Florida's education system unraveling? Blame Jeb Bush

By Jac Versteeg, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

In her Monday commentary in The Palm Beach Post, Patricia Levesque disingenuously blamed local school districts for all the standardized tests in Florida that are angering parents and frustrating students. Ms. Levesque, who as an adviser to former Gov. Jeb Bush saluted every “bold” education scheme from FCAT-based school grades to vouchers for religious schools, wrote, “Many districts require two to three times more tests than are required by the state.”

In fact, local districts have little or no choice. They know that everybody suffers if students do poorly on the late-spring FCAT. So they give at least two pre-FCAT tests, one in the fall and one in the winter, to identify areas where individual students need more help.

So a student will take two pre-FCAT tests before taking the reading FCAT and another two pre-FCAT tests before taking the math FCAT. Couldn’t the schools just bag those and take their chances? In many cases, the answer is no. The Florida Department of Education identifies schools that are in danger of doing poorly on the FCAT and other assessments, and requires districts to show that they’re preparing students for the tests. Most schools in Palm Beach County, for example, are required to assess and report student progress before the FCAT is administered.

Ms. Levesque is now executive director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future. Jeb Bush is the chairman, and it’s his way of continuing to influence education since leaving office in 2007. Ms. Levesque also notes that graduation rates for Hispanic and African-American students improved after Florida went all in for the FCAT.

Here again, at least as far as Palm Beach County is concerned, Ms. Levesque is not providing the whole story. School officials track each student to be sure that they’re meeting the many graduation requirements besides passing the FCAT. For example, the district intervenes if students don’t have the necessary GPA, haven’t signed up for all required classes or haven’t met the public service requirement.

Finally, Ms. Levesque doesn’t warn parents that another shoe is about to drop. Actually, it’s an Imelda Marcos closetful. The Legislature and Gov. Scott have required school districts to develop and administer standardized end-of-course exams in every class. Students won’t have to pass all of them to graduate, but some will be graduation requirements. Teacher pay will be pegged to student scores.

Ms. Levesque doesn’t want to admit it, but in large part because of policies she advocated, the state — not local school districts — is smothering Florida students in standardized tests.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/editorial-swamped-by-standardized-tests-blame-jeb/nPZYm/