Florida Education News
July 2009
Copyright © 2009 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Evaluation of FloridaÕs Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Assessing Performance at Levels Above and Below Proficient
Florida Education Report Back
Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/FLnews.html)
Education Research Report Back
Issues (http://queueeducation.blogspot.com)
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Media
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This
review of teaching standards in six statesÑCalifornia, Florida, Illinois, North
Carolina, Ohio, and TexasÑfocuses on the structure, target audience, and
selected content of the standards to inform CaliforniaÕs revision of its
teaching standards. The report was developed at the request of key education
agencies in California.
California
is revising its state teaching standards. This report, developed at the request
of key education agencies in California, provides an overview of the teaching
standards in five statesÑFlorida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, and
TexasÑpurposefully selected to inform CaliforniaÕs revision process. CaliforniaÕs
current teaching standards are also reviewed as a point of comparison. The
review focuses on the structure and target audience of the statesÕ teaching
standards, as well as on selected content. Three questions guided the research:
Key
findings of the review, which entailed examining each stateÕs teaching
standards and supporting documents, include the following:
Complete
report:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/west/pdf/REL_2009075.pdf
A new report issued by the Center for Research on Education
Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that there is a wide variance in
the quality of the nationÕs several thousand charter schools with, in the
aggregate, students in charter schools not faring as well as students in
traditional public schools.
The analysis looks at student achievement growth on state
achievement tests in both reading and math with controls for student
demographics and eligibility for program support such as free or reduced-price
lunch and special education. The analysis includes the most current student
achievement data from 15 states and the District of Columbia and gauges whether
students who attend charter schools fare better than if they would have
attended a traditional public school.
Florida
A supplemental report, with an in-depth examination of the results
for charter schools in Florida found that reading and math gains were
significantly lower in charter school students compared to their traditional
public school peers. African-American students attending charter schools
performed significantly below their traditional public school counterparts in
reading and math while Hispanic students experienced no discernable difference
between charter school and traditional public school performance. The report
also found that while first and second year charter school students on average
experienced a decline in learning, students in their third year in charter
schools saw a significant reversal, experiencing positive achievement gains.
Overall State Results
The report found that achievement results varied by states that
reported individual data. States with reading and math gains that were
significantly higher for charter school students than would have occurred in
traditional schools included: Arkansas, Colorado (Denver), Illinois (Chicago),
Louisiana and Missouri.
States with reading and math gains that were either mixed or were
not different than their peers in the traditional public school system
included: California, the District of Columbia, Georgia and North Carolina.
States with reading and math gains that were significantly below
their peers in the traditional public school system included: Arizona, Florida, Minnesota,
New Mexico, Ohio and Texas.
To download a copy of the Florida report: http://credo.stanford.edu/reports/FL_CHARTER%20SCHOOL%20REPORT_CREDO_2009.pdf
To download a copy of
the full report and executive summary, visit: http://credo.stanford.edu
This
report provides information on Florida private school voucher student test
score levels and gains in the program, as well as compared with the eligible
population of non-participating students.
Conclusions:
●
The typical student in the program scored at the 44.8th national percentile in
reading and the 46.3rd percentile in mathematics. The distribution of test
scores is similar whether one considers the entire program population or only
those who took the Stanford Achievement Test in the spring of 2008.
●
The mean reading gain for program participants is -0.1 national percentile
ranking points in reading and -0.9 national percentile ranking points in
mathematics. In other words, the typical student participating in the program
tended to maintain his or her relative position in comparison with others
nationwide.
●
Test score gains for program participants are similar in magnitude to
comparable students in the public schools.
In
other words, going to private schools didnÕt seem to change much.
Complete
report:
http://blogs.tampabay.com/files/figlio-report-final-2009.pdf
Many States Show Gains Since 2002 at
All Achievement Levels
Florida
report:
http://www.cep-dc.org/_data/n_0001/resources/live/StateProfiles2009/FloridaGeneralTrendsProfile_FINAL.doc
Student
performance on state reading and math tests has generally risen at three
achievement levels, according to a 50-state study by the Center on Education
Policy (CEP). The study found more states with gains than declines in the
percentages of students reaching or exceeding the basic, proficient, and
advanced levels of achievement, and relatively few instances of sizeable
declines in the percentage scoring below the basic level.
