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 meet all of Florida’s academic standards for algebra 1 or for 10th-grade language arts. And because the two national exams would produce different results than the Florida Standards Assessments, it wouldn't produce fair results for the school grading system, they argue. The $420,338 study was mandated by H.B. 7069, the education bill that passed the Legislature last year. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher bonuses: State Rep. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, files a bill that would end the state's Best and Brightest bonus program for teachers and principals. She also has objections to using SAT and ACT tests to help determine if teachers are eligible, and to giving principals bonuses based on the number of teachers in their school qualifying for the bonuses. "I have a problem with this Legislature's focus on one-time bonuses vs. annual salary increases," she says. "It's not a responsible way for people to be able to plan their lives." Gradebook.
Contract negotiations: The Brevard County teachers union is encouraging its members to work only the hours and duties required by the contract as a way of protesting the latest pay raise offered by the district. The district is offering a 1.3 percent pay raise, or $600, for teachers rated "effective," and a 1.8 percent raise, or $875, to "highly effective" teachers The union wants $200 more than the offer for each set of teachers. Florida Today.
'Schools of hope': In Florida, 77,000 students attend public schools that have received grades of D or F from the state for three years or more. Those are the schools House Republicans plan to improve with their "Schools of Hope" legislation, which would set aside $200 million to bring in well-regarded charter schools to offer those students an alternative. Nearly half of the struggling schools are in south Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Critics say the legislation is a simplistic solution to a complex problem. Miami Herald. Backers of the bill find support in a ruling last year by a Leon County judge. Circuit Judge George Reynolds tossed out a suit claiming that the state's funding of public schools did not meet the constitutional requirement to provide a "high quality" education system. Reynolds' ruling also warned of school boards' seeming complacency in accepting long-term F schools, something the new bill aims to address. redefinED.
School testing: Most legislators share the opinion that the state testing system needs to be reformed. What's unclear is which of the competing bills will be chosen by the Senate to move forward. One compresses the testing schedule into the final three weeks of the school year and requires results back within a week. The other would also move testing later in the school year, eliminate some exams and allow districts to administer the tests in paper and pencil. School officials say either bill would present practical challenges. Tampa Bay Times.
Religious expression: The House will vote Tuesday whether to proceed with the original Senate bill guaranteeing students and employees freedom of religious expression in public schools or adopt the House's shorter and amended version. Gradebook.
Disappearing seniors: The Manatee County School District is among 10 districts that have drawn the attention of the state Department of Education for their high number of likely-to-fail seniors who transfer from public high schools to alternative schools. Since the 2013-2014 school year, at least 515 Manatee County seniors who would not have graduated have transferred to Smart Horizons, an accredited online private school. Manatee Superintendent Diana Greene says anyone who thinks the district is "cooking the books" to improve graduation rates doesn't understand the numbers. Bradenton Herald. (more…)
