State Board Takes Action
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State Board Takes Action
Tallahassee, Fla., November 6, 2012 - At today's State Board of Education meeting in Boca Raton, board members heard an update on the transition to the Common Core State Standards and assessments, as well as a new gauge to determine school district readiness in putting the standards and assessments in place. The board also heard about the Sample District Digital Readiness Dashboard that will measure the ability of schools to provide student access to technology, whether schools meet bandwidth and high speed wireless needs, and whether students have access to the Internet at home.
In addition, the board unanimously voted to grant appeals of termination by Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary School in Alachua County and A. A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence in Escambia County. The waiver is a new process that allows a charter school with two consecutive F school grades to apply for waiver from closure and is valid for one year. To ensure charter school waiver appeals do not disrupt the school year, the Board will pursue legislation to push back the timeline for charter schools to appeal.
The State Board voted not to appeal the U. S. District Court's final judgment on Ruiz v. Robinson. The court's ruling allows in-state tuition at Florida colleges and universities for students who are U.S. citizens and meet Florida residency requirements beginning with the spring 2013 academic term. The Board also withdrew their appeal in the Peek v. State Board of Education case.
To support continued efforts to meet state and local workforce needs, the board approved two baccalaureate degree program proposals. The Bachelor of Applied Science in Supply Chain Management at Broward College and the Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Management at Gulf Coast State College will prepare program graduates for job growth in the manufacturing, distribution, and management fields.