The Florida Legislature keeps beating up on education

From the Palm Beach Post, by Jac Wilder VerSteeg

Those scanning the horizon for still more legislative assaults on public education in Florida should notice a provision buried on Page 67 of the 71-page House Bill 7059, which awaits Gov. Scott's signature.

The bill generally tinkers with curriculum requirements and graduation policies. The bombshell comes in the discussion of the "end-of-course assessments" being phased in to replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The bill decrees that those tests, which otherwise improve on the FCAT, will affect the "full-time equivalent" (FTE) payment from the state for each student.

Schools must gather three years of data on end-of-course tests for algebra, geometry and biology. Then, "beginning in the fourth year of administering the end-of-course assessment, the FTE shall be credit-based and each course shall be equal to 1/6 FTE."

If Gov. Scott agrees, as he almost certainly will, Florida school districts for the first time will face a monetary penalty when students fail to pass high-stakes tests at the core of the alleged "accountability" systems being pushed so relentlessly at the state and federal levels. The per-pupil "FTE" in the budget the Legislature just approved is about $6,375. So if the penalty were in effect for next year, one-sixth of an "FTE" would be about $1,062.

A legislative staffer, speaking this week on background, said schools would have to refund to the state any penalty at the end of the year. The staffer emphasized that the legislation must be refined before taking full effect. He said that districts would not be penalized if the percentage of students passing the end-of-course tests is the same as the percentage passing statewide in the three years of data gathering. Districts that fall below the average will have to refund money. Districts that exceed the average would get a bonus.

The staffer said the rules would apply to charter schools. He said they might apply to schools that accept corporate vouchers. But it's hard to see how, since voucher schools are not required to give the FCAT or specific end-of-course tests and, at least technically, are not financed with money from the state budget.

The staffer said the goal was to provide an incentive to improve student scores. But the state already did that last year, by ordering districts to impose a merit-pay system for teachers that relies heavily on student scores on the FCAT and its successors. Without even waiting to see if that works, the Legislature is eager to get in the next hit.

School districts have to provide classrooms and teachers for every student who shows up. Despite a teacher's best efforts, some students will do nothing more than show up. The new penalty would hit districts but not parents and students, who might be more responsibility for the failure. The system also would penalize schools with the most challenging student populations, even if the students make great progress but don't pass the end-of-course tests.

Once they hear how bad HB 7059 is, legislators ought to kill it. But it came from Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Destin, the incoming Senate president. If he wants the Legislature to keep beating up public education, that's what will happen.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/editorials/schools-to-take-more-fire-2283714.html