FCSS / FASSS
Position Paper on 2007-08 Legislative Issues (These were continued for the future until passage of a comprehensive assessment program for Social Studies for Florida's students.)
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals. These allow FCSS / FASSS to take positions supporting other issues when addressing the main priority of the organization.
RECOMMENDATION ONE: Florida Statute 1008.22 should be amended so as to add social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
Current status: The case for this is well known. We would be open to a strictly electronic assessment format to reduce fiscal impact, a sufficient percentage sampling of students in each district as opposed to census testing, and other reasonable compromises. Since the Legislature and Commissioner of Education have both called for rigorous end-of-course assessments similar to those for the N.Y. State Regent’s Diploma, we have lobbied key legislative leaders and D.O.E. officials for the purpose of making the American History high school course the next schedule assessment for high school students in Florida.
Priority Level: One
THE FCSS BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTED TO IMPLEMENT A SINGLE FOCUS FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE – PASSAGE OF A STATE-WIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL STUDIES. As a result, the goals which follow are presented here as secondary issues which teachers may also wish to support.
RECOMMENDATION TWO: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide campaign to incorporate social studies as part of the FCAT.
Current Status: As a result of efforts by former Governor Bob Graham, Congressman Lou Frey, Chief Justice Lewis and numerous others bills were introduced in the legislature by House and Senate leaders calling for social studies to become part of FCAT.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION THREE: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide survey of student civic and historical knowledge at the elementary and secondary levels, the results of which should be released to the public and the Commissioner of Education.
Current Status: No such survey or assessment has ever been done with large numbers of students in Florida. Sample questions should be based upon N.A.E.P. assessment items and other previously known surveys so that some comparison might be made. Consideration should be given to institutionalizing such a survey for the purpose of annually bringing civic literacy to the state’s attention each September. When possible, the data should be disaggregated by region, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results should be shared with the Florida’s legislators, various media outlets and the Florida Association of Educational Writers.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION FOUR: The state should establish the Florida Commission on Civic Education for the purpose of (1) educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy, and for (2) promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
Current Status: There are now several organizations with state-wide reach that promote civic understanding – The Florida Law Related Education Association and the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship – which make this priority less critical than in the past.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION FIVE: FCSS should continue to take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data regarding this year’s NAEP Civics and US History assessments.
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has for the third time filed legislation (S860, S2721, and S1414) to provide for a pilot assessment of up to ten states to be compared to the national profile which will be obtained from last January’s History and Civics assessments. NCSS during the 110th Congress was able to have Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduce an identical measure (H6525) in the House of Representatives for which she is securing co-sponsors. As no action was taken on these measures during both sessions of the last Congress, they will have to be reintroduced for a FOURTH time in the 111th Congress when it convenes in 2009/
Priorit Level: One
RECOMMENDATION SIX: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25).
Current Status:
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in elementary social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation. Students must complete three years of successful Social Studies instruction in the Middle Grades and must be remediated before being promoted to the next grade.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SEVEN: The Legislature should require that the Florida Department of Education complete a comprehensive survey on the Status of Social Studies Education in Florida.
Current Status: Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies. Two years ago the legislature pass a measure to complete a study on Physical Education throughout the state.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION EIGHT: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years.
Current Status: (TABLED by FCSS in the past although supported by FASSS ) Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION NINE: We urge the repeal of the Special Teachers Are Recognized Program.
Current Status: By another statute, Districts must provide differentiated salaries to instructional personal. The S.T.A.R. program was hastily devised and there are not enough reliable or valid measures of student performance to implement it. Through its enactment the legislature has added to the burdens of districts.
Priority Level: Two
Other:
Possibly Recommend the Establishment of a Veteran’s Curriculum Taskforce to consolidate, develop and promote instructional resources related to Florida Statute 1003.42.
Showing posts with label Legislative goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legislative goals. Show all posts
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Monday, May 1, 2006
FCSS / FASSS Legislative Goals 2006-2007
Position Paper on 2006-07 Legislative Issues
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals. These allow FCSS / FASSS to take positions supporting a wider array of issues regarding social studies education and help give direction to individual Councils and FCSS members. These in turn may wish to become personally more involved in advocating passage of these goals.
RECOMMENDATION ONE: Florida Statute 1008.22 should be amended so as to add social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
Current status: The case for this is well known. We would prefer to have a similar format to that established now for science, but we would be open to a strictly electronic assessment format to reduce fiscal impact, and would be willing to negotiate on other reasonable compromises.
APPROVED by both FASSS and FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION TWO: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide survey of student civic and historical knowledge at the elementary and secondary levels, the results of which should be released to the public and the Commissioner of Education.
