What To Know About The People Writing New National Science Standards
A panel of experts is writing new national science standards and is seeking public input. Here’s who is on that panel.
- Source: Edweek
John O'Connor
Reporter
John O'Connor is the Tampa-based education reporter for StateImpact Florida. John previously covered politics, the budget and taxes for The (Columbia, S.C) State. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and the University of Maryland.
- Email: joconnor@stateimpact.org
- Twitter: @johnroconnor
Explaining How the FCAT Writing Test Changed In 2012
ocps.net
Florida’s board of education is meeting today to debate changing scoring requirements on the state writing test.
The Florida Board of Education is holding an emergency meeting this morning to debate whether to lower the passing score on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
(Watch here, starting at 10:30)
Results show the state passing rate plunged this year, following changes to FCAT writing last year.
Columnist: Gov. Scott’s Panel Will Sell Out Higher Education
Joe Raedle / Getty News Images
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a “blue ribbon” panel to suggest changes to the state higher education system..
Stephen Goldstein, writing in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, opens up both barrels on Gov. Rick Scott’s plan to overhaul the state’s higher education system.
Scott has appointed a panel, but Goldstein says the recommendations are already written: Sell out state universities and turn them into glorified vocational institutions.
The real solutions are simple, he writes:
FCAT Writing Scores Plunge, State Department Wants To Lower Passing Score
Holtsman / Flickr
The Florida Department of Education is recommending lowering the passing score on the FCAT writing test to 3.5 from 4.
Florida’s Board of Education has called an emergency meeting tomorrow to talk about state writing test standards.
According to materials the board has posted online, the state Department of Education is recommending lowering the required score needed to pass the test to 3.5 from 4 (out of six).
That might be because the percentage of students passing the test has nose-dived this year after the state board increased grading standards this year.
The change would dramatically increase the percentage of students who would earn a passing grade score this year, according to the report.
How Student Loans Have Burdened A Generation
Here’s a key piece of information from Sunday’s New York Times pieces on rising student debt — 94 percent of students earning a bachelor’s degree take on debt to do so. That’s up from 45 percent in 1993. Check out the Times’ interactive graphic on debt by college.
- Source: Nytimes
Next House Speaker Believes Increasing Florida’s College Graduates Will Require Online Universities
Florida’s next House Speaker says increasing the number of college graduates will require online universities. Online schools won’t replace traditional universities, Rep. Will Weatherford said, but make higher education more accessible and affordable.
- Source: Usf
Feedback Loop: Writing About Reading Requirements
Ken Wilcox / flickr
Florida students will have to take an extra hour of reading classes next year if they do not score high enough on state tests.
Students will find out in June if they’ll be required to take an extra hour of reading instruction next school year because of low Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
But we didn’t have to wait long to get your reaction to the new law.
Jose likes the idea, citing the benefits of additional class time in Hong Kong and elsewhere:
This is a good policy and we ought to stand behind it. We spend more on education than virtually any country in the world and our results are dismal. We have to buffer the adverse effects of variable household environments by extending the school day and perhaps shortening summer breaks for students that are falling behind.
Students Facing Higher Lunch Prices This Fall
Expect to see this story repeated across Florida thanks to new federal rules setting minimum lunch prices.
- Source: Tampabay
Students With Disabilities Will Count Toward School Grades
Students with disabilities would have to be tested and their scores would affect school grades, according to changes to the state’s school report card system the Florida Board of Education approved Thursday.
- Source: Newstimes
Five Questions For Florida’s New State College System Chancellor
News Service of Florida gets five questions with new Florida College System chancellor Randy Hanna. Hanna says the economy has coaxed more people to head back to schools, and that state colleges are working more closely with universities.
- Source: Saintpetersblog
