Charter schools. A host of new schools, not all of them reputable, submit charter applications. Sun-Sentinel. Fewer charter schools apply in Flagler and Volusia Counties. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Officials debate the location of a planned West Palm Beach charter. Palm Beach Post. A Post columnist weighs in.
Teacher conduct. Administrative law judges repeatedly thwart Broward's attempts to fire teachers. Sun-Sentinel. A Southwest Florida teacher is accused of sleeping in class. Naples Daily News.
Digital learning. A state Board of Education member helps create financial incentives for children to obtain technology-related industry certifications. Keynoter.
Campaigns. WFTV offers its take on school choice supporters getting involved in school board races. Pinellas school board candidates debate background checks and felony records. Tampa Bay Times.
Career education. A Hernando aviation program launches as hoped after enrollment rises. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. The FCAT reading exam trips up a recent Chinese immigrant on the path to a diploma, drawing a lawmaker's attention. Orlando Sentinel. A South Florida teacher is accused of helping students during FCAT testing. Sun-Sentinel. Summer algebra camps boost the pass rate on algebra end-of-course exams. Lakeland Ledger. Opting out becomes a hot topic in Palm Beach. Palm Beach Post.
Private schools. The Bradenton Herald profiles an Episcopal school's cultural exchange program with Chinese students.
Advanced Placement. More Pasco students are taking AP classes, and their performance is improving. Gradebook.
Advocacy. StudentsFirst is winding down in a total of five states. Education Week.
Acceleration. State Sen. John Legg talks up the benefits of collegiate high schools in the Lakeland Ledger.
Testing. A Collier County teacher is fired, accused of helping students cheat. Naples Daily News. An Orange County elementary school student strings together a series of perfect FCATs. Orlando Sentinel.
Tax credit scholarships. The St. Augustine Record corrects falsehoods printed in a recent guest column.
Safety. A private school teacher is arrested for child pornography. Daytona Beach News-Journal. The Okaloosa school board votes to put resource deputies in all schools. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Administration. A Lee County principal resigns amid turmoil. Fort Myers News-Press. The principal at a struggling Collier County school is moving on. Naples Daily News. Manatee schools train administrators in data-driven decision making. Bradenton Herald.
Florida's charter schools received a bigger proportion of both A and F grades than their district-run counterparts for the 2013-14 school year.
It's a pattern that's held for the past few years, and it's no different in the the elementary and middle school grades released this morning by the state Department of Education.
More than 41 percent of the state's charter schools earned preliminary A's for the 2013-14 school year, compared to about 34 percent of district schools.
Of the 420 charter schools that were graded, 42, or 10 percent, received F's. Less than 6 percent of the more than 2,300 district schools received the lowest possible letter grade.
Overall, the state accountability report, the last for middle and elementary schools before the state moves to a new grading formula, presents a mixed bag for Florida's public schools. Across the board, they earned A's and F's in larger proportions this year than a year ago.
Juan Copa, the states deputy education commissioner in charge of accountability, said schools' ratings rose on average, meaning compared to a year ago, "more students are performing on grade level or better - including our most struggling students."
Next year, the grading formula will be simplified as the state prepares to replace the FCAT with new assessments tied to the Florida Standards. The grades released today are considered preliminary because the calculations can be appealed to the state. Grades for high schools will be released later this year.
For charter schools across the state, this year's results carry some good news, and some bad.
KIPP Impact Middle School in Jacksonville, where more than 70 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunches and 99 percent are minorities, improved its grade from a C to a B. Five schools, including two charters - the bilingual BridgePrep Academy Interamerican Campus in Miami-Dade and Orlando's Renaissance Charter School at Chickasaw Trail - climbed all the way from F's to B's.
On the other hand, eight charter schools face closure after receiving F's for two consecutive years.
As expected, K12, Inc. received a grade of incomplete for its statewide program. But five Florida Virtual Academies it operates did receive grades. Three received D's. One, in Duval, received a C and the fifth, in Osceola, received an F. None of the virtual charters had received letter grades previously.
