Florida Senate - 2022 SB 766
By Senator Brodeur
9-00122D-22 2022766__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to schools of innovation; creating s.
3 1003.65, F.S.; establishing the Schools of Innovation
4 Program within the Department of Education; providing
5 the purpose of the program; defining terms;
6 authorizing the State Board of Education to authorize
7 the Commissioner of Education to waive certain rules;
8 authorizing public school districts to apply for
9 identified schools to receive the designation of
10 school of innovation; requiring school districts
11 participating in the Competency-Based Education Pilot
12 Program to transition to the School of Innovation
13 Program before a specified school year; authorizing
14 school districts to submit innovation plans to the
15 department; requiring the department to approve or
16 reject innovation plans submitted by school districts
17 within a specified timeframe; requiring that a school
18 maintains its designation as a school of innovation
19 for a 5-year period upon approval of an innovation
20 plan; authorizing the department to revoke the
21 designation if specified metrics are not met;
22 specifying requirements for innovation plans;
23 authorizing innovation plans to include a request for
24 waivers from certain rules; specifying duties of the
25 department; prohibiting a student attending a school
26 of innovation who transfers to another school from
27 being subject to specified penalties; providing for
28 funding; requiring the state board to adopt rules;
29 amending s. 1003.436, F.S.; revising the definition of
30 the term “credit”; amending s. 1003.437, F.S.;
31 authorizing schools designated as schools of
32 innovation to use an alternative definition of letter
33 grades; requiring such schools to calculate grade
34 point averages according to a certain scale; amending
35 s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the statewide articulation
36 agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for high
37 school graduates with mastery-based, nontraditional
38 diplomas and transcripts; providing an effective date.
39
40 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
41
42 Section 1. Section 1003.65, Florida Statutes, is created to
43 read:
44 1003.65 Schools of Innovation Program.—Beginning with the
45 2022-2023 school year, the Schools of Innovation Program is
46 created within the Department of Education. The purpose of the
47 program is to provide a mechanism for public schools to operate
48 with greater flexibility in regard to instructional delivery and
49 instructional strategies to improve student achievement and
50 enhance academic opportunities.
51 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
52 (a) “Innovation” means an alternative to the existing
53 instructional and administrative practices which is intended to
54 improve learning or enhance academic opportunities for all
55 students.
56 (b) “School of innovation” is a designation given to a
57 public school with an approved application, in accordance with
58 subsection (4).
59 (2) EXEMPTION FROM RULES.—In addition to the waivers
60 authorized in s. 1001.10(3), the State Board of Education may
61 authorize the Commissioner of Education to waive State Board of
62 Education rules relating to student progression and the awarding
63 of credits.
64 (3) PARTICIPATION.—
65 (a) Any public school district may apply for identified
66 schools to receive the designation of school of innovation.
67 (b) Before the 2023-2024 school year, school districts
68 participating in the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program
69 authorized by s. 1003.4996 shall transition to the Schools of
70 Innovation Program.
71 (4) APPLICATION.—
72 (a) School districts may submit an innovation plan in
73 accordance with subsection (6) to the department.
74 (b) Within 60 days after receiving an innovation plan
75 submission, the department shall approve or reject the
76 innovation plan and notify the district accordingly.
77 (5) DURATION.—
78 (a) Upon approval of an innovation plan by the department,
79 a school shall maintain the school of innovation designation for
80 a 5-year period.
81 (b) The department may revoke the innovation designation if
82 the innovation plan goals, performance indicators, or
83 implementation milestones are not being met.
84 (6) INNOVATION PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—An innovation plan, at a
85 minimum, must include the following information for each school
86 to be considered:
87 (a) A statement of the school’s mission and why designation
88 as a school of innovation would enhance the school’s ability to
89 achieve its mission.
90 (b) A description of the innovative practices the school
91 would like to implement and a detailed implementation timeline
92 not to exceed 5 years.
93 (c) A plan to address the programs, policies, or operations
94 at the local level which would need to change to successfully
95 implement the innovation plan.
96 (d) A description of annual goals and expected performance
97 outcomes, including, but not limited to:
98 1. Student performance as defined in s. 1008.34.
99 2. Promotion and retention rates.
100 3. Graduation rates.
101 4. Indicators of college and career readiness.
102 (e) Anticipated timelines for implementation and proposed
103 allocation of resources and support at the school and district
104 levels, including flexibility given under local policies and
105 procedures to support implementation.
