Education Reform in Florida

1

• Education Reform in Florida
• Accountability and School Choice Produce Results

2
Student Demographics

• Florida has 2.6 million students in the public
  school system kindergarten through grade 12
• Florida has 350,000 students attending private
  schools
• Florida has nearly 56,000 students that are home
  educated

3
Florida School Districts
3
4
District Size

• 67 School Districts
• (7) Extra-large 100,000 350,000 students
• (7) Large 50,000 100,000 students
• (21) Medium 10,000 50,000 students
• (31) Small less than 10,000 students

5
District Structure

• Florida Constitution specifies
• 67 School Districts
• Elected School Boards
• Elected or Appointed School Superintendents

6
Education Rights

• Florida Constitution specifies
• The education of children is a fundamental
  value of the people of the State of Florida. It
  is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to
  make adequate provision for the education of all
  children residing within its borders. Adequate
  provision shall be made by law for a uniform,
  efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system
  of free public schools that allows students to
  obtain a high quality education . . .

7
Public Schools

• Governed by State Law Local School Board
  Policies
• Funded by State with a combination of state and
  local funds
• Funded equitably however, with differences for
  specific purposes

8
Public Schools

• Every school has a principal hired by the
  superintendent
• The superintendent hires the teachers in
  coordination with the school principal
• Principals do not belong to a union however,
  teachers may belong to a union

9

• Education Reform
• Education Reform began late 90s and brought
  about major changes to Floridas educational
  landscape

10
Education Reform

• What is Education Reform?
• Standards
• Public Accountability
• Rewards and Consequences
• Choice

11
Graduation Rates

• 1990 1998
• Graduation rate declined by nearly 7

• 1999 2007
• Graduation rate increased by nearly 11

12
Dropout Rates

• 1990 1998
• Dropout rate declined by less than one percent
  (.8).

• 1999 2007
• Dropout rate declined by nearly two percent
  (1.9) -- more than twice the previous 8-year
  decline.

13
National Assessment of Educational Progress

• 1998
• Floridas 4th 8th graders scored at the bottom
  nationally in reading and math

• 2007
• Floridas 4th 8th graders scored above the
  national average in reading and 4th graders
  exceed the national average in math

14
High School Exit Exam

• Prior to 2003
• Florida students were required to pass an 8th
  grade level test (High School Competency Test) to
  receive a diploma
• In 2002, 10 of Florida seniors did not get a
  diploma solely due to nonpassage of the test

• Since 2003
• Florida students were required to pass the 10th
  grade FCAT to receive a diploma
• In 2007, 8 of Florida seniors did not get a
  diploma solely due to nonpassage of the test

15
A Plan

• Student testing (grades 3 10)
• School Grading (A-F)
• School Recognition Program
• Opportunity Scholarships

16
FCAT

• Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

17
FCAT Basics

• Prior to the FCAT, 8 different tests used in
  Florida
• FCAT Writing first administered in 1992
• FCAT Math Reading first tested in 1997
• FCAT Science first tested in 2003

18
FCAT Basics

• FCAT questions are reviewed by teachers based
  upon Sunshine State Standards, which are
  developed by teachers
• For more information on Sunshine State Standards
  http//www.firn.edu/doe/curric/prek12/index.html
• Administered to students in grades 3-11
• Reading and Math (grades 3-10)
• Writing (grades 4, 8, 10)
• Science (grades 5, 8, 11)

19
FCAT Basics

• More than 700 teachers, principals, and parents
  review every FCAT question before it is put on
  the test
• Any one person can veto a potential question

20
FCAT Basics Question Review

• Standards review questions must be aligned to
  the Sunshine State Standards
• Bias questions must be free from information
  that would disadvantage a particular group
• Sensitivity questions must be free from issues
  that may be deemed inappropriate by parents and
  other citizens
• Expert questions and answers must be accurate
• Content questions must be appropriate for the
  grade-level tested

21
One Year of FCAT Participants
2006 2007

• Advisory - 25 Members
• Computer Based Advisory
• Technical Advisory
• FCAT Reports

• Sensitivity - 32 Members
• Reading
• Mathematics
• Science
• Writing

• Bias - 48 Members
• Reading Mathematics
• Science
• Writing

• Science - 97 Members
• Expert Review
• Item Content Review
• Rangefinding
• Rangefinder Review
• Gridded Adjudication

• Reading - 180 Members
• Content Advisory
• Educator Visits to Handscoring
• Item Content Review
• Lessons Learned
• Passage Review
• Rangefinding
• Rangefinder Review

• Mathematics -170 Members
• Content Advisory
• Gridded Adjudication
• Educator Visits to Handscoring
• Item Content Review
• Lessons Learned
• Rangefinding
• Rangefinder Review

• Writing - 153 Members
• Content Advisory
• Educator Visits to Handscoring
• Prompt Review
• Item Content Review
• Rangefinder

766 participants, 38 weeks of meetings, and 76
different meetings
22
One Year of FCAT Participants
2006 2007

