Florida Education News
August 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue,
Inc.
Online
Version: http://www.queuenews.com/Aug08/FL_Aug08.html
IN
THIS ISSUE:
2008 FCAT Reading, Math and Science Results
Indicate Gains In Student Learning
Record Number of Florida Schools Earn High Grades
Florida Department of Education Launches New Program
to Help Schools In Need of Improvement
Volusia County Schools Video-On-Demand and
Digital Media Management
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More of Florida students are performing at
or above grade level (Achievement Level 3 and above) in reading and mathematics
compared to all test years since 2001, according to the 2008 Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results released today. Additionally, more
students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are performing at or above grade level in
science compared with previous years. The results also indicate that
African-American and Hispanic students have narrowed the achievement gap with
white students in both reading and mathematics.
ÒFloridaÕs students are to be commended for
their hard work and steady progress in reading, math and science,Ó Governor
Charlie Crist said. ÒWe are grateful to the teachers of our students, as well
as the parents, who reinforce each day the importance of continued learning and
strong skills.Ó
ÒAcademic achievement in Florida continues
to rise and these results are a clear indication of the high quality of
education our students are receiving,Ó said Education Commissioner Eric J.
Smith. ÒIÕm particularly pleased with the results we are seeing in math and
reading and the focus our schools have maintained on these important subjects.
The hard work of our teachers and endless learning capacity of our students
impresses me daily.Ó
Overall, 60 percent of students in grades 3
through 10 are reading at or above grade level compared to 58 percent in 2007.
Sixty-six (66) percent of Florida students are demonstrating mathematics skills
at or above grade level compared to 63 percent last year. Highlights of this
yearÕs results include:
á
Seventy
(70) percent of elementary school students are reading at or above grade level,
the same percentage as last year and up 16 percentage points since 2001.
á
Seventy
(70) percent of elementary school students are demonstrating mathematics skills
at or above grade level, up two percentage points from last year and 18 points
since 2001.
á
Forty-three
(43) percent of fifth grade students are achieving in science at or above grade
level, up one percentage point from last year and 15 points since 2003.
Middle School (Grades 6 Ð 8 reading and
mathematics, and grade 8 science)
á
Sixty-one
(61) percent of middle school students are reading at or above grade level, up
three percentage points from last year and 13 points since 2001.
á
Sixty
(60) percent of middle school students are demonstrating mathematics skills at
or above grade level, up two percentage points from last year and 13 points
since 2001.
á
Forty
(40) percent of eighth grade students are achieving in science at or above
grade level, up two percentage points from last year and 12 points since 2003.
High School (Grades 9 and 10 reading
and mathematics, and grade 11 science)
á
Forty-two
(42) percent of high school students are reading at or above grade level, up
four percentage points from last year and 10 points since 2001.
á
Sixty-seven
(67) percent of high school students are demonstrating mathematics skills at or
above grade level, up four percentage points from last year and 15 points since
2001.
á
Thirty-eight
(38) percent of eleventh grade students are achieving in science at or above
grade level, up one percentage point from last year and five percentage points
since 2003.
á
Hispanic
students narrowed the achievement gap with white students by seven percentage
points since 2001 in both reading and mathematics.
á
African-American
students narrowed the achievement gap with white students by three percentage
points in reading and seven percentage points in mathematics since 2001.
Parents may view their studentsÕ scores via
the FCAT Parent Network (http://www.fcatparentnetwork.com/) using the secure login and
password provided by their school. School districts and schools can access
electronic copies of their reports today. Printed reports, including individual
student reports, school reports, district and state reports, have been
delivered to school districts.
To view the 2008 Reading, Mathematics and
Science FCAT fact sheet, visit http://fcat.fldoe.org/mediapacket/2008/pdf/2008FCAT3-11FactSheet.pdf. To view school, district
and state FCAT reports, visit http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcinfopg.asp.
