Independent News‘Education’ Archives
More students can get out of failing schools
Gov. Rick Scott signed yesterday a bill into law that expands the Opportunity Scholarship program, which allows students to transfer to better-performing public schools. Under the old rules, parents could transfer their child out of schools graded F two of the previous four years. The new [...]
Unearthing Molino
A major archaeological dig is underway this summer in Molino. UWF students have found evidence of a 1700’s mission and even a 6,000 year old artifact have been uncovered, according to NorthEscambia.com. They have found the remains of Mission San Joseph De Escambe which was established [...]
Library of Congress Traveling Exhibit coming
Press Release: A special Library of Congress traveling exhibition—mounted in a customized 18-wheel truck—will visit Pensacola for two days during the July 4th weekend. “Gateway to Knowledge” will be in Pensacola on Sunday, July 3, and Monday, July 4, and will be parked at Seville Square, [...]
Student drug testing to cost parents
The Escambia County School Board passed on first reading an amendment to its random student drug testing program which will begin in the fall for middle and high school students that participate in extracurricular activities, athletics or park on campus. The original policy approved in February [...]
Pensacola State gets downtown marker
Press Release: Pensacola State College invites the community to the unveiling of a Florida Heritage Site Historical Marker honoring the original home of the college. The ceremony is 9 a.m. June 30 in Lee Square on North Palafox Street – across from the college’s initial location. With 136 [...]
School Board to air thoughts on superintendent
Here is something that will never happen in Pensacola, but it should. The St. Pete Times reports that the Pinellas County School Board wants to talk publicly about frustrations with its superintendent's leadership. A majority of board members said Thursday they are concerned about what they see as [...]
FCAT Science scores a mixed bag
You have to love how the daily newspaper spins the FCAT scores of the Escambia Public School District, without any critical analysis. The paper ignores the reading and math, but hones in on the science scores---not of all the system, just high school. Here are the numbers: Fifth grade: only [...]
Early learning critical to reading improvement
I received this email from the head of the Early Learning Coalition: Rick, I believe the facts in your 6/2/11 Buzz article are correct. However, I think your perspective on the facts misses the point. There is good national research that confirms that of the new Kindergardeners who are [...]
Warrington Middle’s turnaround still hasn’t happened
Warrington Middle is still struggling. The one bright spot was its FCAT reading score for its eighth grade-- 8 percent more scoring 3 or higher. The incoming sixth grade class did poorly on both the reading and math tests. Warrington [...]
Escambia Middle Schools have similar results in reading
Warrington Middle finished at the bottom Sixth Seventh Eighth Total STATEWIDE AVG. 67 68 55 190 BROWN BARGE MIDDLE SCHOOL 94 95 84 273 RANSOM MIDDLE SCHOOL 74 81 67 222 JIM C. BAILEY MIDDLE SCHOOL 71 70 60 201 ERNEST WARD MIDDLE [...]
Four Escambia Middle Schools best state average in math
Escambia County has nine public middle schools. Four of them beat the state average for students who scored 3 or higher on the math portion of the test. Warrington Middle finished at the bottom of the list, with only 23 percent of its sixth graders scoring 3 or above. [...]
Little or improvement in FCAT math
As with reading, Escambia School District was below the state average for percentage of students who score 3 or above on the math tests. Seventh grade was 10 points below state average, eighth 9 points below and sixth 8 points below. FOURTH [...]