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Putting Education Reform To The Test

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Stories about students and the initiatives designed to improve performance. Are the many education reforms Florida has adopted having an impact?

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January 29, 2016

The Anemic State of High School Physics in Florida

Physics is the most  fundamental of sciences; it’s an essential stepping stone for  careers in engineering or science. But around the country, fewer than 40 percent of high school students take a physics class. In Florida , that number is much lower — only about a quarter of high school students take physics. Experts say […]

November 30, 2015

Parents Fight For School Recess

Remember recess? When you knew that if you just sat still for a couple more hours, you and your friends could go racing out to the merry-go-round or the hopscotch court for a daily dose of fun? In many public elementary schools in Florida, recess has become a thing of the past. And parents are […]

November 23, 2015

Despite Losing Grant, Choral Group Still Teaching Miami Students To Sing

As soon as the fourth and fifth graders at Natural Bridge Elementary were handed the lyrics to Amazing Grace, they were ready to sing out. But first, they needed a lesson in the four voice types of a choir – bass, tenor, alto and soprano. One by one members of the group added their part […]

November 16, 2015
November 10, 2015

Tampa Academy Introduces Students To Maritime Careers

  Florida is a state that juts out into the water and is home to 14 ports — but still the maritime industry is a mystery to most teens. Now, a rapidly aging workforce in one of the state’s major economic engines is behind a push to reach a younger generation and teach them about […]

November 2, 2015

Why President Obama’s Call For Less Testing Might Not Change Much

Recently, President Barack Obama admitted he’d made a mistake when it comes to public schools. Like most people with big news to share – he posted it on Facebook. “I also hear from parents who, rightly, worry about too much testing,” Obama said in a video posted to the White House’s Facebook page. For more […]

October 28, 2015

Miami-Dade Gets Good Marks On “Nation’s Report Card”

Miami-Dade students improved their scores on two of four national reading and math exams, even as scores dropped nationally. The results are from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP — also known as the “nation’s report card.” The test is given every two years in math and reading to 4th and 8th grade […]

October 26, 2015

Florida Schools Struggle To Find Enough Bilingual Teachers

Most of the students at Royal Palm Elementary in Miami have Spanish-speaking families. But those families also want their kids to speak – and read and write – more Spanish in school. So teacher Alexandra Martin is leading her 1st grade class through “Vamos Papa,” with each child reading a passage from the Spanish language […]

October 19, 2015

Deciphering Dueling Stats on Graduation Rates

It sounded like a story guaranteed to irritate taxpayers: a national study out of Rutgers university says more and more public high school students are taking longer than four years to graduate. Instead, they’re in school for five or six — or more —  years! But Florida school officials say that’s not a problem here. […]

September 30, 2015

Read: The First Results From Florida’s New Statewide Test

Florida school districts received the first round of test results from the Florida Standards Assessments this week. The results show what percentage of students in each district scored within each quartile of all Florida students taking the exams. Parents can expect more detailed scores for their students next month. The state is now setting cut […]

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