16
Section 1003.41, F.S.; rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C.
17
Section 1008.22(3), F.S.
18
Section 1008.34, F.S. Alternative schools may receive a school improvement rating pursuant to s. 1008.341, F.S. Exceptional
student education centers may receive a school improvement rating pursuant to s. 1008.3415, F.S.
19
Section 1008.36, F.S. Funding for School Recognition was vetoed in 2020 and was not included in the 2021 General Appropriations
Act. See Specific Appropriation 10, ch. 2020-111, L.O.F. (vetoed by the Governor) and chapter 2021-36, L.O.F.
20
Section 1012.34, F.S.
21
See ss. 1001.42(18), 1002.20(16), 1008.22(12), 1008.341(1), and 1012.34(1)(c), F.S.
22
Section 1008.33, F.S.; rule 6A-1.099811, F.A.C.
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languages.
23
The SBE is responsible for adopting the NGSSS in rule based upon review and
recommendations by the Commissioner of Education in consultation with Florida educators, school
administrators, and state colleges and universities.
24
The NGSSS must provide for the logical, sequential progression of core curricular content that
incrementally increases a student’s knowledge and skills over time.
25
Accordingly, the standards must
include distinct grade-level expectations as follows:
Subject Areas Organization of Grade-Level Expectations
ELA
Science
Mathematics
Social Studies
Grade-by-grade expectations for each individual
K-8 grade level; standards for grades 9-12 may
be organized by grade clusters of more than one
grade level, e.g., courses such as Algebra I or
U.S. History
26
Visual and Performing Arts
Physical Education
Health Education
Foreign Languages
Grade-by-grade expectations for each individual
K-5 grade level; standards for grades 6-12 may
be organized by grade clusters of more than one
grade level, e.g., courses such as Latin I,
Physical Education
27
Florida first established minimum student performance expectations and standards in 1977.
28
In 1996,
the SBE adopted the Sunshine State Standards, predecessors to the NGSSS, based on the goals
established under Blueprint 2000.
29
Adoption and integration of the NGSSS began in 2008 and
included the adoption of Common Core standards for ELA and mathematics in 2010.
30
Amidst concerns
over federal involvement in the selection and implementation of the standards and statewide,
standardized assessments, Governor Rick Scott signed Executive Order No. 13-276 (2013),
establishing the Florida Plan for Education Accountability.
31
As a result of the executive order and
subsequent statewide public input,
32
the SBE amended the ELA and mathematics standards, now
23
Section 1003.41(1) and (2), F.S.
24
See s. 1003.41(3), F.S.; rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C.
25
Section 1003.41(1), F.S.
26
Id.
27
Section 1003.41(2)(e), F.S.
28
See Florida Department of Education, Florida’s Adoption of State Standards Background, at 2 (2013), available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5390/urlt/0081025-floridasadoptionofstatestandards.ppt.
29
See Florida Department of Education, FCAT Handbook, at 9 (2005), available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7478/urlt/background.pdf.
30
See rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C. For a progression of changes to Florida’s academic standards since 1999, see Florida Department of
State, Rule Title: Student Performance Standards,
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?title=FINANCE%20A ND%20ADMINISTRATION&ID=6A-1.09401 (last visited
March 17, 2022) (providing a sequence of links to proposed and adopted amendments to rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C.).
31
Office of the Governor, Executive Order13-276: Florida Plan for Educational Accountability, (September 23, 2013), available at
https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/EO-13-276.pdf. The order directed the commissioner to take certain actions with
respect to four aspects of the education system in Florida: procurement of the next statewide, standardized assessments; student data
security; the school accountability system; and teacher evaluations.
32
Curva & Associates, LLC, Analysis of the Florida Common Core Standards Public Input Period, (Dec. 2013), available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5390/urlt/0081021-floridastandardspublicreview.pdf (summarizing public comments and
recommendations concerning changes to Florida’s ELA and math standards).
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DATE: 3/28/2022
called the “Florida Standards,”
33
and
the commissioner selected new statewide, standardized ELA and
mathematics assessments aligned to the standards.
