AP success: Nearly 58 percent of Florida high school seniors took one or more Advanced Placement exams in 2015, according to a College Board report. That percentage was second in the United States, trailing only the District of Columbia (70 percent). About 31 percent of Florida seniors scored 3 or higher on one or more of the AP exams. Only Maryland and Massachusetts had higher percentages of students passing the exams. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Naples Daily News.

Charters and choice: Two Senate bills, one on charter schools and the other on school choice, undergo significant changes and may get a vote today in committee. SB 524 deals with teacher bonuses, charter facilities financing, competency-based pilot programs and giving principals greater authority to make changes at struggling schools. SB 1166 would allow open enrollment for any student to attend any school with an opening, allow athletes to transfer and play immediately, and revamp charter school regulations. Step Up For Students. Politico Florida. Gradebook.

Computer coding: The Florida Senate passes a bill allowing Florida students to take computer coding to satisfy foreign language requirements. The bill now says public schools may offer coding classes in place of foreign languages, but do not have to. If a school does not, it "may provide students access to the course through the Florida Virtual School or through other means.” Miami Herald. Politico Florida. WFSU.

Alternative testing: State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, says he was only checking when he asked the Department of Education's legal counsel if contracts hinged on the Legislature approving funding. He was told that was correct. Gaetz has pushed a bill that would allow schools to use tests such as the ACT and SAT instead of the Florida Standards Assessments. American Institutes for Research, the vendor that administers the FSA, has a six-year, $220 million contract with the state. Politico Florida.

Bennett lobbying: Former Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is now registered as a lobbyist in the state. Bennett, who resigned in 2013 during a charter school controversy, represents companies that specialize in Common Core implementation and alternative teacher certification programs. Florida Politics and AP. (more…)