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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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March 13, 2013

Teacher Evaluation Data Can Be Kept Private For One Year Judge Says

A circuit court judge has ruled that teacher evaluation data is exempt from public records laws for a year, denying the Florida Times-Union’s request seeking the information. The paper was seeking three years of the component data used to calculate teacher evaluations gathered by the state. The Florida Department of Education initially said in January […]

March 7, 2013

Florida Yet To Adopt New Science Standards Which Emphasize Climate Change

Florida is not helping lead efforts to develop new science standards, our colleagues at WLRN report, and it’s unclear if the state will adopt the standards. The new standards would begin teaching students in elementary school about the effects of climate change. The science standards are expected to be released next month. The Sunshine State is […]

March 6, 2013

Why Hillsborough County Schools Add Extra Tests To The Schedule

The Hillsborough County school district website lists 38 different testing dates for high school students. They range from Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests and biology exams required to graduate high schools, to alternative tests for special needs students and personal fitness exams. Not every student has to take every test — those personal fitness exams, for […]

Florida Students Will Spend At Least Eight Hours A Year Taking New Standardized Test

Third grade students will spend at least eight hours a year taking Florida’s next standardized test, while high school juniors will spend nearly 10 hours a year to complete the new online exam. A Florida 8th grader — taking the FCAT reading, math, science and writing tests — will spend 8 hours and 20 minutes […]

February 25, 2013

How School Zero Tolerance Rules Turn Bad Behavior Into A Crime

Malcolm Calvert was in 7th grade when he got into an argument with his 6th grade friend on a school bus and hit him with a Tootsie Pop.

“I hit him with it on his head,” recalls Malcolm, who was a student at Lanier James Alternative School in Hallandale Beach, Fla., when the Tootsie Pop incident happened in 2011. “They handcuffed me and took me off the school bus.”

February 22, 2013

Florida Board Of Governors Will Choose A University To Lead Online Education Efforts

The Florida Board of Governors has approved a plan to add online learning options in the State University System. The board’s strategic planning committee has been taking testimony and working with those with a stake in the decision for more than a year on how Florida should expand online learning. The plan doesn’t include a […]

February 20, 2013

Tennessee Lawmakers Question Online Educator K12 Inc.

Lawmakers in Tennessee are growing skeptical of an online school run by K12 Inc., the nation’s largest online education company. That’s according to a piece by Tennessee reporter Blake Farmer broadcast on NPR Tuesday. Just 16 percent of K12’s 3,200 students in kindergarten through 8th grade met state standards in math. The company is also […]

February 14, 2013

Florida Legislative Leaders Say This Is The Year For The Parent Trigger Bill

The parent trigger bill is back, and Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford thinks it has a good chance of passing this year. He even tweeted about it shortly after the bill was filed. “It’s great public policy. It empowers families. It empowers parents, gives them the choices that they need,” Weatherford told StateImpact Florida. “It engages […]

Explaining Florida’s Private School Tax Credit Scholarship

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has proposed a federal tax credit to help fund private school scholarships. The proposal is similar to a Florida program created in 2001. Florida is one of 11 states with a tax credit scholarship. Here’s how it works. Students are eligible for the program if: Their family household income is no […]

February 11, 2013

Florida College System Students Can Take Their Credits To A Private School

Students who attend Florida’s public colleges can transfer to private institutions in Florida without losing credits. The agreement continues a partnership between the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and the Florida College System. The agreement — known a 2+2 in higher education circles — enables students to complete a two-year Associate in Arts […]

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