34
On January 31, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order directing the commissioner to
comprehensively review and collect public input on Florida’s academic standards for kindergarten
through grade 12 students and provide recommended revisions to the Governor by January 1, 2020.
35
The commissioner’s recommendations included replacing the Florida Standards for ELA and
mathematics with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards.
36
On February
12, 2020, the SBE adopted the B.E.S.T. Standards in rule.
37
Implementation of the ELA standards
began with the 2021-2022 school year, and implementation of the mathematics standards will begin
with the 2022-2023 school year.
38
On July 14, 2021, the SBE adopted updated standards and Access
Points
39
for B.E.S.T. ELA and mathematics, as well as standards for social studies and health
education.
40
Florida’s Statewide Student Assessment Program
Federal Requirements
The ESSA provides flexibility in state accountability systems, but maintains the assessment
requirements of NCLB. Under ESSA, states receiving Title I funding are still required to administer the
mathematics and reading or ELA assessments annually to students in grades 3 through 8 and once in
high school.
41
In addition, states are required to measure student proficiency in science at least once in
grades 3 through 5; grades 6 through 9; and grades 10 through 12.
42
However, ESSA amended NCLB
to allow for a state or a consortia of states to use multiple statewide interim assessments
43
that result in
a single summative score,
44
or a state can use a single summative assessment.
45
In addition, ESSA
amended NCLB to allow states to administer computer adaptive assessments for the purposes of
meeting federal requirements.
46
Florida Standards Assessment and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Assessment
33
See rule 6A-1.09401(1)(l) and (m), F.A.C. See also Florida State Board of Education, Minutes for February 18, 2014, State Board
of Education Meeting, available at http://fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5444/urlt/0074998-minutes.pdf.
34
Florida Department of Education Press Office, With Students as Top Priority, Florida Chooses Replacement for FCAT, Press
Release (Mar. 17, 2014), available at http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5390/urlt/0081008-floridachoosesreplacementfcat.pdf.
35
Office of the Governor, Executive Order 19-32: Commitment to Eliminating Common Core, Ensuring High-Quality Academic
Standards and Raising the Bar for Civic Literacy, (January 31, 2019), available at https://www.flgov.com/wp-
content/uploads/orders/2019/EO_19-32.pdf.
36
Florida Department of Education, February 12, 2020 – Meeting Agenda, http://www.fldoe.org/policy/state-board-of-
edu/meetings/2020/2020-02-12 (last visited March 17, 2022). See rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C.
37
Id.
38
Florida Department of Education, Adoption and Implementation Memo to School Districts, (February 13, 2020),
https://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-8838/dps-2020-26.pdf.
39
Beginning in 2006, access points became the means through which students with a significant cognitive disability have accessed the
general education content found in the NGSSS. Access points were developed for all standards with three complexity levels that
represented a continuum of understanding (participatory, supported and independent). Courses containing these standards, also known
as access courses, were developed to support access for all students to the general education standards. Florida Department of
Education, Access Points to Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Florida Standards) – Mathematics 2014, at 2, (Spring 2014),
available at https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5444/urlt/0074988-math.pdf.
40
Florida Department of Education, July 14, 2021 – Meeting Agenda, https://www.fldoe.org/policy/state-board-of-
edu/meetings/2021/2021-07-14/ (last visited March 17, 2022).
41
34 C.F.R. s. 200.5(a)(1)(i).
42
34 C.F.R. s. 200.5(a)(1)(ii).
43
An interim assessment is used to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to a specific set of academic goals.
44
34 C.F.R. s. 200.2(b)(10)(i)-(ii).
45
A summative assessment is generally administered once, typically at the end of the school year to evaluate performance against a set
of content standards.
46
34 C.F.R. s. 200.2(c)(1).
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The primary purpose of the student assessment program is to provide student academic achievement
and learning gains data to students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and school district staff.
47
The Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) and NGSSS assessments measure student achievement of
the standards contained in the Florida Standards and the NGSSS, respectively. The statewide
assessments program also provides feedback and accountability indicators to Florida educators, policy
makers, students, and other citizens.
48
The commissioner is required to design and implement a statewide standardized assessment program
aligned to the core curricular content established in the NGSSS.
