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
     
      
     

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