Florida Formula for Student Achievement:
Lessons for Improving Student Learning
John L Winn
1
Damage of Low Expectations
Of inmates in our prisons cannot read above a 4th
+70% grade level.
Of food stamp recipients are high school
75% dropouts.
85% Of all kids brought before the juvenile court
system are functionally illiterate
90% Of welfare recipients are high school dropouts
2
Average Earnings by Education: 2009
$73,798
$56,665
$30,627
$20,241
Advanced
Degree
Bachelor’s
Degree
High School
Diploma
No
Diploma
Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012
An Era of Excuses
Education doesn’t
get enough money.
It’s unfair to hold all
kids to the same
standards
Poverty and
broken homes are
to blame.
Labeling kids
hurts their selfesteem
Dismal Student Achievement
4
FORCES AGAINST REFORM
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Not the schools’ fault
You don’t understand the kids we serve
Everyone is working hard
Why now? No local demand for reform
Parent satisfaction with child’s school
Education groups resist interference
The real problem is lack of money
General aversion to conflict?
5
WHY REFORM EDUCATION?
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Low student achievement
Inequities in education quality
Poor public and parent understanding
Lack of credible performance measures
Lack of accountability for performance
Few or no choices for families
Low public support for education
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Culture of Education Reform
Rising Student Achievement
Choices for
families
Rigorous
academic
standards
Clear accountability for
schools
High expectations and
support for all students
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Florida’s Diverse Student Population
• 2.7 million students
• Majority minority student population
• Large population of students learning English as a
second language
• About half of students are eligible for free and reduced
priced lunch
8
Florida Reforms 1999-2011
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A – F School Grades based on student learning
Rewards for High and Improved Academic Results
Alternatives to Attending Failing Schools
Promotion and Graduation Requirements
A Laser Focus on Reading
Added Support for Teachers and Students
Incentivizing Educators for High Performance
Choices, Choices, Choices (charter, private, digital)
Strong Interventions for Failing Schools
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Florida’s Education Reform
• Create incentives for rigor and college readiness
– Reward teachers with cash bonuses for every
student who passes an Advanced Placement
exam
– Provide free PSATs for all 10th Graders
– Increase access to Advanced Placement
courses for minority students.
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Florida Rising in the Ranks
1st
3rd
4th
5th
Closing
racial and
economic
achieveme
nt gaps
Largest
gains for
Black
students
Largest
gains for
lowincome
students
Largest
gains for
students
with
disabilities
Since 2003, when all states
began participating in NAEP
FLORIDA’S PROGRESS ON NAEP
Average NAEP 4th Grade Reading Scores,
Florida and National Average 1992-2011
230
225
220
220
220
2007
2009
2011
224
225
220
215
215
215
217
212
214
210
205
226
208
205
207
1994
1998
218
219
216
217
2003
2005
200
195
190
1992
2002
National Average
Florida
Reform 2.0: Effective Teaching
• Modernizing the Teaching Profession
– Evaluate teachers based on student learning
– Initiate performance based teacher pay
– Professionalize hiring and retention practices
– Replace life-long guarantee of employment with
annual contracts
– Alternative paths to certification
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CHOICES FOR FLORIDA FAMILIES
Students
with
Disabilities
Tax Credit
Scholarships
Charter
Schools
CHOICE
Pre-K
Vouchers
Digital
Learning
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Reform 2.0: Digital Learning
 Student-Centered Education:
Own style
Own pace
Anywhere, everywhere
Anytime, all the time
CHALLENGES
• The desire to water down or soften accountability seems
to never go away
• Missteps produce opportunities for opponents
• Educators scare parents and students and blame
accountability for putting too much pressure on them
• As metrics become more complex, more tweaks are
introduced to lower standards
• Constant demand to add features of schools that can be
manipulated
• Supporters grow weary of the continuous struggle
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