Testing reforms: Under the proposed “Fewer, Better Tests” bills filed Wednesday in the Legislature, all K-12 assessment testing would take place in the final three weeks of the school year, starting in the 2017-2018. S.B. 926 and H.B. 773 would also require results be returned to teachers within a week of testing, and that an understandable report… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Testing, charters, student ID cards and more
Testing reform: Three legislators say they will file a bill today that would cut back on state-required assessment testing. The “Fewer, Better Tests” bill’s goals are to cut down on and improve state tests, move the exams to later in the school year, get the test results to teachers sooner, and provide better student score reports…. Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Merit pay, education funding, club policy and more
Merit pay study: A study nationally and in Orange County concludes that tying teacher pay to students’ performance on standardized testing has not produced the results expected. The study, shared with the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition, indicates there has been no “significant or stable improvements” in student achievement since Florida adopted a merit pay law… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Charter district plan, testing, recess and more
Charter district: The Jefferson County School District could become the state’s first all-charter schools district, if the Florida Board of Education agrees Thursday with the district’s school board vote to make the change. Jefferson has just two schools – elementary and middle/high school – with about 700 students. It’s struggled academically and financially in recent years,… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Transfers, Saturday school, hacking and more
Open enrollment rules: The state’s new open enrollment law was intended to give any student a chance at any open seat at any public school in the state. But in practice, the law could reduce a student’s chances of enrolling in an out-of-district school. The law gives in-county transferring students priority over out-of-county students for open seats,… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Spending, transfers, class size suit and more
School spending: Florida schools are still struggling to recover from spending cuts made during the Great Recession of 2007-2009, say superintendents and other school officials. The Florida School Finance Council, which advises the commissioner of education, says the state would have to spend an additional $1.86 billion over the next three years to offset those cutbacks. “School revenue… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Online education, PreK, charters and more
More on budget: An item in Gov. Rick Scott’s budget would eliminate restrictions on students’ eligibility for online classes. Right now, students in grades 2-5 cannot take virtual courses part-time, and students in middle and high schools can take select virtual courses only if they were in a public schools the year before. redefinED. Scott’s budget also includes… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Spending, graduation, leasing a school and more
Education spending: Gov. Rick Scott releases his proposed budget today, which calls for an increase in the state’s Bright Futures program but doesn’t account for enrollment growth in schools or provide an answer to the House’s plan to trim property taxes, which could cut funding for schools. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Politico Florida. Alternate… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Extra pay, middle school marriage and more
Payment questioned: A Broward County School District audit reveals that the district paid a former district police employee about $23,000 over her approved salary in 2015. Jillian Haring was a special assistant to the district police chief, making $60,664. But she was also being paid for other duties that the district did not need, according to… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Potential education cuts, choice push and more
Ideas to cut education: If Florida has to cut its PreK-12 education budget, Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says it should end the teacher bonuses and student uniform programs, public broadcasting and many local programs. Stewart was participating in a “what-if” scenario in which the education budget is cut 10 percent. She said one recommendation to cut per… Read more »
