TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
11982
Good Cause Exemptions—Use of Student Portfolios
Florida
Department
of Education
Paper Number: FY 2003-9
April 2003
Bureau of Instructional Support
and Community Services
Refer Questions To:
Mary Jo Butler (maryjo.butler@fldoe.org)
(850) 488-6726 or SC 278-6726
Michael Tremor (michael.tremor@fldoe.org)
(850) 487-8804 or SC 277-8804
Ruth Gumm-Shearon
(ruth.gumm-shearon@fldoe.org)
(850) 487-3506
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPERS are
produced periodically by the Bureau of
Instructional Suppor
t and Community
Services to present discussion of current
topics. The TA Papers may be used for
inservice sessions, technical assistance
visits, parent organization meetings, or
interdisciplinary discussion groups. Topics
are identified by state steering committees,
district personnel, and individuals, or from
program compliance monitoring.
Background
It is the goal of the Florida Legislature that every student read at or above grade level. The statewide
public school student progression law eliminating social promotion includes new requirements regarding
promotion from third grade that focus on each student’s reading proficiency.
progression law, students who scored at Level 1 on the third grade reading Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT) may be promoted to fourth grade if the student meets one of six good cause
exemptions. One of the exemptions requires that the student demonstrate through a student portfolio
that they are reading on grade level as evidenced by mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in
reading equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the FCAT.
At the January 21st meeting in Miami, the State Board of Education adopted guidelines for the student
portfolio.
each portfolio is of high quality and represents consistency across the school district.
Questions and Answers
General
1.
What are the requirements for a student portfolio that is used for a good cause exemption for
promotion from the third grade?
On January 21, 2003,
portfolio (see attachment). The purpose of the portfolio is to document the student’s mastery of the
grade 3 reading Sunshine State Standards. The Board’s policy requires the collection of at least five
examples of student work graded at a level “C” or above for each of the eight reading benchmarks.
2.
What students are good candidates for the use of a student portfolio?
Data from the 2002 Grade 3 Reading Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) indicate that
approximately 14 percent of students who scored Level 1 had scores in the range of 251-258 (a
score of 259 = Level 2).
the portfolio.
Under this new student
School districts are providing assistance and guidance to teachers and principals to ensure
the State Board of Education approved the criteria for the use of a student
It is assumed that these students may be good candidates for the use of
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The data also indicate that approximately 57 percent of the students who scored Level 1 had scores
in the range of 201 – 250. Some of these students may also be good candidates for the use of the
portfolio. (It is assumed that the performance of 2003 third graders would be similar to the 2002
data presented above.)
3.
For students scoring Level 1 on the FCAT, are districts required to give the alternate
assessment (SAT-9) and complete a student portfolio?
No. For most students, one or the other is appropriate. However, a review of the student’s
performance on the Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) portion of the FCAT may be helpful in determining
which good cause exemption is more appropriate. The use of the alternate assessment may be
most beneficial after intensive remediation during the summer and prior to the beginning of the
2003-2004 school year.
Selection of Student Work
4.
Should school districts identify examples of appropriate student work from their district-
adopted third grade reading series, such as chapter or end of unit tests?
Yes, such an activity would help schools and ensure increased consistency across the district’s
schools. Additionally, most reading series include a crosswalk of the benchmarks assessed on the
chapter or unit tests.
5.
Can one example of student work be used to demonstrate mastery of more than one of the
grade 3 reading benchmarks?
Yes. However, the purpose of multiple examples for each benchmark is to ensure that the student
has demonstrated mastery of the skill.
6.
Can student work completed before the FCAT test date be used in a student portfolio?
Yes.
7.
Can student work that is completed after the FCAT test date and/or during summer
remediation be used in a student portfolio?
Yes.
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ATTACHMENT
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
January 21, 2003
SUBJECT:
Third Grade Reading/Promotion – Use of a Student Portfolio to Demonstrate Mastery of the
Grade 3 Reading Sunshine State Standards for Promotion to Grade 4
PROPOSED BOARD ACTION
Approval of criteria for use of a student portfolio to demonstrate mastery of the grade 3 Reading
Sunshine State Standards for promotion to grade 4.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Under the statewide public school student progression law eliminating social promotion, students who
score a Level 1 on the grade 3 reading Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) may be
promoted to grade 4 if the student demonstrates, through a student portfolio, that they are reading on
grade level as evidenced by demonstration of mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in reading equal
to at least a Level 2 performance on the FCAT.
To be accepted as meeting the portfolio option for demonstrating mastery of the required reading skills,
this student portfolio must:
•
be selected by the student’s teacher.
•
be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include student work that has been
independently produced in the classroom.
•
include evidence that the benchmarks assessed by the grade 3 reading FCAT have been met.
This includes multiple choice items and passages that are approximately 60% literary text and
40% information text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 350 words. Such
evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted core reading
curriculum that are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards or teacher-prepared assessments
that are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards.
•
be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standard
Benchmarks for Language Arts that are assessed by the grade 3 reading FCAT (see appendix).
For each benchmark, there must be at least five examples of mastery as demonstrated by a
grade of “C” or above.
•
be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading
skills.
The Department of Education shall, upon analysis of school assessment and promotion information,
identify and audit a sample of schools to determine their level of compliance with Section 1008.25(6)(b)4,
Florida Statutes.
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Effects of the Policy
The above policy provides the appropriate criteria for a student portfolio for use as evidence of the
student’s mastery of the grade 3 reading Sunshine State Standards for promotion to grade 4 that is
consistent with the legislative intent of ending social promotion.
Supporting Documentation Included:
Appendix: Grade 3 Reading Sunshine State Standards to Be
Demonstrated As Mastered
Facilitators/Presenters:
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Appendix
Florida Department of Education
Grade 3 Reading Sunshine State Standards
Assessed by FCAT
SUNSHINE STATE STANDARD BENCHMARKS – GRADE 3 READING
LA.A.1.2.3
Uses simple strategies to determine meaning and increase
vocabulary for reading, including the use of prefixes, suf
fixes, root words, multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms,
and word relationships.
LA.A.2.2.1
Reads text and determines the main idea or essential
message, identifies relevant supporting details and facts,
and arranges events in chronological order.
LA.A.2.2.2
Identifies the author’s purpose in a simple text. (Includes
LA.A.2.2.3
Recognizes when a text is primarily intended to
persuade.)
LA.A.2.2.7
Recognizes the use of comparison and contrast in a text.
LA.A.2.2.8
Selects and uses a variety of appropriate reference mater
ials, including multiple representations of information such as
maps, charts, and photos, to gather information for research
projects. (Includes LA.A.2.2.5 Reads and organizes inform
ation for a variety of purposes, including making a report,
conducting interviews, taking a test, and performing an
authentic task.)
LA.E.1.2.2
Understands the development of plot and how conflicts are
resolved in a story.
LA.E.1.2.3
Knows the similarities and differences among the characters,
settings, and events presented in various texts.
LA.E.2.2.1
Recognizes cause-and-effect relationships in literary texts.
[Applies to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.]
LA.A.1.2.3
Subject:
LA = Lang Arts
Strand:
A = Reading
E = Literature
Standard Number
Benchmark Number
Level:
2 = Grades 3-5
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Source: FCAT Test Item and Performance Task Specifications
(www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/fcatis01.htm)
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