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Every student should have the opportunity to participate in quality physical education. The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) defines physical education as “the development and maintenance ofskills related to strength, agility, flexibility, movement, and stamina; the development of knowledge and skills regarding teamwork and fair play; the development of knowledge and skills regarding nutrition and physical fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle; and the development of positive attitudes regarding sound nutrition and physical activity as a component of personal well-being.”

Program outcomes will include:

1) instruction in a variety of motor skills that are designed to enhance the physical, mental, and social/emotional development of every student,
2) fitness education and assessment to help students understand, improve and/or maintain their physical well-being,
3) the development of cognitive concepts about motorskill and fitness,
4) opportunities to improve their emerging social and cooperative skills and gain a multi-cultural perspective, and
5) the promotion of regular amounts of appropriate physical activity now and throughout life.

Requirements:

1) Each district school board shall provide 150 minutes of physical education each week for students in kindergarten through grade 5 and for students in grade 6 who are enrolled in a school that contains one or more elementary grades so that on any day during which physical education instruction is conducted there are at least 30 consecutive minutes per day (1003.455 F.S.).
2) Elementary physical education may be taught by any instructional personnel defined in 1012.01(2) F.S.
3) All elementary students will be expected to participate in physical education activities to meet state standards and program outcomes. Physical education staff will work cooperatively with parents, physicians,school counselors, and administrators to design/adapt physical activities to meet the needs of allstudents.
4) Recess which is defined as unstructured school time DOES NOT satisfy this requirement.
5) Physical therapy is a related service and therefore is not considered physical education. However, the PE requirement forstudents with disabilities can be met through participation in adaptive orspecially designed PE as determined in their IEPs.
6) Funding for elementary physical education teacher positions will be centralized at the district level and be based on a resource formula.
7) Physical activity, recess, and physical education are not to be withheld as punishment (F. S. 1003.455).
8) Every effort shall be made to increase the amount of physical activity students receive. This will help students meetstandards and program outcomes and support the recommendations made in the Report to the Board on Ways to Increase the Physical Activity Levels of Elementary Children in the Duval County Public Schools.

A. REQUIREMENTS FOR PROMOTION TO GRADE 4

To be promoted to grade 4, a student must score a Level 2 or higher on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment required under s. 1008.22, F.S., for grade 3. If a student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade 3, as demonstrated by scoring Level 2 or higher on the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment required under s. 1008.22, F.S., the student must be retained.

The district school board may only exempt students from mandatory retention for good cause. Good cause exemptions are limited to the following:

1. Limited English proficient students who have had less than 2 years of instruction in an English for Speakers of Other Languages program based on the initial date of entry into a school in the United States.

2. Students with disabilities whose individual educational plan indicates that participation in the statewide assessment program is not appropriate, consistent with the requirements of s. 1008.212, F.S

3. Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized reading or English Language Arts assessment approved by the State Board of Education.

4. A student who demonstrates through a student portfolio that he or she is performing at least at Level 2 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment.

5. Students with disabilities who take the statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment and who have an individual educational plan, or a Section 504 plan that reflects that the student has received intensive instruction in reading or English Language Arts for more than two years but still demonstrates a deficiency and was previously retained in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3.

6. Students who have received intensive reading intervention for two or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency in reading and who were previously retained in 5 kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3 for a total of two years. A student may not be retained more than once in grade 3. (s. 1008.25(5), F.S., and 1008.25(7), F.S.)

B. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS PROMOTED TO GRADE 4 WITH A GOOD CAUSE EXEMPTION

A student who is promoted to grade 4 with a good cause exemption shall be provided intensive reading instruction and intervention grounded in the science of reading that includes specialized diagnostic information and specific reading strategies to meet the needs of each student so promoted. The school district shall assist schools and teachers with the implementation of explicit, systematic and multisensory reading instruction and intervention strategies for students promoted with a good cause exemption which research has shown to be successful in improving reading among students who have reading difficulties. The primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Such instruction may include visual information and strategies which improve background knowledge and experiential knowledge, add context and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading. 9 (s. 1008.25(7), F.S., and s. 1008.25(8), F.S.)

