Scott signs testing bill advocates say is a good first step

After calling for an investigation into standardized tests and suspending a new exam by executive order, Gov. Rick Scott quickly signed a bill limiting how many hours students can be evaluated.

The Legislature passed HB 7069 on April 9, 2015, permanently ending the 11th-grade Florida Standards Assessment for language arts that Scott's February executive order put on hold. Results from a Department of Education investigation into testing were released Feb. 18 influenced the bill. Scott signed the bill on April 14.

"I agree with many teachers and parents who say we have too many tests, and while this legislation is a great step forward, we will keep working to make sure Florida students are not over tested," Scott said in a statement. His office did not elaborate on what the next step might be, although Scott did tell reporters he had no plans to issue more executive orders.

The law strikes a requirement for local school districts to create exams in subjects not covered by a state assessment and limits the time students can spend on state-mandated tests to a maximum of 45 hours. Middle- and high-school students who don't do well on state tests will no longer automatically be enrolled in remedial courses.

The new law authorizes an outside review of the Florida Standards Assessment, the test that replaced the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, this year. The law also puts high-stakes decisions based on the new test on hold until the review is completed.

Those kinds of decisions include school grades, whether third-graders will be promoted to fourth grade and teacher evaluations, which now will only have one-third of an instructor's performance tied to test results instead of half.

The law also addresses when the first day of school can be. Schools can now start as early as Aug. 10, although each district may decide its own start date. Old law said schools couldn't open more than 14 days before Labor Day. The holiday is late this year and some administrators had been concerned about scheduling end-of-semester tests before the winter break.

The Foundation for Florida's Future, an education-focused group started by former Gov. Jeb Bush, posted an open letter on its site praising the new law for refining policies and setting the stage for future improvements.

"Florida has a history of moving ahead with sure-footedness and thoughtful adjustments in improving a system that has produced remarkable results for our children. This year is a continuation of that process," executive director Patricia Levesque wrote.

The Florida Education Association was more pointed in its reaction. President Andy Ford said in a letter to Scott that while the group supported the bill, there needed to be many more changes, because they felt the law actually did little to permanently fix systemic problems.

Ford asked Scott to push back the start date of testing, saying it happened too early in the school year. He also asked for tests to be given on paper until an online testing system was proven to be reliable, expedite the results and not penalize students or teachers for flaws in the system, among other concerns.

"We support this legislation a first step, but hope that you will continue the effort to make sure Florida's education accountability is built to serve the learning needs of children and the legitimate needs of the adults that serve them," Ford said.

Scott had ordered an investigation into standardized tests and signed a bill later passed by the Legislature that authorizes a further review of new state exams. There has been some action on this promise, but education advocates say there is more to be done. We continue to rate this promise In The Works.