Summary of Education Code Changes Approved Within House Bill 7087 (A++)
A++ Reading Initiatives:
JUST READ, FLORIDA! OFFICE
Creates the Just Read, Florida! (JRF) Office in statute within DOE and provides that the office is fully
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accountable to the Commissioner.
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Responsibilities of the Office include:
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Training reading coaches.
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Training of K-12 teachers and principals on effective content-area-specific reading strategies.
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Providing information and strategies to parents in reading in the content area.
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Providing technical assistance to districts in developing and implementing district plans using
the reading allocation in the FEFP as well as annually reviewing and approving each plan.
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Periodically reviewing the Sunshine State Standards for reading at all grade levels.
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Periodically reviewing teacher certification examinations for alignment with scientifically based
reading research.
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Working with teacher preparation programs to ensure alignment with research-based reading
instructional strategies, including content area reading.
FLORIDA CENTER FOR READING RESEARCH in STATUTE
Codifies into statute the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) at Florida State University.
The FCRR must establish two outreach centers; one at a central Florida community college and one
at a south Florida state university. The FCRR’s responsibilities include:
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Providing technical assistance and support to all schools regarding research-based reading.
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Conducting applied research to inform Florida policy and practice.
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Conducting basic research on reading, reading growth, reading assessment, and reading
instruction.
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Disseminating information about research-based practices for programs for students in
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preschool through grade 12.
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Collecting, managing, and reporting on assessment information from screening, progress
monitoring, and outcome assessments through the Florida Progress Monitoring and Reporting
Network (PMRN).
READING ALLOCATION IN FEFP
Creates a research-based reading instruction allocation in the FEFP. Requires districts to write plans
to provide comprehensive reading instruction to students in Kindergarten through grade 12. Districts
must submit plans to the JRF Office for review before May 1 annually, and requires the JRF Office to
approve each district’s reading plan. If a district and the JRF Office cannot agree on the contents of
the reading plan, the district can appeal to the State Board of Education. DOE may withhold funds if
a district is not using its allocation of reading FEFP funds to implement its approved plan.
READING CREDENTIAL
Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to give part-time and full-time non-degreed
teachers of career programs the opportunity to earn a reading credential equivalent to a content-area-
specific reading endorsement.
A++ Secondary School Initiatives:
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMOTION AND REQUIREMENTS
Provides new middle school promotion requirements to include:
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3 middle school or higher, year-long courses in English;
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3 middle school or higher, year-long courses in Mathematics;
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3 middle school or higher, year-long courses in science;
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3 middle school or higher, year-long courses in social studies; and
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1 course in career and education planning to be completed in 7th or 8th grade, which can be a
stand-alone course or instruction integrated into an existing course or courses.
Requires each middle school to offer at least one high-school-level mathematics course for which
students may earn high school credit.
These new requirements will take effect for students entering 6
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grade in 2006-07. The bill further
requires middle schools to hold a parent meeting in the evening or weekend to inform parents about
the school’s curriculum and activities. Requires middle school students who score at Level 1 on
FCAT Reading to be enrolled in and complete an intensive reading course the following year, and
provides that placement of Level 2 readers in either an intensive reading course or a content area
course in which reading strategies are delivered shall be determined by diagnosis of reading needs.
Requires the department to provide guidance on appropriate strategies for diagnosing and meeting
the varying instructional needs of students reading below grade level. Reading courses shall be
designed and offered pursuant to the comprehensive reading plan required by s. 1011.62(8). Also
requires middle school students scoring at Level 1 or Level 2 on FCAT Mathematics to receive
remediation the following year.
HISTORY INSTRUCTION
Revises certain sections of statute related to instruction in American Government and History (s.
1003.43, F.S.) to require additional components for history instruction.
STATEWIDE GRADING SCALE
Requires all public school students in grades 6-12 to use the same grading system and interpretation
of letter grades that is currently in effect for high school students (A= 90-100%, B= 80-89%, C= 70
79%, D= 60-69%, F= 0-59%).
SECONDARY SCHOOL REDESIGN
Provides guiding principles to be used in the annual preparation of each secondary school’s
improvement plan required by s. 1001.42(16), F.S., beginning in 2007-08.
Requires districts to use the guiding principles to establish policies addressing issues such as:
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placing and promoting students from out of state or country;
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students beyond 8
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grade not having developed a personalized academic and career plan;
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district based requirements;
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the provision of applied, integrated, and combined courses that provide flexibility and are
creative in meeting individual learning needs;
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credit recovery courses; and
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intensive reading and mathematics intervention courses.