Current Status: No such survey or assessment has ever been done with large numbers of students in Florida. Sample questions should be based upon N.A.E.P. assessment items and other previously known surveys so that some comparison might be made. Consideration should be given to institutionalizing such a survey for the purpose of annually bringing civic literacy to the state’s attention each September. When possible, the data should be disaggregated by region, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results should be shared with the Florida’s legislators, various media outlets and the Florida Association of Educational Writers.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION THREE: The state should establish the Florida Commission on Civic Education for the purpose of (1) educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy, and for (2) promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
Current Status: Although Florida has many taxpayer-supported advisory bodies, including a Holocaust Commission and an African American Task Force, there is no educational advisory group to ensure the success of one of the most primary purposes of public education. Many other states have established such advisory panels to enhance and strengthen the civic mission of our schools. This omission may not be so surprising as Florida’s Constitution itself, when establishing the purposes of a public supported educational system, does not speak to its civic mission.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FOUR: FCSS should continue to take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data regarding this year’s NAEP Civics and US History assessments.
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has once again filed S860 to provide for a pilot assessment of up to ten states to be compared to the national profile which will be obtained from last January’s History and Civics assessments. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FIVE: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25).
Current Status:
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
NOTE: The assumption is that should Recommendation One on FCAT be achieved, this goal will automatically be achieved as well. The addition of Social Studies as part of the State's Assessment Statute will require changes to the Student Progression Law.
RECOMMENDATION SIX: The Legislature should require that the Florida Department of Education complete a comprehensive survey on the Status of Social Studies Education in Florida. Current Status: Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies. Two years ago the legislature pass a measure to complete a study on Physical Education throughout the state.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SEVEN: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
Current Status: (TABLED by FCSS last year although supported by FASSS ) Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION EIGHT: We urge the repeal of the Special Teachers Are Recognized Program.
Current Status: By another statute, Districts must provide differentiated salaries to instructional personal. The S.T.A.R. program was hastily devised and there are not enough reliable or valid measures of student performance to implement it. Through its enactment the legislature has added to the burdens of districts. THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN REPLACED BY LEGISLATIVE STATUTE.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals. These allow FCSS / FASSS to take positions supporting a wider array of issues regarding social studies education and help give direction to individual Councils and FCSS members. These in turn may wish to become personally more involved in advocating passage of these goals.
RECOMMENDATION ONE: Florida Statute 1008.22 should be amended so as to add social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
Current status: The case for this is well known. We would prefer to have a similar format to that established now for science, but we would be open to a strictly electronic assessment format to reduce fiscal impact, and would be willing to negotiate on other reasonable compromises.
APPROVED by both FASSS and FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION TWO: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide survey of student civic and historical knowledge at the elementary and secondary levels, the results of which should be released to the public and the Commissioner of Education.
Current Status: No such survey or assessment has ever been done with large numbers of students in Florida. Sample questions should be based upon N.A.E.P. assessment items and other previously known surveys so that some comparison might be made. Consideration should be given to institutionalizing such a survey for the purpose of annually bringing civic literacy to the state’s attention each September. When possible, the data should be disaggregated by region, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results should be shared with the Florida’s legislators, various media outlets and the Florida Association of Educational Writers.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION THREE: The state should establish the Florida Commission on Civic Education for the purpose of (1) educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy, and for (2) promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
Current Status: Although Florida has many taxpayer-supported advisory bodies, including a Holocaust Commission and an African American Task Force, there is no educational advisory group to ensure the success of one of the most primary purposes of public education. Many other states have established such advisory panels to enhance and strengthen the civic mission of our schools. This omission may not be so surprising as Florida’s Constitution itself, when establishing the purposes of a public supported educational system, does not speak to its civic mission.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FOUR: FCSS should continue to take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data regarding this year’s NAEP Civics and US History assessments.
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has once again filed S860 to provide for a pilot assessment of up to ten states to be compared to the national profile which will be obtained from last January’s History and Civics assessments. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FIVE: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25).
Current Status:
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
NOTE: The assumption is that should Recommendation One on FCAT be achieved, this goal will automatically be achieved as well. The addition of Social Studies as part of the State's Assessment Statute will require changes to the Student Progression Law.
RECOMMENDATION SIX: The Legislature should require that the Florida Department of Education complete a comprehensive survey on the Status of Social Studies Education in Florida. Current Status: Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies. Two years ago the legislature pass a measure to complete a study on Physical Education throughout the state.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SEVEN: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
Current Status: (TABLED by FCSS last year although supported by FASSS ) Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION EIGHT: We urge the repeal of the Special Teachers Are Recognized Program.
