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…)
Florida is making a concerted push toward personalized learning — tailoring lessons more closely to individual students and allowing them to advance through school based on what they know, rather than the amount of time they spent in class.
Other states are, too, but there's something noteworthy about Florida's approach: It's largely being led by school districts.A state law passed earlier this year gives four districts and one university-based lab school the ability to participate in a pilot program to experiment with personalized learning.
A new report from the Foundation for Excellence in Education looks at personalized learning in three states, and notes Florida is taking a "bottom-up" approach. The law is intended to make way for changes districts are already carrying out, or at least hoping to pursue.
Lake and Pinellas Counties began their experiments a couple years ago, as part of a grant program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The superintendent of Palm Beach County schools, Robert Avossa, was hired away from Fulton County, Ga., which is also participating in the Next Generation Systems Initiative Grant. The Seminole County school district and P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School are also allowed to participate in the pilot program.
Priorities. The Pinellas County school district plans to increase its focus on lifting achievement among low-income black students. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools. The Pinellas school board announces another, last-ditch attempt to save two foundering charter schools. Gradebook.
College courses. Manatee County principals would have the final say on whether high school students can enter college-level courses under a revised student-progression plan. Bradenton Herald.
Special needs. A special needs preschool on the Space Coast plans to add a kindergarten. Florida Today.
STEM. How Monroe County is expanding access to computer science courses. Bridge to Tomorrow. Escambia schools run a computer science camp. Pensacola News-Journal.
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Note: Today's roundup is longer than usual. It includes noteworthy Florida education news, blog and opinion pieces that appeared during our holiday break. Our Florida roundups are returning to their usual Monday-through-Friday schedule.
Lawsuits. A lawsuit challenging Florida school choice legislation is dismissed. Associated Press. Miami Herald. Education Week. News Service of Florida. Palm Beach Post. Capitol News Service. WFSU. Fort Myers News-Press. redefinED. The Tampa Tribune praises the outcome in an editorial. A separate lawsuit challenging the tax credit scholarship program threatens families' options, a USA Today guest column argues. The program is administered by Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog.
School choice. A Tampa Bay Times section on school choice highlights the growth of private and charter schools, the difficulty of getting a seat in some in-demand programs, increased offerings from the Pinellas County school district and expanded private scholarship programs. Duval schools draw attention to non-magnet choice programs. Florida Times-Union. Parents need timely school grades and other information to make the best school choices, the Sun-Sentinel argues in an editorial.
Common Core. States in the market for higher education standards are bound to find some overlap with the Common Core State Standards, the Fordham Institute's Michael Petrilli writes in the Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools. Fewer Florida charter schools closed, and other indicators were positive even as scrutiny increased in 2014. Naples Daily News. Florida's well-known Charter Schools USA may take over as operator of schools in a troubled Pennsylvania district. York Daily Record. A planned Manatee charter pulls its application after the state appeals panel supports its rejection. Bradenton Herald.
Catholic schools. Catholic schools constitute the second-largest school system in Pinellas. Gradebook.
Virtual education. A new virtual learning center aims to provide an alternative to typical home education. St. Agustine Record.
Education politics. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush steps away from his education foundations, in what is seen as a step toward a possible presidential run. Washington Post. Education Week. A husband-wife duo includes a state representative and a school board member who support parental choice and want less bureaucratic regulation of schools. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
PLSAs. An article in National Affairs delves deep into the theory of action behind new parental choice scholarship account programs.
School choice. Add Voices for Choices to the list of school choice groups in Florida. redefinED. Duval County School District leaders propose a "Public Education Strong" marketing campaign to lure students back from charter and private schools. Florida Times Union. Sunshine State News's Nancy Smith says women are waiting to hear what Charlie Crist's position is on vouchers.
Magnet schools. The Broward County School District looks for ways to improve five F-rated magnet schools. South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Charter schools. The Palm Beach County Commission approves a $20 million financing deal for a new charter school. South Florida Sun Sentinel. The St. Johns County School Board considers a couple of applications. St. Augustine Record.
Teachers unions. More about new NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, who visited South Florida last week. StateImpact Florida. Charlie Crist gets big money from the NEA. The Buzz.'
Technology. Low-income kids in the Pinellas County School District who were given laptops to take home last year outscore their peers without them. Gradebook.
Lawsuits. Members of the Bay County School Board, concerned about unfunded mandates, say they are considering joining the education funding/adequacy suit filed in 2009 by Fund Education Now and others. WJHG.
School spending. A school board member in the Manatee County School District raises concerns about the district's request for proposal regarding the hiring of security guards for elementary schools. Bradenton Herald. (Follow-up story here.) The Pinellas County School Board approves a $1.3 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Hillsborough County School Board approves a $2.9 billion budget. Tampa Bay Times. The Marion County School Board approves a $475 million budget. Ocala Star Banner. The Leon County School Board approves a $530 million budget. Tallahassee Democrat. Guest columnists ask voters in Palm Beach County to reauthorize a property tax hike for education. Palm Beach Post.
Standardized testing. Complaints about a "toxic culture of testing" surface at a Brevard County School Board meeting. Florida Today. The Lee County School Board considers searching for ways to mitigate what it says is too much high-stakes testing. Fort Myers News Press. An Alachua County kindergarten teacher refuses to give her students standardized tests that are used for diagnostic purposes, putting her job at risk. Gainesville Sun.
Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts. The Orlando Sentinel takes an in-depth look at the newest education option for special needs students.
Lawsuits. Parents of children with special needs ask to be allowed to join the state in defending Florida's new school choice law. WFSU. Saint Petersblog. Gradebook.
Charter schools. The backers of a charter school at MacDill Air Force Base try again with a new application. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune. The Hillsborough superintendent threatens to close three charter schools with the same operator. WTSP. Gradebook.
Campaigns. The Pinellas school district asks gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist to pull an ad shot at one of its schools. Tampa Tribune. The Buzz. WTSP. School board candidates debate in Pinellas and Brevard. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Today.
Back to school. New choice programs will be available to Pinellas students when school starts again. Tampa Bay Times. New standards will change the way students learn in the coming year. Tampa Bay Times. The Martin County district sets up a "university" to inform parents about policy changes. Palm Beach Post. A sales tax holiday starts today. Tampa Bay Times. Ocala Star-Banner.
School choice. In an editorial, the Florida Times-Union criticizes the way school choice legislation passed this year, but also argues school districts should offer students more options. The Pinellas school board agrees to expand its magnet offerings but shelves a plan to add more fundamental schools. Tampa Bay Times. A federal grant could help the district diversify its offerings. Tampa Tribune.
Charter schools. Students at an Alachua County charter school are headed back to school. Gainesville Sun.
Common Core. Glenn Beck leads a national event mobilizing people against the standards. Sunshine State News.
Safety. A lawsuit contends an inflatable sumo match gone wrong led to child's brain injury at a Miami-Dade charter school. Miami Herald.
School grades. Parents rally around an IB program despite the school's grade falling to a D. Miami Herald.
Funding. Polk Schools see a slight funding boost. Lakeland Ledger. Manatee schools project a surplus. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Minority students. Duval schools support a national effort to close the achievement gap. Florida Times-Union.
Lawsuits. The statewide teachers union is fighting a new school choice law in court over the way the Legislature passed it. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Saint Petersblog. Palm Beach Post. Miami Herald. Daytona Beach News-Journal. The Tampa Tribune, Florida Times-Union, NBC2 , WEARTV, and First Cost News talk to parents who hope the law will provide new options for their children. The Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News focus on the local teacher who's the lead plaintiff.
Magnet schools. Gradebook considers how a proposed Pinellas magnet could affect an existing program nearby. A Tallahassee arts magnet wins recognition. Tallahassee Democrat.
School grades. A Pinellas school improves its grade from and F to a C, but not before a turnaround effort brings a staff shakeup. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendents. Appointed or elected? That's the controversy before the Clay school board. Florida Times-Union.
STEM. Tougher math and science requirements can drive dropout rates higher. StateImpact. A Latino civil rights organization wants to eliminate ethnic disparities in science and engineering careers. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Budgets. The Okaloosa County school district saves millions with centralized budgeting, and plans to plow the proceeds into technology, transportation and other uses. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Summer. Students do custodial work and receive academic support during a Manatee summer program. Bradenton Herald.
Administration. The Manatee superintendent recommends back pay and benefits for a recently reinstated administrator. Bradenton Herald.
Technology. StateImpact delves into E-rate, the obscure funding source helping schools go wireless. Hillsborough officials say they've worked most of the kinks out of their online gradebook software. Tampa Tribune. Manatee schools upgrade their Microsoft suite. Bradenton Herald.
Growth. Escambia officials are pushing a local school tax as a way to fund new buildings needed to accommodate an expected influx of jobs to the area. Pensacola News-Journal.
Teachers unions. The Sun-Sentinel reports on the Florida Education Association's intervention in an ongoing leadership election dispute in Palm Beach County.
Testing. Collier County schools officials say they're still waiting on the state to release a test item bank. Naples Daily News.
Low-income students. Hillsborough schools help outfit students with clothing, hygiene items, and other essentials. Tampa Tribune.
Retention. Collier schools look to get third graders up to grade level. Naples Daily News.
Tax credit scholarships. Students with higher incomes can now qualify for partial scholarships through Florida's program, but how does that compare nationally? EdWeek. More on the Legislation from the South Florida Times. GTN News.
Common Core. Parents sound off on the standards in Hillsborough. Tampa Tribune.
Facilities. Two Broward charter schools can stay open after providing the district certificates of occupancy for their buildings. Sun-Sentinel. The Hernando school board votes to patch a leaky roof. Tampa Bay Times.
Magnet schools. The Palm Beach County school district reopens applications for an art and music program. Palm Beach Post.
Career education. Outgoing Senate President Don Gaetz laments that his hometown school district, where CAPE initiatives were born, has slipped to the "middle of the pack" in issuing industry certificates. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Summer. A new Hillsborough program helps students who fall behind catch up to their peers. Tampa Tribune. The Pinellas Summer Bridge program is aimed at helping struggling students avoid learning loss while school's out. Tampa Bay Times.
Transportation. The Bay County schools superintendent learns a "valuable lesson in securing our buses" after one is stolen by a 12-year-old. Panama City News Herald.
Employee conduct. A teacher is suspended after being accused of improperly restraining a special needs student. Fort Myers News-Press. An assistant principal acquitted for failing to report child abuse fights for his job. Bradenton Herald.
Unions. The Sun-Sentinel writes up the lawsuit in the Palm Beach teachers union election.
Graduation. Some Pasco students won't have DVDs of their high school graduation. Tampa Bay Times.