Copa noted that 2013 legislation lowered the minimum number of tested students a school would need to receive a grade. He said that may help explain the increased number of F schools in a year when schools raised their average scores. More than two dozen charters that did not receive a letter grade last year did receive one this year.
"There are now more schools graded this year, and many of those are high-performing schools but some of those are low-performing schools," Copa said.
Coverage elsewhere:
Tax credit scholarships. Will the program drain $3 billion from public schools? Mostly false. PolitiFact.
Politics. Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab chides a local school board candidate who attacked the "toxic culture of education" for over-the-top political rhetoric.
Philanthropy. Teach for America recruits appear to be helping Miami-Dade students in math but not reading, a study shows. Miami Herald. An alumna of the program from Brooksville is now an "education superstar" in DC public schools, a Tampa Bay Times columnist writes. A prep school student raises money for laptops at a nearby Title I school. Tampa Bay Times. A Gates Foundation program aims to help more Jacksonville students receive full scholarships. WJCT.
Testing. Some superintendents question falling FCAT writing scores. Tampa Bay Times.
Administration. Administrators reprimand a Hernando County band director who rallied parents behind his program. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach school baord approves hires. Palm Beach Post.
Labor. Collier County teachers say if they're required to be on annual contracts, their principals should be, too. Naples Daily News.
STEM. A UF project aims to help students improve in algebra. StateImpact.
Facilities. Escambia County school district sells off the last of its vacant property. Pensacola News-Journal.
Summer. The City of Jacksonville runs camps for at-risk kids. Florida Times-Union. Libraries in the city aim to help students over the summer. Florida Times-Union.
Employee conduct. A Hillsborough teacher faces criminal charges after leaving the scene of a car wreck. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. Statewide FCAT scores show slight improvement, with variation around the state. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. Tampa Tribune. Pensacola News-Journal. Ocala Star-Banner. Tallahassee Democrat. Palm Beach Post. WJCT. WFSU. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel.
McKay Scholarships. The Sun-Sentinel airs criticism of the program for special needs students.
Career academies. Polk middle-school students earn professional-grade engineering credentials. Lakeland Ledger.
Charter schools. A Hillsborough charter school prepares to close amid falling enrollment. Gradebook.
Graduation. South Florida schools once seen as "dropout factories" see graduation rates soar. Miami Herald. A Bay County charter school is the last high school in the district to continue recognizing valedictorians. Panama City News Herald.
Books. Author Cory Doctorow takes to YouTube to call out administrators who pulled his book from a summer reading program. Pensacola News-Journal.
Summer slide. School officials hope to keep students from forgetting what they've learned during the school year, a problem especially pronounced among low-income students. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Early learning. Funding delays pose problems for the Head Start program. Orlando Sentinel.
Budgets. There's no room for employee raises in the Palm Beach County schools budget. Palm Beach Post. The Okaloosa County school system may give the central office greater control over spending. Northwest Florida Daily News. A 5k helps the district raise money. Daily News.
Seniors. Prom, senior trips and class rings can make senior year expensive for families. Scripps.
Nutrition. A bus converted into a food truck will help make a summer meal program accessible to students. Bradenton Herald.
Administration. The Lee County school district seeks public input on coming policy changes. Fort Myers News-Press. Manatee County's handling of a sexual abuse case involving an administrator may run afoul of federal Title IX rules. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A longtime Hernando administrator is given a choice to either take a pay cut or lose his job. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards. Five Pinellas school board seats are open to challenge. Tampa Bay Times. Every Manatee County incumbent up for re-election will face a challenger. Bradenton Herald.
Teachers. The Gainesville Sun talks to first year teachers at the end of the school year.
Competition. If school district employees are enrolling their children in private schools or charters, Pasco Superintendent Kurt Browning wants to know why, and what district schools can do better. Gradebook.
Special needs. Teachers help a child, born prematurely, to make it to kindergarten. Tampa Bay Times.
