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Florida ranks school districts using FCAT scores
By Ron Matus, Times Staff Writer
The Florida Department of Education released a ranking of all 67 school districts Monday, using FCAT scores alone.Critics immediately slammed it as simplistic and misleading because it does not consider a district's size, demographics or progress, or use other indicators such as graduation rates. The state superintendents association called it a "disservice."
But Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson offered a polite defense, saying the information is still useful to parents, teachers and taxpayers, and will spark more dialogue about how to improve schools.
"Let's put it out there right now to have this kind of conversation," Robinson said.
Pinellas came in at No. 49 and Pasco at No. 34. Hernando tied Hillsborough at No. 38.
The ranking is based on points from the latest Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores, which were released last summer and used to determine district grades. The DOE turned them into a ranking and repackaged them with a link that is front and center on the department's website.
Next to each district's rank is the name of the superintendent and the school board chair.
"Ranking school districts by performance allows taxpayers to see their investment in education at work," Gov. Rick Scott said in a written statement.
Superintendents lined up to disagree.
"It's not a fair view of how districts are doing," said Hillsborough superintendent MaryEllen Elia, whose district was ranked No. 38. She said she would have liked to see how districts compare on other gauges, such as Advanced Placement results, and on subgroups of students, such as those still learning English.
The St. Johns County district, on the outskirts of Jacksonville, was No. 1. Madison County in rural North Florida was No. 67.
To read more of this Tampa Bay Times article, click here.
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Commissioner defends Florida school grade ranking
BY BILL KACZOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said a test-based ranking of the state's school districts released Monday is designed to start a conversation, not stigmatize those on the bottom of the list.
Critics, though, said that's exactly what the ranking will do. They also said it's unfair, simplistic and misleading to compare districts solely according to their students' scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, without taking into account such differences as poverty levels, minority enrollment rates and size.
Robinson said the idea of the ranking system was jointly created by he and Gov. Rick Scott. The commissioner said his interest was in increasing the dialogue about education while Scott's focus was on transparency and establishing metrics to compare the districts.
Given the criticism and high media interest, the ranking has succeeded in getting people talking, Robinson said.
"Stigmatizing isn't something that this is intended to do," he said although acknowledging some districts have more challenges with poverty and socio-economic issues than others.
"The ranking isn't going to make that any worse, but what it will do is provide an opportunity for local community leaders to say 'What can we do as a community?'" Robinson said.
The ranking gives will shine a light on those doing well and encourage districts to share ideas, Scott said.
"We have the opportunity to let people know who is doing well," he said.
Read the rest of this Miami Herald Article here. |
'Parent trigger' bill pushes forward
The "parent trigger" bill could prompt big changes at public schools.
BY KATHLEEN MCGRORY
HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
TALLAHASSEE -- A controversial bill that would let parents demand sweeping changes at low-performing schools won the approval of two education committees Tuesday.
Under the so-called parent trigger proposal, a majority of parents could petition to have the principal replaced, or even have a charter school operator take over.
The bill has parents statewide making noise - but not in the way you might think.
The Florida Parent Teacher Association, among other parent groups, has lambasted the parent trigger, calling it backdoor legislation aimed at proliferating charter schools.
Lawmakers, however, saw it differently Tuesday.
"The underlying principal is parent empowerment," said Rep. Michael Bileca, R-Miami, who sponsored the House bill. "The research overwhelmingly shows that the most important person and greatest influence over a child's education is the parent."
If the bill were to pass, 51 percent of parents at a long struggling school could petition the school district for dramatic changes. Among the options: turning the school into a privately run, publicly financed charter school or contracting with an outside management company.
Parents could only pull the trigger if the school system's turnaround strategy wasn't working.
What's more, the bill would also give parents the right to know if their child's teacher had received poor performance reviews over time or was teaching out of field - and to be made aware of virtual instruction options from a teacher with better track record.
California, Texas and Mississippi have already adopted parent trigger laws.
Read more of this Miami Herald article here.
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DOE: Florida named leader in educator quality
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A national publication has awarded Florida an overall grade of "B," highest in the nation, in its biennial report.
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook released the report on Wednesday.
The "B" grade is up from a grade of "C" in 2009. The state also received high marks for making progress in policies and practices that govern the teaching profession.
"Ranking first in the nation is a tribute to our teachers and clear evidence of their commitment to continuous improvement when it comes to providing opportunities for high-quality education for our students," said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.
"School districts from Miami-Dade to Hillsborough to the panhandle are truly leading the nation. I congratulate Florida's teachers and commend the successful leadership practices that are a catalyst for local change. I am confident we will continue to improve because of the courage and dedication of our educators to their students and their profession." Read more of this WTXL news story here.
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