49
The statewide standardized
assessment program for students in grades 3 through 10 is as follows:
50
Florida Standards Assessments:
o ELA: grades 3-10.
51
o Mathematics: grades 3–8.
o End-of-Course (EOC) assessments for students who are enrolled in the corresponding
course:
Algebra 1.
52
Geometry.
NGSSS Assessments:
o Grade 5 and grade 8 science.
o EOC assessments for students who are enrolled in the corresponding courses:
Biology I.
United States History.
Civics.
Standardized Test Administration and Testing Schedule
The ELA and mathematics FSA for grades 3 through 6 is currently administered in a paper-based
format.
53
Statewide EOC assessments,
54
the grade 7 and 8 mathematics FSA, and grades 7 through 10
ELA FSA are administered in a computer-based format.
55
The grade 3 ELA FSA and the writing portion of the ELA FSA must be administered no earlier than
April 1 each year.
56
The spring administration of the ELA FSA in grades 4 through 10, mathematics
FSA in grades 3 through 8, and EOC assessments must be administered no earlier than May 1 of each
year.
57
The commissioner is required to establish schedules for the administration of statewide,
47
Section 1008.22(1), F.S.
48
Florida Department of Education, Florida Statewide Assessments: Statewide Assessments Guide 2020-2021, at 1 (2021), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5663/urlt/swapig.pdf.
49
Section 1008.22(3), F.S.
50
Section 1008.22(3)(a) and (b), F.S.
51
Section 1008.22(3)(a), F.S. provides for grade 10 ELA retakes for students who have not achieved the passing score needed for
graduation requirements. Students can earn a concordant score on an ACT or SAT to satisfy the graduation requirement. Section
1008.22(9), F.S.
52
Required for high school graduation under s. 1003.4282(3)(b), F.S. Students can earn a comparative score on an assessment
identified by the commissioner. Section 1008.22(10), F.S.
53
Section 1008.22(3)(a), F.S.
54
Section 1008.22(3)(b)5., F.S.
55
Florida Department of Education, Florida Statewide Assessments: Statewide Assessments Guide 2020-2021, at 35 (2021), available
at https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5663/urlt/swapig.pdf.
56
Section 1008.22(7)(c)1. F.S. The test administration window may not exceed 2 weeks.
57
Section 1008.22(7)(c)2.-3., F.S. The test administration window for paper-based assessments may not exceed 2 weeks. The test
administration for computer-based assessments may not exceed 4 weeks.
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standardized assessments and the reporting of student assessment results.
58
The 2021-2022 school
year FSA and EOC administration schedule is below.
59
The commissioner must also publish on the Department of Education’s (DOE) website a uniform testing
calendar that is provided to school districts,
60
so that school districts can populate the calendar with the
state- and district-required assessments.
61
School districts are required to publish the uniform testing
calendar on their website each school year.
62
A school district may not schedule more than 5 percent of
a student’s total school hours in a school year to administer statewide, standardized assessments and
district-required local assessments.
63
Reporting of Results and Achievement Levels
Results for the FSA and EOC assessments must be made available no later than June 30, except for
the results for the grade 3 ELA FSA, which must be available no later than May 31.
64
The results for the
FSA and EOC assessments must be reported in an easy-to-read and understandable format and
delivered in time to provide useful, actionable information to students, parents, and each student’s
58
Section 1008.22(7)(a), F.S.
59
Florida Department of Education, Florida Statewide Assessment Program 2021-22 Schedule, available at
https://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-8789/dps-2019-197a.pdf.
60
Section 1008.22(7)(b), F.S.
61
Section 1008.22(7)(d), F.S.
62
Id.
63
Section 1008.22(7)(e), F.S.
64
Section 1008.22(7)(a), F.S.
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current teacher of record and teacher of record for the subsequent school year. The school district must
provide the assessment results within 1 week after receiving the results from the DOE.
65
All statewide, standardized EOC assessments and ELA, mathematics, and science assessments must
use scaled scores and achievement levels.
66
Achievement levels range from 1 through 5, with level 1
being the lowest achievement level, level 5 being the highest achievement level, and level 3 indicating
satisfactory performance on an assessment.
