Testing, school grades, and funding bills were filed at the last minute. Some bills may have an impact. Will alternative tests, revised school grade formulas and changes (not increases) in funding improve Florida’s education system?
Category Archives: Achievement
LWV Florida asks: We Have The Standards: Now What?
The Florida League of Women Voters press release today argues that the State Board of Education is asking the wrong questions. The SBE argued about how many students and schools to fail. Shouldn’t they be asking how to make them more successful?
The press release was sent out across the state. Pass it on to all concerned parents, educators and business leaders. Forward it to your legislative delegations.
Michigan: Who Should Teach?
Michigan has raised standards for new teachers. Their teacher certification examination is more difficult. English, math and writing skills are set at the level expected for college bound high school students. Yet, the results of the first administration of the test are troubling.
Comparing Canada and the U.S. on Education
A reader sent this thoughtful article by Ben Levin. I was pleased because I too have been musing about Canada’s high ranking on the international PISA test. Canada significantly out performs the U.S. in math, science and reading.
I looked for reasons–Canada has a strict immigration policy based on skill levels of applicants. Canada has a lower poverty rate. These things are true, but according to Politico, if you use scores only from white U.S. citizens, Canada still outperforms the U.S. fifteen year old students. To make it to the top of the score scale, the U.S. can only use schools with less than ten percent enrolled from families living in poverty. Even in those schools, math scores would only be ranked 8th, but reading and science would be second to Shanghai.
Florida paid to get its own PISA scores. The results were surprisingly low. Our students were well below the U.S. average PISA scores in science and math and just average in reading. As a leading proponent for school reform, this is not good news for Florida.
The U.S. has the largest income gap in the world. Depending upon how it is measured, however, basic living conditions for the poor in the U.S. are not worse than in other developed countries. Yet, PISA scores have gone up in many countries, ours remain stagnant.
In the following article, Ben Levin compares U.S. and Canadian educational systems and finds some similarities and four very real differences. Perhaps we can learn from our northern neighbors. How uneven is the funding for U.S. schools? How uneven is the quality? This has to be a serious concern. There are lawsuits over equity and funding all over the U.S., and yes, in Florida.
Tougher Florida School Grade Standards Proposed
Commissioner Stewart’s school grade proposal is calculated differently, but its results are similar to those earned last year. Now John Padget, the Vice Chairman of the State Board of Education, is proposing tougher standards.
We need to think about this. The SBE meets January 6th to consider the school grade alternatives. We want students to meet proficiency standards, but the legislature needs to make it possible. How does the public make that happen?
We need to understand what a school grade really means–and does not mean. We have to ask if school grades motivate school districts, teachers and staff to do more. Good intentions are necessary but often insufficient. What else is required to improve learning? How do we make the system work for all children?
Kindergarten Achievement Gap
Family income and student achievement rise together. You know that. The Economic Policy Institute published its top graphs of 2015 showing it once again, but one chart focuses just on preschool.
If you compare kindergarten readiness for the lowest income groups to the highest, there is a full standard deviation difference. I wondered how many children were in the lowest groups, and how much money it would take to improve preschool education.
School Grades: Gaming the System
Charles Dickens wrote: “The law is an ass”. The point was that some laws defy common sense. School grades fit that category.
The latest buzz is about the release of 2014-15 school grades without including students’ test score gains. This decision is attributed to Governor Scott. In a way, it makes sense. After all, we have a new state test. How can you report gains on a new (FSA) more difficult test using scores from an old (FCAT 2 ) easier test? Hard to spin those scores…let’s see ‘Down is Up”?
The real issue is the law on which the decision is based. Continue reading
Congress Passes New Federal ESEA Bill
We posted several analyses of the updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Current legislation, called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is on its way to the President’s desk. No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top are gone. What remains are annual testing requirements and support for charter schools. Responsibility for most education accountability reverts to the states. Thus, each state can determine how test scores are used for teacher evaluation, school grades and the Common Core.
States are required to identify schools with under performing students and help fix them. What this means is unclear. For a good analysis, see Education Week. Many provisions are subject to different interpretations. One thing is clear, citizens need to turn to their state legislatures to make reasonable, valid decisions about how test scores are used. Continued policies that force districts and teachers to focus instruction on ‘passing the test’ can be changed, if the voters insist.
Making Informed Decisions About Charters: Apples are not oranges
Comparisons between traditional public and charter schools have little meaning. In an article entitled: Making School Choice Easier in today’s New York Times, charter school operators made concrete proposals to improve charter school achievement data.
Representatives of New Visions for Public Schools offer four ways to help parents make more informed decisions about the effectiveness of charter schools. New Visions are charter schools located in New York. They are non-profit.
Best and Brightest Teachers Bonus Needs Study
Efforts to reward highly effective teachers are understandable. An expression comes to mind, however, about a road to….being paved with good intentions. We need to know where the road leads. The Tampa Bay Times published an article this morning that delineates flaws with the teacher bonus selection process. Of the state’s 172,000 teachers, Forty-two percent of Florida’s teachers earned ‘highly effective’ ratings in 2014; of these 5,200 qualified for bonuses of $8,500 each. Some who appeared to be qualified were left out. No one received the $10,000 initially promised. The amount of money the legislature allocated did not cover the cost. We should know where the money went. There may be unintended consequences. This program needs fixing.Continue reading