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Blog: FCAR
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Most parents in Florida are all too aware of the perils the FCAT presents to
children in third grade, where students in public schools face mandatory
retention if they don't score at or above Level 2 on FCAT reading. Seniors, too,
are at risk of being denied standard diplomas if their FCAT scores in math,
reading, and writing don't reach the magic mark, regardless of their GPA or
class ranking.
But how many parents know that in addition to state requirements, many districts
have added their own standards for promotion at other grade levels?
Every public school district in Florida is required by law to adopt a Student
Progression Plan (still called Pupil Progression Plan in a few districts), which
spells out (among other things) the requirements for promotion at each grade
level. In Broward County, for example, students in first and second grade who
don't score above the 30th percentile on the SAT10 (also known as the FCAT NRT,
or norm-referenced test) are subject to retention.
At
http://www.firn.edu/doe/commhome/sig/districtstudprog.htm the Department of
Education has links to most districts' Student Progression Plans. If you have
difficulty locating the document or if you suspect it isn't the most current
version, contact your district office and ask for a hard copy.
DOE information on Student Progression:
http://www.firn.edu/doe/commhome/sig/studentprogression.htm
Below is the relevant section of Florida Statutes.
1008.25 Public school student progression; remedial instruction; reporting
requirements.--
(1) INTENT.--It is the intent of the Legislature that each student's progression
from one grade to another be determined, in part, upon proficiency in reading,
writing, science, and mathematics; that district school board policies
facilitate such proficiency; and that each student and his or her parent be
informed of that student's academic progress.
(2) COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.--Each district school board shall establish a
comprehensive program for student progression which must include:
(a) Standards for evaluating each student's performance, including how well he
or she masters the performance standards approved by the State Board of
Education.
(b) Specific levels of performance in reading, writing, science, and mathematics
for each grade level, including the levels of performance on statewide
assessments as defined by the commissioner, below which a student must receive
remediation, or be retained within an intensive program that is different from
the previous year's program and that takes into account the student's learning
style.
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