Current Status: By another statute, Districts must provide differentiated salaries to instructional personal. The S.T.A.R. program was hastily devised and there are not enough reliable or valid measures of student performance to implement it. Through its enactment the legislature has added to the burdens of districts. THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN REPLACED BY LEGISLATIVE STATUTE.
APPROVED by FASSS; temporarily tabled by FCSS
Priority Level: Two
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Legislative Goals 2006-2007
FCSS / FASSS
Position Paper on 2006-07 Legislative Issues
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals. These allow FCSS / FASSS to take positions supporting a wide arrange of issues.
_____________________
RECOMMENDATION ONE: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide survey of student civic and historical knowledge at the elementary and secondary levels, the results of which should be released to the public and the Commissioner of Education.
Current Status: No such survey or assessment has ever been done with large numbers of students in Florida. Sample questions should be based upon N.A.E.P. assessment items and other previously known surveys so that some comparison might be made. Consideration should be given to institutionalizing such a survey for the purpose of annually bringing civic literacy to the state’s attention each September. When possible, the data should be disaggregated by region, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results should be shared with the Florida’s legislators, various media outlets and the Florida Association of Educational Writers.
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION TWO: The state should establish the Florida Commission on Civic Education for the purpose of (1) educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy, and for (2) promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
Current Status: Although Florida has many taxpayer-supported advisory bodies, including a Holocaust Commission and an African American Task Force, there is no educational advisory group to ensure the success of one of the most primary purposes of public education. Many other states have established such advisory panels to enhance and strengthen the civic mission of our schools. This omission may not be so surprising as Florida’s Constitution itself, when establishing the purposes of a public supported educational system, does not speak to its civic mission.
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION THREE: FCSS should continue to take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data regarding this year’s NAEP Civics and US History assessments.
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has once again filed S860 to provide for a pilot assessment of up to ten states to be compared to the national profile which will be obtained from last January’s History and Civics assessments. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language.
Priorit Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FOUR: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25).
Current Status:
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION FIVE: The Legislature should require that the Florida Department of Education complete a comprehensive survey on the Status of Social Studies Education in Florida.
Current Status: Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies. Two years ago the legislature pass a measure to complete a study on Physical Education throughout the state.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SIX: Florida Statute 1008.22 should be amended so as to add social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
Current status: The case for this is well known. We would be open to a strictly electronic assessment format to reduce fiscal impact, a percentage sampling of students in each district as opposed to census testing, and other reasonable compromises.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SEVEN: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
Current Status: (TABLED by FCSS last year although supported by FASSS ) Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION EIGHT: We urge the repeal of the Special Teachers Are Recognized Program.
Current Status: By another statute, Districts must provide differentiated salaries to instructional personal. The S.T.A.R. program was hastily devised and there are not enough reliable or valid measures of student performance to implement it. Through its enactment the legislature has added to the burdens of districts.
Priority Level: Two
Other:
Position Paper on 2006-07 Legislative Issues
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals. These allow FCSS / FASSS to take positions supporting a wide arrange of issues.
_____________________
RECOMMENDATION ONE: FCSS should work with other civic-minded organizations to conduct a statewide survey of student civic and historical knowledge at the elementary and secondary levels, the results of which should be released to the public and the Commissioner of Education.
Current Status: No such survey or assessment has ever been done with large numbers of students in Florida. Sample questions should be based upon N.A.E.P. assessment items and other previously known surveys so that some comparison might be made. Consideration should be given to institutionalizing such a survey for the purpose of annually bringing civic literacy to the state’s attention each September. When possible, the data should be disaggregated by region, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results should be shared with the Florida’s legislators, various media outlets and the Florida Association of Educational Writers.
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION TWO: The state should establish the Florida Commission on Civic Education for the purpose of (1) educating students on the importance of citizen involvement in a representative democracy, and for (2) promoting communication and collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
Current Status: Although Florida has many taxpayer-supported advisory bodies, including a Holocaust Commission and an African American Task Force, there is no educational advisory group to ensure the success of one of the most primary purposes of public education. Many other states have established such advisory panels to enhance and strengthen the civic mission of our schools. This omission may not be so surprising as Florida’s Constitution itself, when establishing the purposes of a public supported educational system, does not speak to its civic mission.
Priority Level: One
RECOMMENDATION THREE: FCSS should continue to take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data regarding this year’s NAEP Civics and US History assessments.
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has once again filed S860 to provide for a pilot assessment of up to ten states to be compared to the national profile which will be obtained from last January’s History and Civics assessments. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language.