Achievement
also improved in most states at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
The
CEP study analyzed test score trends, where available, from 2002, the year the
federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) took effect, through 2008. (Some states
did not have trends going back to 2002 because they had adopted new tests or
made other major changes in their testing systems.) The study expands on CEPÕs
previous two reports on achievement by examining, for the first time, test
results at the ÒadvancedÓ level and at the ÒbasicÓ level-and-aboveÑas well as
at the ÒproficientÓ level and above, which is the benchmark that matters most
for federal accountability under NCLB.
CEP
found that, even though NCLB creates incentives for schools to focus on
ensuring students reach the proficient level, states posted gains at the
advanced and basic-and-above levels as well. At the basic-and-above level, 73
percent of the trend lines analyzed across various subjects and grades showed
gains. At the advanced level, 71 percent of the trend lines analyzed showed
improvement.
ÒIf
accountability policies were indeed shortchanging high- and low-achieving
students, we would expect to see stagnation or decline at the basic and
advanced levels,Ó said Jack Jennings, CEPÕs president and CEO. ÒInstead, the
percentages of students scoring at the basic-and-above and advanced levels have
increased much more often than they have decreased, especially in the lower
grades.Ó
Gains were somewhat more prevalent at the
proficient-and-above level than at the other two achievement levels. Of the
trend lines analyzed at the proficient-and-above level, 83 percent displayed
gains, while 15 percent showed declines. The size of the gains was also larger,
on average, at the proficient-and-above level. However, this may be partly due
to a test-related statistical issue: When average test scores go up, the
percentage of students at the proficient level tends to grow faster than at the
basic and advanced levels because more studentsÕ scores tend to be clustered
near the proficient level.
At
the advanced level, the size of the gains in elementary and middle school math
were close or equal to those at the proficient level and there were more upward
trends than downward. These findings generally point to a significant movement
of students from proficient to advanced. At the basic level, too, there were
more gains than declines. Although some states posted declines at the basic
level, most were slight.
ÒThere
are several possible explanations for the upward trends. The most hopeful
explanation is that students are learning more and consequently are performing
better on state tests,Ó Jennings said. ÒThere is probably also a cumulative
effect of test-focused instruction at work.Ó
More
gains have been made in math than in reading, according to the report. The size
of the percentage gains across all states was greater in math than in reading,
data which is confirmed by the results from the National Assessment of
Educational Progress.
HIGH
SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT CONTINUES TO LAG
The
report notes that achievement at the high school level has improved but still
lags behind elementary and middle school achievement. The average annual
percentage point gains for high school students tended to be lower than at the
elementary or middle school levels. There may be several reasons for the
divergence in performance between students at the lower and higher grades,
among them that it is more difficult to engage and motive high school students
or that high schools receive fewer federal resources.
Although
CEP collected test data from all 50 states, achievement trends were included in
the report only for states with at least three years of comparable test data
for a particular subject, grade, and achievement level. A change in test
results was considered to be a ÒtrendÓ only if it was based on at least three
years of data in order to account for yearly fluctuations in test scores that
are unrelated to studentsÕ learning.
The
report, titled State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08, Part I: Is the
Emphasis on ÒProficiencyÓ Shortchanging Higher- and Lower-Achieving Students?, is available at
http://www.cep-dc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document_ext.showDocumentByID&nodeID=1&DocumentID=280
Individual
state profiles are available at:
http://www.cep-dc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=572
Broward
County School Board
Located on the southeast coast of Florida and containing the
city of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County is among the most populated in the
nation. The school district, which is coterminous with the county, has the
second largest student enrollment in the state and the sixth in the nation,
although enrollment has declined in recent years. Broward County, has a robust
economy with services, government, and trade sectors accounting for the largest
components of the employment base. As in many areas, the unemployment rate has
increased over recent months to 8.5% in March 2009 from 4.3% a year earlier,
although it remains below the state and national averages. Meanwhile, data
indicates foreclosure rates are double the national average. However, the diversity
and solid foundation of the county's economy will allow it to withstand the
current economic downturn while remaining strong.
The district's financial position has shown weakening recently
with operating deficits in three out of the last four audited years largely due
to mid-year cuts in state aid. While an effective expenditure reduction plan
resulted in a $17 million surplus in fiscal 2008, unreserved fund balance as a
percent of spending decreased to 4.4% due to an increase in encumbrances.
Current fiscal 2009 projections show a $31 million operating deficit partially
due to $36 million in state aid that was held back in the middle of the year.