A. READING DEFICIENCY AND REQUIRED PARENTAL NOTIFICATIONS
Any student in kindergarten through grade 3 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading, or the characteristics of dyslexia, based upon screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring or assessment data; statewide assessments; or teacher observations must be provided intensive, explicit, systematic and multisensory reading interventions, that are grounded in the science of reading, immediately following the identification of the reading deficiency or the characteristics of dyslexia to address his or her specific deficiency or dyslexia. A school may not wait for a student to receive a failing grade at the end of a grading period or wait until a plan is developed to identify the student as having a substantial reading deficiency and initiate intensive reading interventions. In addition, a school may not wait until an evaluation conducted pursuant to s. 1003.57, F.S., is completed to provide appropriate, evidence-based interventions for a student whose parent submits documentation from a professional licensed under Chapter 490, F.S., which demonstrates that the student has been diagnosed with dyslexia. Such interventions must be initiated upon receipt of the documentation and based on the student’s specific areas of difficulty as identified by the licensed professional. A student who has a substantial reading deficiency must be covered by a federally required student plan, such as an individual educational plan or an individualized progress monitoring plan, or both, as necessary pursuant to s. 1008.25(4)(c), F.S.

For reading, the individualized progress monitoring plan shall include at a MINIMUM:

1. The student’s specific, identified reading deficiency.
2. Goals and benchmarks for student growth in reading.
3. A description of the specific measures that will be used to evaluate and monitor the student’s reading progress.
4. For a substantial reading deficiency, the specific evidence-based literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading which the student will receive.
5. Strategies, resources and materials that will be provided to the student’s parent to support the student to make reading progress.
6. Any additional services the student’s teacher deems available and appropriate to accelerate the student's reading development. (s. 1008.25(4)(c), F.S.)

Please note that if a student is covered by an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) ONLY, the above criteria should be documented in the IEP along with all other required documentation.

In accordance with Rule 6A-6.053(10), F.A.C., a kindergarten through grade 3 student is identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading if any of the following criteria are met:

A. For kindergarten, the student scores below the tenth (10th) percentile or is unable to complete the practice items on the designated grade-level assessment at the beginning, middle or end of the year on the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), F.S., and the student has demonstrated, through progress monitoring, formative assessments or teacher observation data, 2 minimum skill levels for reading competency in one or more of the areas of phonological awareness; phonics; vocabulary, including oral language skills; fluency; and comprehension.

B. For grades 1 and 2, the student scores below the tenth (10th) percentile or is unable to complete the practice items on the designated grade-level assessment for the specified testing window of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), F.S., and the student has demonstrated, through progress monitoring, formative assessments or teacher observation data, minimum skill levels for reading competency in one or more of the areas of phonological awareness; phonics; vocabulary, including oral language skills; fluency; and comprehension; or

C. For grade 3, the student scores:

1. Below the twentieth (20th) percentile at the beginning or middle of the year on the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system pursuant to s. 1008.25(9), F.S., and the student has demonstrated, through progress monitoring, formative assessments or teacher observation data, minimum skill levels for reading competency in one or more of the areas of phonological awareness; phonics; vocabulary, including oral language skills; fluency; and comprehension; or
2. Level 1 on the end of the year statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment pursuant to s. 1008.22(3)(a), F.S.

Pursuant to s. 1008.25, F.S., and s. 1002.411, F.S., the parent of any student who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading or the characteristics of dyslexia based upon screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, assessment data, statewide assessments or teacher observations, must be notified in writing of the following:

1. That his or her child has been identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading, including a description and explanation, in terms understandable to the parent, of the exact nature of the student’s difficulty in learning and lack of achievement in reading.
2. A description of the current services that are provided to the child.
3. A description of the proposed intensive interventions and supports that will be provided to the child that are designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency.
4. That if the child’s reading deficiency is not remediated by the end of grade 3, the child must be retained unless he or she is exempt from mandatory retention for good cause.
5. Strategies, including multisensory strategies and programming, through a read-at-home plan the parent can use in helping his or her child succeed in reading. The read-at-home plan must provide access to the resources compiled by the Department of Education.
6. That the statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion and that additional evaluations, portfolio reviews and assessments are available to the child to assist parents and the school district in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level and ready for grade promotion. 3
7. The district’s specific criteria and policies for student portfolios and the evidence required for a student to demonstrate mastery of Florida’s academic standards for English Language Arts. A school must immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first.
8. The district’s specific criteria and polices for mid-year promotion. Mid-year promotion means promotion of a retained student at any time during the year of retention once the student has demonstrated ability to read at grade level.
9. Information about the student’s eligibility for the New Worlds Reading Initiative under s. 1003.485, F.S., and information on parent training modules and other reading engagement resources available through the initiative.
10. The process to request and receive a New Worlds Scholarship, subject to available funds (s. 1002.411, F.S.).

