Florida School Boards Association
A growing number of Florida teachers has qualified for the controversial Best and Brightest bonus that’s based, in part, on their college entry exam scores. Districts deemed 7,188 educators as eligible for the state-funded award, which boosts the pay of teachers who earned a “highly effective” evaluation rating and also scored in the top 20…
Two years have passed since Florida lawmakers acknowledged, under mounting pressure from parents and teachers, that public school children might be overtested. The Legislature took steps to limit testing hours and eliminate some exams, amid criticism over a botched spring computerized assessment cycle. Read More
The controversial “Best and Brightest” bonus program for Florida teachers could be headed for changes in the upcoming legislative session, though the dimensions of those revisions are still murky. Read More
Florida ranked 29th and earned a grade of C on an annual report on education quality in the United States released today. The report ranked and graded all 50 states. The Sunshine State’s showing was slightly better this year than last — when it was ranked as 30th in the nation– but put it about where its…
Influential state Sen. David Simmons is wasting no time in his effort to improve Florida’s public school testing model. Simmons has dedicated his PreK-12 Appropriation Subcommittee’s entire second session to a discussion on assessments, and how to streamline the time and money spent on them. Read More
Charter schools. Vouchers. Tax-credit scholarships. Education savings accounts. What are these things and how do they relate to school choice? Education Week reporter Arianna Prothero breaks down the different forms of public and private school choice. Read More
The United States Department of Education regulations for accountability, state plans and data reporting were released November 29, 2016, effective January 30, 2017. Of note, the state plan due dates are pushed back to either April 3 or September 18, 2017. The timeline for school improvement decisions based on the accountability system is moved back…
Most local school districts kept their classes small enough this fall to meet Florida’s class-size rules, according to recently released data from the Florida Department of Education. Read full article
Sen. David Simmons, an Altamonte Springs Republican who chairs the Senate’s public-education budget subcommittee, said Wednesday he will make another push that could reduce the amount of standardized testing in Florida schools. During the first meeting of the Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Simmons framed over-testing as something that crimps the state’s ability to spend…
High-quality assessments are essential to effectively educating students, measuring progress, and promoting equity. Done well and thoughtfully, they provide critical information for educators, families, the public, and students themselves and create the basis for improving outcomes for all learners. Done poorly, in excess, or without clear purpose, however, they take valuable time away from teaching…