Statewide, Standardized Assessments:
HB 159 would require the Florida Department of Education to develop statewide, standardized assessments and portions of the state’s coordinated screening and progress monitoring system in the three most prevalent languages used by English language learners in Florida by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill also directs the department to create criteria for when non-English versions may be used, and it allows parents to prohibit administration of assessments or written screening portions in a language other than English. In addition, the department must produce a timetable and action plan for implementation and, where feasible, expand to additional languages.
The bill also makes related changes to assessment accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners. It preserves existing rules that accommodations cannot invalidate the assessment, requires written notice and signed parental consent when classroom accommodations differ from what is allowed on statewide tests, and provides that some students may have assessment results waived if the IEP team determines the test cannot accurately measure their abilities. It also requires hard-copy administration when online testing would significantly impair a student’s performance, and it continues the Florida Alternate Assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
HB 159 would amend sections 1008.22 and 1008.25, Florida Statutes, to add multilingual testing and screening requirements to Florida’s public school assessment system. It would affect the statewide standardized assessment program, the Florida Alternate Assessment, and the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system used in Voluntary Prekindergarten through grade 3. The bill would impose new duties on the Department of Education to develop translated assessments, set usage criteria, and publish implementation plans, while also giving parents of English language learners a new ability to opt out of non-English administration. Schools and districts would also face additional notice and consent requirements tied to accommodations for students with disabilities.
The bill appears to have been framed as an access and equity measure, aimed at making assessments more understandable for English language learners and more responsive to students with disabilities. At the same time, the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials suggests there was no documented public debate in the record here. Its final status—died in the Education Administration Subcommittee—indicates it did not advance, despite the policy goal of expanding language access.
The main points of contention likely centered on whether statewide assessments should be translated into multiple languages and how far parental control should extend over language of administration. Another likely issue is the administrative and technical burden on the Department of Education and school districts to create, validate, and maintain multilingual versions of high-stakes assessments and screening tools. The bill also raises concerns for disability advocates and educators about the balance between accommodations, assessment validity, and parental consent, especially where classroom supports differ from what is permitted on standardized tests.