Interdistrict Enrollment Is Appealing But Tricky

Interdistrict Enrollment Is Appealing But Tricky Florida schools are preparing for next year’s rollout of one of the nation’s most unrestricted open-enrollment laws allowing students to more easily cross district lines to go to school—a practice that has grown slowly nationwide amid both statutory and practical hurdles. Nationwide, 23 states had some type of mandatory,…

Florida testing season ends without major disruptions

At the end of the day Friday, Florida students will have completed the 2016 state testing season. “We hold our breath through the entire situation,” education commissioner Pam Stewart told the State Board of Education. But “this year’s test administration has been very successful.” Last spring, the Florida Standards Assessments and other state exams were…

Data dashboard for accountability instead of A-F grade?

Educators have long complained that state accountability systems that use only test scores and graduation rates to rank or grade schools oversimplify school success, confuse parents, and mask achievement gaps. Now, education leaders and lawmakers in states including California and Kentucky have said they want to toss one-size-fits-all school rankings and give the public information…

FSBA #FridayFive – Week of May 16, 2016

#FridayFive – Five things in education news that you should know 1st ever nation’s report card for Technology and Engineering Literacy  Therapy dogs encourage students to learn to read Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends report out Data dashboard for accountability instead of A-F grade?  Should coding and computational thought be part of k-12 curriculae? 

Learning to be Watched: Surveillance Culture at School

Schools now routinely direct children online to do their schoolwork, thereby exposing them to tracking of their online behavior and subsequent targeted marketing. This is part of the evolution of how marketing companies use digital marketing, ensuring that children and adolescents are constantly connected and available to them. Moreover, because digital technologies enable extensive personalization,…

Florida’s pre-K program ranks low in quality on annual preschool study

Florida’s pre-K program meets fewer “quality standards” than almost any other state-funded preschool program, according to an annual national report released this morning. The Sunshine State also “stands out” for the limited amount of money it spends to educate its 4-year-olds, the report said. The annual “State of Preschool” report ranked Florida 3rd in the…