Apr
20
Accountability works, raise the bar! Don’t lower it!
April 20, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
Strengthening our system of accountability will improve the quality of education for today’s students. Just such a bill is working its way through the Florida Legislature.
Under Florida’s system of accountability, schools are graded on student learning – how many are achieving on or above grade level and how many students are making progress even if they are not yet performing on grade level. Because the FCAT math and reading are given in third through eighth grade, the system clearly reflects performance and progress of elementary and middle schools.
However, in high school, only one standardized annual assessment is given after the tenth grade – FCAT science – and the results of the test account for just 1/8 of the school grade. As a result, school grades reflect mostly the achievement and progress of freshmen and sophomores, while the success of juniors and seniors goes comparatively unmeasured and unrewarded.
To better capture the performance and progress of students throughout the four years of high school, the legislation (Senate Bill 1908) adds the following measures of student learning and achievement to the high school grade calculation:
- Graduation rates, with an emphasis on at-risk students,
- Participation and performance of students in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), dual enrollment and industry certification programs,
- Scores on SAT, ACT or other college placement exams, which assess college readiness of students, and
- Scores on standardized statewide end-of-course exams, if and when the state develops these tests.
Since Florida began holding schools accountable for student performance and progress, the results have been dramatic. The number of A and B schools has almost quadrupled, while the number of D and F schools has reduced by more than half.
Senate Bill 1908 will take the next step in increasing accountability and performance of our high schools.
To view Senate Bill 1908, visit www.leg.state.fl.us.
To learn more about school grades, visit www.afloridapromise.org.
