The bill amends sections 1002.45 and 1003.53 of the Florida Statutes to revise the assessment and accountability requirements for virtual instruction program providers, particularly those operating as dropout retrieval programs. It specifies that these providers must participate in the statewide assessment program and receive a school grade or improvement rating based on the assessment scores of students within each district they serve. Notably, a virtual instruction program provider that operates exclusively as a dropout retrieval program is exempt from the district grade requirement. The bill also mandates that the Department of Education publish the school grades or improvement ratings for these providers on its website.

Additionally, the bill defines dropout retrieval programs as serving students who have officially withdrawn from high school and are not currently engaged in the education system. Each dropout retrieval program is required to choose whether to receive a school grade or a school improvement rating. The effective date for this act is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 1402 Filed: 1008.34
S 1402 c1: 1002.45
S 1402 c2: 1002.45
S 1402 er: 1002.45