Priorit Level: One
RECOMMENDATION FOUR: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25).
Current Status:
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION FIVE: The Legislature should require that the Florida Department of Education complete a comprehensive survey on the Status of Social Studies Education in Florida.
Current Status: Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies. Two years ago the legislature pass a measure to complete a study on Physical Education throughout the state.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SIX: Florida Statute 1008.22 should be amended so as to add social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
Current status: The case for this is well known. We would be open to a strictly electronic assessment format to reduce fiscal impact, a percentage sampling of students in each district as opposed to census testing, and other reasonable compromises.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION SEVEN: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
Current Status: (TABLED by FCSS last year although supported by FASSS ) Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
Priority Level: Two
RECOMMENDATION EIGHT: We urge the repeal of the Special Teachers Are Recognized Program.
Current Status: By another statute, Districts must provide differentiated salaries to instructional personal. The S.T.A.R. program was hastily devised and there are not enough reliable or valid measures of student performance to implement it. Through its enactment the legislature has added to the burdens of districts.
Priority Level: Two
Other:
Monday, May 3, 2004
Legislative Goals 2004-2005
FCSS / FASSS
Position Paper on 2004-05 Legislative Issues
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals.
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Level One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25). We will accept some language that will clarify that the law’s impact will not require a change in the designation of those subjects currently identified in the State’s Student Assessment Statute.
ISSUE TWO: Survey on the Status of Social Studies (Level One Priority)
- Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies.
ISSUE THREE: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability (Level One Priority)
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has introduced Senate bill 2721 to test U.S. History in grades 8 & 12 as part of an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. This bill would allocate $5 million to enable NAGB to pilot comparative data in up to 10 states. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently). Such data hold the governors accountable for their educational programs and student progress. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language. The NAGB is also currently proposing to eliminate all social studies testing at grade 12 or do so “only as resources permit”.
Here are the facts about NAEP (National Assessment for Educational Progress)
Visit 'the nation's report card' on the web for more details. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
- NAEP tests are given at grades 4, 8 and 12 and began in 1969 (interestingly, CIVICS was one of the first tests to be administered!)
- NAEP tests are given with STATE BY STATE COMPARISONS for reading, writing, math and Science. (These have, as a result, become a national core curriculum.) A click on any state will bring up separate documents of about 100 pages in length about what students in that state know and think about the subject. (The file for the Florida report is 138 pages in length!)
- There has never been a state by state comparison for Civics, US History, Geography or anything else in the social studies area. (Sadly, it isn't important enough!)
- NAEP takes it's orders from Congress which sets direction on what's important.
- NAEP is administered by a Governing Board, which in the absence of Congressional directives, establishes priorities for national testing. They can't do the state by state comparisons unless they get funding from Congress.
- There has never been a 12th grade NAEP assessment comparing state performance (Some in the Governing Board would probably like to see this. Indeed, it makes the MOST sense for Civics, because these students will soon be - in not already - exercising their right to vote.)
- Civics would be an excellent tool for comparing states. It ought to be done at grades 4, 8 and 12 on a state by state comparison basis. As American Government and American History are generally required for Juniors and Seniors across the nation, it would wonderful to have an EXIT grade 12 comparison for CIVICS - after all, these are the very students who are registered to vote as Seniors all across America, and yet they DON'T vote.
- NAEP assessments can do all three of the things educators suggest - it can gauge how well we've provided INFORMATION to students, how well they APPLY this to their lives, and can gauge the ATTITUDES AND DISPOSITIONS of students – for example, what they think about civil rights, affirmative action, campaign fund-raising, the political process in general, the worth of their vote, etc. etc.
- NAEP would probably welcome a 12th grade assessment because it's been talked about for years, but has never been done. It also reflects a national curriculum.
- State by state comparisons for CIVICS would place this subject on an equal footing with MATH, READING, WRITING and SCIENCE. The lack of emphasis and the loss of instructional time to these areas is a major concern of educators.
- States would FINALLY be held accountable for their citizenship education programs. Wasn't it interesting that the Gov. of Alabama asked his state to approve the largest proposed tax increase in history because he was tired of having Alabama being "LAST in everything!?" He was referring to NAEP assessments, and other measures like SAT & ACT (which doesn't reflect Civics in any way)!
- Having state by state comparisons would give greater credence to the subject area and would probably cause more states to voluntarily participate.
- State by state comparisons would probably prevent these assessments from being delayed for so long a period of time. (The US History was once going to wait NINE years before it was to have been given again. The CIVICS assessment actually was delayed by President Bush and the governing board because before 9/11 it wasn't deemed important enough. (Math, Reading, Science and Writing will be assessed under No Child Left Behind legislation every two years and NAEP has, since it began testing, assessed science 25 times to only 9 for Civics.)
