Time for a makeover

Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith (left) has opened the door to changing the formula for grading schools, offering the strongest sign yet that Florida's accountability system is in line for a makeover.

In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board, Smith said measures such as participation and scores on high-caliber Advanced Placement tests and industrial certifications for vocational students should be considered in a discussion about revamping school grades.

"We probably need to look at a broader array of tools to measure school performance," said Smith, who began work as Florida's new education czar last month.

The current grading system, put in place by former Gov. Jeb Bush, hinges entirely on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, which measures student performance in reading, writing, math and science. It carries with it both a stick (the stigma of a bad grade) and a carrot (reward money that is often divvied up into modest teacher bonuses).

Smith's comments dovetail with other recent signals that change is coming.

In November, a contingent of state education leaders, including two Board of Education members allied with Gov. Charlie Crist, flew to New York to take a closer look at that state's Regents exams, a system of standardized tests that measures a broader array of high school subjects than the FCAT.

A key state lawmaker, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is also pushing for changes in the grading formula, particularly the inclusion of high school graduation rates. Gaetz is chairman of the Senate education committee.

Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said Smith's comments were a good sign, but not unexpected.
Given Florida’s anemic graduation rates, it's clear Bush's system is falling short when it comes to high schools, said Gelber, the House minority leader and a frequent critic of Bush's education initiatives.

Smith told the editorial board that Florida needs to "raise the floor and the ceiling" when it comes to student achievement.

In an interview, he cited other measures that might help do that in the grading formula, such as dual enrollment courses with community colleges.

Those kinds of programs, he said, help "fuzz up" the transition between high school and college.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Comments

[terminator]

4:35
I worked at DOE so I know who the "nitwits" are.
The Jebbies working at DOE should be taken out and summarily executed (just kidding) but it's a nice thought!
Dr. Smith is new, so no I wouldn't classify him as one of the entrenched bureaucrats.
Like I said in my earlier post, hopefully the chowderheads who make up what's called the State Board of Education (all appointed by the Jebster) and Charlie Crist will get out of the way and let Dr. Smith do his thing.
Senator Gaetz is about the only other person up there who know's anything about K-12 anyway.
Glad Charlie doesn't know nor care about public education but let's face it, we could lose about 1,000 people over at DOE and no one in the state would even know it happened. That's how minimal the impact would be.
The state needs to "devolve" the education bureaucracy to the lowest common denominator (locals and schools) and get rid of the useless paper pushers.
Let's hope DOE was one of those agencies Marco was talking about!

Termie:

I'll remind you that Dr. Smith is also from DOE. Are you calling him a "nitwit" as well? Please, I believe it's the Jebbies left at DOE you are referring to, correct? Let's only hope he knows who they are and will clean up the place.

What?

Hillsborough will need notice of any change in the grading formula so they can change their numbers in time to get the money.

[Diane Hanfmann]

Kudos to Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform for their long held stances !!! I hope to hear them respond. This is a victory for Florida's students and schools !!!!!!!!! Give that A+ plan the F it always deserved.

[terminator]

finally someone with some common sense

now the best thing the state board idiots and nitwits at DOE is stay out!

thank God Crist doesn't have any education policy initiatives.

Smith appears to be a breath of fresh air

[Diane Hanfmann]

Best news I have heard in a LONG TIME.
I hope they will attach a value added approach when they use the FCAT scores as a part of the new system so that growth will be important no matter where it occurs. I am thrilled to hear
Commissioner Smith speak of raising the ceiling of achievement as well as the floor. Hopefully, acceleration policies for advanced learners will follow and Florida can become excluded from the nation depicted in A Nation Deceived: How Schools hold back America's Brightest Students.(Colangelo, 2004, Belin Blank Centre for GIfted Education/ University of Iowa) Ohio provides a good model. ALL
children deserve an equal opportunity to learn, regardless of their proficiency level. A mind is a terrible thing to wastte, particularly in a place called school.