Requires the DOE to annually provide to the Legislature a longitudinal analysis of the success of the
secondary school reform effort.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CREDITS
(Section 1003.428, F.S.)
The bill creates new general requirements for high school graduation beginning with newly enrolled
9th grade students in 2007-2008. These new high school graduation requirements are consistent
with the recommendations of the High School Reform Task Force. Beginning with students entering
their first year of high school in the 2007-2008 school year, a student must successfully complete at
least 24 credits, an International Baccalaureate curriculum, or an Advanced International Certificate of
Education curriculum to graduate.
The 24 credits must be earned as follows:
1) 16 core curriculum credits:
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4 credits in English;
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4 credits in mathematics, one of which must be Algebra I, its equivalent, or a course higher
than Algebra I;
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3 credits in science, two of which must have a laboratory component;
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3 credits in social studies (1 credit in American history; 1 credit in world history; ½ credit in
economics and ½ credit in American government);
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1 credit in fine arts; and
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1 credit in physical education & health.
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8 credits in a major, minor, or electives; selected by the student as a part of the personalized
education plan:
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4 credits in a major area of interest. Majors, which will be developed by districts and approved
by the Commissioner, can be in a career and technical program, fine and performing arts, or in
an academic content area.
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4 credits in elective courses, which may be combined to allow for a second major area of
interest, a minor area of interest (3 credits), individual elective courses, intensive reading or
mathematics intervention courses, or credit recovery courses.
Requires high school students who score at Level 1 on FCAT Reading to be enrolled in and complete
an intensive reading course the following year, and provides that placement of Level 2 readers in
either an intensive reading course or a content area course in which reading strategies are delivered
shall be determined by diagnosis of reading needs. Requires the department to provide guidance on
appropriate strategies for diagnosing and meeting the varying instructional needs of students reading
below grade level. Reading courses shall be designed and offered pursuant to the comprehensive
reading plan required by s. 1011.62(8). Requires students who score at Level 1 or Level 2 in FCAT
Mathematics to receive remediation the following year.
ACCELERATED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Revises accelerated high school graduation options for students who enter grade 9 in the 2006-2007
school year and thereafter:
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Requires that six of the 18 credits must be earned from advanced placement, International
Baccalaureate, dual enrollment, or Advanced International Certificate of Education courses.
Honors courses will no longer be accepted as part of the six hours.
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Additionally, the grade point average required to participate in the 18 credit college preparatory
track will be 3.5 rather than 3.0.
COURSE WEIGHTING FOR GPA CALCULATION AND DUAL ENROLLMENT
Revises GPA weighting for dual enrollment courses by requiring that all dual enrollment courses
receive the same weight as advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced
International Certificate of Education courses when grade point averages are calculated. This GPA
weighting for dual enrollment courses applies to students entering grade 9 in the 2006-2007 school
year and thereafter.
Provides that district school boards shall consider strategies and programs to meet the demand for
dual enrollment by including access to dual enrollment on the high school campus whenever
possible. It also stipulates that alternative grade calculation, weighting systems, or information
regarding student education options which discriminate against dual enrollment courses are
prohibited.
EXIT INTERVIEWS/DROPOUT PREVENTION
Requires the student’s guidance counselor or other school personnel to conduct an exit interview with
the student to determine the reasons for the student’s decision to drop out of school and what actions
could be taken to keep the student in school. The student must be informed of opportunities to
continue his or her education in a different environment, including, but not limited to, adult education
and GED test preparation. Additionally, the student must complete a survey in the format prescribed
by the DOE to provide data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions taken by
schools to keep students enrolled.
A++ Principal and Teacher Initiatives:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS
curriculum.
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plans.
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student needs.
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development system.
DIFFERENTIATED PAY
administrators.
istrict, including, but not limited to,
difficulties.
Requires that professional development plans established by district school boards incorporate
school improvement plans and are aligned with principal leadership training as a part of the plan.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM
Requires the DOE, public postsecondary educational institutions, public school districts, public
schools, state education foundations, consortia, and professional organizations in Florida to work
collaboratively to establish a coordinated system of professional development to, among other things,
enhance classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and relevance throughout the
Additionally, the bill:
Provides that activities designed for professional development systems must support and
increase the success of educators through collaboratively developed school improvement
Requires the DOE to disseminate to the school community research-based professional
development methods and programs that have demonstrated success in meeting identified
Requires each school district to consult with teachers, teacher-educators in community
colleges and state universities, business and community representatives, local education
foundations, consortia and professional organizations in developing its professional
Requires that, beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, each district school board shall adopt a
salary schedule with a differentiated pay policy for both instructional personnel and school-based
Provides that the salary schedule is subject to collective bargaining and must allow
differentiated pay based upon factors determined by the school d
additional responsibilities, school demographics, critical shortage areas, and level of job performance
Provides that a district school board may not sign a collective bargaining agreement that
precludes the school district from providing sufficient incentives to meet this requirement.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Requires DOE to annually post links to each school district’s collective bargaining contracts and the
salary and benefits of the personnel or officers of any educator association that were paid by the
school district. Requires school districts to submit this information to DOE in a manner prescribed by
the department.
