SB 226 — Mastery-based Education

Florida Senate - 2019 CS for SB 226 By Senatorthe BrandesCommittee 24-00392-19on 2019226__Education; A bill to be entitled An act relating to mastery-based education;

and Senator Brandes 581-02949-19 2019226c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to mastery-based education;

authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to award credit based on student mastery of certain content and skills;

authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades for certain students;

requiring participating district school boards and developmental research schools to use the current 4-point scale in determining student grade point averages;

authorizing public school districts and developmental research schools to submit applications for the program;

authorizing participating school districts and developmental research schools to amend their applications to include alternatives for the award of credits and interpretation of letter grades;

requiring the statewide articulation agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for certain students withwho mastery-based,have nontraditionalearned diplomashigh school credit through mastery-based education and transcripts;graduate with a standard high school diploma;

2430 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

2632 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

However, district school boards and developmental research schools participating in the Mastery-BasedMastery Based Education Pilot Program under s.

1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.— (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12 courses for students in public schools areis shall be as follows:

(a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding progress.” (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above average progress.” (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average progress.” (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest acceptable progress.” (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent, has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as “failure.” (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.” (2) District(2) A district school boardsboard and a developmental research school participating in the MasteryMastery-Based Based Education Pilot Program under s.

1003.4996 may use an alternative interpretation of letter grades to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12.12;

78however, For the purposesschool ofboard classand ranking,developmental districtresearch school boardsmust maycontinue exerciseto ause weightedthe grading4-point systemscale pursuantestablished toin s.subsection (1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.

88 For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s.

1003.4996 Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program.—Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, Thethe Mastery Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within the Department of Education to be administered for a period of 5 years.

(1) PARTICIPATION.—The(1) PARTICIPATION.—Developmental P.K.research schools established under s.

Yonge1002.32, Developmentalincluding Research School and public school districts, including, but not limited to, the Lake,P.K. Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County School Districts, may submit an application in a format prescribed by the department to participate in the pilot program.

Yonge Developmental Research School, and public school districts, including, but not limited to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County School Districts, may submit an application in a format prescribed by the department to participate in the pilot program.

(4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.— (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating school districts and developmental research schools may amend their applications to include alternatives for awarding credit, as authorized under s.

2. AlternativesA toparticipating the interpretation of middle school district and highdevelopmental research school lettermust gradesamend mayits substitutestudent theprogression applicableplan languagerequired fromby thes. school district’s rigorous scoring rubric.

(b) An1008.25 applicationto thatconform is amended pursuant to thisthe subsectionalternative mustawarding beof approvedcredits bypursuant theto districtthis schoolsection. board.

2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language from the school district’s rigorous scoring rubric;

however, participating school districts and developmental research schools must continue to use the 4-point scale established in s.

1003.437(1) for calculating a student’s grade point average.

(b) An application that is amended pursuant to this subsection must be approved by the district school board or developmental research school governing authority, as applicable.

Section 4. Subsection (7)(1) isof added to section 1007.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.— (7) The(1) The articulationState agreementBoard mustof ensureEducation fair and equitablethe accessBoard forof highGovernors schoolshall graduatesenter withinto mastery-based,a nontraditionalstatewide diplomasarticulation andagreement transcripts.which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule.

The agreement must preserve Florida’s “2+2” system of articulation, facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit across and among Florida’s educational entities, and reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing:

(a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary education, including fair and equitable access for students who have earned high school credit through a mastery-based education program pursuant to s.

1003.4996 and graduate with a standard high school diploma;

(b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from Florida College System institutions and state universities;

(c) Admission of applied technology diploma program graduates from Florida College System institutions or career centers;

(d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate in applied science degree graduates from Florida College System institutions;

(e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including nationally standardized examinations through which students may earn credit;

(f) General education requirements and statewide course numbers as provided for in ss.

1007.24 and 1007.25;

and (g) Articulation among programs in nursing.