Value-Added Assessment in Florida

The Florida Legislature enacted legislation in 1999 known as the A+ Plan for Education. The legislation was built upon two principles: (1) every student should gain a year's worth of knowledge in a year's time in a Florida public school and (2) there should be accountability in all schools.

To meet this end, the legislation increased standards and accountability for students, schools, and educators. To better track student learning, the state testing program has been expanded to all grades from three through ten. The new tests measure student learning from year to year and have become the backbone of the state's accountability system.

The A+ Plan requires all schools to receive a report card on how well they perform. They receive grades from A to F and rewards or sanctions depending on their performance. School performance includes more than overall achievement. Students are being measured on how well the lowest performing students learn. Schools having excellent performance or making significant improvement will be recognized and given financial rewards.

Schools that receive an A and those that improve at least one grade based on student achievement, drop out rate, and college readiness will be rewarded with up to $100 per student. The highest performing and improving schools will also be deregulated and given the freedom to manage their own budgets and use innovative strategies to produce even more dramatic improvement.

Schools performing at a failing level will be given two years to improve during which they will receive assistance from the school district and the department of Education. If the school fails to improve beyond an F in the second year, it will be subject to State Board of Education sanctions. The A+ Plan legislation gives parents an opportunity to send their children to a higher performing public school or private school of their choice.

Under the A+ plan, teachers and administrators who demonstrate outstanding performance, based upon student achievement criteria, could annually earn a bonus of up to 5 percent of their base pay.ⁱ

Links to important websites

Florida Department of Education – home page, http://fldoe.org

Florida Department of Education – Education Information and Accountability Services, http://www.firn.edu/doe/eias/

Florida 's growth model proposal, http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/growthmodel/fl/index.html

Florida State Board of Education, K20 Performance Accountability, http://www.k20accountability.org/

Information on Florida 's “A+ Plan,” http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/government/governorinitiatives/aplusplan/youKnow.html

Information on Florida 's “Plan for Education,”http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/government/governorinitiatives/aplusplan/planEducation.html

Links to legislation creating “A+ Plan,” http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/government/governorinitiatives/aplusplan/legislation.html

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