About half of Florida ninth graders failed the state’s Algebra 1 exam on their first attempt last year. The class — and passing the exam — are a high school graduation requirement. We’ll find out today if those numbers improved when the Florida Department of Education releases this year’s end-of-course results. But Pinellas County schools […]
It’s summertime and Angela Maxey, principal of Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School, is observing a classroom of 9- and 10-year-olds draw and identify different kinds of triangles. “Remember this is fourth grade—they’ve just finished third grade, but they’re learning fourth grade curriculum,” says Maxey. “It’s all Common Core.” This is not your traditional summer school. […]
Hundreds of kids in foster care are working on science, technology, engineering and math — otherwise known as STEM — projects this summer. The projects are part of the Florida Department of Children and Families Camps for Champions. “Many foster children don’t have the same opportunities to travel and learn new activities like their peers […]
We told you last June about the Summer Literacy Adventure. It was a reading challenge to keep kids interested in books during the summer break. First Lady Ann Scott visited students at summer camps and parks around the state encouraging them to read as many books as possible. Kids went online and pledged to read […]
Juan Galvez is going into 4th grade. His parents are from Bolivia and Guatemala, and they only speak Spanish. When it comes to homework, Juan is usually on his own. “My mom helps me a little because she knows the math,” said Juan. “But with reading, I’m good. I do it by myself.” Students learning […]
Florida students can exercise their reading skills over the summer through a free program at their public library. The goal is to mitigate the summer reading loss that leaves some students two years below grade level by the time they reach middle school. The program is helped by a collaborative effort among states to make […]
It’s been over a year since public schools in the Jacksonville area received a grant to boost summer learning programs. Duval County was one of six districts around the country that caught the eye of the Wallace Foundation because of its already innovative forms of summer schooling – like the Superintendent’s Summer Academies. The Wallace Foundation […]
Florida first lady Ann Scott likes to read. She’s trying to get more kids reading, too. Friday morning at the Tallahassee Museum, she helped kick off the 2012 Summer Literacy Adventure. The program is designed to get kids interested in reading and keep them motivated to read all year. Scott told an audience of museum […]
We’ve heard about how kids tend to forget a lot of what they learn in school when they’re away from the classroom for a few months. But a Florida program is making sure learning doesn’t stop just because kids are out of class. A new report shows how afterschool and summer programs in Florida can […]
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