The purpose of this rule development is to update the basic skills exemption list for the 2015-16 academic year and incorporate it by reference in this rule. The effect of the rule development is to add a new assessment and to remove those ...

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-10.040Basic Skills Requirements for Postsecondary Career Certificate Education

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this rule development is to update the basic skills exemption list for the 2015-16 academic year and incorporate it by reference in this rule. The effect of the rule development is to add a new assessment and to remove those assessments that are no longer available.

SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: Postsecondary Career Certificate Education.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1004.91 FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1004.91 FS.

IF REQUESTED IN WRITING AND NOT DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY THE AGENCY HEAD, A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE NOTICED IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE WEEKLY.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS: Kathleen Taylor, Bureau Chief, Division of Career and Adult Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 714, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, Phone: [phone]

To request a rule development workshop, please contact: Cathy Schroeder, Agency Clerk, Department of Education, [phone] or e-mail: [e-mail] or go to https://app1.fldoe.org/rules/default.aspx

 

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

 

6A-10.040 Basic Skills Requirements for Postsecondary Career and Technical Certificate Education.

(1) Students who are enrolled in a postsecondary program offered for career education credit of 450 hours or more shall complete an entry-level basic skills examination within the first six (6) weeks after admission into the program. The assessment instruments listed in paragraphs (1)(a) through (1)(d) (e) of this rule (English version only) are designated to assess student mastery of basic skills and shall be used according to standards established for test administration and interpretation set forth in Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Psychological Association (APA), American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), 1992) and with appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities as specified in Rule 6A-1.0943, F.A.C.:

(a) Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE), Complete Battery or Survey Form, Forms 9 and 10, 2003;

(b) Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.);

(c) Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST), 1994;

(d) Wonderlic General Assessment of Instructional Needs (GAIN), 2007-2008.

(e) 2014 GED® Tests: Reasoning through Language Arts and Mathematical Reasoning where a minimum score of 150  has been attained on each test.

(2) Minimum basic skills grade levels in each career education program description adopted under Rule 6A-6.0571, F.A.C., and published annually in the curriculum frameworks and posted on the Department of Education’s website http://.fldoe.org/workforce/dvdframe/, shall be used to determine basic skills levels required for completion of the career and technical education program.

(3) Students deemed to lack the required minimal level of basic skills as measured by one of the designated examinations shall be provided with instruction specifically designed to correct the deficiencies.

(4) After a student completes the remediation prescribed for basic skills deficiencies, the student shall be retested using an alternative form (if possible) of the same examination that was used for initial testing. No student shall be awarded a career and technical certificate of completion until the student achieves the minimum level of basic skills required for that program by the Department of Education. An adult with a disability as defined in Section 1004.02(7), F.S., may be exempted from meeting the career basic skills grade levels required for completion of the career and technical education program. Each school district and Florida college institution must adopt a policy addressing procedures for exempting eligible adults with disabilities from the basic skills exit requirements as permitted in Section 1004.91(3), F.S.

(5) Procedures for students whose first language is not English:

(a) No student is exempt from this rule because of language deficiencies. If one of the approved basic skills assessment instruments cannot be administered, an alternative assessment from subsection (7) of this rule should be used for initial testing. English Language Learners (ELL) as defined in Rule 6A-6.0901, F.A.C., shall be given English language instruction and remediation in basic skills as needed to improve proficiency. The math assessment may be measured by one (1) of the designated tests in subsection (1) of this rule.

(b) ELL students must achieve the minimum grade level/scale score or higher on one of the designated tests in subsection (1) of this rule as required by the Department to be awarded a certificate of completion in a career program.

(6) If a student has achieved the minimum basic skills grade levels/scale scores on one of the designated tests in subsection (1) of this rule, these scores shall be acceptable for a period of two (2) years. The program administrators must receive a copy of the test scores from the institution which administered the test or an official copy of the transcript.

(7) If the tests listed in subsection (1) do not meet the initial assessment needs of the adult with disability or ELL student, one of the following alternative assessment instruments may be used within the first six (6) weeks, for diagnostic and remediation purposes only:

(a) Tests of Adult Basic Education Complete Language Assessment System – English (TABE CLAS-E), 2006;

(b) Brigance Employability Skills, 1995;

(c) Brigance Transition Skills Inventory, 2010;

(d) Comprehensive Test of Adaptive Behaviors (CTAB), 1986;

(e) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) – Life Skills, 1996 (reading and listening);

(f) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) – STRETCH, 1996;

(g) (e) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) – Test for Special Populations, 1996;

(h) (f) Kaufman Functional Academic Skills Test (K-FAST), 1994;

(i) (g) Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) English as a Second Language Oral Assessment (ESLOA), 1995; or

(j) (h) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) – Life and Work, 2001 (reading).

(8) The following students are exempt from taking the initial basic skills assessment required in subsection (1) of this rule. The designated program administrator must receive an official copy of the degree, transcript, or test score in order to allow any of these exemptions.

(a) A student who possesses a college degree at the associate in applied science level or higher.

(b) A student who demonstrates readiness for public postsecondary education pursuant to Rule 6A-10.0315, F.A.C.

(c) A student who passes a state, national or industry certification or licensure examination effective July 1, 2015 July 1, 2014, that is identified in the list entitled “Basic Skills and Licensure Exemption List ‒ 2015-2016 2014-2015” (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-03950) (http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/rtf/2014-15-basicskills-with-License-exempt.rtf) (http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5652/urlt/2015-16-basicskills-with-License-exempt.rtf), which is incorporated by reference herein. The Basic Skills and Licensure Exemption List may be requested from the Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(d) An adult student who is enrolled in an apprenticeship program that is registered with the Department of Education in accordance with Chapter 446, F.S.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), 1004.91(1) FS. Law Implemented 1004.91 FS. History–New 10-8-85, Formerly 6A-10.40, Amended 5-2-89, 9-5-93, 11-25-97, 1-24-99, 4-26-06, 7-21-08, 5-18-14, ____________.