Athlete transfers: State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Jerri Kelly, the athletic director at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, talk about the new transfer rules for high school student-athletes. WUSF.

Spring break 'homework': Parents of students in Broward and Palm Beach counties complain that teachers assigned practice tests over spring break. Teachers say the tests are necessary to prepare students for Florida Standards Assessments testing. Sun-Sentinel.

Awaiting a signature: Several significant bills from the Legislature are still awaiting a signature from Gov. Rick Scott. Among them is HB 7029, the massive education bill that, among other things, allows open enrollment and allots capital funding for charter schools. Sunshine State News.

Computer coding: The Duval County School District has plans to widen student exposure to computer coding. The school board will vote next month on changing Andrew Jackson High into a technology magnet, which would offer computer coding and gaming among other career options. And Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wants computer coding incorporated into the elementary school curriculum. Florida Times-Union.

Progress reports: The Pasco County School District is researching the value of issuing standards-based report cards. Students could be judged by performance codes, such as Exemplary, Proficient, Approaching and Needs Development, instead of the traditional A-through-F grades. Gradebook. (more…)

Education budget: A Senate subcommittee approves a bill that would require the state to pay at least half of the proposed increase in K-12 spending. Gov. Rick Scott's budget calls for a spending increase of $507 million in K-12 spending, but with $427 million coming through local property taxes. Politico Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach Post. News Service of Florida.

Recess bill dies: The Senate will not take up the issue of mandatory daily recess in elementary schools. The Senate Education Committee chairman, Sen. John Legg, R-Trinity, says the idea should be handled on the local level. Gradebook.

Charter construction: Charter schools that serve low-income or disabled students would get a higher priority for capital funding under a bill passed by a Senate subcommittee. The House version of the bill provides capital money to charter schools with no such stipulations. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. Residents of Golden Gates Estates in Naples want more say about charter school locations. Naples Daily News.

Choice support: The Pinellas County School District ranks seventh in the United States in offering school choice, according to rankings by the Brookings Institution. Other Florida districts in the top 100 are Broward (15th), Lee and Seminole (tied for 16th), Dade and Duval (tied for 18th), Pasco (28th), Orange and Brevard (tied for 32nd), Osceola (43rd), Palm Beach (49th), Hillsborough (51st), and Polk and Volusia (tied for 54th). Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Alternative tests: The Florida Senate education committee approves a bill that would allow school districts to use the SAT or ACT instead of the Florida Standards Assessments tests to measure student progress. But Education Commissioner Pam Stewart opposes the plan and the bill does not have a companion proposal in the House, so its prospects for passage are uncertain. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Lakeland Ledger. WFSU. The bill, which won't appeal to everyone, would add testing flexibility. Lloyd Dunkelberger, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Sex education: Two Democrats sponsor a bill to give school districts the option of providing comprehensive sex education to students. With the state leading the nation in new HIV infections, Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, and Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, are calling the bill the "Florida Healthy Adolescence Act." Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher evaluations: It's been four years since the Palm County School District started a new evaluation system for teachers, and not a single one has been rated unsatisfactory, according to a school district report. Palm Beach Post.

Capital request questioned: Jacksonville city leaders say School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's suggestion that the district needs $1 billion for new schools, renovations and additions comes at a bad time. The city already is looking for support from the state and voters for a plan to collect sales taxes to cover unfunded pension liabilities. Florida Times-Union.

Computer coding: Florida Sen. Jeremy Ring, R-Margate, says the softened House version of his bill to allow computer coding as an alternative to foreign language requirements is unacceptable. Politico Florida.

Common Core: The Florida Parents Against Common Core is joining the national libertarian activist group FreedomWorks in its effort to have the Common Core State Standards banished from schools. Sunshine State News. (more…)

Testing standards: The Florida Board of Education votes 6-1 to follow the recommendation of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart on how to use the Florida Standards Assessments tests to rate student progress and grade schools. Board vice chairman John Padget and many business and education officials were calling for harder scoring and grading plans. School grades will be issued Feb. 9. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Tribune. Palm Beach Post. Florida Times-Union. Pensacola News Journal. Lakeland Ledger. TCPalm. Bradenton Herald. Tallahassee Democrat. St. Augustine Record. WFSU. Sunshine State News. Gov. Rick Scott and his allies in public education claim victory over former Gov. Jeb Bush and his allies in the fight over setting performance benchmarks for Florida’s students and schools. Politico Florida.

Grading schools, states: The nation's schools receive a C grade in the annual Education Week's Quality Counts report. Florida was 29th among the 50 states with a C-minus grade. Massachusetts is first with a B-plus, and Nevada is last with a D. Education Week.

Students' bill: Florida House Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Dunedin, files a bill that was created by two Countryside High School students that would offer high school students an elective course for life skills, leadership development, college planning and a study hall. Florida Politics.

School calendar: Okaloosa County schools will start Aug. 10 and end May 26, 2017 Here's the full calendar. The move was made to end the first semester in December and start the second after the holidays. Northwest Florida Daily News.

New virtual tools: Florida Virtual School is partnering with Knewton to build personalized courses for students, starting this spring. Virtual-Strategy magazine. THE Journal. (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 states that they still are responsible to deal with schools that show high rates of students opting out of standardized testing. Education Week. Both the federal and state governments are trying to cap the amount of time students spend taking tests. But the effect in Florida will probably be minimal. Palm Beach Post.

Education bills: A bill is filed that would create a social services-oriented pilot program for the state's poorest and lowest-performing schools. Meanwhile, legislators are still working on a bill that would give students and schools the option of replacing state assessment tests with nationally recognized ones. Gradebook. A move to improve oversight of home-schooled children is not likely to be taken to the Legislature. Bradenton Herald.

