Latest Teacher Talk Episode Highlights Changes to Florida’s Standards and Assessments
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Latest Teacher Talk Episode Highlights Changes to Florida's Standards and Assessments
~ Experts discuss ongoing transition to new, more rigorous state curriculum standards and assessments ~TALLAHASSEE – The latest episode of the popular Teacher Talk television show airs today, featuring an in-depth chat with key Department of Education experts about the ongoing transition to more rigorous standards and assessments, and the role they will play in teacher evaluations. Deputy Commissioner for Accountability, Research and Measurement Kris Ellington, Deputy Chancellor for Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Services Mary Jane Tappen, and Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality Kathy Hebda spoke with Teacher Liaison Kelly Seay during an informal Q&A to spell out what the changes will mean for Florida’s teachers and students this school year and in the coming years.
“These new standards and assessments represent the next critical step in preparing our students for success, and I have no doubt that our talented and dedicated teachers are up to the challenge,” said Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “Supporting them, and getting them answers to their questions becomes critically important during such a large and complex transition, and I look forward to continued communication and dialogue on these topics as we move ahead.”
Some highlights of this episode include discussions about the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, which serve as the current curriculum framework for all subject areas, and Florida’s eventual transition to the Common Core Standards. The group also talked about the new FCAT 2.0 and end-of-course assessments that debuted this year, the increase in rigor these new assessments represent, and how they will factor in to the upcoming changes to teacher evaluation systems. Other topics included the work going on to develop Florida’s value-added student growth model, district end-of-course exams and exams for hard-to-measure content areas.
Teacher Talk is a television show produced by the Florida Knowledge Network that focuses on Florida teachers and their innovations both in and out of the classroom. Each show is made available to every school district in the state, airs on local channels and is webcast on the DOE website at http://www.fldoe.org. For more information about “Teacher Talk,” please visit http://www.fldoe.org/justforteachers.