A Southern frame of mind
Want to know how Florida stacks up next to its 15 Southern neighbors and the rest of the country? The latest progress report from the Southern Regional Education Board is out this morning, and it is always good for context. You'll find, for example, that Florida's average SAT scores are below national and regional averages. But that its college graduation rates are higher.
Much of this data can be found elsewhere (like NAEP scores and grad rates) and much has been reported. But SREB puts it all in one tidy package. It also includes a number of indicators that don't make the papers often, like college enrollment rates (Florida suffers by comparison) and participation in adult education classes (Florida shines by comparison).
Bottom line, according to SREB: "Florida is making solid progress in education, but just as in every state, much work remains to be done," SREB President Dave Spence said in a press release.
- Ron Matus, state education reporter
Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news and dig deep into Tampa Bay area school issues.
Take a close look at the figure on p. 46. It may be outdated - see http://www.shermandorn.com/mt/archives/001342.html for the relevant links.
Posted by: Sherman Dorn | July 01, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Correction: the report's 2007 date appears to be the 2006-07 year, so it's outdated in a different way (by not including the 2007-08 finances). If it did include the 2007-08 data, the after-inflation decline would be worse.
Posted by: Sherman Dorn | July 01, 2008 at 10:24 AM