In the Legislature: The legislative session came to an end on Friday, with lawmakers working to finalize several measures that could impact schools for years to come. Spectrum News. Florida school districts could soon be authorized to allow volunteer chaplains to provide services to students under a bill given final passage by the Senate. Senators voted 28-12 to approve HB 931, which the House passed last month. The proposal is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Under the bill, school districts and charter schools could craft policies to allow volunteer chaplains to provide "support, services and programs" to students, if such policies follow certain requirements. Orlando Sentinel.  WFSU. Yahoo News. The history of communism could be taught in lower grades. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WKMG. Miami Herald. Meanwhile, a Pasco family's 15-year effort to collect financial relief for their son's injuries in a school bus crash fell apart in the last days of the Florida legislative session. Tampa Bay Times.

Palm Beach: A majority of the Palm Beach School Board voiced support for building a new high school in Riviera Beach, which is a development supporters say is long overdue and would make good on a promise to the city's majority Black community. “We made a promise to the citizens of Riviera Beach and Palm Beach County that we will be constructing this high school,” said School Board Member Edwin Ferguson, who represents Riviera Beach and has championed the plan. “I do think the time is right for us to … to make good on that promise.” But some school board members argue that there are not enough students in the city to warrant building a new school there. WLRN.

Miami-Dade: At the start of the 2023-24 school year, Florida faced a staggering challenge: There were over 5,000 teaching positions that remained unfilled. In Miami-Dade, there were about 70 core instructional teacher positions that remained vacant. In response, district officials are formalizing a partnership with the Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) through a memorandum of understanding. TAP, an initiative of Achieve Miami, hopes to alleviate the teacher shortage by offering a streamlined pathway into the profession for college students who did not major in education. "This program provides an opportunity for you to prepare before you enter the classroom," said Jose Dotres, schools superintendent. WPLG.

Broward: Some good health news was heard on Friday in this county when the district confirmed the measles outbreak was over. The 21-day infectious period at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston "ended on March 7," an official said. The county had confirmed nine cases of measles in February, and seven of them were students at the Weston K-5 elementary school. At Manatee Bay, 3% of its student body are not vaccinated. The other two Broward measles cases involved children age 4 or younger. Miami Herald.  Tampa Bay Times.  Meanwhile, the state is investigating Broward schools over charter school funds. In a letter sent Thursday to Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz said employees may be contacted during the investigation. In the letter, Diaz wrote the "Broward County School District is not complying with Florida laws requiring it to share revenue collected via a discretionary tax," adding that if the district doesn't comply the state "may impose certain sanctions, including withholding the transfer of state funds, discretionary grant funds, discretionary lottery funds." NBC Miami.

Seminole: An administrative investigation is underway at Seminole High after a complaint of public displays of affection — but those involved are school resources officers and not students. Fox 35.

SAT exam: As the SAT exams go all digital, students have mixed reviews of the new format. Orlando Sentinel.

Spring break: Dates vary for breaks in Jacksonville-area schools. Florida Times-Union.

Colleges and universities: Florida State, Florida A&M and Tallahassee Community College are in line to receive millions toward several key legislative requests in this year's state budget. Tallahassee Democrat. University of Florida students protested outside of the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday over the university's decision to eliminate all of its diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI positions. ABC News. A University of Florida-led study points to earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease. Main Street Daily News.

Opinions on schools: New College of Florida should end secrecy over President Richard Corcoran's incentive pay. Rodrigo Diaz, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his sidekicks are busy trying to upend Florida's cultural, educational and other systems. Barrington Salmon, Florida Phoenix.

Around the state: Florida State University celebrated the groundbreaking of its new college of business building, a new attendance record was set in Marion, a state program helps bullied students, University of Florida shattered its fundraising goal, names were narrowed down for a new high school in Palm Beach, Hurricane Ian aftermath and more on a controversial law. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Miami-Dade: Since taking the reins as schools superintendent in February, Jose Dotres has proposed hiring six administrators — three of whom make six-figure salaries. During a committee meeting last week, when Dotres proposed a new deputy chief of staff role with a six-figure salary, some members questioned the necessity or were concerned with hiring a high-paid executive amid the district asking voters on an upcoming ballot to increase property taxes to boost teacher pay. "I do not fully understand this new position in relation to the chief of staff position," Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman said. "I do not have any problem with anyone the superintendent would like to appoint to any position. My problem is the title and the job description." Miami Herald.

