A proposal that would reduce the testing requirements for Florida schoolchildren — and delay the release of school grades until the new state exams are deemed valid — is headed to Gov. Rick Scott‘s desk.
The Florida House passed the high-profile bill (HB 7069) in a 105-6 vote Thursday.
Observers had questioned whether the conservative House would go along with the latest version of the bill, given Speaker Steve Crisafulli‘s reluctance to even temporarily suspend school grades. But House Education Committee Chairwoman Marlene O’Toole, R-Lady Lake, said the proposal maintained Florida’s commitment to education accountability.
“It looks really good,” O’Toole she said. “I would not sign on if it was not.”
The bill eliminates an 11th grade English test, makes the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test optional, and prohibits students from spending more than 5 percent of their total classroom hours on state-mandated exams.
