Florida School Board Joins in Seeking Overhaul of State’s Accountability System

“The accountability system in Florida is broken. In such a high-stakes testing environment, it is imperative that we reassess current procedures so that we can move forward with a reliable system that educators, students and the community can support,” ~FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina

On Friday we were informed that the Florida School Board Association (FSBA) joined the Florida Association Of District School Superintendents (FADSS), Florida Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and the Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA), and issued a press release asking to; ‘Seek Overhaul of State’s Accountability System’.

The FSBA has also received request from FADSS has requested FSBA draft a Resolution in support of their position. FSBA is working on draft resolution language prior to the FSBA legislative committee meeting which is scheduled for October 15, 2015 in Clearwater.

As a fellow FSBA member, I fully support the FSBA’s press release and the statement by our FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina.

### FSBA PRESS RELEASE ###

Florida’s School Board Members Seek Overhaul of State’s Accountability System

October 1, 2015

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) recognizes the need for a strong accountability system at the school, district and state level in order to secure a uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality system of free public schools as guaranteed by the Florida Constitution. The FSBA also firmly supports the Florida Standards and valid and reliable state assessments to measure student progress in mastering those standards. However, Florida school board members are deeply concerned about the integrity of Florida’s current accountability system, which they believe has continuously deteriorated.

Due to the extensive disruption and confusion that surrounded the initial administration of the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) and the adverse conditions under which the test was administered, the FSBA questions whether the test is psychometrically reliable, which is essential in determining student performance baselines and in projecting future performance expectations. Additionally, the FSBA is concerned with the lack of trust from educators, students and the broader public in the fairness of statewide assessments and standards.

Since 1998, the number of assessments required by the state to be administered each year has substantially increased. The FSBA believes there is an over-emphasis on standardized testing which has resulted in a variety of unintended consequences that diminish the quality of the educational program, including stifling student engagement, narrowing the curriculum, reducing student access to elective and other desired courses and impeding the recruitment and retention of excellent teachers and administrators.

“The accountability system in Florida is broken. In such a high-stakes testing environment, it is imperative that we reassess current procedures so that we can move forward with a reliable system that educators, students and the community can support,” said FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina.

In an attempt to fix the eroded system, FSBA is once again calling on the Governor, Florida Legislature and State Board of Education to forego use of the 2015 FSA test results and extend, until fiscal year 2016-2017, the transition period for the implementation of accountability measures relating to teacher evaluation, school grades and district ranking. The FSBA also recommends the formation of a diverse committee of Florida teachers and district personnel to review the FSA to improve communication and public understanding of the state assessment and accountability system.

In addition, the FSBA calls on the U.S. Congress and Administration to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the “No Child Left Behind Act,” to reduce testing mandates, to promote multiple forms of evidence of student learning and school quality and to remove any fixed mandate for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators.

Florida school board members are calling for a re-evaluation of our assessment system in order to uphold Florida’s standing as a leader in education reform and adhere to the state’s constitutional responsibility to make adequate provision for a uniform, efficient and high quality system of public schools.

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Click here to access this press release issued by FSBA.

The mission of the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) is to increase student achievement through the development of effective school board leadership and advocacy for public education.

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Bring Your Dad to School Day

Dads and others get ‘schooled’

Today I had the honor of joining thousands of other dads (and those who are like dads) at one of our elementary schools to participate in the Florida Department of Education’s “Dads Take your child to school Day”. I got to take my wonderful goddaughter to Lecanto Primary School. I have to admit that I figured there would be some other men that came but I was not expecting the turnout that I found. At LPS alone there were over 400 men that were also bringing their children to school and spending time visiting their child’s classrooms. This wasn’t unique to LPS either as principals all over the school district reported parking lots so full that cars were forced to park on the streets. Throughout Citrus County Schools there were over 2,600 “dads” taking their child to school.

Accompany my goddaughter to her elementary classroom gave me and all the other “dads” the chance to briefly learn about our child’s curriculum and day. At LPS like many of the other schools the teachers, staff and administrators planned several activities for the “dads” to experience and enjoy.

Our morning began in the classroom with Ms. Ashley Augustine who so enthusiastically met each student. The student’s morning work I found so interesting as it involved to somewhat opposite practicing cursive handwriting and installing an iPad application named Division ! !. Before too long it was time to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem. Then the school’s morning show was broadcasted. If you haven’t seen one of our school’s morning show broadcast they are a real treat and are professional quality. Today’s host were Ms. Wood’s and who else— her dad, who she brought in to school in keeping with the theme of the day.

Next we head from her 4^th grade classroom teacher to her advanced 5^th grade math inclusion classroom with Ms. Lori Stumpfol and Ms. Jamie Reis Elbarra. As we entered the “dads” where told they were the students today and the students would be our helpers. We would be getting our lesson using a program named Study Island on the iPads. This program allowed the teachers to have us do math problems using a dry-erase board on the desk and then enter our answers into the iPad and then the teacher would show the work on the digital dry-erase board in the front of the class. This instruction had everything— it was engaging, fun, fast and the teacher could get the feedback she needed to better improve instructing the students. Now I know it has been a long time since I was in 5^th grade but I was pretty impressed with the rigor of the math questions. I was also impressed with how well the students knew how to answer these algebra style questions. For those interested the math wasn’t done any differently then I remembered doing it years ago, and in fact next to me was an older grandfather who got the toughest question if the day, and got it correct. The grandfather showed his work to the teacher who explained that it was done in the same way as the teacher was instructing the students.

It was time for the dads to leave and I felt as adults we had learned far more about our kid’s schools and day then we might have realized previously.

I know there has been some concern about the Florida Department of Education’s promotion of the “Dads Take your child to school Day” as some felt it was leaving out those children whose dads couldn’t come or those that might not have a father involved in their lives. I have to give much credit to our schools that went to great length to encourage anyone that is a “dad” in a child’s life to come today, and they did. I saw dads, step-dads, uncles, grand-dads, and even moms (for some, mom’s can be the best dad) participate in the day.

I want to thank all the schools that worked so hard to welcome our “dads” and most importantly I want to thank those men and women who are dads to their own children and to other children.

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PTA joins Superintendents in loss of faith in school accountability system

“…Parents and community stakeholders will not continue to tolerate this mess” ~ Florida PTA

Florida PTA joined the Florida Association of District School Superintendents in being fed up with the Florida education accountability system and do not want the test scores from the new Florida Standards Assessments to determining teachers’ performance evaluations and school grades.

The Tampa Bay Times is reporting, “In its own statement today, the Florida PTA said it stands with the superintendents. The group agrees that schools should get an ‘incomplete’ for 2014-15 school grades, rather than have the FSA test results dictate a letter grade.”

The Florida PTA stated, “The fact that the school districts have lost faith in the decisions of the Department of Education must be rectified. Parents and community stakeholders will not continue to tolerate this mess“. Click here to read Florida PTA Press Release.

This Florida PTA statement today follows Thursday, September 24, 2015 press release by The Florida Association of District School Superintendents who said, “Florida Superintendents have lost confidence in the accountability system”, and asked for four specific recommendations to be addressed. Click here to read FADSS Press Release.

I agree with both the PTA and FADSS and do not believe that the 2015 FSA or other new high-stakes test scores should be used in determining teachers’ performance evaluations and school grades. It is my hope that the Florida School Boards Association (which the Citrus County School Board is a member) will join the PTA and the FADSS in collectively speaking out against the use of this questionable data.

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