Polk County business leaders are so excited about the new Florida Polytechnic University (FPU), they held a news conference this morning to announce their support. It was part of a rally at the United Way of Central Florida in Lakeland.
More than 60 community and business leaders have formed Florida Poly Vision, Inc. to show their support for Florida’s 12th public university. Members say they are providing a much-needed voice for the new institution.
Attorneys listen to the judge at the merit pay hearing.
A judge in Tallahassee is hearing a legal challenge to a state rule regarding teacher evaluations and merit pay.
The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 736 last year, known as the “Student Success Act.” It sets standards for teacher evaluations and pay based on performance. Once the law went into effect last summer, state education leaders started crafting rules to carry out the law.
A new poll finds Latino voters are more concerned about education than immigration. The survey looked at five battleground states in the upcoming presidential election, including Florida.
While jobs and the economy are at the top of their list, Latino voters are clearly concerned about improving K-12 education.
A press release from the American Federation for Children says voters in five states “were surveyed by the Democratic-leaning polling firm Beck Research on a host of education and other issues that will prove critical to deciding the 2012 presidential election. Continue Reading →
Gov. Rick Scott has talked a lot about the need to improve education and increase the number of college grads with STEM degrees. From a business perspective, he thinks that’s how Florida will be able to compete globally and lure companies that will bring high paying jobs to the state.
The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) is out with a report that says one way to success may be as simple as getting adults back in school. About 22 percent of working Floridians between the ages of 25 and 64 went to college, but they didn’t stay long enough to get a degree.
Work has begun to get Florida’s 12th public university up and running.
Florida Polytechnic University (FPU) will be a member of the State University System after splitting off from the University of South Florida (USF). It was known as USF Polytechnic in Lakeland until the Florida Legislature voted to make it an independent, standalone university.
A select committee of the Board of Governors (BOG) met this week for the first time since Florida Gov. Rick Scott approved the change in April. Members had a lot to talk about: money, construction, enrollment, hiring, and day-to-day operations of the new university.
Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson had some explaining to do. Under new standards set forth in FCAT 2.0, about half of Florida’s 9th and 10th graders failed the reading portion of the annual assessment test.
In a teleconference with reporters, Robinson said the unspectacular scores are not surprising since standards are being raised. More is being expected of students as they transition into full implementation of national Common Core State Standards within a few years. “We were very clear that there would be a downtrend in the percentage of students who passed,” said Robinson.
50 percent of students in grade 10 received passing scores performing at or above Achievement Level 3 on FCAT 2.0 Reading (a decline from 60 percent in 2011 when the passing score was set within Achievement level 2).
81 percent of students in grade 4 earned a score of 3.0 and above on FCAT Writing, compared to 78 percent in grade 8, and 84 percent in grade 10.
Here are some highlights from FCAT 2.0 Reading results for grades 9 and 10:
In 2012, 52 percent of students were performing at or above Achievement Level 3 (Satisfactory).
In 2012, 47 percent of Hispanic students were performing at or above Achievement Level 3.
In 2012, 29 percent of students were performing at or above Achievement Level 4.
FCAT 2.0 is based on tougher standards in testing and grading. The test is more rigorous as the state transitions into the more demanding Common Core State Standards in 2015.
“We are asking more from our students and teachers than we ever have, and I am proud of their hard work,” said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “Florida’s higher standards help ensure students are learning what they are expected to know so that they are prepared for college, career, and life. As Florida transitions to higher standards and higher expectations, we can expect our assessment results to reflect those changes.”
Robinson will share more information about the scores later today.
Board of Governors meets with university presidents.
It’s true. Florida is getting another education task force, or in this case, a commission.
The Commission on Florida Higher Education Access and Degree Attainment is born. It’s a product of the university system’s Board of Governors (BOG) and not to be confused with other current or soon to be created task forces. In all fairness, this commission has been in the works for a long time.
Early release days may be coming to an end in Manatee County schools. The school board discussed the idea during a workshop Tuesday but made no decision
For the last five years, the school district has ended the day almost two hours early on what has become known as “Wacky Wednesdays.” The move was designed to give teachers more time to plan coursework and take advantage of training opportunities. The results have been mixed.
Preliminary writing scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) have plunged, and state education leaders are taking emergency action. Standards were raised a year ago, making the test more rigorous. The passing grade is 4. The highest possible score is 6.
So how bad are the results? 81 percent of 4th graders scored at least a 4 last year. On the latest test, just 27 percent scored that high. Only 33 percent of 8th graders passed, down from 82 percent. 10th graders passing the writing test dropped from 75 to 38 percent.
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