STATE POLICy Issues

Florida

Some of the most aggressive steps in public education have happened in Florida to include embracing charter schools and supporting more pay for performance for educators. Has this had an impact on the quality of STEM education in this state?

Landscape

Along with California and Texas, Florida ranks among the largest states per population in the U.S. With similar types of economic, social and racial diversity as the other two large states, Florida’s challenges are similar to other states.

Florida’s economy is closely linked to growth, development and research in aerospace, defense, professional services and health care. While available jobs in these areas match most national averages, Florida’s abilities to meet these demands are straightforward with meeting or exceeding most national averages when it comes to high school graduates, meeting or exceeding science and math proficiencies and those students who complete and are proficient in the ACT math or science exams.

With Race To the Top funding, Florida has begun sharing its plan and action through a series of videos which focus on the implementation of the award, teacher preparation and performance, and student assessment and achievement.

Activities

HOSP will continue to track the relationship between Race To the Top and legislative activity within the state to support more hands-on inquiry based programs in all domains (public, private, alternative and the growing number of charter schools).