As the Commissioner of Education for Florida, I appreciate the flexibility afforded states by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to establish a workable, student-centric system of statewide accountability focused on increasing student achievement. The accountability mechanisms established under ESSA are comprehensive and considered. Read full commentary
With No Child Left Behind in the rear view mirror and waivers a thing of the past, states are embarking on a new era of school accountability under the new education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act. And as they get to work using their newfound flexibility to create a more personalized system of checks…
Roughly a month ago, we reported on how the Every Student Succeeds Act puts a new emphasis on students in foster care by requiring that states report disaggregated data about their academic performance. But after the release of the draft ESSA accountability rules last month, a dispute is emerging over another issue related to foster…
Although the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have enjoyed wild success as college dropouts, post-secondary education remains the traditional route to professional and financial success for many Americans. Consider the median incomes for workers aged 25 and older in 2015. Those with a bachelor’s degree earned 68 percent more than those with only…
The U.S. Department of Education today released guidance to states and school districts on the new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for supporting homeless youth. The new provisions address the needs of homeless individuals, and ensure educational rights and protections for homeless children and youth. The guidance released today will assist state…
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today issued guidance clarifying the obligation of schools to provide students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with equal educational opportunity under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Read full article
FSBA #FridayFive – 5 Things You Need to Know Certification programs as a way to engage students during the summer Florida TaxWatch report Illinois shifts from PARCC to SAT Nebraska replaces state test with SAT or ACT Communicating with your Congressional Delegation during recess
Lake County School Board members and district officials are troubled by a new Florida Department of Education grading formula that changes year to year and randomly moves the achievement bar so no one has a clear understanding of the expectations of the state. Read full article
FSBA #FridayFive – 5 Things You Should Know Each week, Executive Director, Andrea Messina, compiles a top 5 list of news stories that School Board Members should know about: Website Development School To Open In Wyoming More states sue over transgender bathroom directive Florida parents crowd funding fight against third grade retention What’s good in public…
Annual school grades were just part of the latest data released Friday by the Florida Department of Education Less noticed, but also with their own impact, school districts grades came out, along with the list of lowest performing elementary schools. Those schools have to offer an extra hour of daily reading instruction. More than half…