Critics who say there is too much testing in Florida can breathe a little easier today -- this morning, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law to eliminate certain standardized tests as well as requiring a pause to calculating and releasing the states "A" to "F" grades until a third party conducts a thorough investigation of the validity of the new test.
The new legislation would make test results count for only 30 percent of teacher evaluations as well as significantly reduce testing to only take up 45 hours out of 900 hours of classroom time.
The 11th-grade English-language arts statewide assessment will also be eliminated, as will mandatory end-of-course assessments.
The measure was overwhelmingly supported by the Senate and House, with many lawmakers expressing they felt there is too much testing in Florida.
Some of the top politicians statewide slammed the current state of Floridas accountability system, saying it had become a complicated mess in recent years.
"There's too much damn testing going on in this state," said Sen.Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who harshly criticized the states education system when the bill made its way to the Senate floor.
Other legislators in the House hopped on board with the bills passage, but said there was still work to be done to address the problems in the states education system.
We need to go much further to reduce high-stakes testing in our schools," said Rep. Joseph Geller, D-Aventura, who said the bill was a good start.
Scott said Tuesday he also felt there was too much testing in Florida, and explained he remained committed to addressing the issue.
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 overtested, he said.
Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the signing was a good move toward making progress in Florida.
Step in the right direction, he tweeted Tuesday.
Other groups across the state said HB 7069 was simply a continuation of many years of progress for improving education in Florida.
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, said Patricia Levesque, executive director for the Foundation for Floridas Future. This year is a continuation of that process.
But some said they hoped Gov. Scott would go further than simply signing the bill and explained they wanted Scott to sign an executive order to leave Florida students harmless during the states transitional period to the new Florida Standards.
Rita Solnet, one of the founders of the group Parents Across America, said Scott should consider signing an executive order holding students harmless during the transition to new standards and exams.
"While we are pleased that the Legislature dialed back some unattainable demands and that they engaged in a healthy discussion on how we must restore credibility to Florida's accountability system, we are disappointed that children are still at risk of harsh penalties during this transitional period," said Rita Solnet, one of the founders of education group Parents Across America, said in a statement.
Its not clear whether or not Scott intends to sign such an order.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