67
Passing scores for each statewide, standardized
assessment are designated by the SBE in rule.
68
If the commissioner seeks to modify performance
level scores on a statewide, standardized assessment, the commissioner must provide a copy of the
proposed scores and implementation plan to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President of the Senate at least 90 days before submission to the SBE for review.
69
Student Progress Monitoring in Florida
Progress monitoring tools (PM tool) are types of formative assessments that allow teachers to
continuously evaluate student learning and monitor the effectiveness of their instruction.
70
PM tools
assist in the selection of appropriate interventions, and can help inform supports for student with
disabilities.
71
Voluntary Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Progress Monitoring Tool
Children who enrolled in a private or public Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK), for the 2021-
2022 program year and prior years, are assessed with the Florida VPK assessment.
72
The Florida VPK
assessment is a PM tool, aligned with the Early Learning and Developmental standards: 4 Years old to
Kindergarten, that measures a child’s abilities in print knowledge, phonological awareness,
mathematics, and oral language/vocabulary.
73
The Florida VPK assessment includes a pre- and post-
assessment:
74
The Pre-assessment or Assessment Period 1 is administered within the first thirty calendar days
of the VPK class schedule.
The Post-assessment or Assessment Period 3 is administered within the last thirty calendar
days of the VPK class schedule.
Students who enrolled in kindergarten in a public school for the 2021-2022 school year, and prior
school years, were assessed with the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener within the first 30
school days of the school year.
75
The Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener is a computer adaptive
assessment, which is completed by students in less than 20 minutes and measures student proficiency
in three broad domains:
76
Word knowledge and skills.
Comprehension strategies and constructing meaning.
65
Section 1008.22(7)(h), F.S.
66
Section 1008.22(3)(e)1., F.S.
67
Id.
68
Section 1008.22(3)(e)2., F.S.
69
Section 1008.22(3)(e)3., F.S.
70
The Iris Center, Peabody College Vanderbilt University, How can teachers systematically identify when to adjust instruction for
struggling students?, https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/pmr/cresource/q1/p02/ (last visited March 17, 2022).
71
Wrightslaw, Progress Monitoring, (Oct. 13, 2014), https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/progress.index.htm (last visited March 17,
2022).
72
Rule 6A-1.09433, F.A.C.
73
Office of Early Learning, About Assessments in VPK and Kindergarten Screening, http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/vpk/vpk-
providers/assessments-flkrs (last visited March 17, 2022).
74
Rule 6M-8.620, F.A.C.
75
Section 1002.68(3)(a), F.S.
76
Florida Department of Education, Assessment for reading, language and vocabulary, and numeracy, (2020), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/18494/urlt/StarEarlyLiteracy.pdf.
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Numbers and operations.
There is no federal requirement for states to administer assessments in kindergarten through grade 2.
As of 2019, Florida was one of 12 states that did not offer a statewide kindergarten through grade 2
assessment system or a list of approved kindergarten through grade 2 assessment systems for school
districts.
77
In 2021, the Legislature required implementation of a statewide VPK through grade 8
coordinated screening and progress monitoring system (CSPM) that includes grades kindergarten
through grade 2.
78
Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, private and public VPK providers and public schools in
Florida must participate in the CSPM for students in VPK through grade 8. The CSPM must be
administered three times during the school or program year and must:
79
Measure student progress in VPK
80
through grade 8 in meeting the appropriate expectations in
early literacy and mathematics skills and in ELA and mathematics standards.
Measure student performance in oral language development, phonological and phonemic
awareness, knowledge of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
as applicable by grade level.
Be a valid, reliable, and developmentally appropriate computer-adaptive assessment that
identifies students who have a substantial deficiency in reading, including identifying students
with characteristics of dyslexia.
Provide data that can be used for VPK Program accountability requirements.
Provide VPK Program providers, school districts, schools and teachers with data and resources
that enhance instruction and parental communication.
Provide information to the DOE to aid in the development of educational programs, policies and
supports for VPK providers and school districts.
Beginning with the 2022-2023 program year, each private prekindergarten provider and public school in
the VPK Program must participate in a program assessment of each VPK classroom based on teacher-
child interactions.
