Keys to Closing the Gap in Florida: Accountability, Technical Assistance, and Targeted Resources Presentation to the National Governors’ Association John L. Winn, Assistant Secretary Florida Board of Education

Fundamental Premise Every child can learn and no child should be left behind.

Florida’s Emphasis  Accountability  Technical Assistance  Targeted Resources

Accountability  Measure Annual Student Learning  Grade Schools and Report Progress  Eliminate Social Promotion

Annual Learning Gains  Measures student progress from year to year  Provides a diagnostic tool for addressing the needs of individual learners

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)  Grades 3-10  Assessment program includes both criterion- and norm-referenced components  Data used to report educational status and annual progress for individual students, schools, districts, and the state

FCAT : Mean Scores Mathematics Grade 5Grade 8Grade White Black Hispanic Asian Native Am Multiracial

FCAT : Mean Scores Reading Grade 4Grade 8Grade White Black Hispanic Asian Native Am Multiracial

School Grades  Current Performance of Students  Annual Student Learning Gains  Improvement in the Lowest 25% Performing Students

School Accountability Report for: All Elementary Schools – Simulation Data Draft Report Grade ComponentReading (Gr 3, 4, 5) Math (Gr 3, 4, 5) Writing (Gr 4) Grade Points % Meeting High Standards60%53%68% 181 % of All Students Making Learning Gains 68%69% Adequate Progress of Lowest 25% in the School? 49% = No-- 49 School Grade Points 367 Additional Bonus Points +13 Total Points 380 Total School Grade?

School Grades

Elimination of Social Promotion  No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on age or other factors that constitute social promotion  All students must read by grade 4 or be retained

Technical Assistance  Data Driven School Improvement –School Improvement Plans –School Reports  Use of Diagnostics  Sharing of Best Practices

Example of School Improvement: Wimauma Elementary School, Hillsborough County  93.2% Students Eligible for Free or Reduced- Price Lunch  Schoolwide Title I

Wimauma’s School Accountability Report GradeYear% in Lowest Reading Levels % Level 2 and Above FCAT Reading % Level 3 and Above FCAT Reading % Level 2 and Above FCAT Math % Level 3 and Above FCAT Math % 3 and Above FCAT Writing A D State

Targeted Resources  Resources –A+ Supplemental Academic Instruction Fund –One Florida

A+ Supplemental Academic Instruction Fund  2001 Legislature appropriated $676.6 million  Must be used to help students gain at least a year of knowledge for each year in school  Districts provided services to 71% of K12 students  Most frequent services provided: reading instruction, math instruction, class size reduction, dropout prevention programs, remedial classes, attendance activities to prevent truancy, counseling, and parent and family contacts

One Florida  College Board Partnership  Need Based Financial Aid  Florida Virtual School  Free College Entry Testing  College Reach Out  Talented 20 Program  Expanded College Recruiting  Postsecondary Opportunity Alliances  Mentoring Programs  Equity in Education Task Force

The Talented 20 Percent  This initiative guarantees admission to one of the state universities to the Top 20% of each graduating public high school class in Florida without regard to SAT or ACT scores.  These students are given preference for need-based financial aid.

Expect higher achievement, support higher achievement, obtain higher achievement.