School choice. A move to open enrollment would give the Marion County school district more class-size flexibility. Ocala Star-Banner. A new choice program helps grow enrollment at a struggling elementary school. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. A Hernando County charter school with a mission focused on STEM wraps up its first year. Tampa Bay Times.
Graduation. Two friends find success at Tampa private schools. Tampa Bay Times. A grieving mother accepts a diploma on behalf of her son. Tampa Tribune. A Tampa Bay Times columnist weighs in on efforts to do away with valedictorians and other honorary titles. Palm Beach school officials wade through disputes over students' final class rankings. Palm Beach Post. Florida's graduation rate remains lower than those in other states, but it's improving more quickly. redefinED.
Digital learning. Miami-Dade schools use bond sales to finance the purchase of interactive white boards. Miami Herald.
Budgets. Hernando schools lift a hiring freeze. Tampa Bay Times.
Testing. The second round of FCAT scores is set to be released today. Gradebook. School Zone.
Teacher evaluations. The state teachers union files an appeal in its ongoing lawsuit. School Zone. Tampa Tribune.
School safety. Broward schools' police chief resigns. Sun-Sentinel.
Teacher conduct. A teacher fired last month is accused of improperly helping students on tests. Naples Daily News. A St. Lucie teacher is arrested and charged with giving alcohol to a minor. Scripps.
School boards. The director of a Manatee technical institution declares her candidacy. Bradenton Herald.
Special needs. A Polk County private school for children with autism faces financial woes. Lakeland Ledger.
Testing. A Seminole County mother's decision to pull her children from public school over a testing complaint leads to a post that viral. Sentinel School Zone. Gradebook. A testing glitch invalidates Advanced Placement scores for hundreds of students at a Polk County charter school. Ledger. FCAT scores are up in Holmes County. Holmes County Times-Advertiser. New end of course exam requirements could spell the end of a student-run tech support desk. StateImpact.
Alternative schools. An alternative school for girls celebrates graduation. Bradenton Herald.
School boards. The Palm Beach County school board's inspector general faces a whistleblower complaint. Palm Beach Post.
Summer reading. Osceola County schools distribute thousands of books to students. Orlando Sentinel.
Teachers. A veteran educator's departure could spell the end of a technology program he's run for decades. Tampa Bay Times.
Disasters. Relocation due to flooding leads to some Panhandle youngsters getting an early taste of high school. Northwest Florida Daily News.
School's out. But that means crunch time for administrators. Ocala Star-Banner.
Administration. Ousted Manatee County school administrators prepare to face a judge. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Past complaints bar a new principal's hiring in Duval County. Florida Times-Union.
Student conduct. Officials investigate reports of students having sex in a school restroom while others took pictures. Tampa Tribune.
Charter schools. Broward County parents consider converting a special needs school into a charter in order to save it. Miami Herald. The SEED school in Miami has chosen a new site for what could become the Florida's first public boarding school, the Herald reports.
Digital learning. Large numbers of Florida high school students still haven't taken the online course that's required before graduation. Orlando Sentinel.
Tax credit scholarships. A Sun-Sentinel column criticizes parental choice programs, and a St. Augustine Record column criticizes tax credit scholarships. Parents seek out scholarships for a reason, Ron Matus writes in the Pensacola News Journal. He is the director of policy and public affairs for Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.
Private schools. One Palm Beach County private school marks its first graduating class, while another bids farewell to its last. Palm Beach Post. A college preparatory Christian school celebrates its first graduation. Bradenton Herald.
Testing. The first round of released FCAT scores shows results are largely flat in the test's final year. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune. Palm Beach Post. St. Augustine Record. Tallahassee Democrat. Scripps. Bradenton Herald. Panama City News Herald. Pensacola News Journal. Tenth graders improve in writing. Orlando Sentinel. Thousands of third graders could be held back. Florida Times-Union. Miami Herald. Teachers in some districts question falling scores. Tampa Bay Times. The FCAT reading test can present a barrier to graduation for students who are learning English. Tampa Tribune.