PAPER REDUCTION
Implements initiatives designed to reduce the paperwork burden on the state’s teachers and other
school-based and district-based employees. The initiatives are consistent with the recommendations
of the Paper Reduction Task Force. The initiatives include:
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Requiring each district to appoint a classroom teacher as a district representative to speak on
behalf of teachers regarding paperwork reduction. Each district representative must report
district findings annually to the State Board of Education. The State Board will compile
responses and annually provide recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.
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Streamlining information that districts are required to include in school improvement plans.
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Replacing academic improvement plans with progress monitoring plans.
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Repealing the Middle Grades Reform Act to eliminate paperwork required by the Rigorous
Reading Requirement and the Personalized Middle School Success Plan.
TEAM TEACHING (CO-TEACHING)
The bill provides that each teacher assigned to a classroom must be used in the calculation for
compliance with the constitutional class size requirements and provides criteria for which team-
teaching is allowable in individual classrooms.
Restrictions on the use of team-teaching strategies implemented on or after July 1, 2005, include:
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Requiring reasonable limits on the number of students in a classroom;
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Requiring at least one member of the team to have at least 3 years of teaching experience;
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Requiring at least one member of the team to be teaching in their field; and
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Requiring teachers who are team-teaching to be trained in team-teaching methods within 1
year after assignment.
WILLIAM CECIL GOLDEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL
LEADERS
Establishes the William Cecil Golden Professional Development Program for School Leaders to
provide high standards and sustained support for principals as instructional leaders. The program will
consist of a collaborative network of state and national leadership organizations that shall support the
human-resource development needs of principals, principal leadership teams, and candidates for
principal leadership positions using the framework of leadership standards adopted by the State
Board of Education, the Southern Regional Education Board, and the National Staff Development
Council.
TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS
(s. 1012.2315, F.S.)
Provides that school districts may not assign a higher percentage than the school district average of
first-time teachers, temporarily certified teachers, teachers in need of improvement, or out-of-field
teachers to schools with above the district average of minority and economically disadvantaged
students or schools that are graded D or F. District school boards are authorized to provide salary
incentives to meet this requirement and may not sign a collective bargaining agreement that
precludes sufficient incentives to meet the requirement.
Schools graded D or F must annually report their teacher retention rates, including the reasons for
leaving listed by each teacher who left the school.
A++ Workforce/Career Initiatives:
Defines the allowable types of career
Each career and professional academy must:
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The program
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program is composed of:
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by the Agency for Workforce Innovation and DOE;
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not proficient; and
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A certificate and portfolio to students upon successful completion.
CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIES
Creates career and professional academies as research-based programs that integrate a rigorous
academic curriculum with an industry-driven career curriculum.
and professional academies as a school-within-a-school model or a total school configuration model.
Provide a rigorous standards-based academic curriculum integrated with a career curriculum;
Include one or more partnerships with postsecondary institutions, businesses, industry,
employers, economic development organizations, or other partners;
Provide student advisement, including parent participation and coordination with middle
schools to provide career exploration and education planning;
Provide career education certification on the high school diploma;
Provide instruction in high growth, high demand, and high paying careers;
Deliver academic content including intensive reading and math as required; and
Provide instruction in workplace readiness skills and provide opportunities for students to
obtain the Florida Ready to Work Certification.
READY TO WORK CERTIFICATION
Creates the Florida Ready to Work Certification Program to enhance the workplace skills of Florida’s
students to better prepare them for successful employment in a specific occupation.
may be conducted in public middle and high schools, community colleges, technical centers, one-stop
career centers, vocational rehabilitation centers, and Department of Juvenile Justice facilities.
A comprehensive identification of workplace skills for each occupation identified for inclusion
A pre-assessment of the students on the specific workplace skills identified for that occupation;
A web-based, customized instructional program limited to those skills in which the student is
A++ Curriculum and Instruction Initiatives:
SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS REVISIONS
Requires the State Board of Education to establish a schedule to facilitate the periodic review of the
standards to ensure adequate rigor, relevance, logical student progression, and integration of
reading, writing, and mathematics across all subject areas. It also requires public input and
participation. A report, including the proposed revisions, must be annually submitted no later than
January 1, to the Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House.