- The window of opportunity is NOW. After the 2006 assessment, Civics isn't scheduled to come around again until 2012. [Visit: http://www.nagb.org/naep/naep_schedule_approved_aug_03.doc ]
- NAEP assessments are less intrusive and not as 'high stakes' involved as other modes of national or state assessments, thus obviating the charge that they have an adverse impact on schools. The key is to hold the states accountable. Because they involve only several thousands of students in the states, no individual district, school, principal or staff would be 'beaten up' over poor test scores. This makes the exams more amenable to almost everyone.
RECOMMENDATION: That FCSS take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data on the upcoming NAEP Civics and US History assessments in 2006 and on the need for more frequent future assessments.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years. (TABLED )
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years. (In 2004 FCSS voted to NOT support this goal at this time. The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) continues to support this legislative goal.)
ISSUE FIVE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (Level Two Priority)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. ! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources (Level Two Priority)
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed but may return this coming session.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
At the time no one could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported. If approved, FCSS will continue to monitor the situation.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
In the past FCSS has sought answers to the following questions and will need to provide an update on the status of the following.
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
Position Paper on 2004-05 Legislative Issues
Level One Priorities are those immediately pressing needs that the organization is aggressively seeking to secure legislative support for in the coming session. Level Two Priorities represent longer range goals.
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Level One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25). We will accept some language that will clarify that the law’s impact will not require a change in the designation of those subjects currently identified in the State’s Student Assessment Statute.
ISSUE TWO: Survey on the Status of Social Studies (Level One Priority)
- Due to the lack of data pertaining to student performance in the area of Social Studies and with regard to how districts implement the many legislative mandates under Florida Statute: 1003.42 (Required instruction.), it is imperative that the Florida legislature require the Department of Education to undertake a district analysis of the status of social studies.
ISSUE THREE: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability (Level One Priority)
Current Status: Senator Lamar Alexander has introduced Senate bill 2721 to test U.S. History in grades 8 & 12 as part of an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. This bill would allocate $5 million to enable NAGB to pilot comparative data in up to 10 states. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently). Such data hold the governors accountable for their educational programs and student progress. The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons and some basic facts about NAEP are described briefly below. There are no current plans to include social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) although science will be required according to current language. The NAGB is also currently proposing to eliminate all social studies testing at grade 12 or do so “only as resources permit”.
Here are the facts about NAEP (National Assessment for Educational Progress)
Visit 'the nation's report card' on the web for more details. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
- NAEP tests are given at grades 4, 8 and 12 and began in 1969 (interestingly, CIVICS was one of the first tests to be administered!)
- NAEP tests are given with STATE BY STATE COMPARISONS for reading, writing, math and Science. (These have, as a result, become a national core curriculum.) A click on any state will bring up separate documents of about 100 pages in length about what students in that state know and think about the subject. (The file for the Florida report is 138 pages in length!)
- There has never been a state by state comparison for Civics, US History, Geography or anything else in the social studies area. (Sadly, it isn't important enough!)
- NAEP takes it's orders from Congress which sets direction on what's important.
- NAEP is administered by a Governing Board, which in the absence of Congressional directives, establishes priorities for national testing. They can't do the state by state comparisons unless they get funding from Congress.
- There has never been a 12th grade NAEP assessment comparing state performance (Some in the Governing Board would probably like to see this. Indeed, it makes the MOST sense for Civics, because these students will soon be - in not already - exercising their right to vote.)
- Civics would be an excellent tool for comparing states. It ought to be done at grades 4, 8 and 12 on a state by state comparison basis. As American Government and American History are generally required for Juniors and Seniors across the nation, it would wonderful to have an EXIT grade 12 comparison for CIVICS - after all, these are the very students who are registered to vote as Seniors all across America, and yet they DON'T vote.
- NAEP assessments can do all three of the things educators suggest - it can gauge how well we've provided INFORMATION to students, how well they APPLY this to their lives, and can gauge the ATTITUDES AND DISPOSITIONS of students – for example, what they think about civil rights, affirmative action, campaign fund-raising, the political process in general, the worth of their vote, etc. etc.
- NAEP would probably welcome a 12th grade assessment because it's been talked about for years, but has never been done. It also reflects a national curriculum.
- State by state comparisons for CIVICS would place this subject on an equal footing with MATH, READING, WRITING and SCIENCE. The lack of emphasis and the loss of instructional time to these areas is a major concern of educators.