Broward: A new audit shows this district's maintenance department continues to suffer from poor internal controls, two years after a district supervisor was convicted of federal bribery charges. The audit, conducted by Miami-based MDO Consultants, determined the district overpaid an asphalt contractor $30,000, bought materials without using required purchase orders and split large purchases to avoid competitive bids. South Florida Sun Sentinel. 

Palm Beach: A committee tasked with naming the newest high school in this district decided on three possible names, which will be sent to the school board for a final vote. The date for that vote has not yet been set. The final three possible names: Park Ridge, Western Wave or Dr. Joaquin Garcia high schools. The county's 24th public high school will have space for 2,600 students. Palm Beach Post.

Marion: A new attendance record was set here, topping more than 44,500 students just eight weeks after the school district topped 44,000 for the first time. Enrollment for the week of Oct. 10 was 44,509 — 1,093 more than district officials predicted for the 2022-23 school year. Ocala Star Banner.

Volusia: The school district here signed an agreement with the sheriff's office to run its safety and security department. School officials say they believe the change will lead to faster responses to emergencies and better communication. WFTV.

Lawsuit hearing: A federal judge sparred with attorneys on Thursday regarding a controversial state law restricting the way race-related concepts can be taught in classrooms. University law professors argued it violates free speech rights. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker's questions came during a hearing that involved two challenges to the law. South Florida Sun Sentinel. WFSU. News Service Florida.

Controversial law update: Education officials are crafting wording that will be crucial when carrying out a controversial law — HB 1557 — that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, while a work group looks to get ideas from other states. The law was signed in the spring by Gov. Ron DeSantis.  Orlando Weekly. Meanwhile, teachers who intentionally provide classroom instruction to K-3 students regarding gender identity or sexual orientation will face revocation or suspension of their teaching license under a rule proposed by the state of Florida. WEAR.

Help for bullied students: Since it began four years ago, a state program has given 1,800 bullied students a fresh start in a new school of their choice. The Hope Scholarship program began in an effort to help students who have reported harassment, hazing, bullying, robbery or sexual assault. The program allows bullied students to attend a private school or public school in a different district. WFTV.

Parkland shooter case: Prosecutors called for an investigation Friday after a juror in the Parkland school shooter case said another panelist threatened her during deliberations, which ended with a life sentence for Nikolas Cruz in the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Prosecutor Carolyn McCann said prosecutors are trying not to invalidate Thursday's jury vote. Associated Press.

Hurricane Ian aftermath: Destruction from Hurricane Ian has forced the Sanibel School and Fort Myers Beach Elementary to be rebuilt, meaning students will be relocated for the rest of the school year. Ft. Myers News-Press. Meanwhile in Sarasota County, students wrapped up their first week back after the storm. Two schools originally set to open today with the rest of the still-closed south county schools have been delayed by an extra day. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Financial facts: Student loan borrowers across the country will have until December 2023 to apply for up to $20,000 in forgiveness from the federal government. Chalkbeat. A beta version of the application was rolled out last week. WFTV. CBS News. Meanwhile, a majority of students in the class of 2022 filed for federal and state financial aid by the end of September. More than 2.3 million high school seniors have already completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which gives students access to millions of dollars in federal, state and university support for higher education. Education Week.

Children's book: A book by a retired teacher titled "What Luck" tells the story of a child's ability to try, fail and start over again. Miami Herald.

Watchdog report: A new watchdog report found insight on the effectiveness of federal grant money spent on charter schools. The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that overall, charter schools that received Charter Schools Program grants to open or expand from 2006-20 were more likely to stay open, compared to similar schools without that funding. WFTV.

University and college news: Monkeypox cases have slowed in the state, but public health experts say the virus remains a concern — including on college campuses. Colleges and universities around Florida are using various methods to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak. Spectrum News. On the heels of a student-led protest that interrupted his first visit to the University of Florida's campus, presidential finalist Ben Sasse faces questions about whether he can lead a large public institution.  The Gainesville Sun. In other news, University of Florida has shattered its fundraising goals by more than a billion dollars, marking the fifth largest amount ever recorded by a public higher education institution. The Gainesville Sun. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers ordered a survey of nearly 2 million students, faculty and state at colleges and universities to survey what they worried was anti-conservative sentiment on campuses. So few students filled out the surveys that the answers the state collected from them were deemed statistically insignificant. WUFT. Orlando Sentinel. Pensacola News Journal. Florida State University celebrated the groundbreaking of its new college of business. The new building is a $120 million project in the making and will feature a financial trading room, a 300-seat auditorium, a central atrium and space for future growth. WXTL. WCTV.