Florida has more schools earning ÒAÕsÓ and
ÒBÕsÓ than ever before. Of the 2,889 schools graded this year, nearly three
quarters (2,125) are considered to be high performing (receiving either an ÒAÓ
or ÒBÓ grade). Additionally, the number of schools considered to be low
performing decreased significantly compared to last year.
Of Florida's 2,889 graded public schools
earning "A" through "F" grades this year:
á
1,583
earned an "A" (55 percent), an increase of 100 schools compared to
last year.
á
542
earned a "B" (19 percent), an increase of 73 schools compared to last
year.
á
565
earned a "C" (20 percent), a decrease of 22 schools compared to last
year.
á
154
earned a "D" (5 percent), a decrease of 62 schools compared to last
year.
á
45
earned an "F" (2 percent), a decrease of 38 schools compared to last
year.
Florida
continues to raise its school performance expectations to ensure students are
prepared for the rigor of postsecondary education and the workforce. In 2007,
the expectations were raised for the fourth time since the inception of school
grades. This yearÕs results confirm historical trends that indicate schools
respond with improved performance when expectations are raised. The number of
low performing schools (receiving an ÒFÓ grade) declined to 45 this year, down
from 83 in 2007. Of last yearÕs 83 ÒFÓ graded schools, five improved to an ÒA,Ó
seven improved to a ÒB,Ó 33 improved to a ÒCÓ and 20 improved to a ÒD.Ó
School
Recognition Program Remains Incentive for Improvement
The
Florida School Recognition Program rewards schools that have sustained high
student performance or demonstrated substantial improvement in student
performance. Schools that receive an ÒA,Ó or improve at least one performance
grade from the previous year, are eligible to earn an additional $85 per student.
The School Recognition Program has had a positive effect on schools maintaining
and improving grades. In 2008, 1,203 schools maintained their ÒA,Ó 32 newly
opened schools earned an ÒA,Ó 348 schools improved to an ÒAÓ and 350 schools
improved to a grade other than an ÒA.Ó
For
Florida's struggling schools, the Assistance Plus program provides funding,
resources and support to address areas of weakness. Additionally, failing
schools receive school improvement facilitators, reading coaches, technical assistance
and assessments to monitor student progress.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
Required
as a part of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, AYP measurements
target the performance and participation of various student subgroups on
statewide assessments based on race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status,
disability, and English proficiency. While the majority of public schools are
measured for AYP, only Title I schools (schools that receive federal funding
for low-income students) face increasing levels of corrective action for
failing to meet AYP two or more years in a row. These actions remain the same
for each school regardless of the percentage of AYP criteria met or their
performance on state accountability requirements. This year, 1,104 Florida
Title I schools did not make AYP.
Florida
was recently selected to participate in the federal Differentiated
Accountability pilot program which provides more flexibility for Title I
schools in the type of corrective actions they need to implement. Through the
program, Title I schools that consecutively fail to make AYP will be placed
into three main improvement levels based on the schoolÕs letter grade,
percentage of AYP requirements met, and the number of years it has not made
AYP. For more information regarding FloridaÕs participation in the
Differentiated Accountability pilot program, visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_07_02.asp.
Parents
will receive a school report card that provides a comprehensive look at their
child's school, with results under state and federal standards, as well as
information on spending at the school level. To view the 2008 School Grades and
AYP fact sheet, visit http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/pdf/0708/factsheet.pdf. To view school grades and
AYP results, visit http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org.
The Florida Department of Education (DOE)
has launched a federal pilot program that grants flexibility in the targeted
assistance provided to schools in need of improvement. Targeted support
services will include school improvement planning, professional development and
curriculum alignment. FloridaÕs participation in the pilot program gives the
department flexibility in determining the level of its involvement in each
schoolÕs improvement efforts.
The federal Differentiated Accountability
pilot program will provide 1,081 Florida schools with focused levels of support
based on the schoolÕs grade and the percentage of federal Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) requirements it has missed for two or more consecutive years.
