HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 1 of 7
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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to statewide, standardized 2
assessments; amending ss. 1008.22 and 1008.25, F.S.; 3
requiring the Department of Education to develop 4
versions of statewide, standardized assessments and 5
specified portions of the statewide, standardized 6
coordinated screening and progress monitoring system 7
in certain languages by a specified date; requiring 8
the department to establish criteria for the use of 9
such assessments and portions of the system; 10
authorizing parents to prohibit the use of such 11
assessments and portions of the systems in certain 12
languages; requiring the department to develop a 13
timetable and action plan for the development and 14
implementation of such assessments and written 15
portions of the system; providing an effective date. 16
17
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18
19
Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 20
1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 21
1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools. — 22
(3) STATEWIDE, STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. —The 23
Commissioner of Education shall design and implement a 24
statewide, standardized assessment program aligned to the core 25
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 2 of 7
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
curricular content established in t he state academic standards. 26
The commissioner also must develop or select and implement a 27
common battery of assessment tools that will be used in all 28
juvenile justice education programs in the state. These tools 29
must accurately measure the core curricular content established 30
in the state academic standards. Participation in the assessment 31
program is mandatory for all school districts and all students 32
attending public schools, including adult students seeking a 33
standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282 and students in 34
Department of Juvenile Justice education programs, except as 35
otherwise provided by law. If a student does not participate in 36
the assessment program, the school district must notify the 37
student's parent and provide the parent with informati on 38
regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. The 39
statewide, standardized assessment program shall be designed and 40
implemented as follows: 41
(d) Students with disabilities; Florida Alternate 42
Assessment; English language learners .— 43
1. Each district school board must provide instruction to 44
prepare students with disabilities in the core content knowledge 45
and skills necessary for successful grade -to-grade progression 46
and high school graduation. 47
2. A student with a disability, as defined in s. 1007 .02, 48
for whom the individual education plan (IEP) team determines 49
that the statewide, standardized assessments under this section 50
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 3 of 7
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
cannot accurately measure the student's abilities, taking into 51
consideration all allowable accommodations, shall have 52
assessment results waived for the purpose of receiving a course 53
grade and a standard high school diploma. Such waiver shall be 54
designated on the student's transcript. The statement of waiver 55
shall be limited to a statement that performance on an 56
assessment was waived for the purpose of receiving a course 57
grade or a standard high school diploma, as applicable. 58
3. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, based 59
upon recommendations of the commissioner, for the provision of 60
assessment accommodations for studen ts with disabilities and for 61
students who have limited English proficiency. 62
a. Accommodations that negate the validity of a statewide, 63
standardized assessment are not allowed during the 64
administration of the assessment. However, instructional 65
accommodations are allowed in the classroom if identified in a 66
student's IEP. Students using instructional accommodations in 67
the classroom that are not allowed on a statewide, standardized 68
assessment may have assessment results waived if the IEP team 69
determines that the assessment cannot accurately measure the 70
student's abilities. 71
b. If a student is provided with instructional 72
accommodations in the classroom that are not allowed as 73
accommodations for statewide, standardized assessments, the 74
district must inform the parent in writing and provide the 75
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 4 of 7
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
parent with information regarding the impact on the student's 76
ability to meet expected performance levels. A parent must 77
provide signed consent for a student to receive classroom 78
instructional accommodations that would not be available or 79
permitted on a statewide, standardized assessment and 80
acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the 81
implications of such instructional accommodations. 82
c. If a student's IEP states that online administration of 83
a statewide, standardized assessment will significantly impair 84
the student's ability to perform, the assessment shall be 85
administered in hard copy. 86
d.(I) By the 2027-2028 school year, the Department of 87
Education shall develop a version of each statewide, 88
standardized assessment in the three most prevalent languages 89
represented in the English language learner population within 90
the state. The department must establish criteria for when the 91
use of such assessments in a language other than English is 92
appropriate. A parent of a student who is an English language 93
learner may prohibit his or her student from being administered 94
an assessment in a language other than English. 95
(II) The department shall develop a timetable and action 96
plan to develop and implement the assessments in t he additional 97
languages as required under sub -sub-subparagraph (I) in addition 98
to such assessments in additional languages, as feasible. 99
4. For students with significant cognitive disabilities, 100
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 5 of 7
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
the Department of Education shall provide for implementation of 101
the Florida Alternate Assessment to accurately measure the core 102
curricular content established in the state academic standards. 103
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section 104
1008.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 105
1008.25 Public school student progression; student 106
support; coordinated screening and progress monitoring; 107
reporting requirements. — 108
(9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM. — 109
(a) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the 110
Office of Early Learning, shall procure and require the use of a 111
statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress 112
monitoring system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 113
Program and public schools. The system must: 114
1. Measure student progress in meeting the appropriate 115
expectations in early literacy and mathematics skills and in 116
English Language Arts and mathematics standards as required by 117
ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and 1003.41 and identify the educational 118
strengths and needs of students. 119
2. For students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 120
Program through grade 3, measure student performance in oral 121
language development, phonological and phonemic awareness, 122
knowledge of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, 123
and comprehension, as applic able by grade level, and, at a 124
minimum, provide interval level and norm -referenced data that 125
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 6 of 7
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
measures equivalent levels of growth. 126
3. Be a valid, reliable, and developmentally appropriate 127
computer-based direct instrument that provides screening and 128
diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress; 129
identifies students who have a substantial deficiency in reading 130
or mathematics, including identifying students with 131
characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning 132
disorders; and informs ins truction. Any student identified by 133
the system as having characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia 134
shall undergo further screening. Beginning with the 2023 -2024 135
school year, the coordinated screening and progress monitoring 136
system must be computer -adaptive. 137
4. Provide data for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 138
Program accountability as required under s. 1002.68. 139
5. Provide Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program 140
providers, school districts, schools, teachers, and parents with 141
data and resources t hat enhance differentiated instruction and 142
parent communication. 143
6. Provide baseline data to the department of each 144
student's readiness for kindergarten. The determination of 145
kindergarten readiness must be based on the results of each 146
student's initial progress monitoring assessment in 147
kindergarten. The methodology for determining a student's 148
readiness for kindergarten must be developed by the department 149
and aligned to the methodology adopted pursuant to s. 150
HB 159 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb159-00
Page 7 of 7
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
1002.68(4). 151
7. Assess how well educational goa ls and curricular 152
standards are met at the provider, school, district, and state 153
levels and provide information to the department to aid in the 154
development of educational programs, policies, and supports for 155
providers, districts, and schools. 156
8.a. For any written portions of the system and by the 157
2027-2028 school year, be available in the three most prevalent 158
languages represented in the English language learner population 159
within the state. The department must establish criteria for 160
when the use of such p ortions of the system in a language other 161
than English is appropriate. A parent of a student who is an 162
English language learner may prohibit his or her student from 163
being administered such portions of the system in a language 164
other than English. 165
b. The department shall develop a timetable and action 166
plan to develop and implement the written portions of the system 167
in such languages as required by sub -subparagraph a. in addition 168
to additional languages, as feasible. 169
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 170