While the district largely offset this reduction through a $23 million transfer
from the self- insurance fund, which increased the district's structural
imbalance, the district made a policy decision not to amend expenditures
mid-year. Based on current projections, unreserved fund balance levels at the
close of fiscal 2009 will decrease to roughly 3.5% of spending, minimally
within the district's fund balance policy floor of 3%. Fiscal 2010 projections
show a $14 million budget gap that the district is working on closing and has
stated that it is committed to maintaining its current fund balance levels. The
district also has the ability to levy an additional 1/4 mill, which could be
used for operations or capital needs, with a super-majority vote of the board.
The levy would need voter approval if it were to continue beyond one year.
Additionally, the district is preparing a five-year plan which would restore
structural balance and increase total fund balance to the district's goal of
$100 million. Fitch would view the approval and implementation of this plan
positively although it finds the plan's projections optimistic.
Overall debt is low with average amortization. However, with
this issuance the district will be required to levy a high 0.92 mills of its
capital outlay millage for COPs debt service payment and is expected to
increase this to 1.09 mills for fiscal 2010 due to declining assessed value.
While the district has minimal borrowing plans over the next few years, general
maintenance needs may be stressed as the district will have limited excess
capital outlay millage to fund non-debt service expenditures. The district's
projections for its new five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) through fiscal
2015 total $1.5 billion, roughly half the total of previous plans, with $1
billion of revenue being generated by the capital outlay millage.
Okaloosa
County School Board
Okaloosa County is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida's
panhandle. Eglin Air Force Base anchors the local economy and provides general
stability to the area. However, unemployment rates, while still below average,
have risen briskly over the past year, underscoring broader economic weakness.
Overall debt levels are low at $843 per capita, or 0.87% of taxable assessed
value. Debt ratios are expected to remain low, as the district has no plans to
issue additional COPs over the next five fiscal years. The district currently
leverages a below-average 0.5 mill of the capital outlay millage for COPs
repayment, which provides capacity for pay-as-you-go funding of capital
projects. Future capital needs consist primarily of the maintenance and repair
of existing schools.
The district ended fiscal 2008 with a $3 million operating
surplus, which brought its total general fund balance to $51 million, or a high
21.5% of spending. Of the total general fund balance, $33 million, or 14.0% of
spending, was reserved for other purposes. However, officials note considerable
leeway in the use of these funds, which provides the district with greater
flexibility than is typical of reserved fund balances and positions the
district well in the current recessionary period. The district expects to end
fiscal 2009 with an approximately $1.5 million general fund surplus, despite
reductions in state aid. Officials plan to offset potential reductions in
fiscal 2010 state aid largely by reducing positions through attrition.
Flagler
County School Board
Flagler County, a residential county with significant amounts of
developable land remaining, is located on the northeast coast of Florida.
County growth has been exceptionally rapid with the population increasing over
83% since 2000. Rapid population growth has contributed to similar increases in
school enrollment, which experienced annual increases of up to 15% in the
middle portion of the decade. Enrollment growth has de-escalated in recent
years to a more moderate 1.3% for fiscal 2009. The county's economy is limited
with concentrations in government and retail. Unemployment has increased to
14.4% for April 2009 from 7.9% a year prior and has remained constant for three
consecutive months.
The COPs are secured by lease payments made by the district to
the trustee as assignee of the Flagler County School Board Leasing Corp. (the
corporation), which is a not-for-profit corporation created to assist the
district in lease-purchase financing. The obligation of the district to make
lease payments is a limited obligation, payable solely from funds appropriated
by the district from available revenues. In the event of non-appropriation, the
board must surrender all leased facilities to the trustee, which provides
strong incentives for appropriation.
The district's financial performance has been stable over the
past five years despite recent reductions in state funding. Fiscal 2008 results
show a $0.2 million surplus, increasing the unreserved fund balance to an
adequate 3.0% of spending. In the final month of fiscal 2009, year-end
projections indicate an approximate $1.5 million surplus. The fiscal 2010
budget is balanced with no use of reserves and state funding is expected to
increase due to projected enrollment growth and a slight increase in per pupil
state aid.
Overall debt is low at $1,995 per capita and 1.52% of taxable
assessed value with average amortization. Capital needs are manageable,
highlighted by the district's low 2% of students currently in portable
classrooms. The capital improvement plan for fiscal 2009-13 totals $65 million
excluding debt service and is 100% funded through pay-go. No additional debt is
currently planned.
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