Ed Commish Gerard Robinsn just makes it up as he goes along

From the Orlando Sentinel, by Leslie Postal

No school should fall more than one letter grade on Florida’s school report card this year, as a way to transition into the state’s new, tougher school grading formula, Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson has recommended.

Robinson plans to formally present that recommendation to the State Board of Education on Thursday. He shared it with some education leaders today.

The proposal, if adopted by the State Board, would reduce the expected number of F-rated schools and increase the number of B-rated schools, according to data Robinson sent out along with his recommendation.

He said this would allow ”public school leaders, teachers and students a year of transition into our new standards.”

Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, had earlier requested a delay in the full implementation of the new system, fearing it would look bad for the state if suddenly there were lots more D and F schools. He said recently that a no-more-than-one-letter-grade-drop would satisfy his worries.

Without the proposal, 10 percent of Florida’s public schools would drop more than one letter grade, thanks to the tough, new grading system the board adopted in February.

Robinson has four other recommendations, too. Some of those likely will please advocates for students learning English and students with disabilities. It’s not clear how much impact they would have on overall A-to-F grades, but Robinson said they would provide a “balanced measure” for judging how those two groups of students are progressing in state schools.

Some feared the new system — by holding schools more accountable for those youngsters’ performance — would hurt schools who educate lots of those students and have the consequence of making such students seem undesirable to their teachers and schools.

Even with the drop-only-one-grade plan, the number of F schools is still expected to top 130, from fewer than 40 this year, the data shows.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2012/05/school-grading-formula-no-school-should-fall-more-than-one-letter-grade-this-year-commissioner-robinson-recommends.html