To identify the appropriate level of
support needed, the 1,081 schools were placed into five improvement categories
based on their state-assigned letter grade, percentage of AYP requirements met,
and the number of years they have failed to achieve AYP. Although the majority
of the schools that will receive support through the program are Title I
schools (schools that receive federal funding for low-income students), the
program will also assist non-Title I schools that received a state grade of ÒDÓ
or ÒF.Ó
Support services provided to schools
beginning during the 2008-09 school year will vary depending on the amount of
improvement needed, with schools needing the most improvement receiving the
most intensive support services. Support will be focused on nine primary areas
of improvement that include school-wide planning, leadership development,
teacher training, curriculum, school choice, tutoring, and monitoring progress.
Thirteen schools will face the most intensive actions such as restructuring or
closure.
To maximize the effectiveness of the
support given to these schools, DOE will establish five regional offices
located in specific geographical areas of the state. A regional leader will
oversee and provide services that will enhance the overall school improvement
efforts in the region. The regional team will also include experts in primary
and secondary curriculums who will assist in the development and evaluation of
district and school improvement plans and monitor the implementation of
interventions.
To view the list of
schools visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_07_29/2008DAList.xls (Excel). To view the list
of schools, including detailed information regarding the support services for
each improvement category, visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_07_29/diffaccountimplem.pdf
The 2009 Teacher of the Year is Jean Lamar, a teacher from Callahan Middle School in Nassau County.
Lamar will serve for one year as the
Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for education, visiting schools throughout the
state to spread the word about educational opportunities and challenges in
Florida. She will receive a cash prize of $10,000.
Each of the other four finalists ÑKevin
Holland, Pace High School, Santa Rosa County; Danny Whittenton, Kathleen High
School, Polk County; Jennifer Bohn, Evans High School, Orange County; and
Jeanne Wright, Cypress Creek Elementary School, Volusia CountyÑ will receive a
$5,000 check and a $500 Macy's gift card. Macy's also presented $1,000 to each
of the finalists' respective schools to be used toward educational programs.
For more information about the Florida
Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year, visit http://www.fldoe.org/profdev/yeartch.asp.
The
Orange County School District, the eleventh largest district in the country
with 129 elementary schools, has selected KLC School Partnerships, a division
of Knowledge Learning Corporation, as an approved school-age child care
provider. KLC School Partnerships will work with the Orange County school
district to enhance program offerings that enable schools to meet the unique
needs of Orange County students both before and after school.
With
a high-performing, dedicated team, KLC School PartnershipsÕ appropriately named
program, Champions, is aligned to Orange CountyÕs goals in supporting intense
focus on student achievement and a safe learning environment. The program
provides an engaging atmosphere, with a focus on education through activity
choices including literacy, character-building, health/fitness, homework help
and tutoring.
ÒChampions is pleased to provide
Orange County Schools with an enriching and academic program that will help
students meet their education goals,Ó said Cathy Brown, Director of Partnership
Development, KLC School Partnerships. ÒOur first priority will be to work with
schools to identify their needs through the assessment of student performance
and curriculum issues. In turn, this will help us to provide appropriate
solutions to each participating school.Ó
KLC
School Partnerships has begun outreach to Orange County Schools to offer the Champions
program
as a before- and after-school solution. Since the program was made available to
school administrators across the county, Apopka Elementary, Endeavor
Elementary, Arbor Ridge Elementary, Killarney Elementary, Lawton Chiles
Elementary, and Palmetto Elementary have signed on with the Champions program
and will offer their students after school recreational and enrichment
activities as well as tutoring to students in need of skill enhancement.
KLC
School Partnerships provides a variety of educational offerings including,
online tutoring, before- and after-school programs, after school tutoring and
homework help, and science camps, all of which are customized to meet the
unique needs of each individual school district and its students. As school administrators
continue to tackle the challenges of limited resources, KLC School Partnerships
is an ideal solution to provide supplemental education service. The school does
not take on the cost of development or delivery of programs; instead the school
district enhances its resources as KLC School Partnerships invests in equipment
and supplies.