Opinions on schools: The pandemic packed a punch unlike any other period in living memory and forced many to take a hard look at the state of the nation's schools. Letrisha Weber, The 74th.

Around the state: Enrollment help is being offered to families in the wake of Hurricane Ian, a jury began deliberations in the Nikolas Cruz trial, a FHSAA form sparks controversy and leads to changes, ACT scores hit their lowest point in three decades and community leaders participated in National Walk to School Day events. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools and colleges and universities:

Broward: Jurors will continue deliberations today to decide whether to sentence Nikolas Cruz to life in prison or recommend he be put to death for the Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Deliberation began on Tuesday, but a decision was not reached. WPLG. WFOR. WFTS.  Fox 13.  WFLA.

Hillsborough: School officials here are enhancing mental health outreach efforts for students. The district on Wednesday announced two new measures, which include a centralized information source on Clever, a web platform students use for their classes, and brochures on key topics that will be displayed in all middle and high schools. District staff created the materials in consultation with a student advisory committee. Anxiety was an overriding issue, as well as peer and social conflicts, according to surveys and committee members. Tampa Bay Times.

Duval:  Plans are underway to renovate Old Stanton High School, which had been closed to students for five decades. The goal is to preserve the past for the first high school built in Florida for African Americans. Action News Jax.

Volusia: This county's schools director of safety and security resigned one week after school started in August. Now, the school district plans to replace Michelle Newman with a captain from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Mike Chitwood visited the school board meeting this week to discuss the contract for his office to provide the district with a school safety specialist, which was approved by the board. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Lee: Help with school enrollment for families displaced by Hurricane Ian is on the way. Temporary satellite enrollment offices will be set up today and Friday that will allow families displaced or relocated due to the hurricane to re-enroll their students into a new school that better meets their current needs. Social workers, bilingual support and Exceptional Student Education will be available at each location. Ft. Myers News-Press. A workshop was held Wednesday where the superintendent and school board discussed reopening classrooms to learning. The preliminary plan is to start reopening schools on Monday, but officials must check for working fire alarms, announcement systems, safe water and air quality. WINK.

Seminole: Voters here will choose two new school board members on Nov. 8 in runoff races peppered by the state's controversial educations issues. Any registered voter can take part in the elections, regardless of where they live, to decide who will represent Districts 2 and 5 on the five-member school board. In both races, incumbents have chosen not to seek another term, and four candidates competed for their seats. No one won the primary outright, so the top two finishers are on the ballot. School board members in Seminole serve four-year terms, set district policy and earn $40,000 per year. Orlando Sentinel.

Leon: Sen. Loranne Ausley released her third radio ad of the week, which is an endorsement from Leon County School Board Chair Darryl Jones. In the 30-second ad, Jones calls Ausley a friend and a champion for children and asks for voter support as she hopes to fend off challenged Corey Simon in Senate District 3. Florida Politics. District officials here will join more than 1,000 other school districts in the fight against one of the most popular e-cigarette makers. The school board this week voted to join a class action lawsuit against Juul, alleging the manufacturer used unfair marketing practices to make youth addicted to vaping products. The school district will be represented by Kirton McConkie PC, a law firm based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Tallahassee Democrat.

FHSAA form: Questions about menstrual history on a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) physical form for student-athletes will be reconsidered after a news story prompted backlash from athletes, parents and doctors. At a special board meeting held on Wednesday, school board members voiced outrage about the five optional questions that included inquiring when athletes last got their periods. "This is information that should be between a doctor and a patient," said board member Alexandria Ayala. Visiting FHSAA board member and former state Rep. Ralph Arza said at the meeting that he will add an agenda item on the Nov. 6 and 7 meeting of the association's board of directors to amend the form. Palm Beach Post. Florida Today.

