Title: Mastery-based Education

Summary: Renaming the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program; authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to award credit based on student mastery of certain content and skills; authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades for certain students, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to mastery-based education; amending s. 1003.436, F.S.; authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to award credit based on student mastery of certain content and skills; amending s. 1003.437, F.S.; authorizing a district school board or developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades for certain students; requiring participating district school boards and developmental research schools to use the current 4-point scale in determining student grade point averages; amending s. 1003.4996, F.S.; renaming the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program; authorizing public school districts and developmental research schools to submit applications for the program; authorizing participating school districts and developmental research schools to amend their applications to include alternatives for the award of credits and interpretation of letter grades; providing requirements for such alternatives; amending s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for students who have earned high school credit through mastery-based education and graduate with a standard high school diploma; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1003.436 Definition of  credit.  (1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school graduation, one full credit means a minimum of hours of bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains student performance standards, except as otherwise provided through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s. 1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of hours of bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting high school graduation requirements in a district school that has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the district school board. However, district school boards and developmental research schools participating in the Mastery Based Education Pilot Program under s. 1003.4996 may determine and award credit based on a student s mastery of the core content and skills, consistent with s. 1003.41, as approved by the district school board. The State Board of Education shall determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007.271 that satisfy the requirements of a dual enrollment articulation agreement according to s. 1007.271(21) and that equal one full credit of the equivalent high school course identified pursuant to s. 1007.271(9). Section 2. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.  (1)  The grading system and interpretation of letter grades used to measure student success in grade through grade courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows: (a) (1)  Grade  A  equals percent through percent, has a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as  outstanding progress.  (b) ( )  Grade  B  equals percent through percent, has a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as  above average progress.  (c) ( )  Grade  C  equals percent through percent, has a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as  average progress.  (d) ( )  Grade  D  equals percent through percent, has a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as  lowest acceptable progress.  (e) ( )  Grade  F  equals zero percent through percent, has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as  failure.  (f) ( )  Grade  I  equals zero percent, has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as  incomplete.  (2)   A district school board and a developmental research school participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program under s. 1003.4996 may use an alternative interpretation of letter grades to measure student success in grade through grade 12; however, the school board and developmental research school must continue to use the 4-point scale established in subsection (1) for calculating a student s grade point average. For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271. Section 3. Section 1003.4996, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1003.4996  Mastery-Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, the Mastery Based Competency-Based Education Pilot Program is created within the Department of Education to be administered for a period of years. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide an educational environment that allows students to advance to higher levels of learning upon the mastery of concepts and skills through statutory exemptions relating to student progression and the awarding of credits. (1) PARTICIPATION.  Developmental research schools established under s. 002.32, including the P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School,and public school districts, including, but not limited to, the Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Seminole County School Districts,may submit an application in a format prescribed by the department to participate in the pilot program. (2) APPLICATION. The application to participate in the pilot program must, at a minimum, include: (a) The vision and timelines for the implementation of mastery-based competency-based education within the school district, including a list of the schools that will participate in the pilot program during the first school year and the list of schools that will be integrated into the program in subsequent school years. (b) The annual goals and performance outcomes for participating schools, including, but not limited to: 1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34. 2. Promotion and retention rates. 3. Graduation rates. 4. Indicators of college and career readiness. (c) A communication plan for parents and other stakeholders, including local businesses and community members. (d) The scope of and timelines for professional development for school instructional and administrative personnel. (e) A plan for student progression based on the mastery of content, including mechanisms that determine and ensure that a student has satisfied the requirements for grade-level promotion and content mastery. (f) A plan for using technology and digital and blended learning to enhance student achievement and facilitate the mastery-based competency-based education system. (g) The proposed allocation of resources for the pilot program at the school and district levels. (h) The recruitment and selection of participating schools. (i) The rules to be waived for participating schools pursuant to subsection (3) to implement the pilot program. (3) EXEMPTION FROM RULES. In addition to the waivers authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may authorize the commissioner to grant an additional waiver of rules relating to student progression and the awarding of credits. (4) ALTERNATIVE CREDIT AND LETTER GRADE SYSTEMS.  (a) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, participating school districts and developmental research schools may amend their applications to include alternatives for awarding credit, as authorized under s. 1003.436, and for the interpretation of middle school and high school letter grades, as authorized under s. 1003.437. 1. Alternatives to awarding credit must include verification of the student s mastery of the applicable course content using rigorous scoring rubrics to evaluate the student s work. A participating school district and developmental research school must amend its student progression plan required by s. 1008.25 to conform to the alternative awarding of credits pursuant to this section. 2. Alternatives to the interpretation of middle school and high school letter grades may substitute the applicable language from the school district s rigorous scoring rubric; however, participating school districts and developmental research schools must continue to use the 4-point scale established in s. 1003.437(1) for calculating a student s grade point average. (b) An application that is amended pursuant to this subsection must be approved by the district school board or developmental research school governing authority, as applicable. (5) (4)  STUDENT FUNDING. Students enrolled in a participating school shall be reported for and generate funding pursuant to s. 1011.62. (6) (5)  DEPARTMENT DUTIES. The department shall: (a) Compile the student and staff schedules of participating schools before and after implementation of the pilot program. (b) Provide participating schools with access to statewide, standardized assessments required under s. 1008.22. (c) Annually, by June 1, provide to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the pilot program and any recommendations for statutory revisions. (7) (6)  RULES. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section. Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.  (1) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The agreement must preserve Florida s  2+2  system of articulation, facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit across and among Florida s educational entities, and reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing: (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary education,including fair and equitable access for students who have earned high school credit through a mastery-based education program pursuant to s. 1003.4996 and graduate with a standard high school diploma;(b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from Florida College System institutions and state universities; (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program graduates from Florida College System institutions or career centers; (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate in applied science degree graduates from Florida College System institutions; (e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including nationally standardized examinations through which students may earn credit; (f) General education requirements and statewide course numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and (g) Articulation among programs in nursing. Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.