It’s game day in the 8th grade International Baccalaureate design class at Ada Merritt K-8 Center in Little Havana in Miami. The games the students are playing are designed by their classmates. And they’re based on books the students read for class. Four eighth graders prepare to set off on a board game based on […]
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 […]
A review of Florida’s new statewide test has found the exam is valid and the results can be used to judge teacher and school performance, the Florida Department of Education announced. But the review also found that after problems with computerized testing, “scores for some students will be suspect.” The reviewers recommend that state test […]
In September, Alachua County kindergarten teacher Susan Bowles refused to give a state reading test. She told the parents of her students it was an act of civil disobedience. The Florida Department of Education later suspended the exam for this year. Florida requires that most students are tested every year. Those results help determine which […]
The candidates running for three South Dade state House seats — Republican, Democrat, independent — all agree that Florida students and schools spend too much time testing. Candidates running for the Florida House of Representatives in the 112th, 114th and 115th districts gathered for an education forum Tuesday night at Palmetto Middle School. “The biggest […]
Miami-Dade superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Florida leaders should rethink the scope and purpose of education testing and give schools more time to prepare for new math and language arts standards. Carvalho’s proposal was published online and emailed to reporters. Carvalho has also been tweeting excerpts since Monday. Carvalho draws a hard line at eliminating testing, […]
More Florida elementary and middle schools earned an F rating this year, according to preliminary public school grades released Friday. But the number of schools earning the state’s highest rating also increased this year. “The increase in the number of schools earning an ‘A’ this year is great news for students and teachers who have […]
Former Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett will pay a $5,000 fine as part of a proposed deal with Indiana ethics investigators, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Associated Press. Bennett admits using state resources for his 2012 reelection campaign. But Bennett was also cleared of any ethics violations related to changes […]
Veterans will pay less to attend Florida colleges and universities starting Tuesday, one of a handful of laws taking effect at the start of a new budget year. The Florida GI bill means any veteran living in the Sunshine State only has to pay in-state tuition. That tuition is typically one-third the cost of out-of-state […]
Miami Jackson Senior High School has lost its appeal to become an A-rated school after disputing test scores , the Miami Herald reports. The Florida Department of Education said the scores from students learning English would not have changed the school’s grade: The state’s ruling was expected, even though Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said […]
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