81
The DOE must adopt a methodology for calculating each private prekindergarten
provider’s and public school provider’s performance metric, which includes program assessment scores
and learning growth and outcomes based on CSPM results.
82
Optional Progress Monitoring
The DOE allocated $20 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
83
funds for progress monitoring and data-informed supports.
84
From October 1, 2020, through February
19, 2021, the DOE made available to all public schools on a voluntary basis a new PM tool to serve as
a connective support between the foundational skills that students seek to acquire and their progress
through early education years and drive informed teaching practices and curriculum decisions.
85
The
77
Council of Chief State School Officers, K-2 Assessments: An Update on State Adoption and Implementation, at 6 (2019), available
at https://ccsso.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/K-2%20Assessments%20Paper%20FINA L.pdf.
78
Section 15, ch. 2021-9, L.O.F.
79
Section 1008.25(8)(a), F.S.
80
Section 1008.2125(2)(a), F.S., requires that students in VPK and kindergarten be assessed with the coordinated screening and
progress monitoring system within the first 30 days after enrollment, midyear, and within the last 30 days of the program or school
year.
81
Section 1002.68(2), F.S.
82
Section 1002.68(4)(a), F.S.
83
The CARES Act was passed by Congress March 27, 2020. The CARES Act provided funding in four education related categories:
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, Higher Education
Emergency Relief fund, Child Care Development Block Grant.
84
Florida Department of Education, Reopening Florida’s Schools and the CARES Act, at 102, available at
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19861/urlt/FLDOEReopeningCARESAct.pdf.
85
Florida Department of Education, Free Optional Progress Monitoring Tool Available to Public Schools, (Sept. 2, 2020), available
at http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19861/urlt/CambiumProgressMonitoring2020-21.pdf.
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PM tool was computer adaptive, made available for multiple administrations, and was aligned to the
state standards for grades 3 through 10 reading and grades 3 through 8 mathematics.
86
Public schools
participating in the optional PM tool were recommended to provide students between 45 and 60
minutes to complete each assessment.
87
In school year 2020-2021, 59 school districts administered the PM tool.
88
The 59 school districts that
accessed the PM Tool administered 322,030 reading assessments and 226,122 mathematics
assessments. For the 2021-2022 school year, as of Dec. 13, 2021, 54 school districts have accessed
the PM Tool and administered 110,787 Reading assessments and 56,237 mathematics assessments.
89
School District Assessments
The measurement of student performance is the responsibility of school districts, except in those
subjects and grade levels measured under the statewide, standardized assessment program.
90
School
districts are required annually, by October 1, to post the uniform assessment calendars that delineate
which assessments are statewide, standardized assessments and which are district-required
assessments.
91
For the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years, the DOE required that school districts
submit progress monitoring results to the DOE for progress monitoring assessments that were
administered during the school year.
92
For the 2020-2021 school year, only two school districts reported using no PM tool. Other school
districts reported the following:
93
22 school districts reported use of one PM tool.
29 school districts reported use of two PM tools.
18 school districts reported use of three PM tools.
2 school districts reported use of four PM tools.
For school year 2021-22, school districts reported the following to the DOE:
94
15 school districts have no PM data reported through the platform.
38 school districts reported use of one PM tool.
17 school districts reported use of two PM tools.
3 school districts reported use of three PM tools.
School and School District Accountability
School Grades
School grades are used to explain a school’s performance in a familiar, easy-to-understand manner for
parents and the public.
95
School grades are also used to determine whether a school must select or
86
Id.
87
Florida Department of Education, Adaptive Progress Monitoring (APM) Administration Manual, 2021-22, at 3 (2021), available at
https://fsassessments.org/-/media/project/client-portals/florida/pdf/apm/apm-administration-manual-081921-final.pdf.
88
Email, Jessica Fowler, Deputy Legislative Affairs Director, Florida Department of Education, (Jan. 28, 2022), on file with the Early
Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee.
89
Id.
90
Section 1008.22(6), F.S.
91
Section 1008.22(7)(d), F.S.
92
Florida Department of Education Emergency Order 2020-EO-06.