COMPLETE EDUCATION
Requires the district school board to prescribe and adopt standards and policies to provide each
student with a complete education program, including language arts, mathematics, science, social
studies, health, physical education, foreign languages, and the arts, as defined by the Sunshine State
Standards. The standards and policies must emphasize integration and reinforcement of reading,
writing, and mathematics skills across all subjects, including career awareness, career exploration,
and career and technical education.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Requires each superintendent to annually certify by July 1 to the Commissioner, prior to release of
instructional materials funds, that the district school board has approved a comprehensive staff
development plan and verify that training was provided and instructional materials are being
implemented as designed.
A++ Exceptional Student Education Initiatives:
A++ School Improvement Initiatives:
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS
Makes changes to the statutory requirements for school improvement plans, particularly related to
those schools that earn a school grade of “C” or below. Replaces the list of plan components to focus
the plan on student achievement and academic-related matters. For schools that earn a grade of “C”
or below, or are required to have a school improvement plan under federal law, the plan must also
include professional development, continuous use of disaggregated data, ongoing progress
monitoring, and alternative instructional delivery methods.
PROGRESS MONITORING PLANS
Requires schools to develop and implement a progress monitoring plan for each student that fails to
meet certain performance levels, including scoring below Level 3 in FCAT Reading or Mathematics.
The school must develop the plan in consultation with the student’s parents. A progress monitoring
plan is intended to provide flexibility for school districts and the school in meeting the academic needs
of the student and to reduce paperwork. A student who is not meeting the school district or state
requirements for proficiency in reading and math shall be covered by one of the following plans to
target instruction and identify ways to improve his or her academic achievement:
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A federally required student plan such as an individual education plan (IEP);
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A school wide system of progress monitoring for all students; or
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An individual progress monitoring plan.
The plan chosen must be designed to assist the student or the school in meeting the state and district
expectations for proficiency. The progress monitoring plan replaces the student academic
improvement plan (AIP).
REQUIREMENT FOR REMEDIATION PROGRAMS
Permits district school boards to require low-performing students to attend remediation programs held
before or after regular school hours or during the summer if transportation is provided.
COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT TEAMS
Requires the Commissioner to assign a community assessment team to every school district or
governing board with a school graded “F,” to review the school’s performance data and determine
causes for the low performance. Requires that representatives of local governments be appointed to
each community assessment team.
SPEECH LANGUAGE AS A RELATED SERVICE
Codifies in law that speech and language pathology services are included as a related service
available for exceptional students.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Extends the date for American Sign Language teachers to be certified by the DOE from January 1,
2008 to July 1, 2009. Also removes the incorrect reference to the Florida American Sign Language
Teachers’ Association (FASLTA).
CLASSROOM ACCOM
M
ODATIONS AND FCAT WAIVER
Provides that accommodations that are not allowable on the FCAT may be used in the classroom if
included on the student’s IEP. Allows that students using instructional accommodations in the
classroom that are not allowable on the FCAT may have the FCAT requirement waived for
graduation.
ESE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES
Prohibits non-Florida-resident ESE students with disabilities from being reported for FTE funding
through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). Provides that the cost of instruction,
facilities, and services for non-Florida-resident ESE students shall be provided by the placing
authority in the student’s state of residence (e.g., public school entity, parent, other placing authority).
Provides that the residential facility in which the student is placed in Florida, not the school district, is
responsible for billing and collecting payment from the placing authority in the home state. Requires
DOE to develop a process for districts to determine residency of students with disabilities in
residential facilities and a mechanism for billing and collecting. This is effective for the 2006-07
school year.
SCHOOL REPORT CARDS
students are enrolled in an alternative school. The report card must include the school grade,
SCHOOL GRADES
of the home school's grade.
when assigned to an alternative school.
and verified by the school district.
in the school are scheduled to be assigned to the graded school.
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"Improving" means schools with students making more academic progress than when the
students were served in their home schools.
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when the students were served in their home schools.
A++ School Grading Initiatives:
Requires that DOE develop a school report card to be delivered to parents, including those whose
information regarding school improvement, an explanation of school improvement as measured under
the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and indicators on return on investment.
The bill requires that learning gains for students seeking a special diploma, as measured by an
alternate assessment tool, must be included in calculating school grades not later than the 2009-2010
school year.
The bill requires that, beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, the achievement scores and
learning gains of certain students attending alternative schools that provide dropout-prevention and
academic-intervention services shall be included in student assessment data used in the calculation
The bill defines "home school" as the school the student was attending
The bill also changes statutory terminology to reflect current usage by replacing the term
“performance grade category” with “school grades.”
