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

(1) Pursuant to Section 1008.25(6), F.S., relating to the statewide public school student progression law eliminating social promotion, students who score at Level 1 on the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts Assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S., may be promoted to grade four if the student:

(a) Scores at or above the 45th percentile on the Reading SAT-10;

(b) Demonstrates an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized reading assessment approved pursuant to subsection (2) of this rule; or

(c) Demonstrates reading on grade level as evidenced through mastery of the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) as set forth in Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., equal to at least Level 2 performance on the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S., through a student portfolio pursuant to subsection (3) of this rule.

(2) The Department of Education shall review and approve the use of alternative standardized reading assessments to be used as a good cause exemption for promotion to fourth grade and will provide a list of approved alternative assessments to districts.

(a) The approval of an alternative standardized reading assessment must be based on whether the assessment meets the following criteria:

1. Internal consistency reliability coefficients of at least 0.80;

2. High validity evidenced by the alignment of the test with nationally recognized content standards, as well as specific evidence of content, concurrent, or criterion validity;

3. Norming studies within the last five (5) to ten (10) years, with norming within five (5) years being preferable; and,

4. Serves as a measure of grade three achievement in reading comprehension.

(b) Districts may submit requests for the approval of alternative standardized reading assessments to be used as a good cause exemption for promotion to fourth grade. Once an assessment has been approved by the Department of Education, the assessment is approved for statewide use.

(c) The Department of Education shall approve the required percentile passing score for each approved alternative standardized reading assessment based on an analysis of Florida student achievement results. If an analysis is not feasible, students must score at or above the 50th percentile on the approved alternative standardized reading assessment.

(d) The earliest the alternative assessment may be administered for student promotion purposes is following administration of the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S. An approved standardized reading assessment may be administered two (2) times if there are at least thirty (30) days between administrations and different test forms are administered.

(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 B.E.S.T. ELA Standards equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S. Such evidence shall be an organized collection of the student’s mastery of the B.E.S.T. ELA Standards that are assessed by the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S. A school must immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first. 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 statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1088.22, F.S., have been met. Evidence is to include grade level passages that are approximately fifty (50) percent literary text and fifty (50) percent informational text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 500 words. Such evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted core reading curriculum or teacher-prepared assessments that are aligned with the B.E.S.T. ELA Standards.

(d) Be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the B.E.S.T. ELA Standards that are assessed by the grade three statewide standardized English Language Arts assessment under Section 1008.22, F.S. For each benchmark, there must be at least eight (8) items assessed and the student must demostrate seventy (70) percent mastery for all items assessed per benchmark and,

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

Rulemaking Authority 1008.25(10) FS. Law Implemented 1008.25(6) FS. History–New 5-19-03, Amended 7-20-04, 3-24-08, 2-1-09, 4-21-11, 11-4-14, 6-23-16, 3-15-22.