Lawsuit filed: A wrongful death lawsuit was filed this week against a driver accused of killing two Royal Palm Beach High School students and injuring two others as they waited at a bus stop in March. The lawsuit against Angel Lopez is the first expected to be filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. Lopez — who faces charges in connection with the crash that killed Wazir Chand — was charged in the death of 15-year-old Tiana Johnson and for causing serious injury to Khio Phan, 17, and Rondell Lawrence, 16. Palm Beach Post.

ACT score slide: Scores on the ACT college admissions test by this year's high school graduates hit their lowest point in more than 30 years. The class of 2022's average ACT composite score was 19.8 out of 36, the first time since 1991 that the average fell below 20. In addition, an increasing number of high school students failed to meet subject-area benchmarks set by the ACT. NPR. Associated Press. The 74.

National Walk to School Day: In 1997, The Partnership for a Walkable America organized National Walk to School Day. The annual event attempts to build community awareness for walkable and bikeable communities. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor participated for the past three years. "Events like National Walk to School Day showcase the importance of walking to school, while also making drivers aware that they should be alert and slow down while students may be crossing the road," Castor said. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP.

University and college news: Students at Edward Waters University will have a chance to earn nursing degrees from the University of Florida under an agreement between the schools. Finalized on Wednesday, the deal is limited to only five students per year.  The agreement "will equally benefit both universities and our community," said A. Zachary Faison Jr., Edward Waters president and CEO. Florida Times-Union. The Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation provided $100 million to the University of Florida Scripps biomedical-research program in Palm Beach County in what UF says is the largest gift from an individual donor. In a news release, UF officials said the donation will held continue development of more than 100 acres at the campus. News Service Florida. A program at Florida State University Panama City received a grant worth more than $100,000 from the St. Joe Community Foundation. FSU's Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies Program accepted a $135,490 grant saying it will enhance efforts to increase interest in technology, information security and cybersecurity among middle and high school students. Panama City News Herald. The University of Florida's hunt for a new president violates the intent of a new state law that governs the process, according to state Sen. Jeff Brandes, who also co-sponsored the measure in the Legislature this year. The law keeps the early part of a presidential search secret, but also requires universities to lift that confidentiality when a final group of applicants emerges. Instead, UF officials announced one finalist, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, and refused to release the names of a dozen people they interviewed after reaching out to hundreds of candidates.  Tampa Bay Times.

Around the state: School board races heat up, teacher shortages statewide, a boost in spending on school safety in St. Johns, resignations at a high school in Pinellas and new presidents at Saint Leo University and University of North Florida. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Broward: Citing almost a dozen mass shootings that occurred over the Fourth of July holiday, Broward County school teacher and gun violence prevention activist Tracy Merlin said she will use her new role with the Florida Commission on the Status of Women to amplify demands for common sense gun laws. Florida Phoenix.

Palm Beach: Three candidates are vying for the lone school board seat here that's not guarded by an incumbent. Debra Robinson, a school board member for more than 20 years, decided not to run for re-election, opening the door for Edwin Ferguson, Christopher Persaud and Corey Michael Smith. Candidates will face off on Aug. 23 in a primary election. If no one receives 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off in the general election on Nov. 8. Palm Beach Post.

Pinellas: Four assistant principals resigned from Tarpon Springs High School over the past year, with the latest being a week ago. Three of them began the 2021-22 academic year at the campus. One joined in January as a replacement. In addition, about two dozen teachers departed, including the current Teacher of the Year. Tampa Bay Times. 

Duval: The number of teachers entering classrooms in Florida this school year continues to dwindle, including in Duval. A new survey released by the Florida Education Association shows over 9,500 teaching and staffing vacancies statewide. This time last year, the FEA reported about 5,000 shortages. As of this week, Duval County Public Schools reported 529 vacancies for certified teachers, which is up 23% compared to the start of last school year. The vacancies are are almost double the number Duval saw at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. The Florida Times-Union.

Volusia: There are hundreds of openings here, and the teachers union presidents say with the level of shortage they're facing this close to the start of the school year, there won't be enough teachers for the number of enrolled students. That also means there could be more students this year per classroom. There are currently 365 openings for teachers. The county raised the base pay for new hires to $47,500, but there hasn't been an increase in the state budget for those who are already working. WKMG.

