After analyzing the first year of data, the Florida Department of Education believes the state's teacher evaluation formula is sound.
Students in math classes taught by the state’s highest-rated teachers made 19 percent more progress than the average student.
For students taught by the highest-rated reading teachers, student scores improved 8 percent more than the average student.
Students of the lowest-rated reading teacher’s made 36 percent less progress than the average student. While students of the lowest-rated math teachers made 40 percent less progress than the average student.
That’s according to a state Department of Education analysis of the first year of statewide teacher evaluation data presented to the State Board of Education this week. You can read the full report here.
The Florida Board of Governors approved a two-part plan to expand online learning in higher education.
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.
Weatherford said he is pleased with the Board of Governor’s work.
“I think they’ve set a great course for the Legislature and put us in a position to where we can utilize technology and leverage technology to creating that 21st century environment that our education system …and our students are looking for,” Weatherford said. “Hopefully it will turn into good policy this session.” Continue Reading →
Education experts are worried about the development of Florida's next standardized test.
For the first time, a majority of experts surveyed by a Washington D.C.-based education consulting are concerned about the progress Florida and 21 other states are making developing the next generation of standardized test.
“Millions of dollars have been spent over the past few years with very little concrete to show for it,” one insider said.
Florida is one of 21 states helping design the PARCC exam as part of a move to new education standards known as Common Core. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett said this week that Florida may need to come up with a ‘Plan B’ in case the test isn’t ready for the 2014-2015 school year.
District schools must calculate the class size of every classroom and count every violation. Charter schools are allowed to use a school-wide average, which school officials say is more forgiving.
In the 2010-2011 school year, 28 of 71 Florida schools districts — 39 percent — were penalized for not meeting class size limits, according to state data. In 2011-2012, 22 of 71 Florida districts — 31 percent — did not meet class size limits.
Resolutions issued by the NAACP and LULAC Florida refer to parent trigger bills as controversial and experimental.
Two civil right groups have teamed up to write resolutions against the proposed Parent Empowerment in Education bill in Florida.
The bill — best known as the “parent trigger” — passed the Florida House last year but failed on a tie vote in the Senate on the final day of the legislative session.
“Currently it is done on a class by class basis,” said Rep. George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale, the bill’s sponsor. “This would change it to a school wide average, which is the same as the charter schools have.”
UPDATE: K12 spokesman Jeff Kwitowski has responded, sending along a link to an op-ed from a TNVA teacher explaining the school grading system, and the school’s response. He also adds some context to the statistic about meeting state math standards. See his comment below.
Tennessee lawmakers say they are considering limiting K12’s Tennessee Virtual Academy enrollment if scores don’t improve.
Tony Bennett was Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana for one term. He lost his re-election bid in November 2012, and was appointed Florida's schools chief by Governor Rick Scott.
But Education Commissioner Tony Bennett told the State Board of Education politics are about to become an issue as well.
The standards, known as Common Core State Standards, have been fully adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Educators say the new standards ask what students know and require them to prove how they know it. Critics say the standards are no better than what many states have already adopted.
Bennett said Monday that some states are going to face sticker shock when they realize the cost of the new testing. Others, he said, might want to set lower passing scores than Florida.
Mike Kooi with the Florida Department of Education says districts may come up with a variety of teacher evaluation plans, as long as they comply with the Student Success Act.
That’s because evaluations will vary — not just between charter schools and regular public schools — but between public school districts.
Mike Kooi, Executive Director of the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, has been trying to set the record straight after a legislative committee took up a new charter school bill earlier this month. The bill would set standards for opening a charter school and add regulations to existing ones, but it left the teacher’s union and others with the wrong idea.
“They were under the incorrect impression that the bill took charter schools out of the requirement for teacher evaluation systems, and that just simply isn’t the case,” Kooi said.
By 2014-15, all public school teachers in Florida – including those at privately run charter schools – will have to be evaluated based on standards set forth by the Student Success Act, also known as Senate Bill 736.
State laws sets standards for public school teacher evaluations. Whether charter school teachers will be evaluated on par with their traditional public school counterparts is questionable.
The way charter school teachers are evaluated has become a source of conflict for teachers and for lawmakers in Tallahassee.
The question isn’t whether charter teachers have to be evaluated under state law – they do.
The point of contention is whether those evaluations will be the same, putting teachers in both camps on a par with each other. That seems to be open to interpretation.
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