Desegregation. The end of court-ordered busing raises concerns in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood. Orlando Sentinel. The opening of a new school in the neighborhood could prompt officials to close, the Sentinel reports.
Common Core. StateImpact looks at how the standards could affect creative writing instruction. A group of education foundations backs the standards. Gradebook.
Unions. The Palm Beach County teachers union is preparing for a do-over in its leadership elections. Palm Beach Post.
Facilities. Marion school officials plan to use state capital funds for much-needed repairs. Ocala Star-Banner. The Star-Banner also looks at local charter school funding. Developers have their sights on the Miami-Dade school district headquarters. Miami Herald.
Tax credit scholarships. Florida lawmakers close out their 2014 session by approving legislation that would expand eligibility for the scholarship program and increase regulation of non-profits that administer it, including Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog. Times/Herald. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. WFSU. Florida Current. St. Augustine Record. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano pans the program in another column. Paul Cottle argues he program's lack of testing in science furthers the erosion of Florida's science standards. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Education savings accounts. The bill would create a personal learning scholarship account program for special-needs students, the second of its kind in the county. RedefinED. More from Jay P. Greene's blog.
Legislature. It was a good session for Florida's schools. Times/Herald. The final budget would boost education funding. Scripps/Tribune.
Charter schools. Fox News highlights Charter Schools USA's efforts to start a charter school on MacDill Air Force Base.
Open enrollment. Marion County schools consider universal choice. Ocala Star-Banner.
Testing. Some students pass their time during FCAT season by watching movies or playing games. Miami Herald. Florida prepares for the FCAT's replacement. Gainesville Sun. Storm-battered Panhandle schools get extra testing days. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Teacher quality. The Tampa Tribune tracks down Hillsborough's "highly effective" teachers.
Special needs. Special needs students in Flagler County perform better in math than in reading. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Graduation requirements. One bill passed this session would clear up confusion over high school graduation requirements. StateImpact.
Budgets. Brevard school closure plans are not yet contained in public records. Florida Today. Manatee Schools officials need to come up with $9.3 million to shore up their reserves. Bradenton Herald. Hernando schools officials plan a sales tax referendum to fund facilities. Tampa Bay Times.
Year-round school. An idea worth considering, Palm Beach County school board members say. Palm Beach Post.
Gardens. Students at a Manatee County high school growth their own salad. Bradenton Herald.
Transportation. A district consultant says Hillsborough's school bus system is at a "breaking point." Tampa Bay Times.
Tax credit scholarships. Parents of children who receive scholarships answer critics in the Florida Times-Union and the Ocala Star-Banner. The program enhances public education, Doug Tuthill writes in the Miami Herald. He is the president of Step Up for Students, which co-hosts this blog. The president of the Alachua County League of Women Voters criticizes charters and vouchers in the Gainesville Sun. A school board member also criticizes tax credit scholarships in the Sun, focusing on religious education. State standardized testing requirements won't appease all critics, but they might help the program in the long run, Paul Cottle writes at Bridge to Tomorrow.
School choice. Private and charter schools compete with magnet and career education programs in Palm Beach County, fueling a drive to create new options. Palm Beach Post.
Charter schools. Hillsborough officials are scrutinizing the boards that oversee schools managed by Charter Schools USA as lawmakers debate charter legislation. Tampa Tribune. The management group Academica faces federal scrutiny. Miami Herald. The Volusia County school district prepares to end a long legal battle with a failed charter school. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Dropout prevention. Pinellas schools plan a new alternative school aimed at at-risk students. Tampa Tribune.
Digital learning. Replacing old computers won't be cheap for Marion County schools. Ocala Star-Banner. Technology helps a Southwest Florida teacher enhance instruction. Naples Daily News.
Discipline. Kindergarten students face increased suspensions, which disproportionately affect minorities. Florida Times-Union.
Testing. A computer glitch affects FCAT administration in Miami-Dade schools. Miami Herald. A group of parents and teachers protests high-stakes testing. Fort Myers News-Press. Even at the height of FCAT season, educators say kids need a chance to get outside and play. Tampa Bay Times.
