LWVeducation
Feature of the Week
Parents care not only about the quality of education offered but also the mix of children in a school. How does the premise that “More choice should produce a better educational fit between what parents want for their children and ultimately lead to better educational outcomes” work out over time?
This study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research looks at data from North Carolina. We all need to understand the consequences of choice.
As charters in Duval County increase, the school district faces a $10 million dollar shortfall. Should the district give up reading coaches for traditional schools?
The options for balancing the district budget are not good. If the district draws down its reserve fund, what do they do next year? The district anticipates that there will be 2,000 new enrollments in charters next fall. Charters in Duval County have their own challenges.
On the surface, it would appear that Duval County, like many counties, is facing the reality that splitting money with charters means that no one has enough to do what needs to be done. What is going on?
CREDO’s 2015 report on charter achievement in urban areas gives a different twist on the data. You can find results by urban areas in each state.
I looked at Florida. Our charters do not do as well as in other states. The data is broken down by demographics, grade span, across years and annual results from 2007-2011. Comparisons are made for achievement gains for students in charters and a matched set of students in traditional public schools (TPS) in the areas that charters serve. And the winners by Florida school district are?
Pat Drago (who is a former Volusia County school district administrator) and I had a conversation about how public schools improve. She had an example from Volusia County. This was an at risk school population where nothing the district had tried seemed to work. As we talked, she mentioned a friend who was a long time principal who told her that there was one thing that made the greatest difference for her. What was it?
The Florida legislature passed the testing bill HB 7069 and Governor Scott signed it today. There is more in the bill than just the reduction of the testing requirement to no more than 5% of the total number of school days. Annual statewide testing remains.
I copied the staff analysis of the bill. It requires an independent review of the Florida Standards Assessment, and the ‘A-F’ school grading system or student results will not be reported until after the study is completed. The change in the reading requirement for promotion to 4th grade made it into law.
Education Justice forwarded a report on black male high school graduation rates in states across the country. They may surprise you. The Schott Foundation for Public Education just released a report entitled: Black Lives Matter. It seems harsh to have to be reminded that lives matter, black or any other lives. When you see the data and read the report, you will understand the concern.
Large variations in high school graduation rates for black and Hispanic males are found across states. They differ more than you might think.
This is a story told by a former data analyst from New York City schools. He provides the data to show the selectivity of the Success Academy schools in Harlem.
It is a compelling story.
Terry Gillam
Terry sent a letter to the editor to the Orlando Sentinel. She is chair of the League education team there.
Her group has been studying the excessive testing issue.
Here is what they recommend:
The education reform bill sponsored by Representative Kline (R Minn.) passed the House Education Committee but was pulled from the House agenda today. See the tweet by Rep. Justin Amash. The bill requirements follow:Representative Mayfield filed HB 877 to make legal options for parents to opt their children out of state assessments. The bill, according to the Tampa Bay Times, requires parents to file a written request to exempt their children from state wide assessments.
There are some strings attached.