- States would FINALLY be held accountable for their citizenship education programs. Wasn't it interesting that the Gov. of Alabama asked his state to approve the largest proposed tax increase in history because he was tired of having Alabama being "LAST in everything!?" He was referring to NAEP assessments, and other measures like SAT & ACT (which doesn't reflect Civics in any way)!
- Having state by state comparisons would give greater credence to the subject area and would probably cause more states to voluntarily participate.
- State by state comparisons would probably prevent these assessments from being delayed for so long a period of time. (The US History was once going to wait NINE years before it was to have been given again. The CIVICS assessment actually was delayed by President Bush and the governing board because before 9/11 it wasn't deemed important enough. (Math, Reading, Science and Writing will be assessed under No Child Left Behind legislation every two years and NAEP has, since it began testing, assessed science 25 times to only 9 for Civics.)
- The window of opportunity is NOW. After the 2006 assessment, Civics isn't scheduled to come around again until 2012. [Visit: http://www.nagb.org/naep/naep_schedule_approved_aug_03.doc ]
- NAEP assessments are less intrusive and not as 'high stakes' involved as other modes of national or state assessments, thus obviating the charge that they have an adverse impact on schools. The key is to hold the states accountable. Because they involve only several thousands of students in the states, no individual district, school, principal or staff would be 'beaten up' over poor test scores. This makes the exams more amenable to almost everyone.
RECOMMENDATION: That FCSS take the appropriate steps to communicate with NCSS and other national organizations as well as individual members of Congress on the urgent need for state comparative data on the upcoming NAEP Civics and US History assessments in 2006 and on the need for more frequent future assessments.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years. (TABLED )
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years. (In 2004 FCSS voted to NOT support this goal at this time. The Florida Association of Social Studies Supervisors (FASSS) continues to support this legislative goal.)
ISSUE FIVE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (Level Two Priority)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. ! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources (Level Two Priority)
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed but may return this coming session.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
At the time no one could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported. If approved, FCSS will continue to monitor the situation.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
In the past FCSS has sought answers to the following questions and will need to provide an update on the status of the following.
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
Saturday, May 3, 2003
Legislative Goals 2003-2004
FCSS / FASSS
Position Paper on 2003-04 Legislative Issues
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Number One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25)
ISSUE TWO: High School Graduation Requirements
- Senate Bill 30A (passed last year) allowed students the option to graduate with 18 credit hours with the stipulation that they fulfill “3 credits of social studies”. The more traditional 24 credit requirement continued past practice of requiring students to master three total credits in American History, American Government, Economics and World History. DPS Memo 04-015 partially corrected this problem by leaving it to district discretion whether some or all of the above named courses should be required for student graduation. Research reveals students today virtually adrift in civic ignorance and these requirements must continue to constitute the minimum requirement for ALL high school students.
RECOMMENDATION: The previous requirement that ALL Florida High School students must successfully complete courses in American History, American Government, Economics and World History must be reinstated. (Or the early 18 credit graduation option should be repealed.)
ISSUE THREE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (long range goal)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. Moreover, American History and American Government no longer exist as required courses of study for ALL Florida students! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed for one year and may return this coming session.
Custodian of State Records, Records Management and Archives – Transfer to the Department of Management Services.
Florida State Library – Eliminate the library as a state government function and transfer collections to the Florida State University.
Florida State Museum and state historical sites – Transfer to the Department of Environmental Protection to be consolidated with the State Parks Program.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
No one at the time could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
FCSS seeks to obtain some answers to the following questions . . .
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
ISSUE SIX: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability
Current Status: Although there are no current plans to test social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently) which hold the governors accountable for these educational programs and student progress. NCSS has recently reversed its stand on the need for national testing and two FCSS members, Deborah Gallagher and Marsha Yoder, will help to carry this message on to the national level.
The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons are described briefly below. See file “FCSS Legislative Goal: The Argument for NAEP State-by-State Comparative Data”
Position Paper on 2003-04 Legislative Issues
ISSUE ONE: Student Progression Law Language (Number One Priority)
- Current law requires educators to review a student’s performance in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science when being promoted from one grade level to the next. Moreover, should a student be found to be deficient in his/her performance in of these core subject areas, parents must be notified and an opportunity for remediation of that content needs to be made available to the student.
- To permit the current law to state that students’ performance in social studies need not even be considered for promotion purposes – when reading, writing, math and science must be – is an intolerable and ominous development for the future civic health of our state and nation.
