Twenty-two local schools will get a piece of the $134.6 million pie that is school recognition dollars — an initiative that annually awards schools for achieving either an “A” or substantial progress on state-issued report cards.
And while school officials will readily accept the newly minted checks, they also critique the program’s incentive methods, weighing whether school grades are the best way to reward educators.
The Florida School Recognition Program is based on the state’s accountability system, which evaluates factors such as students’ test scores, high school graduation rates and “acceleration participation” from student enrollment in advanced classes. Awards were distributed Tuesday from the Department of Education.
