Statewide, Standardized Assessments

HB 305 2026

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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to statewide, standardized 2
assessments; amending ss. 1008.22 and 1008.25, F.S.; 3
requiring the Department of Education to develop 4
versions of statewide, standardized assessments and 5
specified portions of the statewide, standardized 6
coordinated screening and progress monitoring system, 7
respectively, in certain languages by a specified 8
date; requiring the department to develop a timetable 9
and an action plan for the development and 10
implementation of such assessments and written 11
portions of the system; requiring the department to 12
establish criteria for the use of such assessments and 13
portions of the system; authorizing parents to 14
prohibit the use of such assessments and portions of 15
the system in certain languages; providing an 16
effective date. 17
18
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19
20
Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 21
1008.22, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 22
1008.22 Student assessment program for public schools.— 23
(3) STATEWIDE, STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.—The 24
Commissioner of Education shall design and implement a 25

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statewide, standardized assessment program aligned to the core 26
curricular content established in the state academic standards. 27
The commissioner also must develop or select and implement a 28
common battery of assessment tools that will be used in all 29
juvenile justice education programs in the state. These tools 30
must accurately measure the core curricular content established 31
in the state academic standards. Participation in the assessment 32
program is mandatory for all school districts and all students 33
attending public schools, including adult students seeking a 34
standard high school diploma under s. 1003.4282 and students in 35
Department of Juvenile Justice education programs, except as 36
otherwise provided by law. If a student does not participate in 37
the assessment program, the school district must notify the 38
student's parent and provide the parent with information 39
regarding the implications of such nonparticipation. The 40
statewide, standardized assessment program shall be designed and 41
implemented as follows: 42
(d) Students with disabilities; Florida Alternate 43
Assessment; English language learners.— 44
1. Each district school board must provide instruction to 45
prepare students with disabilities in the core content knowledge 46
and skills necessary for successful grade-to-grade progression 47
and high school graduation. 48
2. A student with a disability, as defined in s. 1007.02, 49
for whom the individual education plan (IEP) team determines 50

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that the statewide, standardized assessments under this section 51
cannot accurately measure the student's abilities, taking into 52
consideration all allowable accommodations, shall have 53
assessment results waived for the purpose of receiving a course 54
grade and a standard high school diploma. Such waiver must shall 55
be designated on the student's transcript. The statement of 56
waiver is shall be limited to a statement that performance on an 57
assessment was waived for the purpose of receiving a course 58
grade or a standard high school diploma, as applicable. 59
3. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, based 60
upon recommendations of the commissioner, for the provision of 61
assessment accommodations for students with disabilities and for 62
students who have limited English proficiency. 63
a. Accommodations that negate the validity of a statewide, 64
standardized assessment are not allowed during the 65
administration of the assessment. However, instructional 66
accommodations are allowed in the classroom if identified in a 67
student's IEP. Students using instructional accommodations in 68
the classroom which that are not allowed on a statewide, 69
standardized assessment may have assessment results waived if 70
the IEP team determines that the assessment cannot accurately 71
measure the student's abilities. 72
b. If a student is provided with instructional 73
accommodations in the classroom which that are not allowed as 74
accommodations for statewide, standardized assessments, the 75

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district must inform the parent in writing and provide the 76
parent with information regarding the impact on the student's 77
ability to meet expected performance levels. A parent must 78
provide signed consent for a student to receive classroom 79
instructional accommodations that would not be available or 80
permitted on a statewide, standardized assessment and 81
acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the 82
implications of such instructional accommodations. 83
c. If a student's IEP states that online administration of 84
a statewide, standardized assessment will significantly impair 85
the student's ability to perform, the assessment must shall be 86
administered in hard copy. 87
d.(I) By the 2027-2028 school year, the Department of 88
Education shall develop a version of each statewide, 89
standardized assessment in the three most prevalent languages 90
represented in the English language learner population in this 91
state. The department shall establish criteria for when the use 92
of such assessments in a language other than English is 93
appropriate. A parent of a student who is an English language 94
learner may prohibit his or her student from being administered 95
an assessment in a language other than English. 96
(II) The department shall develop a timetable and an 97
action plan to develop and implement the assessments in the 98
additional languages as required under sub-sub-subparagraph (I) 99
in addition to such assessments in additional languages, as 100

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feasible. 101
4. For students with significant cognitive disabilities, 102
the Department of Education shall provide for implementation of 103
the Florida Alternate Assessment to accurately measure the core 104
curricular content established in the state academic standards. 105
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section 106
1008.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 107
1008.25 Public school student progression; student 108
support; coordinated screening and progress monitoring; 109
reporting requirements.— 110
(9) COORDINATED SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING SYSTEM.— 111
(a) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the 112
Office of Early Learning, shall procure and require the use of a 113
statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress 114
monitoring system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 115
Program and public schools. The system must: 116
1. Measure student progress in meeting the appropriate 117
expectations in early literacy and mathematics skills and in 118
English Language Arts and mathematics standards as required by 119
ss. 1002.67(1)(a) and 1003.41 and identify the educational 120
strengths and needs of students. 121
2. For students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 122
Program through grade 3, measure student performance in oral 123
language development, phonological and phonemic awareness, 124
knowledge of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, 125

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and comprehension, as applicable by grade level, and, at a 126
minimum, provide interval level and norm-referenced data that 127
measures equivalent levels of growth. 128
3. Be a valid, reliable, and developmentally appropriate 129
computer-based direct instrument that provides screening and 130
diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress; 131
identifies students who have a substantial deficiency in reading 132
or mathematics, including identifying students with 133
characteristics of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning 134
disorders; and informs instruction. Any student identified by 135
the system as having characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia 136
shall undergo further screening. Beginning with the 2023-2024 137
school year, the coordinated screening and progress monitoring 138
system must be computer-adaptive. 139
4. Provide data for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 140
Program accountability as required under s. 1002.68. 141
5. Provide Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program 142
providers, school districts, schools, teachers, and parents with 143
data and resources that enhance differentiated instruction and 144
parent communication. 145
6. Provide baseline data to the department of each 146
student's readiness for kindergarten. The determination of 147
kindergarten readiness must be based on the results of each 148
student's initial progress monitoring assessment in 149
kindergarten. The methodology for determining a student's 150

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readiness for kindergarten must be developed by the department 151
and aligned to the methodology adopted pursuant to s. 152
1002.68(4). 153
7. Assess how well educational goals and curricular 154
standards are met at the provider, school, district, and state 155
levels and provide information to the department to aid in the 156
development of educational programs, policies, and supports for 157
providers, districts, and schools. 158
8. By the 2027-2028 school year, be available in the three 159
most prevalent languages represented in the English language 160
learner population in this state for all written portions of the 161
system. The department shall develop a timetable and an action 162
plan to develop and implement the written portions of the system 163
in such languages as required by this subparagraph in addition 164
to such portions in additional languages, as feasible. The 165
department shall establish criteria for when the use of such 166
portions of the system in a language other than English is 167
appropriate. A parent of a student who is an English language 168
learner may prohibit his or her student from being administered 169
such portions of the system in a language other than English. 170
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 171