106 (f) The scope of and timelines for professional development
107 for school instructional and administrative personnel.
108 (g) A summary that demonstrates that meaningful parental,
109 educator, and community input was gathered in creating the
110 innovation plan.
111 (h) The formative, benchmark, and summative assessments
112 that will be used to monitor progress and outcomes.
113 (i) A communication plan for parents and other
114 stakeholders, including local businesses and community members.
115 (7) WAIVER REQUEST.—An innovation plan may include a
116 request for waivers from State Board of Education rules.
117 (8) DEPARTMENT DUTIES.—The department shall:
118 (a) Support all schools of innovation through a statewide
119 innovation network. The statewide innovation network should be
120 composed of stakeholders from each school of innovation and
121 convene annually to share best practices, lessons learned, and
122 recommendations.
123 (b) Develop a process and timeline by which schools of
124 innovation report on the outcomes of their innovation plans.
125 (c) Compile the schools of innovation reports into a single
126 annual report that analyzes the status of innovation across this
127 state and includes a list of requested and approved flexibility
128 requests as well as any statutory recommendations. The report
129 shall be presented annually, by June 1, to the Governor, the
130 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
131 Representatives.
132 (9) STUDENT PROTECTIONS.—A student attending a school of
133 innovation who transfers to another school within this state may
134 not be penalized by being required to repeat coursework or
135 content that the student has already demonstrated mastery of, by
136 having his or her grades changed, or by receiving any other
137 penalty related to the student’s previous attendance at a school
138 of innovation.
139 (10) STUDENT FUNDING.—Students enrolled in a participating
140 school shall be reported for and generate funding pursuant to s.
141 1011.62.
142 (11) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
143 to administer this section.
144 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
145 1003.436, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
146 1003.436 Definition of “credit.”—
147 (1)(a) For the purposes of requirements for high school
148 graduation, one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona
149 fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains
150 student performance standards, except as otherwise provided
151 through the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) under s.
152 1003.4295(3). One full credit means a minimum of 120 hours of
153 bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that
154 contains student performance standards for purposes of meeting
155 high school graduation requirements in a district school that
156 has been authorized to implement block scheduling by the
157 district school board. The State Board of Education shall
158 determine the number of postsecondary credit hours earned
159 through dual enrollment pursuant to s. 1007.271 that satisfy the
160 requirements of a dual enrollment articulation agreement
161 according to s. 1007.271(21) and that equal one full credit of
162 the equivalent high school course identified pursuant to s.
163 1007.271(9). In lieu of the 135-hour and 120-hour instruction
164 requirements, a school designated as a school of innovation
165 pursuant to s. 1003.65 may determine and award credit based on a
166 student’s mastery of the core content and skills, consistent
167 with s. 1003.41.
168 Section 3. Section 1003.437, Florida Statutes, is amended
169 to read:
170 1003.437 Middle and high school grading system.—
171 (1) The grading system and interpretation of letter grades
172 used to measure student success in grade 6 through grade 12
173 courses for students in public schools is shall be as follows:
174 (a)(1) Grade “A” equals 90 percent through 100 percent, has
175 a grade point average value of 4, and is defined as “outstanding
176 progress.”
177 (b)(2) Grade “B” equals 80 percent through 89 percent, has
178 a grade point average value of 3, and is defined as “above
179 average progress.”
180 (c)(3) Grade “C” equals 70 percent through 79 percent, has
181 a grade point average value of 2, and is defined as “average
182 progress.”
183 (d)(4) Grade “D” equals 60 percent through 69 percent, has
184 a grade point average value of 1, and is defined as “lowest
185 acceptable progress.”
186 (e)(5) Grade “F” equals zero percent through 59 percent,
187 has a grade point average value of zero, and is defined as
188 “failure.”
189 (f)(6) Grade “I” equals zero percent, has a grade point
190 average value of zero, and is defined as “incomplete.”
191 (2) Schools with a school of innovation designation
192 pursuant to s. 1003.65 may use an alternative definition of
193 letter grades to measure student success in kindergarten through
194 grade 12; however, the student’s grade point average must be
195 calculated using the 4-point scale established in subsection
196 (1).
197
198 For the purposes of class ranking, district school boards may
199 exercise a weighted grading system pursuant to s. 1007.271.
200 Section 4. Subsection (10) is added to section 1007.23,
201 Florida Statutes, to read:
202 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
203 (10) The articulation agreement must ensure fair and
204 equitable access for high school graduates with mastery-based,
205 nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.
206 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.