• County Type
• Rural 25
• Urban 33
• Suburban 42

• Ethnicity
• Asian 1
• African Am 22
• Caucasian 67
• Hispanic 6
• Other 3

• Region
• Panhandle 24
• East Central 22
• Northeast 19
• South 19
• West Central 16

Gender Female 79 Male 21

• County Size
• Small 27
• Medium 40
• Large 33

23
FCAT Basics

• Each question takes 2 years to develop
• 50 percent of questions eliminated by review
  committees
• Approximately 2,000 per question

24
FCAT Development Process
25
Student Performance Levels

• Level 5
• Above grade level
• Level 4
• Level 3 GRADE LEVEL
• Level 2
• Below grade level
• Level 1

26
Setting Cut Scores

• Educator Panels Initial Recommendations
• Reactor Panels Review Educator Proposals
• DOE Policy Recommendations
• State Board of Education

27
Achievement Levels
28
Achievement Levels
29
Categories of Questions

• There are 3 categories of questions on every FCAT
  test
• Scored Questions
• Anchor Questions
• Field-Test Questions

30
Categories of Questions

• Scored Questions
• Questions that are used to determine a students
  FCAT score.
• These are fully released each year by the DOE.

31
Categories of Questions

• Anchor Questions
• Questions that are re-used each year.
• Purpose of anchor questions is to equate test
  questions from year to year to ensure valid
  comparisons of scores each year.
• 4-5 anchor questions on each test.

32
Categories of Questions

• Field-Test Questions
• Questions that are being field-tested to
  determine if they will be used in the future as
  scored questions.
• These questions are not released each year.
• 4-5 field-test questions on each test.

33
Released Tests

• What is a released test?
• One that is actually taken by students
• One that is no longer in use questions are
  eliminated from test bank and not re-used
• One that includes only scored questions

34
Types of Student Questions

• There are 3 types of questions
• students must answer on the FCAT
• Multiple Choice
• Gridded Response
• Short Answer/Extended Answer

35
Types of Items by Grade
36
FCAT Scoring

• FCAT Writing essays are hand-scored by at least
  two individuals.
• Scores one point apart are averaged.
• Scores more than one point apart are rescored by
  new individual.
• FCAT Reading Math performance items are
  hand-scored by at least two individuals.
• Scores must be identical or additional scorer is
  brought in for review.

37
School Grades

• We measure because we care Gov. Bush

38
School Grading System

• Every public school in Florida is given a school
  grade of A, B, C, D, or F
• School Grades are based upon student test scores
  on the FCAT
• Performance
• Learning Gains
• Learning Gains of lowest 25

39
School Grading System

• Performance percent of students on grade level
• Learning Gains percent of students making a
  years worth of progress, regardless of whether
  they are on grade level
• Increase a performance level (move from level 3
  to level 4)
• Stay at same level -- levels 3, 4, or 5 -- from
  year to year (level 3 in 4th grade to level 3 in
  5th grade)
• Move up sufficiently within the lowest two levels
• Learning Gains of lowest 25 -- percent of lowest
  performing students making learning gains

40
School Grading System Beginning
in 06-07
41
Sunshine Middle School
42
School Grading System
43
School Grades 1999 - 2007
44
Rewards Sanctions

• Measurement is meaningless unless there are
  rewards for improvement and consequences for
  results.

45
School Recognition

• Schools receive 100 per student for
• Increasing a letter grade
• Receiving or maintaining an A
• School staff and school advisory council decide
  on use of the funds
• Since 1999, more than 980 million provided in
  school recognition awards

46
Reform Social Promotion

• It is critical to ensure students have the skills
  necessary to succeed, so they are not set up for
  failure.

47
Reform Social Promotion

• Passed legislation to eliminate social promotion
  in 3rd grade gateway year
• 3rd grade students are still learning to read
• 4th grade students are reading to learn
• Students who score level 1 (lowest level) on 3rd
  grade FCAT reading must be retained unless the
  student meets good cause exemptions.

48
Retention Works

• Manhattan Institute researcher Jay Greene did a
  study on Floridas third grade retention policy,
  after two years of the policy, and found
• Retained third graders made significant gains
  compared to socially promoted students.
• These gains actually grew substantially from the
  first to the second year after retention.
• Students who are socially promoted appear to fall
  farther behind over time, while retained third
  graders are able to catch up and succeed in later
  grades.

49
High Stakes High School Graduation

• A Florida high school diploma should represent
  value.