SCHOOL GRADES - FEEDER PATTERNS
The bill provides that a school that serves any combination of students in grades K-3 which does not
receive a school grade because its students are not tested and included in the school grading
system, will receive the school grade designation of the school feeder pattern identified by the DOE
A school feeder pattern exists if at least 60 percent of the students
ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS - SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RATING
Requires alternative schools that provide dropout-prevention and academic intervention services to
receive one of the following school-improvement ratings:
"Maintaining" means schools with students making progress equivalent to the progress made
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"Declining" means schools with students making less academic progress than when the
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students were served in their home schools.
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The school-improvement rating must be based on a comparison of student performance data for the
current year and previous year. Provides that schools that improve at least one level or maintain an
"improving" rating are eligible for school recognition awards. Requires the Commissioner to prepare
an annual report on the performance of each school receiving a school-improvement rating.
The bill also provides that alternative schools may choose to receive a school grade in lieu of a
school-improvement rating. If an alternative school chooses to receive a school grade rather than a
school improvement rating, the alternative school’s performance data will not be included in the home
school’s school grade calculation. For 2005-06, school districts can apply for these ratings from the
DOE. However, the DOE will develop rules for the 2006-07 school year.
SECONDARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM
Requires the Commissioner to create and implement the Secondary School Improvement Award
Program to reward secondary schools that demonstrate continuous student academic improvement
and show the greatest gains in student academic achievement in reading and math.
LONGITUDINAL STUDENT LEARNING DATA
Requires DOE to annually provide to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives a report regarding longitudinal studies of student learning. The report
will include specified longitudinal data relating to student performance on the FCAT, efforts to close
the achievement gap, and performance on the norm-referenced component of the FCAT.
A++ Quality Improvement Initiatives:
DOE STRUCTURE
Creates the Division of Accountability, Research, and Measurement in statute within DOE.
CONCORDANT FCAT SCORES
Requires the State Board of Education to analyze widely used high school achievement tests and
conduct concordance studies to determine scores that are equivalent to those required on the FCAT
for high school graduation. Tests to be analyzed for concordance include, but are not limited to, the
Preliminary SAT, the pre-ACT, the SAT, and the ACT. Authorizes additional uses for high school
achievement test scores if found to be concordant, including college placement and the award of
Bright Futures Scholarships.
ALTERNATE ASSESSMENTS
Requires district school boards to assess students following enrollment in summer academies. The
State Board of Education must approve the alternative standardized assessment to be used.
Requires the Department of Education to develop or select and implement an alternate assessment
tool that accurately measures the skills and competencies in the Sunshine State Standards for
students with disabilities.
FCAT RETAKES
Requires the Commissioner to document the procedures used to ensure that the versions of FCAT
that are taken by students retaking the grade 10 FCAT are equally as challenging and difficult as the
tests taken by students in grade 10 which contain performance tasks.
END-OF-COURSE ASSESSMENTS
Requires the Commissioner to study the cost and student-achievement impact of establishing
secondary school end-of-course assessments and to report the findings to the Legislature prior to
implementation.
ELECTRONIC INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLANS (IEPs) FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Requires DOE to develop and have an operating electronic IEP system in place for potential
statewide use no later than July 1, 2007. The statewide system must be developed collaboratively
with districts, particularly those districts currently developing or operating an electronic IEP system.
DATA QUALITY
Specifies certain requirements to improve the quality of data used to measure student performance.
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Authorizes the Commissioner to initiate and maintain strategies to improve data quality and
timeliness.
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Requires that all data collected by state universities be integrated into the K-20 Data
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Warehouse.
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Requires DOE to establish a uniform format for reporting public school student progression
data, and to compile the data into an annual report.
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Provides that the Commissioner is the sole custodian of the K-20 Data Warehouse.
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Requires annual public disclosure by school districts of the high school graduation rate calculated
without GED tests and disaggregated by student ethnicity.
NOMINATIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL PERSONNEL
Extends the time for districts to act on nominations to fill vacancies within the district to three weeks
after the receipt of FCAT scores and data, including school grades, or June 30, whichever comes
later.
A++ School Calendar Initiatives:
SCHOOL START DATE
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year and each year thereafter, the opening date for schools
may not be earlier than 14 days before Labor Day.
A++ Federal Plans:
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION PLAN
Requires the Commissioner to submit the proposed state plan for compliance with the federal No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to the Legislature prior to submission to the U.S. Department of
Education when the Act is reauthorized in 2007. Legislative leaders will appoint a select committee to
review the proposed plan.