FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
     
    S
      
    TATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
     
    T. WILLARD FAIR,
    Chairman
    Members
    DR. AKSHAY DESAI
    ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
    PHOEBE RAULERSON
    KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
    LINDA K. TAYLOR
     
    Dr. Eric J. Smith
    Commissioner of Education
      
     
      
     
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    July 15, 2008
     
     
    M E M O R A N D U M
     
     
    TO:
    District Superintendents
     
    FROM:
    Dr. Eric J. Smith
     
    SUBJECT:
    Florida Alternate Assessment and ESEA, Title I Grant Award
     
     
    On June 11, 2008, I received a letter regarding the continuing recent review of the new Florida
    Alternate Assessment by the United States Department of Education (USDE). As you are aware,
    the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) is an integral part of Florida’s standards and assessment
    system under Title I of the
    Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
    (ESEA), as
    amended by the
    No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
    (NCLB). It is based on alternate academic
    achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
     
    The letter states the following: “Because the FAA is being administered for the first time in
    spring 2008, we know that Florida is unable to provide additional evidence regarding the
    compliance of the FAA with ESEA requirements. Therefore, we are not assigning an approval
    status to Florida's assessment system at this time. Because the FAA has not fully met the ESEA
    requirements, however, we will place a condition on your fiscal year 2008 Title I, Part A grant
    award.”
     
    Please be advised that the condition on the state’s Title 1, Part A award will not impact
    districts. The condition is that we will continue working with USDE to submit additional
    evidence, including technical data and documentation, within the next eight months.
     
     
    325 W. GAINES STREET • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org
    Florida Alternate Assessment and ESEA, Title I Grant Award
    July 15, 2008
    Page Two
     
     
    Given that Florida’s comprehensive assessment system was approved in 2006-07 and the state
    has previously demonstrated its ability to meet all standards and assessment requirements,
    Florida remains eligible to participate in national pilot efforts including the use of the Growth
    Model and Differentiated Accountability. Further, student participation and performance on the
    FAA will be an important part of our calculations of Adequate Yearly Progress this year. Rest
    assured that we are committed to working with USDE to ensure that the state’s assessment
    system as administered in 2008-09 is recognized as being fully compliant with the ESEA
    requirements.
     
    EJS:blp
     
    cc: District Exceptional Student Education Administrators Frances Haithcock
    District Student Services Administrators Iris Wilson
    District Title I Directors Mary Jane Tappen
    Linda Champion Martha Asbury
    Jay Pfeiffer
     
     

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