CS/HB 1079 2025
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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 students enrolled in dropout 2
retrieval programs; amending s. 1002.45, F.S.; 3
revising assessment and accountability requirements 4
for a virtual instruction program provider; providing 5
that a virtual instruction program provider operating 6
exclusively as a dropout retrieval program is exempt 7
from specified requirements; amending s. 1003.53, 8
F.S.; providing that dropout retrieval programs serve 9
specified students; providing that specified 10
accountability requirements apply to dropout retrieval 11
programs; providing an effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section 16
1002.45, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 17
1002.45 Virtual instruction programs. — 18
(7) ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. — 19
(a) Each approved virtual instruction program provider 20
contracted pursuant to this section must: 21
1. Participate in the statew ide assessment program under 22
s. 1008.22 and in the state's education performance 23
accountability system under s. 1008.31. 24
2. Receive a school grade under s. 1008.34 or a school 25
CS/HB 1079 2025
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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
improvement rating under s. 1008.341, as applicable , for each 26
district with which it contracts, based on the assessment scores 27
of all students served within the school district . The school 28
improvement rating received by each approved virtual instruction 29
program provider shall be based upon the aggregated assessment 30
scores of all students served by the provider statewide. Each 31
approved virtual instruction program provider shall receive a 32
district grade pursuant to s. 1008.34 based upon the aggregated 33
assessment scores of all students served by the provider 34
statewide and a separate sch ool grade or school improvement 35
rating for each school district with which it contracts based 36
upon the assessment scores of all students served within the 37
school district. A virtual instruction program provider 38
operating exclusively as a dropout retrieval program described 39
in s. 1003.53(7) is exempt from the district grade requirement 40
of this paragraph. The department shall publish the school grade 41
or school improvement rating received by each approved virtual 42
instruction program provider on its Internet we bsite. The 43
department shall develop an evaluation method for providers of 44
part-time programs which includes the percentage of students 45
making learning gains, the percentage of students successfully 46
passing any required end -of-course assessment, the percent age of 47
students taking Advanced Placement examinations, and the 48
percentage of students scoring 3 or higher on an Advanced 49
Placement examination. 50
CS/HB 1079 2025
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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
Section 2. Subsection (7) of section 1003.53, Florida 51
Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (8), and a new subsection 52
(7) is added to that section, to read: 53
1003.53 Dropout prevention and academic intervention. — 54
(7) Dropout retrieval programs serve students who have 55
officially withdrawn from high school before graduation and who 56
are not engaged in the educa tion system at the time of 57
enrollment in the program. Each dropout retrieval program shall 58
choose to receive a school grade under s. 1008.34 or a school 59
improvement rating under s. 1008.341. 60
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 61