Volusia County Schools VCS), awarded a
3-year content license agreement to Library Video CompanyÕs (LVC) SAFARI
Montage system to equip all of its 76 school sites with SAFARI Montage WAN
Manager, the award-winning, WAN-based, Video-On-Demand and digital media
management enterprise system.
ÒOne of our goals is to bring our students
the very best educational experiences possible. Inspired teaching and learning
will be enhanced through SAFARI MontageÕs Video-On-Demand system. With
outstanding educational video content, ITV video streaming, teleconferencing
and media management capabilities, we believe this suite of products will
provide us with exciting opportunities to significantly improve our
instructional delivery activities for students and staff. We have been building
the infrastructure to support these capabilities, and these products are almost
perfectly aligned with our vision of delivering and managing video throughout
the district. WeÕre excited to be bringing our students and staff this new-age
digital resource that will help them to succeed in school and beyond,Ó said
Bill Tindall, Executive Director of Technology.
VCS
has selected the SAFARI Montage system to support their curricular needs
through a suite of products, including SAFARI Montage CreationStation,
Selective Video Streaming and SAFARI Montage Live! With all of these products,
the nearly 65,000 VCS students will have access to the finest educational
content available, including Schlessinger Media, PBS, The History Channel,
National Geographic and more. VCS will also be able to easily upload and manage
their own video content through CreationStation.
About Volusia County Schools
Volusia
County, Florida, is located along the central east coast of Florida, with
Daytona Beach and the International Speedway being perhaps the most universally
known landmarks. The district serves 16 municipalities and surrounding
unincorporated areas spread across a land mass of 1,200 square miles.
Superintendent Dr. Margaret A. Smith leads a progressive and high performing
school system that is often recognized as a leader at the state and national level.
This
district has long enjoyed a reputation for the equitable distribution and
utilization of technology in all schools and classrooms. This historical
commitment to technology by the community and School Board is exemplified by
the district being one of the first large systems to provide network
capabilities to all schools and classrooms in the early 1990s. For the
2007-2008 school year, the Volusia District earned an ÒAÓ grade in FloridaÕs
educational accountability grading system and is traditionally rated as one of
the highest performing districts in the state. www.volusia.k12.fl.us/
Polk
County Schools
Historically known for its citrus and phosphate mining industries, Polk County's economy continues to grow and diversify. The county is increasingly attractive as a light manufacturing and distribution center, given its location between the rapidly growing Tampa and Orlando areas and good transportation links; county residents derive roughly twice the state's average earnings from these two sectors. Per capita income is below average, equal to approximately 85% and 84% of state and national averages, respectively.
The
district's financial operations are sound. A substantial $14.9 million general
fund surplus at the close of fiscal 2007 boosted the unreserved general fund
balance to $40.6 million, or 6.1% of expenditures, transfers out, and other
uses. The unreserved fund balance grew 50% over the fiscal 2006 level; strong
growth in local source revenues and conservative expenditure estimates drove
the gain. Considerable enrollment growth has led to double-digit increases in
spending in each of fiscal years 2006-2008, but the district's sound financial
management has kept financial operations positive. Conservative budgeting for
fiscal year 2008 allowed the district to end with a projected surplus, despite
having to reduce expenditures by $33 million related to state funding
reductions and student enrollment.
The
district's fiscal years 2008-2012 capital improvement plan (CIP) totals $466
million, substantially less than the FY 2007 - 2011 $801 million CIP. District
officials revised the plan in response to the decline in enrollment growth as
well reductions in sales tax revenues, impact fee revenues and uncertainty
about state and local funding sources. The district is able to delay many
projects as a result of the decline in enrollment. Overall debt levels are
moderate at $1,399 per capita and 2.3% of taxable assessed value (TAV).