Two Republican lawmakers have filed legislation that would expand a state initiative intended to help students learn at their own pace.
A 2016 law created a pilot program for school districts in Pinellas, Palm Beach, Lake Seminole counties, as well as P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School to experiment with “competency-based learning.”
The pilot program offered flexibility to schools that wanted to let students advance to higher levels of learning based on their mastery of a topic, rather than the amount of time they spend in class.
Legislation filed this week by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, would allow all districts to apply for the program. It would also change the term “competency-based” to “mastery-based.”
In addition, the bill would give participating school districts more flexibility to decide how they award course credit to middle and high schoolers. Right now, the law requires students to receive “135 hours of bona fide instruction” in a course before they get credit. The bill would allow school districts to develop systems that award credit based on a student’s mastery of a course’s content instead.
Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, filed similar legislation in the Senate last month.
P.K. Yonge is leading Florida’s foray into personalized learning. School districts in Palm Beach, Seminole and Pinellas Counties have begun experimenting with the concept. Lake County, however, backed out of the program earlier this year.
