While Lee County residents debated opting out of Florida’s testing program on principle, one Pasco County mom suggested the focus should be on the technical.
The 2013 legislation stated:
Section 6. Full implementation of online assessments for Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics adopted under s. 1003.41, Florida Statutes, for all kindergarten through grade 12 public school students shall occur only after the technology infrastructure, connectivity, and capacity of all public schools and school districts have been load tested and independently verified as ready for successful deployment and implementation.
Section 7. The technology infrastructure, connectivity, and capacity of all public schools and school districts that administer statewide standardized assessments pursuant to s.1008.22, Florida Statutes, including online assessments, shall be load tested and independently verified as appropriate, adequate, efficient, and sustainable.
“We are not ready to administer the FSA,” Janshon told the Pasco board. “I ask you push back hard on DOE based on the law.”
The Florida Department of Education doused that idea, though, much as it took a dim view of the opt-out movement that briefly took hold in Lee.
