Public schools--Florida

Improving student performance in America’s chronically underperforming
schools has been a challenge for many decades. Despite various school reforms, little to
no progress has been shown. Schools have continued to fail, and achievement gaps have
widened. The current state of schools has called for a drastic intervention. School
turnaround has emerged as the country’s response to improving persistently-low
performing schools.
This study was designed to determine if the turnaround models outlined in the
federal school improvement grant (SIG) were effective in improving student performance
in low-performing schools in Florida. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of
the transformation and turnaround intervention models on student achievement. This
study also sought to determine if size (school enrollment), socioeconomic status (FRL),
minority enrollment rates (Black and Hispanic), as well as principal gender, race, and
years of experience moderate the relationship between the intervention model used and student achievement. The ultimate objective was to determine if turnaround intervention
models improved student performance in low-performing schools in Florida.
A quantitative method, including three statistical analyses, was employed to
respond to three research questions and test nine corresponding null hypotheses.
Florida’s 69 SIG Cohort I schools were identified for data collection and analysis. A t
test analysis revealed there was not a significant difference in the performance of the
transformation and turnaround model schools as measured by percent of points earned
towards school grade. Further, chi square analysis revealed there was not a relationship
between the model (transformation or turnaround) and school grade. Additionally,
multiple regression analysis revealed none of the moderator variables were statistically
significant. A discussion of the findings, implications for policy and practice, and
recommendations for turnaround are explained in detailed, followed by suggestions for
future research.

The A+ Plan for Education (A+ Plan), the basis of Florida's school accountability system, was instituted in 1999. Public schools are graded from highest (A) to lowest (F) based on student performance on the statewide assessment, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study investigated the impact of the school grading policy of the A+ Plan on literacy instructional practices, personnel, and governance procedures between Florida public schools graded A and F. Twenty-six randomly selected schools from 15 school districts agreed to participate. Three groups of participants (N = 136) were associated with the participating schools: (1) Grades 3--10 classroom teachers who taught reading, writing, and/or language arts during the 2001--02 school year; (2) the principal for each school; and (3) the District Director of Curriculum or equivalent position. Teacher participants (n = 107) responded to the Literacy Instructional Practices Survey. This survey collected data concerning the frequency of use of instructional practices related to literacy in six composites: Instructional Groupings, Materials, Decoding Teaching Practices, Comprehension Teaching Practices, Writing Teaching Practices, and Classroom Activities. T-tests were employed to compare the Composite mean scores for the A and F school teacher participants (a = .05). Results revealed no significant differences in the types and frequency of literacy instructional practices between A and F schools. Responses to open-ended questions reported narrowing of curriculum to skills tested by the FCAT and principal expectations to teach to the test. Principal participants (n = 17) and district-level participants (n = 12) completed surveys concerning personnel and school governance practices. Descriptive analyses revealed that 50% of F schools employed Title I literacy teachers compared to 8% of A schools. All principals used informal classroom observation and student achievement on FCAT to evaluate literacy personnel performance. Collaboration among district staff, principals, and teachers concerning school governance decisions was reported. Findings of this study imply that factors other than the types and frequency of literacy instructional practices are affecting a school's grade. Also, high-stakes assessment is impacting curriculum and instruction at A and F schools. Recommendations are made for future research.

It was the purpose of this study to determine whether support for public education differed among members of the 1977 Florida House of Representatives. Fourteen education roll-call votes were identified as measures of support for public education. Roll-calls were classified into five legislation dimensions based on common subject content. Dimension and number of votes in each were: aggregate (14), tax (3), appropriations (3), compensatory education (2), and collective bargaining (4). Scores were calculated for each Representative on each dimension. Scores were sums of positive votes within a dimension. Subjects for this study were the members of Florida's 1977 House of Representatives. Representatives were categorically grouped by school attendance classification, party affiliation, and school attendance classification with party affiliation. School attendance classifications were: "public," having one or more children attending public school(s) exclusively; "non-public," having one or more children attending non-public school(s); and "non-attending," having no children attending school. Categoric group scores were computed. Data were analyzed by one way analyses of variance. The .05 level of significance was employed. Upon analysis of results, the following conclusions and implications were formulated. (1) Representatives' support for public education was shaped by an interplay of political self-interests with personal self-interests. (2) Having children attending school mediated political party affects on legislators' roll-call votes. (3) School attendance classification with party affiliation had mixed results in differentiating support for public education. (4) By itself, party affiliation differentiated Representatives' support for public education. (5) By itself, school attendance classification did not differentiate Representatives' support for public education.

The purpose of this study was to establish the level of parent
satisfaction with the perceived quality of courses and instruction in
the public schools; to test the relationships between the level of parent
satisfaction and a series of demographic characteristics of the parent
and characteristics of the school and to identify those aspects of
courses and instruction liked and disliked by parents. Analysis showed parents to be generally satisfied with the perceived.
quality of courses and instruction. Eighty-two per cent of the
parents indicated they were satisfied. Level of satisfaction was found
to be related to race and sex with racial minorities and women showing
higher levels of satisfaction. Education and socioeconomic status had a
significant inverse relationship with level of satisfaction. Parents who
grew up in the South were more satisfied than parents from other parts of
the United States. Age and length of residence in Florida were not significantly
related to satisfaction. The racial composition of the student
body, racial status prior to integration, and grade level were tested for
relationships to parent satisfaction and only grade level was found significant.
Satisfaction was highest in grades 1 through 5, decreased in
grades 6 through 9 and increased slightly in grades 10 through 12.
Teachers were identified most often as the aspect of courses and
instruction liked or disliked by parents. Members of minorities and lower
socioeconomic categories were more concerned with basic skills and level
of achievement, while white parents and members of higher socioeconomic
categories were more interested in progressive curricula and effective
teachers.
It was concluded that parents were generally satisfied with the
perceived quality of courses and instruction and that certain demographic
characteristics of the parent are related to level of satisfaction and
aspects of courses and instruction liked and disliked by parents.