Southern Regional Education Board Commends Florida for Decade of Progress

Thursday, July 12, 2012

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Southern Regional Education Board Commends Florida for Decade of Progress

Tallahassee, Fla., July 12, 2012 - Florida received high praise for a decade of progress according to a report released by the Southern Regional Education Board. The "2012 Progress Report on the Challenge to Lead Goals for Education" showed that Florida outperformed other southern states in many indicators of student access and success. Florida, along with 15 other SREB states, adopted the Challenge to Lead Goals for Education ten years ago to guide state policymakers and education leaders in making decisions about education in their states.

"I am very pleased that Florida is well regarded for its progress toward meeting the objectives outlined in the Challenge to Lead Goals for Education," said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. "Florida has worked very hard for more than a decade to implement sound education reform policies designed to improve academic proficiency and performance. The report speaks to the outstanding increases in student success and I am confident that Florida will continue making progress."

Highlights of the 2012 Progress Report on the Challenge to Lead Goals for Education include

• The percentage of Florida fourth graders who scored at or above the National Assessment of Educational Progress proficient level in reading exceeded the national rate for their peers.
• Florida's fourth graders outperformed the nation and region in reading and math on NAEP at the basic level, and the state's African-American and Hispanic students narrowed the achievement gap in NAEP reading and math at the basic level.
• Since 2003, the percentage of Florida eighth graders scoring at or above the NAEP basic level in reading increased five points, and the percentage of eighth graders performing at or above the NAEP basic level in math increased six points.
• Participation of Florida students in Advanced Placement exceeded the national rate, and in 2011, 47 percent of graduating seniors had taken at least one AP exam in high school, an increase of 25 percentage points since 2001.
• The college graduation rate at Florida's four-year public institutions exceeded the national rate.
• By 2011, Florida had met and implemented all 10 Data Quality Campaign essential elements.

For more information about the SREB 2012 Progress Report, visit http://www.sreb.org/.