- As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of such knowledge and attitudes to enable students to exercise their civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, we fail to prepare an informed citizen and a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students actually are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen! Moreover, as a nation and state we are totally ignorant of what knowledge, skills and dispositions our students actually do possess! See Issue three below.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend inclusion of “social studies” in the state Student Progression Law (F.S. 1008.25)
ISSUE TWO: High School Graduation Requirements
- Senate Bill 30A (passed last year) allowed students the option to graduate with 18 credit hours with the stipulation that they fulfill “3 credits of social studies”. The more traditional 24 credit requirement continued past practice of requiring students to master three total credits in American History, American Government, Economics and World History. DPS Memo 04-015 partially corrected this problem by leaving it to district discretion whether some or all of the above named courses should be required for student graduation. Research reveals students today virtually adrift in civic ignorance and these requirements must continue to constitute the minimum requirement for ALL high school students.
RECOMMENDATION: The previous requirement that ALL Florida High School students must successfully complete courses in American History, American Government, Economics and World History must be reinstated. (Or the early 18 credit graduation option should be repealed.)
ISSUE THREE: Eventual inclusion of social studies as part of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test. (long range goal)
- Social studies professional organizations has since 1984 called for a statewide assessment of student understanding of the core content areas of History, Geography, Economics and Civics.
- Soon the state will once again be modifying FCAT to include student performance in the ‘mechanics of writing’. We now have MULTIPLE measures of student performance in Writing, Mathematics, Reading and Science in grades three through ten. These subjects are assessed not only as part of FCAT, but as part of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation, both SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, and through the state by state comparisons on NAEP administrations.
- Compared to all these multiple measures in the area of reading, math, writing and science, Florida has NEVER had any idea how well its students understand their past heritage, our governmental and economic systems nor the world around them. Nor, seemingly, does Florida care what its students know about these subjects. Once the mainstay of public education, these subjects comprise the forgotten area of the curriculum.
Again, the current Student Progression Law states that although a student’s performance in reading, writing, and math MUST be taken into account when promoting a student from one grade level to the next, their understanding of our nation’s history, our governmental and economic systems and the world around them need not even be considered for this purpose. Moreover, American History and American Government no longer exist as required courses of study for ALL Florida students! It is inconceivable that we shall in the near future find citizens willing to volunteer to defend our way of life, when repeated surveys inform us that vast numbers of our students are illiterate in terms of citizenship education. Although we realize that financial constraints impede efforts to immediately add social studies to the state’s assessment program, we feel that the legislature must state the goal of adding it to FCAT some four or five years from now. If knowledge of civic education is not MORE important than the ability to discern whether or not our students understand the correct use of a comma versus semi-colon, how to properly use a plural possessive apostrophe or how to describe the life cycle of a species, it ought to at least given EQUAL attention.
RECOMMENDATION: FCSS favors amending Florida Statute 1008.22 by adding social studies as an area for statewide assessment. This law should go into effect no later than 2009.
ISSUE FOUR: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes. should be extended from two to three years.
- Research states that it takes six or seven years for a student whose native language is different from English to be proficient in reading and writing in our language. Federal guidelines for No Child Left Behind use a three year period of time before such scores are factored into accountability measurements. Florida’s accountability provisions should not be more punitive than federal standards.
RECOMMENATION: The length of time for which an ESOL student’s F.C.A.T. score should be used for accountability purposes should be extended from two to three years.
ISSUE FIVE: Transfer of Florida’s Heritage / Educational Resources
Last year, the Governor submitted a budget with proposals to enable the following cost cutting proposals to be made. Several departments serving social studies classrooms were obviously going to be effected by proposals briefly submitted by the Governor. The attempt to pass this law was delayed for one year and may return this coming session.
Custodian of State Records, Records Management and Archives – Transfer to the Department of Management Services.
Florida State Library – Eliminate the library as a state government function and transfer collections to the Florida State University.
Florida State Museum and state historical sites – Transfer to the Department of Environmental Protection to be consolidated with the State Parks Program.
Early estimates from individuals in the Department of Historical Resources reported that 31 positions at the Museum and over 40 at the Library were scheduled for elimination. Employees were to be transferred to other departments and were encouraged to “look for other employment”.
No one at the time could confirm that positions pertaining to educational programs and state history would be secure or that programs such as Florida History Day, the Florida Heritage Education Program, etc. would be supported.
People to contact concerning this are:
Gina Brunson, Bureau Chief, Museum of Florida History – phone 850-245-6386. She’s informed us that all of her 31 full time staff have received letters stating that their positions will be eliminated by summer. (Mr. Vernon Peoples, long time Florida legislator, cautioned that only the legislature can actually eliminate these positions by it’s approval of the budget process. This is being taken under consideration at the present time.)
