FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
SALLY BRADSHAW
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
CONTACT PERSONS:
Name:
Christy Hovanetz
Phone:
(850) 245-0411
Suncom:
205-0411
Email:
christy.hovanetz@fldoe.org
DPS:
04-078
MEMORANDUM
To:
District School Superintendents
From:
John Winn, Chief of Staff
Jim Warford, K-12 Chancellor
Date:
February 9, 2004
Subject:
Changes in School Grading Rule for 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06
The State Board of Education amended Rule 6A-1.09422, FAC, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
Requirements, and Rule 6A-1.09981, FAC, Implementation of Florida’s System of School Improvement and
Accountability, on November 18, 2003. The changes to these rules will maintain high standards in Florida and raise
the bar for student and school performance.
Rule 6A-1.09422, FAC, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Requirements
The current high standards of the FCAT achievement level (step 1) cut scores will be maintained for 2003-2004.
The Commissioner will annually review student performance levels and recommend to the State Board of Education
whether to maintain the existing passing scores and achievement levels (step 1) or to increase one or both of the
measures.
Rule 6A-1.09981, FAC, Implementation of Florida’s System of School Improvement and Accountability
This is the third year that the same criteria have been used to evaluate schools under the A+ school grading system.
There are no changes to the criteria and points that will be used in 2003-04.
The following process improvements are effective for the 2003-04 school year:
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 1514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org
District School Superintendents
February 9, 2004
Page 2
•
All new schools will be graded in their first year
as long as the school has at least 30 eligible students
with valid FCAT scores in both Reading and Mathematics for both the current and previous years.
•
More schools will receive a school letter grade.
The Commissioner will be issuing guidelines regarding
which school types will receive school performance grades. The district’s accountability contact is
responsible for working with their MIS director to verify that each school is appropriately classified before
school grades are issued.
•
Schools that do not have student writing scores to calculate into the school letter grade will use the
district average writing scores reported for all students.
The district average for FCAT Writing will be
substituted when a school does not contain an assessed grade level (grades 4, 8, or 10) or when fewer than
30 students are tested.
•
The lowest 25 % of the students or the lowest performing 30 students
, at or below proficiency (level 3
or below) in the school, whichever is greater, will be used.
•
When the percent of students tested is less than required, authority is given to the Commissioner to
assign a lower letter grade than represented in the points earned.
The following changes are effective for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school year:
•
FCAT writing scores will increase to 3.5 for proficiency.
•
All students will be included in the three school grade components based on learning gains
. The
performance of standard curriculum students, students with disabilities, and limited English proficient
students, will be calculated into the learning gains components for school grading purposes for reading,
mathematics and the lowest performing students. There will be no change in the students included in the
other three components, the percent meeting high standards.
The following changes are effective for the 2006-07 school year:
•
FCAT writing scores will increase to 4.0 for proficiency.
•
Science will be added to the school grading calculation.
Science will be the seventh category for
calculating school grades. The category will be for achieving high standards in science in grades 5, 8, and
10. Science will not be used for calculating learning gains. Changes to the grading scale will be needed to
add Science. These changes will be proposed for public consideration in 2005-06.
cc:
Assistant Superintendents for Instruction
District
Accountability Contacts
District Assessment Coordinators
District Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Coordinators
Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Program Directors
School Improvement Contacts