so what s going on in florida? since 2003 the state is required that third graders scoring at the lowest level on the fcat reading test be retained. i put required, well, required me not exactly the right word because there are a variety of exemptions mention in the policy. for example, limited english proficient students who have received less than two years of instruction in english are exempted, as our moore s categories of special education students. students have the ability to demonstrate their proficiency on an approved alternative standardized test. they can demonstrate their proficiency through a portfolio that is aligned to the state content standards. as a result of these exemptions i think calling the policy test-based promotion is something of a misnomer. it would be more accurate to say a low test score changes the default decision that would be made for this student such that in an affirmative case nee