We've written before about the improving results in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the potential for improvement in Duval County.

The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress show those positive trends continue. But they also show there's still work to do.

Urban school districts may have shown slightly more improvement than the nation as a whole, where results were largely stagnant.

The three Florida districts included in the Trial Urban District Assessment results provided their share of bright spots. In fourth-grade math, for example, Miami-Dade and Duval were two of just four districts that posted statistically significant score increases.

In both places, disadvantaged students helped drive increases.

Experts caution against using scores like the national assessment results released Tuesday to gauge things like the effects of specific policies or the performance of district leaders. However, the numbers paint a useful picture of how three Florida urban districts are doing.

Miami-Dade feels the love (more…)

Once again, Florida school districts are well-represented in the Brookings Institution's annual school choice rankings.

Five Sunshine State districts land in the top 25 of the think tank's 2016 Choice and Competition Index: Pinellas, Duval, Lee, Seminole and Broward Counties. No other state has as many districts ranked so highly.

It's worth a look at why these districts score well, and why they fall short of top scorers like Denver Public Schools and New Orleans' Recovery School District. (more…)

Charter schools. A new Bay Haven charter might open in North Florida on time. It had faced hurdles securing startup funding. Panama City News Herald. Charles Pierce cites Duval County charter school test results in a rant against school reform. Esquire.

Virtual school. Bay County wants to give virtual students more in-person support. Panama City News Herald.

Facilities. An attempt to lease an under-used school building to a college for $1 per month comes under fire in Duval.  Florida Times-Union.

Leadership. Volusia's district chief declines a performance bonus amid battles with unions, but inks a three-year contract renewal. Daytona Beach News-Journal. St. Johns County superintendent Joe Joyner recounts the last year's accomplishments, including grappling with two failed charters. St. Augustine Record. (more…)

Charter schools. Duval school district officials find fault with a Charter Schools USA application. Florida Times-Union. Five charter schools apply to open in Manatee County. Bradenton Herald. A Sun-Sentinel column weighs in on the Palm Beach County charter school debate.

Catholic schools. Miami business leaders praise their alma mater. Miami Herald.

Athletics. A Miami-Dade drug testing plan stalls. Miami Herald.

Testing. More tests could not be scored in the this year's administration of state assessments. Orlando Sentinel.

STEM. A Pasco principal returns to the math classroom to stem a teacher shortage. Tampa Bay Times. A student's science and robotics success earns him a trip to Boston. Ocala Star-Banner.

Growth. Santa Rosa schools grapple with it. Pensacola News-Journal.

Nutrition. Palm Beach schools turn cafeterias into "restaurants." Palm Beach Post.

Uniforms. Volusia residents are close to evenly divided on whether schools should require them. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

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Charter schools. A loan brings a Collier charter school closer to a permanent facility. Naples Daily News.

Testing. Where is Florida's testing controversy headed? Tampa Bay Times. Parents await score reports. Florida Times-Union. Duval superintendent Nikolai Vitti questions the push to set tougher cut scores. Gradebook. A school board member calls for raising the bar. Pensacola News-Journal. School administrators weigh in on testing and accountability. Gradebook. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano criticizes testing and accountability policies.

Teacher quality. Thousands of South Florida teachers apply for a controversial bonus program. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel.

Field trips. A TV news show catches up with students from a South Florida charter school on a field trip. WPBF.

Administration. Is turnover among district leaders increasing? Fort Myers News-Press. Alachua's superintendent shakes up the top ranks of his administration. Gainesville Sun.

Campaigns. A Leon County district administrator might have to resign his post to run for superintendent. Tallahassee Democrat.

Blessings. A Catholic school blesses pets to honor St. Francis of Assisi. Bradenton Herald.

Prayer. Okaloosa schools face another complaint from a freedom-from-religion group. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Cyberbullying. Palm Beach schools want to regulate students' social media posts. Palm Beach Post.

Math. Leon County students top international tests. Tallahassee Democrat.

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Charter schools. A charter school founder steered contracts to companies he controlled. Palm Beach Post.

Vouchers. The Orlando Sentinel hosts dueling guest columns on private school choice programs. Pro here, and con here.

Testing. The Sun-Sentinel breaks down the frequent closures of Palm Beach school libraries to accommodate testing.

Early learning. What did the state budget do for preschool and school readiness programs? News Service of Florida.

Budgets. Pasco schools are on a hiring spree. Gradebook.

Summer. Duval considers adding summer classes for its youngest elementary students, to keep them from falling behind. Florida Times-Union. (more…)

Charter schools. News Service of Florida writes up an administrative law judge's ruling that a district cannot require charter schools to provide transportation.