93
Email, Jessica Fowler, Deputy Legislative Affairs Director, Florida Department of Education, (Jan. 28, 2022), on file with the Early
Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee. Some school districts use different progress monitoring tools for different grade
bands, i.e. K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Examples of progress monitoring tools that are used by Florida’s school districts include: I-Ready,
STAR assessments, MAP assessments, Cambium Progress Monitoring tool, and Achieve 3000.
94
Id. An analysis of the 2021-2022 district assessment calendars that were submitted to the Department of Education showed that 61
school districts intended to use a progress monitoring tool for the 2021-2022 school year.
95
Section 1008.34(1), F.S.
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implement a turnaround option
96
or whether a school is eligible for school recognition funds as
appropriated by the Legislature.
97
The annual reports must identify schools as having one of the following grades:
98
“A,” for schools making excellent progress – 62% or higher of total points
“B,” for schools making above average progress – 54% to 61% of total points
“C,” for schools making satisfactory progress – 41% to 53% of total points
“D,” for schools making less than satisfactory progress – 32% to 40% of total points
“F,” for schools failing to make adequate progress – 31% or less of total points
The SBE must periodically review the school grading scale to determine if the scale should be adjusted
upward to meet raised expectations and encourage increased student performance. The SBE must
notify the public of any adjustments and explain the reasons for the adjustment and the impact it will
have on school grades.
99
Elementary, middle, and high schools each share a basic model for determining school grades, based
on the percentage of total points earned by a school for each component in the model. Middle and high
school models include additional components beyond the basic model.
100
Combination school models
include the additional components for the grades served (e.g., a school serving grades K through 12
would include the additional components for the middle and high school models).
School Grades Models
Basic/Elementary (700 Points)
Middle School (Basic +200
Points)
High School (Basic+300 Points)
English
Language Arts
Mathematics Science Civics
EOC
Assessment
Acceleration
Success
U.S. History
EOC
Assessment
Graduation
Rate
Acceleration
Success
Achievement
(0% to 100%)
Achievement
(0% to 100%)
Achievement
(0% to 100%)
Achievement
(0% to 100%)
Percentage of
students who
pass high school
EOC
assessments &
industry
certifications
(0% to 100%)
Achievement
(0% to 100%)
Overall, 4-
year
graduation
rate
(0% to 100%)
Percent of
students eligible
to earn: college
credit through
AP, IB, AICE,
dual enrollment,
or earned an
industry
certification
101
(0% to 100%)
Learning Gains
(0% to 100%)
Learning Gains
(0% to 100%)
Learning Gains
of Low 25%
(0% to 100%)
Learning Gains
of Low 25%
(0% to 100%)
96
See s. 1008.33(4), F.S.
97
See s. 1008.36, F.S.
98
Section 1008.34(2), F.S.; rule 6A-1.09981(4)(d), F.A.C.
99
Section 1008.34(3)(c)1., F.S.
100
See s. 1008.34(3)(b), F.S.; rule 6A-1.09981(4)(a)-(c), F.A.C.
101
See s. 1008.34(3)(b)2.b., F.S. (2020). In 2020, the Legislature revised the acceleration success component to include the percentage
of students who complete at least 300 clock hours of qualifying coursework through career dual enrollment. The 2021 graduating class
will be the first graduating class that can participate in career dual enrollment to be counted toward their school’s grade. The first time
career dual enrollment will be included in the school grades calculation will be the summer of 2022. In the 2022-2023 school year, the
school grades calculation will also include the percentage of students who earn a qualifying score on the Armed Services Vocational
Aptitude Battery and two credits in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps from the same U.S. Armed Forces Branch.
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A school’s grade must include only those components for which at least 10 students have complete
data. If a school does not meet the 10-student threshold for a component, it will receive a school grade
based only on the remaining components.
102
In addition, a high school’s graduation rate must include
students who transfer to a private school with which the school district has a contractual relationship.
103
Student achievement is determined by the percentage of full-year enrolled students who scored at level
3 or above on statewide, standardized assessments and EOC assessments in ELA, mathematics,
Civics, U.S. History, science, Biology I, Algebra I, and Geometry.
104
English language learners are
included in achievement calculations after enrollment in a school in the U.S. for more than 2 years and
gains calculations after 1 year.