Single-sex schools: The benefits of single-sex education are inconclusive, but that's done nothing to dampen their popularity. From 2004 to 2014, the number of single-sex public schools in the United States jumped from 34 to 850. The Atlantic.

Gifted schools: The Orange County School District plans to open schools for gifted middle school and elementary students. School board chairman Bill Sublette says the district hopes to bring back gifted students whose parents now send them to private schools. The timetable is to open the schools in three to six years. Orlando Sentinel.

School attendance: Manatee County schools are reducing chronic absenteeism after hiring 25 "graduation enhancement technicians" to intervene with students in high-poverty schools before absenteeism slips into truancy. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)

School testing, grades: A Department of Education simulation projecting school grades indicates that despite fears more schools would fail because of the new Florida Standards Assessment tests, little would change in the distribution of grades. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is lobbying for her version of passing score standards. Superintendents support Stewart's proposal, but still want to suspend school grades until two years of data are in, while some legislators and business leaders think Stewart's standards are too low. The State Board of Education will decide the issue Jan. 6. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Lakeland Ledger. Tallahassee Democrat. Meanwhile, Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, says the Legislature will continue to work on bills that would allow schools to use tests other than the statewide standardized exams for such things as teacher evaluations and school grades. News Service of Florida, via Gainesville Sun. WFSU.

No Child bill: The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approves the revised No Child Left Behind Act, and President Obama says he will sign the bill into law today. The changes allow states greater control over public schools, particularly in the ways student and teacher performance are assessed. New York Times. Associated Press. Florida Times-Union.

School superintendents: The DeSoto County School Board is asking Gov. Rick Scott to remove Superintendent Karyn Gary while the state attorney investigates charges that she hired two administrators and fired another without board approval and forged the board chairwoman's signature on a contract. WINK. A YouTube video of Sebastian River High principal Todd Racine breaking up a fight won't affect the district's support for him, an Indian River County schools spokesman says. TCPalm. (more…)

Commissioner diagnosis: Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart has been diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a Department of Education press release. She will continue working as she receives treatment. Tallahassee Democrat. Tampa Tribune. Naples Daily News. Gradebook.

Coding bill: A Senate committee has approved a bill that would require high schools to offer computer coding as an option that fulfills any foreign language requirements. Miami Herald. Florida Politics. WFSU.

Teacher bonuses: A bill making the Florida Best and Brightest teacher bonuses permanent has cleared a House committee. Sun-Sentinel. Gradebook.

Recess bill: A bill filed in the Florida Senate could make a daily 20-minute recess mandatory for K-5 students statewide. Orlando Sentinel. WTSP.

School uniforms: A year after Florida legislators offered financial incentives for school districts to make uniforms in K-8 mandatory, only eight of the state's 67 school districts are taking advantage. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Test cut scores: Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is defending her plan for Florida Standards Assessment test cut score proficiency levels, arguing that raising the levels as some are calling for is inconsistent with state law and would be confusing to parents and students. The State Board of Education will discuss the issue Friday and decide in January. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times.

No Child bill passes: The U.S. House of Representatives passes an update of the No Child Left Behind Act, which scales back federal involvement in education and leaves it to states to decide how student scores will be used to assess teachers and schools. Associated Press. New York Times.

Teacher bonuses: The Florida Department of Education estimates 5,200 teachers are eligible for bonuses under the Best and Brightest Scholarship Program. But the original estimate was 4,200 teachers qualifying for the $10,000 bonus, so the bonuses would be pared down to $8,400. Orlando Sentinel.

Charter schools bill: A bill that would add accountability standards for charter schools but also make it easier for those schools to open is approved by a House subcommittee. A similar bill died in the last session. Miami Herald. (more…)

Class-size violation: The Pinellas County School District intentionally violated the state's class-size rules in the 2014-2015 school year, according to an investigation by the Department of Education Office of Inspector General. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says school districts that used a loophole to avoid the class-size amendment rules would have been out of compliance by 31,257 students without it. Gradebook.

Testing discussion: The state Board of Education will meet Friday to discuss the proposed cut scores for the Florida Standards Assessment. A final vote is expected in January. Sunshine State News.

FHSAA changes: A bill filed in the Legislature would allow schools to join the Florida High School Athletic Association on a per-sport basis. Miami Herald. WFSU.

Choice registration blip: A software glitch over the weekend mistakenly informs school choice applicants that they were ineligible. The problem is now fixed and the data entered is not lost. Palm Beach Post.

School tax survey: About 70 percent of Duval County residents would support a small increase in taxes for public education, according to the Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s 2015 public perception poll. WJCT. (more…)

Desegregation complaint: The ACLU files an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights that accuses the Indian River County School District of not following the terms of a 1967 desegregation order. TCPalm.

School testing: State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is not going along with the Florida Board of Education's wish to have Florida Standard Assessments test scores tied to NAEP proficiency levels. Gradebook. Standardized testing is a strain on learning time and a drain on school resources, Volusia County school officials say. WFTV.

Classroom size: The Broward County School Board is limiting the number of late-enrolling students teachers will be asked to handle. Sun-Sentinel.

Homeschool law: A homeschool support group in Manatee County says the death of Janiya Thomas was a tragedy, but says it is not a homeschool issue and doesn't believe the state needs to change its laws. Bradenton Herald.

School uniforms: The Volusia County School Board approves uniforms, starting in the 2016-2017 school year. Elementary, middle and high schools will have separate policies. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Language labs: Central Florida students are being urged to master a second language, and schools are building language labs to help. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)