Pasco: The Pasco County School Board has three of its five seats up or consideration. Steve Meisman (District 1), Matt Geiger (District 3) and Charles Touseull (District 5) share talking points on issues that include their opposition to the district's property tax referendum and what they call "woke" curriculum. Two incumbents, Cynthia Armstrong (District 3) and Megan Harding (District 5), are defending their records on the school board. Allen Altman retired after four terms in District 1. Meanwhile, newcomers Al Hernandez and James Washington are vying for Altman's spot. Tampa Bay Times.

Collier: A new high school will be opening in North Naples in 2023. Parents, meanwhile, have been pushing for more information — specifically on zoning. The school district plans to hold meetings for naming the school in September. Naples Daily News.

St. Johns: Officials here are boosting spending on school safety. A plan presented on Tuesday morning to the school board calls for more than $1 million more than last year to be allocated toward protecting schools, which includes increasing pay for armed guards. The increases will cost the school district a total of around $4.7 million. With state assistance, the district only has to pay $1.9 million, officials said. That's a district budget increase of more than $668,000, compared to last year. All 43 schools in St. Johns will have an armed guard on campus when the new school year starts in the fall. Some high schools, when available, will have two guards available. News4Jax.

University and college news: A professor at the University of South Florida is studying whether college students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can use a technology called "brain painting" to improve attention spans and reduce the need for prescription drugs. Tampa Bay Times. Saint Leo University announced a new president on its website this week. Edward Dadez, formerly the school's provost, was selected by the board of trustees to succeed Jeffrey Senese. Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, the University of North Florida has also lined up its next president. The Board of Governors approved Moez Limayem, a former USF business college dean, as University of North Florida's seventh president. Florida Times-Union. For the third year in a row, the University of West Florida led the state in finding success after school. UWF had more combined success at finding additional academic opportunities or employment during their first year out of college than did graduates from any other university within the Florida State University System. More than 72% of the UWF students who graduated at the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year are now furthering their education or are employed. Pensacola News Journal.

Attacks increase: About one in three school leaders noticed an uptick in student fights or physical attacks this past school year that are believed to be brought on by the pandemic and its lingering effects, new federal data shows. Also, more than half of school leaders reported an increase in classroom disruptions from student misconduct for the same reason. Chalkbeat.

Opinions on schools: Defenders of discrimination in education received a well-deserved comeuppance last month. The first was a lesson in constitutional law, while the second was the creation of expansive opportunities for parents to choose how and where their children learn. This combination will define K-12 education for the next century. reimaginED. The Catholic school movement has been advocating for the position that the court finally endorsed in Carson v Makin, which is that you can't exclude a religious school from public benefit programs like school voucher programs because they're religious. There is a long history of Catholic schools seeking public resources and being rebuked both politically and legally. reimaginED.

 

Around the state: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he would approve a line in the state's new budget that allocates $800 million toward upping teacher salaries, more limits may be coming on public comment at school board meetings in Pinellas, and discussions continue on the superintendent post in Volusia. Here are details about these stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Palm Beach: Nearly two dozen sheriff's deputies will soon be available to guard Palm Beach County schools if the school board approves a million-dollar agreement on Wednesday. A pending agreement with Sheriff Ric Bradshaw would provide 20 deputies and two sergeants at a cost of $100 per hour and $136 per hour, respectively. Palm Beach Post.

Orange: Residents here can share what they'd like to see in a new school superintendent, and what they see as the public school system's biggest challenges, at a series of community forums that begin today. The seven public forums are one part of the school board's multi-pronged approach to selecting a new superintendent for the region's largest school district. Orlando Sentinel.

Pinellas: The Pinellas School Board is considering more limits on comments at public meetings. When the board meets this morning, it will hold a public hearing before voting on proposed changes to its comment policy that emerged amid concerns that long and often heated speeches about issues such as masks and classroom lessons were interfering with regular district business. Tampa Bay Times.

Volusia: The school board here says it plans to decide soon whether to keep the superintendent in his post. Teachers, parents and leaders in the community say they are divided about whether Superintendent Scott Fritz should stay. School board members plan to decide if they will extend Fritz's contract beyond the end of this year in a meeting next month. WFTV.

