Bill > S0342

This bill requires the Florida Department of Education to develop statewide, standardized assessments and portions of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system in the three most prevalent languages used by English language learners by the 2027-2028 school year. The department must create a detailed timetable and action plan for developing and implementing these multilingual assessments, and establish criteria for when using assessments in languages other than English is appropriate. Parents of English language learner students will have the right to prohibit their child from taking assessments in a language other than English. The bill modifies existing statutes related to student assessments, focusing on providing more inclusive testing options for students with limited English proficiency. This change aims to ensure that language barriers do not prevent students from accurately demonstrating their academic knowledge and skills. The provisions will take effect on July 1, 2026, giving the Department of Education time to prepare and develop the multilingual assessment materials.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/342