RULE NO: RULE TITLE
6A-1.094221: Alternative Standardized Reading Assessment and Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this rule revision is to provide guidelines relating to the statewide public school student progression law eliminating social promotion, by including the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT)-10 as an alternative assessment for students scoring at Level 1 on the grade three Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Since the original rule adoption, the FCAT Norm Referenced Test (NRT) has changed from SAT-9 to SAT-10. The effect of this rule revision will be that students who score at Level 1 on the grade three FCAT Reading may be promoted to grade four if an acceptable level of performance is demonstrated on the alternative assessment, SAT-9 or SAT-10.
SUMMARY: This rule provide guidelines for utilizing the options of Alternative Standardized Reading Assessment and the Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion with regard to third grade students who score at Level 1 on the grade three FCAT Reading.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 1008.25(9)(b) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1008.25(6)(b)3. FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: February 19, 2008, 8:30 a.m.
PLACE: 400 South Monroe Street, Room LL03, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida 32399
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Evan Lefsky, Executive Director, Office of Just Read, Florida, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

6A-1.094221 Alternative Standardized Reading Assessment and Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion.

(1) Pursuant to Section 1008.25(6), Florida Statutes, relating to the statewide public school student progression law eliminating social promotion, students who score at Level 1 on the grade three reading Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Reading may be promoted to grade four if the student demonstrates:

(a) An acceptable level of performance on the FCAT Norm Referenced Test (NRT) in Reading portion of the FCAT or the Reading SAT-9 or Reading SAT-10 alternative assessment; or

(b) Reading on grade level as evidenced through mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in reading equal to at least Level 2 performance on the grade three reading FCAT Reading.

(2) The acceptable levels of performance on the alternative assessment for grade three for the 2003-2004 school year are as follows:

(a) To promote a student using the grade three FCAT reading  NRT In Reading portion of the FCAT as an alternative assessment good cause exemption, the grade three student scoring at Level 1 Reading FCAT Reading must score at or above the 45th 51st percentile on the grade three FCAT NRT in Reading reading NRT portion of the FCAT.

(b) To promote a student using the SAT-9 or SAT-10 as an alternative assessment good cause exemption, the grade three student scoring at Level 1 on Reading FCAT Reading must score at or above the 51st percentile on a parallel form of the SAT-9 or at or above the 45th percentile on the Reading SAT-10. The SAT-9 or SAT-10 may only be administered one (1) time.

(c) The earliest the alternative assessment may be administered for student promotion purposes is following the receipt of the grade three student reading FCAT Reading scores or during the last two (2) weeks of school, whichever occurs first.

(3) To promote a student using a student portfolio as a good cause exemption there must be evidence that demonstrates the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in reading equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the grade three reading FCAT Reading. Such evidence shall be an organized collection of the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standard Benchmarks for Language Arts that are assessed by the grade three reading FCAT Reading. The student portfolio must meet the following criteria:

(a) Be selected by the student’s teacher,

(b) Be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include student work that has been independently produced in the classroom,

(c) Include evidence that the benchmarks assessed by the grade three 3 reading FCAT Reading have been met. Evidence is to include multiple choice items and passages that are approximately sixty (60) percent literary text and forty (40) percent information text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 350 words. Such evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted core reading curriculum that are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards or teacher-prepared assessments.

(d) Be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standard Benchmarks for Language Arts that are assessed by the grade three 3 reading FCAT Reading. For each benchmark, there must be at least five (5) examples of mastery as demonstrated by a grade of “C” or above, and

(e) Be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading skills.

Specific Authority 1008.25(8)(b) FS. Law implemented 1008.25(6)(b)3. FS. History–New 5-19-03, Amended 7-20-04,________.

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Melinda Webster, Elementary Reading Specialist, Office of Just Read, Florida
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Evan Lefsky, Executive Director, Office of Just Read, Florida
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: November 28, 2007
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: December 7, 2007