Florida School Boards Association
Marion County officials with the school district and the teachers union on Tuesday welcomed a state review of standardized testing practices of all the state’s 67 public school districts. State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart ordered the review late Monday and asked the Department of Education to gather accurate information about the number of tests districts…
At last. Some sanity has made its way into the frenzied world of high-stakes testing. It wasn’t easy to get to this point and, incredibly, it wasn’t assured, though anyone who has studied a foreign language for a trip abroad would understand. The U.S. Department of Education — DOE — reversed its unhelpful policy that…
Teacher and parent groups say Florida public school students are spending too much time taking – and getting ready for – assessments. Now, Senate President Andy Gardiner says lawmakers will likely hold hearings to review the amount of testing being done. “I think the jury’s still out on, you know, are we over testing,” Gardiner…
Dozens of Florida charter schools withstood tougher high school grading rules and kept their top marks in a new state accountability report released today. For both charter and district schools, there were more F’s and fewer A’s in Thursday’s annual release of high school grades than a year ago. Elementary and middle school grades came out earlier this…
The number of Florida high schools earning an A in the last academic year fell by 25 percent as the state again changed its grading criteria. The state’s graduation rate, meanwhile, inched up to 76.1 percent, an 11-year high, the Florida Department of Education reported Thursday. Pasco County had the Tampa Bay region’s highest graduation…
TALLAHASSEE — Lower gas prices and rising consumer confidence prompted state economists on Monday to boost revenue estimates for next year’s budget by $622 million. The calculations improved the odds that Gov. Rick Scott will deliver on his campaign promise to cut taxes and fees, which lawmakers must approve. When Scott first announced a plan…
Starting this past spring, parents in Indianapolis; Troy, Mich.; Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla.; and Houston, Texas, heard about a new option for their children’s last two years of high school. In each city, a charter school called Early Career Academy planned to offer students the chance to earn associate degrees, either in network systems administration or software…
Abuse. Drugs. Mental health issues. It’s tough enough for anyone to talk about those problems. It can be even harder for teens facing them for the first time. That’s why the Health Information Project (HIP) trains high school juniors and seniors to lead freshmen through a year-long health education program. The program is in 37 Miami-Dade public high…
Reprinted with permission, South Florida Sun Sentinel. By Wayne Blanton I am grateful to the South Florida Sun Sentinel for its insightful, balanced, and responsible editorial on Nov. 29, “Court Review of School Vouchers Long Overdue.” I found Doug Tuthill’s combative response to the editorial surprising since I invited Tuthill to meet with me, and…
TAMPA — One of America’s most trusted sources for high-quality educational programming has introduced a digital learning platform aimed at keeping up with the state’s revamped education standards. Florida PBS Learning Media gave hands-on training to educators attending the Florida School Board Association and Florida Association of District School Superintendents conference in Tampa on Wednesday.…