The state Board of Education, which for years has pushed to toughen standards for Florida students, voted Wednesday to compromise on test scores and school grades while the state continues to wrestle with its newly revised accountability system.
The board adopted Education Commissioner Pam Stewart’s recommendations for scores that would see more than half of students passing the Florida Standards Assessments. It also approved a more forgiving grading formula that will maintain the current distribution of A- through F-rated schools statewide.
The vote involves tests that were taken last spring but have yet to be formally applied to school grades. That’s because of the long process required after the state switched to new standards and developed new tests. Usually, grades and scores are released in the summer following spring testing.
