Florida gets new school rules
State’s leaders enact new education policies on testing, books, bonuses, more
The key education legislation that passed in Florida this year prompted fierce debate, with most of the disagreements centered on two provisions related to funding for charter schools.
But the bill (HB 7069), which Gov. Rick Scott signed last month, dealt with many other issues, from testing to recess to teacher bonuses to civic pride.
And several other education measures — some also controversial — became law in Florida this month, too.
“There’s quite a bit going on,” said Ruth Melton of the Florida School Boards Association.
Here’s a rundown of the other new education rules state leaders ushered in:
Testing
Florida students in algebra 2 classes will no longer take a state end-of-course exam.
The test taken this spring by more than 120,000 students was scrapped at the urging of school administrators who think Florida’s
State testing will be pushed to later in the school year, with the first exams given no earlier than April 1 and most no sooner than May 1.
public school students spend too much time taking standardized tests.
The Florida Standards Assessments — a series of language arts and math exams — will be given in paper/pencil format to youngsters in grades three to six by 2019; maybe as soon as next year.
The state had been moving to give all those FSA exams on computers, but school administrators said online testing took up more time since many campuses didn’t have enough computers to test everyone in a certain grade or class simultaneously.
State testing will be pushed to later in the school year, with the first exams given no earlier than April 1 and most no sooner than May 1, giving teachers more time to provide lessons before their students take state exams.
This year, Florida’s testing season started in late February.
The state must hire a researcher to determine whether students can use the ACT or SAT, which many take anyway as they are applying to college, in place of the two state tests now required for high school graduation — the 10th-grade FSA language arts test and the algebra 1 end-of-course exam.
Books
Residents — and not just parents — who dislike books, textbooks or other “instructional materials” used in public schools should find it easier to challenge those items.
Backers say the measure will give those who find certain books inappropriate a better way to voice their objections. Critics say the new law could lead to censorship of important literary works or hurt science education, by opening the door to challenges to controversial topics, such as evolution.
“Unfortunately, the devious Instructional Materials bill, which creationists and climate change deniers absolutely love, is now signed into law,” wrote Brandon Haught, a Volusia County biology teacher, on the Florida Citizens for Science blog.
Civics, history
New Florida college students, starting next year, will have to prove their competency in “civic literacy,” either by passing a civics literacy course or a civics literacy test. The subject matter must include “the basic principles of American democracy,” the U.S. Constitution and other “founding documents,” and landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases.
September will be “American Founders’ month,” and all public schools will be urged to provide lessons on “our nation’s founding fathers” during that time.
Teacher bonuses
A new bonus program will pay all classroom teachers evaluated as “highly effective” $1,200 and all teachers evaluated as “effective” up to $800. This program starts in the coming 2017-18 school year and runs for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, too.
The state’s much-debated Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program — which ties bonuses in part to teachers’ old ACT or SAT scores — will continue as is for three more years, paying winning teachers $6,000 in the coming year.
In 2020, the test-score requirements drop (from the 80th to the 77th percentile) and teachers who graduated cum laude or higher from college can qualify with scores in the 71st percentile. The program also expands to include bonuses for “best and brightest” principals.
Teachers whose students take and pass Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge AICE exams no longer have a cap on the amount of bonus money they can earn, if their students pass the tests. Those awards had been capped at $2,000 or $3,000 per teacher, depending on the type of school.
Recess
All elementary school students in traditional public schools are to get 20 minutes of recess a day.
Already, this is the practice in several Central Florida school districts, but now time for “free play” during the school day will be required statewide. The measure was pushed by parents fed up recess was no longer a daily offering.
“We did it!” wrote Angela Browning, an Orange County mother of three and an organizer of the statewide recess push, on the Facebook page for Recess for All Florida Students.
Religious expression
Students can express their religious views in classwork, in clothing and jewelry worn to school and by praying during free time under a new law.
Critics say the measure was unnecessary as state and federal laws already guarantee such freedoms.
Those who pushed the new “religious liberties” measure said students need the new protections because some school administrators fear allowing such expression because it will look like they are endorsing religion.
“Students should not have to surrender their constitutional rights or their religious beliefs at the schoolhouse door. Neither should teachers, administrators or parents,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, one of the bill’s sponsors, in a statement after it became law.
Middle schools
Florida will study other states with “high-performing” middle school students — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont — based on national test scores, looking at their academic standards, school offerings and teacher requirements, among other items.
The goal is to find ways to boost performance among Florida students whose performance on national tests has been flat or fallen in recent years.
Middle school students in Florida will no longer have to take a “career and education planning” course.