105
The learning gains component measures the growth demonstrated by a student from one year to the
next in one of four ways:
106
Increasing at least one achievement level on the statewide, standardized assessment in the
same subject area.
For students who score below level 3, improving by at least one “subcategory” within level 1 or
level 2, based on the student’s scale score, on the next year’s assessment for that subject area.
For students who score a level 3 or a level 4, improving the scale score on the next year’s
assessment for that subject area.
For students who score a level 5, scoring a level 5 on the next year’s assessment for that
subject area.
An additional learning gains component is included for current-year, full-year-enrolled students whose
prior-year assessment scores are in the school’s lowest performing 25 percent on the statewide,
standardized ELA and math assessments.
107
School Improvement Ratings
An alternative school or exceptional student education (ESE) center may opt for a school improvement
rating instead of a school grade.
108
The school improvement rating is calculated using student learning
gains on statewide, standardized ELA and mathematics assessments for all eligible students who are
enrolled in the school and who have assessment scores, concordant scores, or comparable scores for
the preceding school year.
109
Schools that improve their ratings by at least one level or maintain a
“commendable” rating are eligible for school recognition awards.
110
The school improvement rating
identifies an alternative school as having one of the following ratings:
111
Commendable: a significant percentage of the students attending the school are making
learning gains.
Maintaining: a sufficient percentage of the students attending the school are making learning
gains.
Unsatisfactory: an insufficient percentage of the students attending the school are making
learning gains.
102
See s. 1008.34(3)(a), F.S.
103
Section 1008.22(3)(d)3., F.S.
104
See s. 1008.34(3)(b)1., F.S.
105
See s. 1008.34(3)(b)1., F.S. (flush left provisions at the end of the subparagraph).
106
See rule 6A-1.09981(2)(b), F.A.C.
107
Section 1008.34(3)(b)1.g.-h., F.S.; rule 6A-1.09981(4)(a)5.-8., F.A.C.
108
School improvement ratings, which do not include an academic achievement component but instead focus on learning gains, are
offered to alternative schools because the students at these schools are often enrolled in more than one school within the school year.
All alternative students' learning gains scores are included in either the alternative school or home school accountability report.
Section 1008.341(1), F.S.
109
Section 1008.341(3), F.S.
110
Section 1008.341(2), F.S. (flush left provisions at the end of the subsection).
111
Section 1008.341(2)(a)-(c), F.S. Concordant and comparative scores may be used to demonstrate learning gains for students in
grades 9 through 12 who scored a Level 1 or 2 in the prior year in the same subject area. See rule 6A-1.099822(2)(c), F.A.C.
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An alternative school that does not meet the requirements for issuance of a school improvement rating
and has not received a rating for the past two consecutive years must receive a rating for the current
year based on all student learning gains for all grades levels at the school for those 3 years.
112
If an
alternative school does not have at least 10 students with complete data for a school improvement
rating component, that component may not be used in calculating the school’s improvement rating. To
make certain that the school still receives a rating, the rating must be calculated based on the
percentage of points earned from the ELA and mathematics learning gains components for those 3
years.
113
School District Grades
Each school district must annually receive a district grade (A through F) as part of a district report
card.
114
The grade is calculated based on the same components used to grade the district’s schools
using data from each eligible student in the district, including students enrolled in charter schools.
115
In
addition to the district’s grade, the district report card must also include:
116
measures of the district’s progress in closing the achievement gap between higher- and lower-
performing subgroups;
measures of the district’s progress in demonstrating learning gains of its highest-performing
students;
measures of the district’s success in improving student attendance;
the district’s grade-level promotion of students scoring achievement levels 1 and 2 on statewide,
standardized ELA and mathematics assessments; and
measures of the district’s performance in preparing students for the transition from elementary
to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to postsecondary institutions and
careers.
Effect of the Bill
The bill extends the CSPM system to include ELA for grades 9 and 10. The bill also reduces the
assessment footprint by replacing the ELA FSA for students in grades 3 through 10 and the
mathematics FSA for students in grades 3 through 8 with the end-of-year administration of the CSPM
system.
