Graduation rates: Florida’s graduation rate is up to 77.8 percent, a gain of 18.5 percentage points since 2004-2005, according to a state Department of Education report. Graduation rates for minorities are also up. The rate measures the percentage of students who graduate within four years of starting ninth grade. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Palm… Read more »
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Feds end Milwaukee voucher investigation
The U.S. Department of Justice has quietly ended a 4-year investigation into Milwaukee’s pioneering school voucher program. News of the department’s decision, which came before the Christmas holiday, trickled out this week. The Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reports the department notified the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in a Dec. 23 letter. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and Disability Rights Wisconsin… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Teacher evaluations, test scores and more
Teacher evaluations: The Florida Department of Education has told superintendents it intends to give greater weight to teachers with multiple years of success in the value-added model evaluation system. It also sent a list of 32 elementary teachers who meet the highly effective criteria in reading and math, and those from five districts who scored… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Blacks and fundamental schools, testing and more
Fundamental problem: More black students than ever are applying for fundamental schools in Pinellas County, but black enrollment is at an all-time low. It’s largely the result of a series of school board decisions to close some schools and change admittance rules for the fundamental schools. Tampa Bay Times. School testing: The Department of Education is warning… Read more »
Make 2016 the year of AND
Note: This week on the blog, parents who have chosen a variety of schooling options will be sharing their educational wishes for 2016. by Shawn Frost What would make 2016 a success in my eyes? I view this question as a school board member, as an education policy analyst, and in my most important role: father… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Black student achievement, school threats and more
Black achievement: A group of black activists say it’s time the Pinellas County School Board takes responsibility for the failure rate of black students, which is higher than almost every school district in Florida. The group, the Concerned Organization for Quality Education of Black Students, also discussed a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center that found… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Charter schools, threats, privacy and more
Charter schools: A report by the Pew Charitable Trusts shows that the number of charter schools opening in Florida grew at a rate of 12.7 percent per year from 2010-2014, third fastest among 16 states surveyed. The annual closing rate between 2009-2013 was 3.9 percent, the fourth highest. The report compares Pennsylvania charter schools governance with… Read more »
California Dreamin’
How the left almost pulled off a school choice revolution This is the all-in-one version of our recent serial about efforts to put school vouchers on the 1980 California ballot. It’s part of our ongoing series on the center-left roots of choice. The woman stopped the professor as they were leaving church near campus. It was the fall… Read more »
Where the rubber meets the Blaine Amendment
With a little help from some recycled rubber, groups seeking a review of state Blaine Amendments may have a better shot at clearing a major hurdle: Getting a hearing from the U.S. Supreme Court. Recycled rubber can be converted into soft, non-toxic playground mulch. The state of Missouri offers grants to schools and non-profits so they… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Suicide prevention, grades, No Child and more
Suicide prevention: Two Lee County legislators say they will file bills requiring a two-hour suicide prevention course be added to continuing education requirements for all Florida teachers. Florida Politics. Sunshine State News. Grades dispute: After the state Department of Education released projected school grades, Brevard School Superintendent Desmond K. Blackburn makes this statement to parents: “It remains our… Read more »
