Graduation rate rises: Florida’s high school graduation rate rose 1.6 percentage points in 2017, to 82.3 percent, according to figures released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education. The rate has gone up steadily since the 2006-2007 school year, when fewer than 60 percent of students got diplomas. Gilchrist County had the highest rate in… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: School oversight, merit pay, testing and more
Private school oversight: A bill is filed for the legislative session beginning today that would tighten some standards for private schools receiving state scholarships. Under the bill, filed by state Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, private schools would be required to hire only teachers with at least a bachelor’s degree. The proposal would also tighten… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Legislative preview, possible sanctions and more
Legislative preview: Fighting over the state budget is expected to dominate the Legislature in this election year. The top education issues being considered are potential revisions in H.B. 7069, which boosts charter schools, expanding Bright Futures scholarships and a bill providing scholarships for bullied K-12 students. Other issues include a bill requiring completion of a financial… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Test-subbing, bonuses, contract talks and more
Test-subbing questioned: Florida’s plan to let school districts decide whether to substitute state standardized assessment tests with the SAT or ACT probably won’t work, according to a report prepared by the Assessments Solutions Group and presented to the Florida Department of Education and the Legislature. The study’s authors say neither of the college admissions exams… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: ESSA, active shooter training, bonuses and more
ESSA plan: After federal education officials recently raised questions about Florida’s plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state asks for an extension beyond the Jan. 4 deadline to rework the plan. State officials say they are still reviewing the letter federal officials sent that questions the state’s plans to measure how individual… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: ESSA plan needs revisions, grad rates and more
Feds order ESSA revise: The U.S. Department of Education says Florida is among 10 states that will have to revise their plans on implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act. The department’s letter to Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says the state’s plan does not fulfill ESSA requirements in three areas: identifying schools with large achievement gaps… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: H.B. 7069 lawsuits, raises, top teachers and more
Suit dismissal denied: A Leon County circuit judge denies the state’s request to dismiss a Palm Beach County School Board lawsuit against a portion of the education law, H.B. 7069. The district says the law is unconstitutional because it infringes on the rights of local school boards by requiring them to share local property tax… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Net neutrality and schools, term limits and more
Net neutrality and schools: Critics of the federal government’s rule to end net neutrality say teachers and students could be adversely affected. The new rules would allow Internet providers to charge more, and to give priority and bandwidth to people paying a premium and to streaming video services that are owned by those companies. That could… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Schools of Hope rules, grade pressure and more
Schools of Hope rules: Rules have been proposed to implement the “Schools of Hope” part of the education bill passed in the Legislature earlier this year. The rules define what companies can be “hope operators,” who can then open a charter school within 5 miles of a persistently low-performing public school. The law outlined three criteria… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Schools of Hope applicants, term limits and more
Schools of Hope: Thirty-three struggling Florida schools have applied for extra money through the state’s Schools of Hope program. This is the second round of applications. In the first round, 50 schools applied for the extra $2,000 per student, but only 11 were accepted. The state is limiting the number of schools in the program… Read more »