College credit. Few students receive top scores on Advanced Placement physics exams. Bridge to Tomorrow. More Hillsborough students graduate with International Baccalaureate diplomas. Gradebook.

Bright Futures. Should precalculus be mandatory for students to qualify for merit-based financial aid? StateImpact.

Budgets. A funding boost means schools find themselves better off than last year. Naples Daily News.

Turnover. Some parents raise concerns about teacher turnover in struggling Duval schools. Florida Times-Union. An incentive pay program helps draw high-performing teachers to struggling, high-turnover schools. Fort Myers News-Press. (more…)

Last week, a once-growing network of Florida charter schools shuttered with little warning.

As former students scramble to find schools for the final weeks of the school year, some of the state's leading charter school advocates say the case of Acclaim Academy should strengthen their case for changes aimed at reining in charter operators who are not prepared to manage schools.

This year, state lawmakers had agreed on some changes to that effect. Their proposals ultimately fell by the wayside, along with a number of other bills, as the regular legislative session came to an unexpected early end.

State records and school district documents help shed light on Acclaim's push for rapid growth, its ensuing implosion, and the debate over how to prevent similar episodes in the future.

In the fall of 2013, Acclaim Academy applied to open schools in half a dozen school districts across Florida. While some districts spotted red flags, two applications were approved. As a result, new schools in Orange and Palm Beach Counties were set to join existing ones in Osceola and Duval.

That year in December, roughly two months after districts considered those applications, Acclaim's Osceola County school received its first state letter grade, an F.

The next year, its Duval school received its first grade, also an F. The Osceola school then received its second F, meaning it would be forced to close.

Soon after, early in the second semester of this school year, the budding Acclaim Academy network started to falter.

Orange County district officials wrote a letter in March to the school operating there. Among other things, they warned its academics didn't appear up to snuff, and that it appeared to be hemorrhaging students, which would cause it to lose state funding.

Weeks later, they told the school it could be forced to close within 90 days. The school, they noted, appeared to have taken out a short-term loan to offset its funding decline. Around the same time, officials in Duval also began raising questions. But what happened next took many people by surprise. (more…)

Charter schools. Students scramble for other options - and say emotional goodbyes - as their charter school shuts down late in the school year. First Coast News. An Alachua charter school's principal and some of its board members resign. Gainesville Sun.

School choice. Schools should have to compete for students, and students should be free to choose, an Orlando Sentinel guest column argues.

Career academies. Demand is high for a new Okaloosa machining academy. Northwest Florida Daily News. Duval launches an aviation program. Florida Times-Union.

Lawsuits. Florida Virtual School takes its supporting foundation to court over alleged financial mismanagement. Orlando Sentinel.

Magnet schools. Duval offers students a museum-themed magnet. Florida Times-Union.

Virtual school. Palm Beach's virtual school will celebrate its graduating class. Palm Beach Post.

Testing. What will testing reductions mean for teacher evaluations? StateImpact. North Florida students seem OK with the switch to computerized testing. Northwest Florida Daily News. Students have to retake geometry exams after they were improperly given calculators. Fox 13.

Remedial courses. Remedial reading and math classes will no longer be mandatory for struggling students, though schools will be required to offer them support. Orlando Sentinel.

Special needs. A program helps students with unique abilities cultivate practical skills. Naples Daily News.

Employee conduct. A Mavericks High principal caught with a student in a pot-filled car had a history of issues at a charter school where she previously worked. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. The issue has gotten the attention of outlets like Gawker. A Jacksonville teacher faces allegations of an improper relationship with a student. Florida Times-Union. A school staffing specialist is arrested for forging a doctor's note to get out of work. Keynoter.

Summer. Some Lee County schools plan to extend the school year to help combat the summer slide. Fort Myers News-Press. (more…)

Testing. Testing resumes without further technological failures. Gradebook. Lawmakers are incensed over Monday's problems, and aim their anger at the state's testing vendor. Times/Herald. Tampa Tribune. Seminole schools want to opt out of state assessments and use national exams. Orlando Sentinel.

Budgets. The growth of charter schools could put a fiscal strain on Duval schools' budget. Florida Times-Union. Clay County school board members face tough decisions and an uncertain future. Florida Times-Union.

Discipline. A task force suggests ways the Hillsborough school district can curb suspensions and ease racial disparities. Tampa Tribune.

Growth. A local government delays a decision on a new school intended to help relive growth. Orlando Sentinel.

Teachers unions. Protests dog Volusia school board members as contract talks remain stalled. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Superintendents. The school board signs off on Hillsborough's new superintendent. Tampa Bay Times. Palm Beach's new leader will likely become the state's highest-paid. Palm Beach Post. Sun-Sentinel. The Brevard school board may hire a "non-traditional" superintendent. Florida Today.

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