The bill requires that the CSPM system:
be included in the uniform assessment calendar;
be included in the limitation on assessment taking up no more than 5 percent of school hours;
and
provide results to teachers within 1 week of each progress monitoring assessment, and to
parents within 2 weeks.
The bill establishes the following schedule for CSPM system assessments:
For students in VPK through grade 2, three assessments must occur as follows:
o The first assessment occurs within 30 days of enrollment or the start of the program year;
o The second assessment occurs midyear; and
o The third assessment occurs within the last 30 days program year or school year.
112
Section 1008.341(2), F.S.
113
Id. A school must assess 80 percent of students to receive a rating. A school that assesses less than 90 percent of its students is not
eligible to receive a rating of “Commendable.” See id.
114
Section 1008.34(4)-(5), F.S.
115
See rule 6A-1.09981(5), F.A.C. The calculation includes students who transfer between schools in the district or who are enrolled
in a school that does not receive a grade. Section 1008.34(5), F.S. However, students who are enrolled in a school of hope pursuant to
s. 1002.333, F.S., are not included in a district’s grade. See s. 1002.333(6)(a), F.S.
116
Section 1008.34(4)-(5), F.S.
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For students in grades 3 through 10 ELA and grades 3 through 8 mathematics, three
assessments must occur at the beginning, middle, and end of the year as set forth in state
board rule.
The bill requires school districts to work with the Florida Virtual School, approved virtual instruction
providers, and virtual charter schools to provide students access to testing facilities so they are able to
participate in the PM system.
The bill requires the commissioner, by January 31, 2025, to report on and make recommendations
related to the CSPM system in the following areas, based on a third-party review:
Validity of using CSPM assessments 1, 2, or both in place of using the comprehensive end-of-
year progress monitoring assessment for accountability purposes.
Options to reduce assessment footprint and maintain valid and reliable data including use of
computer-adaptive assessments.
Improving remote administration of assessments.
Accelerating student progression.
Incorporation of state-adopted ELA instructional materials into the PM system.
Impact of the CSPM on student learning growth data.
The bill improves communication with parents regarding their student’s performance by requiring that
district assessment data be provided within 1 week of test administration; requiring that statewide
assessment data be provided to parents in an individual student report; and moving the deadline for the
publication of statewide, standardized ELA and mathematics assessment results (i.e., the end-of-year
administration of the CSPM) from June 30 to May 31, starting with the 2023-2024 school year. The bill
requires that individual student reports be provided electronically and contain resources for parents to
better understand the progress monitoring assessment and which support informed parent involvement.
The bill provides for the transition to the new CSPM system based assessment and accountability
processes in the following manner:
School grades for the 2022-2023 school year will be assigned so that the same percentage of
schools achieve each grade as they did in the 2021-2022 school grades results. Once learning
gains data becomes available following the 2023-2024 school year, the DOE must review the
school grading scale to determine if it needs to be adjusted.
Schools and providers must be held harmless, based on 2022-2023 school grades, for
accountability purposes. While a school or provider cannot be forced to enter a turnaround plan
based on its 2022-2023 school grade, a school may exit a turnaround plan based on its grade.
For promotion to grade 4 and high school graduation, satisfaction of assessment requirements
must be based on a comparison of the student’s end-of-year 2022-2023 CSPM system results
to 2021-2022 expectations on the FSA. A school district may promote a student to grade 4
based on a good cause exemption or if it has other reliable evidence of the student’s
performance.
The bill authorizes the Department of Education, as needed, to amend assessment contracts to comply
with the requirements of the bill.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
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DATE: 3/28/2022
None.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, there is a total of $134,702,019 appropriated in the DOE’s Assessment and
Evaluation appropriation category in the General Appropriations Act (GAA); this funds, in part, the
DOE’s costs associated with the implementation of statewide, standardized assessments. A total of
$8.0 million was appropriated in Specific Appropriation 135 of the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 GAA to
develop the VPK through grade 8 CSPM system established by HB 7011 (2021). As a result of this bill,
the DOE’s Assessment and Evaluation appropriation category is reduced by $15.5 million to reflect the
replacement of the current statewide, standardized ELA and mathematics assessments with the end-of-
year administration of the CSPM system.