50
High School Graduation

• Florida has had graduation test requirement for
  more than 25 years
• High School Competency Test (HSCT)
• 8th grade level test
• 10 of high school students did not receive
  diploma solely due to nonpassage of HSCT
• In 2002 became the Grade 10 FCAT
• 10th grade level test
• In 2007, 8 of high school students did not
  receive diploma solely due to nonpassage of FCAT

51
School Choice Options for Parents

• School choice is an essential tool for real
  education reform. Its also a fundamental right
  a civil right for Floridas families. -
• Jeb Bush

52
Charter Schools

• Eligibility Any student, depending upon
  criteria of the charter school
• Funding
• Charter schools receive 95 of the funds of
  traditional public schools
• 98,000 students participating
• 356 charter schools

53
Opportunity Scholarships

• Any student in a school that receives its second
  F in a 4-year period can choose to attend
• A higher performing school within the district
• A higher performing school in an adjacent
  district, with space available
• A participating private school

54
McKay Scholarships

• Eligibility All students with disabilities and
  active Individual Education Plan
• Choices
• Another public school within the district
• A public school in an adjacent district with
  services
• A participating private school
• 18,000 students participating

55
Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships

• Eligibility Low-income students eligible for
  Free or Reduced Priced-Lunch
• Choices
• 3,750 to go to a participating private school
• 500 for transportation to a public school in an
  adjacent district
• 17,000 students participating
• Program capped at 88 million statewide

56
The Florida Virtual School

• Grades 6 through 12
• Eligibility Any Florida Student public,
  private, or home education
• Free for students to participate
• 113,900 course enrollments
• Funded by the state based upon course completions

57
K-8 Virtual Schools

• Grades kindergarten through grade 8
• Eligibility Any Florida Student who previously
  attended traditional public school
• Free for students to participate students
  receive computer and internet access
• Capped at 1,400 students

58
Home Education

• Parents are allowed to home educate their
  children.
• Register with the school district
• Complete portfolios
• Annual evaluation
• Nearly 56,000 home education students

59
School Choice Saves Money

• Savings Calculations
• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• Student enrollment x 16,000 (avg cost of
  elementary student station)
• 2. Operating Savings
• Student enrollment x 7,200 (avg per student
  funding in public schools)

60
Charter Schools

• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• 98,000 students x 16,000 1.57 billion
• 2. Operating Savings (recurring)
• 98,000 students x (7,200 X 5) 35 million

61
McKay Scholarships

• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• 18,000 students x 16,000 288 million
• 2. Operating Savings
• 0

62
Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships

• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• 17,000 students x 16,000 272 million
• 2. Operating Savings (recurring)
• 17,000 students x (7,200 - 3,750) 58.6
  million

63
Florida Virtual School

• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• 55,000 students x 16,000 880 million
• 2. Operating Savings (recurring)
• 0

64
Home Education

• 1. Fixed Capital Savings
• 56,000 students x 16,000 896 million
• 2. Operating Savings (recurring)
• 56,000 students x 7,200) 403 million

65
School Choice Saves Money

• Total Savings from School Choice
• 1. Fixed Capital Savings (one time)
• 3.9 billion
• 2. Operating Savings (recurring)
• 530 million (annually)

66
Research supports School Choice

• Research shows School Choice is working
• Manhattan Institute threat of vouchers improved
  student performance
• http//www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_02.htm
  
• Cornell University threat of vouchers improved
  student performance
• http//repec.org/esNASM04/up.2034.1075271881.pdf
• Harvard University choice provisions of A are
  leveraging student achievement gains
• http//www.ksg.harvard.edu/pepg/PDF/Papers/West_Pe
  terson_ChoiceThreats.pdf

67
Research supports School Choice

• Research shows School Choice is working
• Friedman Foundation Empirical Evidence on
  private schools and school choice
• http//www.friedmanfoundation.org/friedman/researc
  h/ShowResearchItem.dojsessionidE74F8098352A6F05A
  CC3EA7A5FCAA975?id10082
• Collins Center Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship
  saves state money
• http//www.collinscenter.org/publications/publicat
  ions_show.htm?doc_id465138
• Manhattan Institute choice provisions provide
  greater parental satisfaction
• http//www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_38.htm

68
A Plan is Working

• Its the cumulative effect of incremental
  improvement that creates significant progress
• Jeb Bush

69
A Plan is Working
70
A Plan is Working
71
A Plan is Working
72
A Plan is Working
Inclusion in school grades increased gains
73
A Plan is Working
Inclusion in school grades increased gains
74
NAEP
Inclusion in school grades increased gains
75
NAEP
Inclusion in school grades increased gains
76
NAEP
Inclusion in school grades increased gains
77
Norm-referenced tests

• On the Stanford 10 (SAT 10) . . .
• At every grade level (3-10) Florida
• students outperform 60 70 percent
• of all other states students in both
• reading and math.

78
Accountability Works!

• 211,000 more students are reading on grade level
  in 2007 than 2001
• 48,200 more African American students reading on
  grade level in 2007 than 2001
• 90,900 more Hispanic students reading on grade
  level in 2007 than 2001
• 26,300 more Students with Disabilities reading on
  grade level in 2007 than in 2001

79
Accountability Works!

• 244,000 more students are doing math on grade
  level in 2007 than 2001
• 59,800 more African American students doing math
  on grade level in 2007 than 2001
• 99,200 more Hispanic students doing math on grade
  level in 2007 than 2001
• 31,000 more Students with Disabilities doing math
  on grade level in 2007 than in 2001

80
A Plan for Education

• Contact Information
• Patricia W. Levesque
• Executive Director
• Foundation for Floridas Future
• P.O. Box 10691
• Tallahassee, FL 32302-2691
• 850-391-3070
• patricia_at_afloridapromise.org
• www.foundationforfloridasfuture.org