A 10th grader born in Haiti struggles to read in his class at Godby High School in Tallahassee. The student is more comfortable with Haitian Creole than English. Teacher Althea Valle has students of various nationalities trying to master the language. “It’s a challenge,” Valle says. “There’s a lot of gesturing, and you know sometimes I […]
After a long reign as the fastest-growing and most problematic sector in higher education, for-profit colleges are on the ropes. This week the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will review how federal student aid is administered at one of the country’s largest for-profit colleges, the University of Phoenix. Owned by the publicly traded […]
Florida’s graduation rate increased by five percentage points between the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years, according to new U.S. Department of Education graduation rate data released today. But despite the improving rate, just six states and the District of Columbia have a lower graduation rate than Florida —the same number as last year. The bright […]
UPDATE: The U.S. Department of Education audit is a broad review of charter schools across the country and not limited to Academica or the Mater Academy network it manages, a fact confirmed by the federal agency. Academica disputes the U.S. Department of Education’s initial findings and said they have responded to the agency. We’ve updated […]
The federal government is pushing states to consider adopting a common definition for which students qualify as English language learners, Stateline reports. The decision is important because it could affect federal funding for those students. The common definition could also determine which students receive accommodations on standardized tests, such as more time, use of a […]
A New Jersey Congressman has proposed a bill that would allow states to bypass the strings which come with federal money. During a Common Core briefing at the Cato Institute this week, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) said he would introduce the LEARN Act – Local Education Authority Returns Now. The proposal would keep education funding at the […]
Five Florida districts have been chosen as finalists for a total of $400 million in federal Race to the Top grants. Broward, Charlotte, Manatee, Miami-Dade, and Seminole county schools were among the 61 finalists chosen from 372 applications. The department expects to award 15 to 25 grants, which will be announced by year’s end. The […]
Florida has one of the nation’s lowest graduation rates, according to new federal data released Monday. The U.S. Department of Education shows preliminary four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-2011. It’s the first time that “all states used a common, rigorous measure,” according to the federal agency. Florida landed in the bottom 20 percent of […]
Florida has nine winners in this year’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, out of 314 schools chosen nationwide. The program honors public and private schools in one of two performance categories: “Exemplary High Performing” is for schools that are among their state’s highest performers, as measured by state assessments or national tests. “Exemplary Improving” recognizes […]
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate K12, a publicly traded online education provider that operates in 42 Florida school districts, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval counties. Citing a Sept. 11 story by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida that reported how […]
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