Janet Mathews, Director of Division of Historical Resources – phone 850-245-6300. Basically, her division would be drastically downscaled leaving perhaps 20 persons in a department that would manage Historic Preservation Grants and National Historic Registry matters. The Museum, state archives, State Library, sites such as the San Luis Historic Site, the Old Capitol and others would be transferred to the State Parks and Recreation Department.
Fred Gaske, an administrator in Janet Mathews’ division (not sure of his title) who has the details as to the impact the changes will have. (Phone: 850-245-6300) It was Mr. Gaske who informed us, when we asked him to comment on whether current educational services and programs to teachers would continue, that staff cuts were probably going to cause these to be eliminated There was “no guarantee” anyone would be available to assist teachers in these efforts.
Jennifer Nash – The director of the State Library. (Phone: 850- 245-6518)
FCSS seeks to obtain some answers to the following questions . . .
1. What provisions will be made to continue teacher in-service programs on the subject of Florida’s heritage to teachers ? (Rationale: This is mandated instruction by the state and few resources currently exist.)
2. What assurances exist that curriculum development and other instructional materials will continue to be developed? (Again, districts to not have much in the way of resources and the Florida Heritage Program materials and other such resources need to be electronically produced on CD ROM, and much more needs to be done in this area.)
3. What are the advantages of dispersing the state library to other sites across Florida? (FSU, as it was originally planned was to take the collection, but doesn’t want it. Dispersing it will make historical research much more difficult, will allow documents and resources to possibly deteriorate, and relegates our states’ heritage to a ‘garage sale’ type mentality.)
4. What are the advantages of reducing the division of Historical Resources and collapsing programs such as the Museum of Florida History into the Dept. of Parks and Recreation? (We must figure that the entertainment and tourism function will probably outweigh the educational mission of instilling in our children an awareness of our states’ unique history.)
5. What assurances do we have the Florida History Day Program will continue to be coordinated with the assistance of people in the Museum of Florida History? (Whereas President Bush has cited this as one of three outstanding ways to revitalize the teaching of history in our schools, we ought to be cautious the Gov. Bush’s plan might eliminate support for this. FCSS has a vested interest in the program and has given about $7,000 in student scholarships and other support to the program in the last two years.)
6. How many staff positions in the Division of Historic Preservation are scheduled for elimination? (I’ve been told 31 will be eliminated in the Museum of History and over 40 at the Library.)
7. How many documents, books, maps and other resources are currently available, and thus prone to ‘loss’ at the State Library? What are some of their more valuable resources that are contained there? (Nick Wynn, President of FHS says there are one million books going back to the days of print – the Gutenberg Bible, 250,000 photos, thousands of maps and other documents. These all require proper storage & protection from the air, light, etc. The FHS alone estimates that they spend over $3,000 housing their own collection and they don’t have the resources to take on additional responsibilities. Nor did FSU wish to do so? This likely will mean that these valuable resources will be at risk of deterioration.)
8. How will the Archives branch of the State Library be affected by the change?
9. How will this change impact the department of Mrs. Glenda Hood, the new Secretary of State, who will soon be sworn into that office? (Where is her department to be “housed”?)
10. Will staff positions at the OLD CAPITOL be eliminated?
11. How is it that NEW MONIES for a residential Math-Science High School are able to be placed in the budget when there appears to be drastic cuts made in the educational mission of teaching our youth about Florida’s unique history and preserving this history?
RECOMMENDATION: At this time FCSS strongly opposes the dismantling of the State Archives, State Museum and reconstitution of the Florida State Museum. Rationale: The cost of moving these resources to other sites and the loss of support for the teaching of Florida Studies is too great for us to support the Governor’s proposal. Moreover, in our belief it is better to eliminate some sales tax exemptions and thereby raise needed financial resources for this fiscal year than to perhaps permanently lose our state’s vital heritage education programs and resources, many of which have been procured over the last 150 years.
ISSUE SIX: National Testing of social studies with state by state accountability
Current Status: Although there are no current plans to test social studies as part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) an upcoming National Assessment for Educational Progress survey of Civics and United States History is scheduled to take place in 2006. Social Studies loses much of its punch in not having state by state comparisons (Reading, Writing, Math and Science are assessed in this manner and much more frequently) which hold the governors accountable for these educational programs and student progress. NCSS has recently reversed its stand on the need for national testing and two FCSS members, Deborah Gallagher and Marsha Yoder, will help to carry this message on to the national level.
The reasons in favor of state by state comparisons are described briefly below. See file “FCSS Legislative Goal: The Argument for NAEP State-by-State Comparative Data”
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