Tax-free weekend: The state's annual back-to-school, tax-free holiday has been cut back in more ways than one. It's been compressed from 10 days in 2015 to three days this year, and the maximum you can spend on any one eligible item is $60, down from $100. The tax-break days are Friday through Sunday. Sun-Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. TCPalm. Naples Daily News. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
SAT decline: The National Center for Fair & Open Testing reports fewer and fewer colleges are insisting that high school students take the SAT test. Because of that, the number of students taking the SAT has declined 23 percent in the past 10 years, and the College Board, which administers the test, has lost about $6 million a year in revenues. Sunshine State News.
Early start: When the Legislature passed a law allowing districts to start school earlier, most took advantage. Forty of the state's 67 districts start Aug. 10 this year. While many parents protested the earlier return as a disruption to their summers, most districts liked the idea of ending the first semester at the holiday break instead of carrying the first semester two weeks into January. Tampa Bay Times.
Discipline gap: Even as Hillsborough school officials work to cut racial disparities in school punishment, the disparities persist. Data from the first year of the district's new approach show student arrests for minority students are declining. But black students are still disciplined disproportionately. Blacks represent 21 percent of the student body, but 44 percent of the students arrested, 44 percent of days in alternative to out-of-school suspensions, 41 percent of days of in-school suspensions, and 41 percent of days in out-of-school suspensions, according to the report. Gradebook.
Nondiscrimination policy: Brevard school officials are still working on specifics to the recently adopted anti-discrimination policy that now covers sexual orientation and gender identity. School board member Amy Kneessy says the policy is meant to deter harassment, and not change existing bathroom and locker room policies. Florida Today. (more…)
Education bills: The Florida House passes several education bills. Among them: Allowing students to enroll in any public school that has a vacancy, making the teacher bonuses program permanent, and giving charter schools an easier path to open in exchange for greater financial transparency. Miami Herald. News Service of Florida. Lakeland Ledger. WFSU.
School recess: A bill requiring daily recess at Florida elementary schools passes in the House but is stalled in the Senate. That's not stopping the group known as the "recess moms" from continuing to promote the idea. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Gradebook.
Test stress: The preparation and anticipation of the Florida Standards Assessments tests puts a lot of stress on students and teachers. The tests begin Feb. 29. WJHG.
Testing opt-out: Seminole County school officials outline a process for handling students who won't be participating in state testing. And here's how Pasco County is handling the issue. Gradebook.
Text message update: Duval County School Board member Constance Hall apologizes for sending text messages to a school staffer calling for Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's firing and labeling one of his proposals "special ed in action." But she remains critical of Vitti's leadership skills. Florida Times-Union.
Book decisions: Brevard County School Board member Amy Kneessy is proposing a way to have more people challenge books used by Brevard schools. She also thinks the school board should have the final say on whether certain books remain in classrooms and library shelves. She says her proposals are just a way to make sure children are exposed to age-appropriate material. Florida Today. (more…)