Osceola: The county announced on Monday that all 2022 seniors will get to attend Valencia College or Osceola Technical College for free as part of Osceola Prosper. The money was set aside from what Osceola County received through the American Rescue Plan. That means that all high school students who graduate in May, whether they are in public, charter or home school graduates, can attend one of the schools for a full ride with a two-year degree.

Teacher salaries: Gov. DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran toured the state on Monday to promote initiatives they say will help recruit and retain teachers. Gov. DeSantis addressed media from the front of Fleming Island Elementary School in Orange Park to announce that he would approve a line in the state's new budget that allocates $800 million toward upping teacher salaries. The Florida Education Association worked with lawmakers to switch the funding percentage for beginning and veteran teachers.  Florida Times-Union.     South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  Lakeland Ledger. The funding is part of Gov. DeSantis' efforts to raise the starting teacher salary in Florida to $47,500. In 2020, the governor oversaw a $500 million shift in the state budget intended to move Florida to fifth in the nation from 26th in starting pay. Palm Beach Post.

Settlement talks: Teachers in Pinellas County expect a contract settlement to be reached this week. Meanwhile, the Pasco County school district also remained without a settlement. But the Friday before spring break, Superintendent Kurt Browning sent an email to employees saying the district had found budget funds to pay for a 4% across the board pay supplement. Tampa Bay Times.

COVID-19 adjustment: As protocols end, young students and educators are adjusting after two years of disrupted lessons. For veteran teachers and older students, its a return to normalcy. But for new teachers and young students, it's the first time they have experienced in-person learning without restrictions or interruptions. Chalkbeat.

College and university news: An international climate change conference in Orlando featured dozens of experts who spoke in carbon sinks, carbon traps, carbon sequestration and of being carbon neutral. Precious Nyabami, a University of Florida graduate student, was honored for her discovery that farmers can easily trap planet-warming carbon. WGCU.

Opinions on schools: Access to high quality schools should not be rationed through the mortgage market, nor kept as an unnecessarily scarce commodity. Allowing educators the freedom to create new schools and families to select between them creates opportunities for families and teachers. Matthew Ladner, reimaginED. Over the last two years, public school enrollments have dropped at about the same rate as their private school counterparts have risen, and districts that denied students in-person options for most of 2020-21 experienced some of the largest declines. Ben DeGrow, reimaginED.

 

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Students were asked to solve the multiplication problem 24 times 36 in Geniel Joseph’s fourth-grade Accelerated Math class in Palm Beach County, Fla.

Joseph wrote on the wipe board one way they could solve it: by breaking apart 36 into 30-plus-six and 20-plus-four.

Then, she said, they could use the distributive property to multiply 30 times 20 and 30 times 4, and then 6 times 20 and 6 times 4 to get the answer.

She then stepped away from the wipe board and asked students to discuss among themselves how best to come to the answer.

Instead of choosing the method Joseph modeled, students began thinking of other ways that they could come to the answer.

One student theorized that instead of breaking apart the 20 and 4, they can focus on adding two 10s plus 4.

Joseph remained available if students needed help, but she urged them to find the answer on their own. And the students found many ways to solve the math problem with their classmates’ help. They explored their own methods to reach solutions to complex problems. In the process, they took ownership of their learning.

School officials in Palm Beach are learning that when they give students choice, students become animated and focused. At schools like Seminole Trails Elementary, where Joseph teaches, they often excel academically. The district's new accelerated math program gives them the freedom to decide how they will solve math problems. It also lets them pick up the pace, so they're constantly doing challenging work.

The hope is that eventually, they'll complete more than a year's worth of math coursework in a year's time, setting them up to take algebra classes in middle school, and, if they're up for it, multiple years of college-level math in high school. (more…)

Florida students often have a chance to get ahead in math. They can take algebra I or geometry in middle school, and earn multiple college credits by the time they finish high school.

But those opportunities are usually reserved for older kids. In elementary school, acceleration opportunities remain rare.

One of the largest school districts in the country wants to change that. It created a math program that allows students as early as third grade to get a jump start in math. Advanced students who participate can finish three years' worth of coursework in two years' time. That can put them on a path to take highly advanced courses — like higher levels of calculus — before high school graduation.

The Palm Beach School district expanded the program this school year. District officials say students who took part in the Accelerated Mathematics Program in previous years achieved higher learning gains than their peers who were not enrolled in the program. (more…)