After initial notification, the school shall apprise the parent at least monthly of the student’s progress in response to the intensive interventions and supports. Such communications must be in writing and must explain any additional interventions or supports that will be implemented to accelerate the student’s progress if the interventions and supports already being implemented have not resulted in improvement.

Additionally, each school district shall provide written notification to the parent of a student who is retained in grade 3 that his or her child has not met the achievement level required for promotion and the reasons the child is not eligible for good cause exemption. This notification must comply with the aforementioned notification for the parent of a student with a substantial deficiency in reading and must include a description of proposed interventions and supports that will be provided to the child to remediate the identified areas of reading deficiency.(s. 1008.25(4), F.S., 1008.25(5), F.S., s. 1008.25(9), F.S., s. 1002.411, F.S., and Rule 6A-6.053, F.A.C.)

B. COMPREHENSIVE READING AND INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
The Department shall provide a list of state-examined and approved comprehensive reading and intervention programs. The intervention programs shall be provided in addition to the comprehensive core reading instruction that is provided to all students in the general education classroom. Dyslexia-specific interventions will be defined by rule of the State Board of Education and shall be provided to students who have the characteristics of dyslexia. The reading intervention programs must do all of the following:

1. Provide explicit, direct instruction that is systematic, sequential and cumulative in language development, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, as applicable. 4
2. Provide daily targeted small group reading interventions based on student need in phonological awareness, phonics including decoding and encoding, sight words, vocabulary or comprehension; and
3. Be implemented during regular school hours.

The primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Such instruction may include visual information and strategies which improve background knowledge and experiential knowledge, add context and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading. (s. 1008.25(5),F.S.)

C. SUMMER READING CAMPS
Retained third grade students must be provided intensive interventions in reading to ameliorate the student’s specific reading deficiency and prepare the student for promotion to the next grade. These interventions must include participation in the school district’s summer reading camp, which must incorporate evidence-based, explicit, systematic and multisensory reading instruction grounded in the science of reading, in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and other strategies prescribed by the school district. Third grade students participating in the school district’s summer reading camp must be provided with a highly effective teacher as determined by the teacher’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, F.S., and the teacher must also be certified or endorsed in reading. (s. 1008.25(8), F.S.)

D. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS RETAINED IN GRADE 3
Students retained in grade 3 must be provided with a highly effective teacher as determined by the teacher’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, F.S., and the teacher must also be certified or endorsed in reading. These students must also be provided intensive reading interventions that are grounded in the science of reading to ameliorate the student’s specific reading deficiency and prepare the student for promotion to the next grade. These interventions must include:

1. Evidence-based, explicit, systematic and multisensory reading instruction grounded in the science of reading, in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and other strategies prescribed by the school district;
2. Participation in the school district’s summer reading camp, which must incorporate the instructional and intervention strategies above that place rigor and grade-level learning at the forefront; and
3. A minimum of 90 minutes of daily, uninterrupted reading instruction incorporating the instructional and intervention strategies above. This instruction may include: 8

a. Coordinated integration of content-rich texts in science and civic literacy within the 90-minute block;
b. Targeted small group instruction;
c. Explicit and systematic instruction with more detailed explanations, more extensive opportunities for guided practice and more opportunities for error correction and feedback;
d. Reduced teacher-student ratios;
e. More frequent progress monitoring of the reading skills of each student throughout the school year and the adjustment of instruction according to student need;
f. Tutoring or mentoring;
g. Transition classes containing 3rd and 4th grade students;
h. Extended school day, week or year; and
i. Before school or after school, or both, supplemental evidence-based reading interventions grounded in the science of reading delivered by a teacher who is certified or endorsed in reading and is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, F.S.

The primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Such instruction may include visual information and strategies which improve background knowledge and experiential knowledge, add context and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading. (s. 1008.25(8), F.S.)

E. INTENSIVE READING ACCELERATION COURSE
Each school district shall establish at each school, when applicable, an intensive reading acceleration course for any student retained in grade 3 who was previously retained in kindergarten, grade 1 or grade 2. The intensive reading acceleration course must provide the following:

1. Uninterrupted reading instruction grounded in the science of reading for the majority of student contact time each day and opportunities to master the grade 4 state academic standards in other core subject areas through content-rich texts.
2. Explicit and systematic instruction with more detailed explanations, more extensive opportunities for guided practice and more opportunities for error correction and feedback.
3. Targeted small group instruction.
4. Reduced teacher-student ratios.
5. The use of explicit, systematic and multisensory reading interventions grounded in the science of reading, including intensive language, phonics and vocabulary instruction, and use of a speech-language therapist, if necessary, that have proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within the same school year.
6. A read-at-home plan.

The primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading is phonics instruction for decoding and encoding. Instructional strategies may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Such instruction may include visual information and strategies which improve background knowledge and experiential knowledge, add context and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading. (s. 1008.25(8), F.S.)

F. MID-YEAR PROMOTION OF RETAINED GRADE 3 STUDENTS

Each school district shall implement a policy for the mid-year promotion of a student retained in grade 3 who can demonstrate that he or she is a successful and independent reader and performing at or above grade level in reading. Tools that school districts may use in reevaluating a student retained may include subsequent assessments, alternative assessments and portfolio reviews, in accordance with State Board of Education Rules. Such mid-year promotions of retained grade 3 students should occur during the first semester of the academic year. To be eligible for mid-year promotion, a student must demonstrate that he or she:

1. Is a successful and independent reader as demonstrated by reading at or above grade level; 10
2. Has progressed sufficiently to master appropriate fourth grade reading skills; and
3. Has met any additional requirements, such as satisfactory achievement in other curriculum areas, as determined by the policies of the district school board.

The criteria for students promoted on or before November 1 must provide a reasonable expectation that the student has mastery of grade 3 reading skills as presented in the state academic standards in English Language Arts. Evidence is as follows:

1. Satisfactory performance as demonstrated by scoring Level 2 or above on beginning of the year administration of the statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress monitoring system in Grade 3 English Language Arts pursuant to s. 1008.25(9)(b)2., F.S.;
2. Satisfactory performance on locally selected standardized assessment(s) measuring state academic standards in English Language Arts pursuant to s. 1003.41, F.S.;
3. Satisfactory performance on a state approved alternative assessment as delineated in paragraph (1)(b) of Rule 6A-1.094221, F.A.C., and described in Section D of this TAP; or
4. Successful completion of portfolio elements that meet all of the following requirements:

a. Be selected by the school district;
b. Be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include student work that has been independently produced in the classroom;
c. Include evidence that the benchmarks assessed by the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment under s. 1008.22, F.S., have been met. Evidence is to include grade level passages that are approximately fifty (50) percent literary text and fifty (50) percent informational text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 500 words. Such evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted core reading curriculum or teacher-prepared assessments that are aligned with the B.E.S.T. ELA standards.
d. Be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the B.E.S.T. ELA standards that are assessed by the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment under s. 1008.22, F.S. For each benchmark, there must be at least eight (8) items assessed and the student must demonstrate seventy (70) percent mastery for all items assessed per benchmark and;
e. Be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading skills.

The criteria for students promoted after November 1 must provide a reasonable expectation that the student has met the requirements outlined in Rule 6A-1.094222, F.A.C., and that the student’s progress is sufficient to master appropriate grade 4 level reading skills equivalent to the level necessary for the month in which the transition to grade 4 occurs. 11 A retained third grade student is eligible for mid-year promotion if the student scores Level 2 or above on PM1 of the Grade 3 FAST ELA Reading and there is evidence the student is progressing sufficiently to master appropriate fourth grade reading skills. The Progress Monitoring Plan for any retained third grade student who has been promoted mid-year to grade 4 must continue to be implemented for the entire academic year and, if necessary, for additional school years. (s. 1008.25(8), F.S., Rule 6A-1.094221, F.A.C., and Rule 6A-1.094222, F.A.C.)

Third Grade Good Cause Exemption for Mid-Year Promotion of Retained Student (Prior to November 1)

*To be eligible for mid-year promotion, a student must demonstrate that they:

1. are a successful and independent reader as demonstrated by reading at or above grade level;
2. has progressed sufficiently to master appropriate fourth grade reading skills; and
3. has met any additional requirements, such as satisfactory achievement in other curriculum areas, as determined by the policies of the district school board.

Identify Eligible* Retained Third Graders & Conference with Parent/Guardian to Determine Student Promotion Options

Please note: The Progress Monitoring Plan for any retained third grade student who has been promoted to mid-year to grade 4 must continue to be implemented for the entire academic year and, if necessary, for additional school years.