At-A-Glance: Florida Education
Public Schools (K-12)	3,736
Average Teacher Salary (K-12)	$46,922
Pre-K-12 Enrollment	2,652,684
Pre-K-12 Per-Student State & Local Funding	$6,988
State Universities	11
Community/State Colleges	28
Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida (ICUF)	28
Non-Public Postsecondary Schools (including technical & trade schools)	821
Public Technical & Trade Schools	45

Not only is Florida a great place to live and work, it’s an increasingly excellent place to learn. Consider this:

» The 2008 Quality Counts report — a national comparison of state education systems — put Florida’s public school system among the nation’s top 15. In K-12 Student Achievement, Florida was No. 7, based in part on outstanding student participation and performance in Advanced Placement (AP) programs.

» The College Board ranked Florida 4th in the nation for the percentage of 2007 public high school graduates passing an AP exam.

» Three Florida high schools were among the top 10 in a 2007 ranking of America’s Best High Schools by U.S. News and World Report.

» Florida was one of only four states to show significant improvement in 4th- and 8th-grade reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — tests taken by students in all states. Only three states showed greater gains in 4th-grade math. In 8th-grade writing, Florida ranked 9th overall.

Prepping a Solid Workforce

Florida is serious about growing a well-educated workforce, and it shows. At every level — from preschool through college — Florida’s educational system is aimed at readying the next generation for the challenges and opportunities they’re likely to face in the workplace.

In 2005, Florida became one of the first states to incorporate a Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program into its statewide public school system. Since then, more than 100,000 children have enrolled annually in VPK programs that help them get a head-start on acquiring basic skills that will later translate into higher test scores and higher lifetime earnings.

Continuing Excellence

Teen Trendsetter Reading Mentors and the Talented Twenty program are two examples of how Florida students are encouraged to strive for better grades and pursue academic excellence at every level. [Photo (top): Volunteer U.S.A. Foundation]

Within the statewide K-12 school system, workforce preparation is a priority in curriculum development. The A++ Plan, which took effect at Florida schools in fall 2007, calls for increased emphasis on career planning and related coursework at the middle and high school levels, as well as tougher reading and mathematics requirements for all.

Furthermore, the 2007 Florida Career and Professional Education Act ensures that core courses are specifically designed to address emerging academic and labor market needs and to meet the requirements for industry standards. In addition, every school district in Florida must have at least one high school-based career and professional academy up and running in fall 2008. Students who complete the rigorous academic curriculum offered at these academies receive a standard high school diploma, the highest available industry certification and, in many cases, college credits.

Beginning in 2008-2009, high school diplomas in Florida will show a student’s specific major area of interest, as well as designations for completion of accelerated college credit courses, career education certification and the Florida Ready to Work Credential, if applicable.

Charter schools — like Odyssey Charter School in Brevard County — are among the fastest-growing school choice options in Florida. [Photos courtesy of Spacecoast Architects, P.A.]

Ready to Work
Florida employers need dependable, skilled workers. Florida’s Ready to Work Credential program makes it easier than ever to find them. Here’s how:

» Students or other job seekers complete a series of self-paced tutorials/assessments in three key Ready to Work areas — Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics and Locating Information. Each assessment is scored on a scale from 3 to 7; the higher the score, the greater the applicant’s ability to perform more complex skills. The Ready to Work Credential is awarded at one of three levels — Bronze, Silver or Gold — depending on individual scores in each key area.

» Since Florida’s Ready to Work Credential program is administered by the Florida Department of Education and funded by the Florida Legislature, there’s no cost to students, employers, schools or other partners. But the value is huge. Employers can be assured that job applicants who arrive with the Florida Ready to Work Credential in hand have the skills needed for successful on-the-job performance. For more information, visit www.fldoe.org/readytowork.

Higher Education

Community Colleges

The first Florida community college — Palm Beach Junior College — opened its doors in 1933. Florida’s Community College System has since grown to 28, but its mission remains the same. Whether preparing young people for further education or direct entry into the workforce, or helping adults acquire the skills they need to assume new jobs in life sciences, information technology or other fast-growing industry sectors, community colleges in Florida play a pivotal role in workforce readiness.

Close to 800,000 students are served annually by Florida’s community colleges at 61 campuses and 176 sites. The majority (62%) are part-time students with an average age of 25, who fit classes in between work and family responsibilities.

Florida community colleges offer nearly 800 associate of arts, associate of science and associate of applied science degrees and about 500 certificate programs; some also offer baccalaureate degrees in fields such as nursing, teacher education and computer technology. In 2006-2007, with 44,843 associate degrees awarded, Florida’s community colleges were the top producers of associate degrees nationwide.

State Colleges

In June 2008, Gov. Charlie Crist signed legislation creating the Florida College System and allowing, under certain circumstances, all 28 community colleges in Florida to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in more academic areas than previously permitted. Tuition costs for the new baccalaureate degrees are required to be lower than those earned at Florida’s public universities.

“Education opens doors to economic opportunity and security, and increasing access to affordable higher education will strengthen Florida’s workforce,” says Gov. Crist. “By creating the Florida College System, we are providing Floridians more opportunities to earn a wide variety of four-year degrees.”

The legislation also establishes the Florida College System Task Force to be appointed by the Florida Commissioner of Education. The task force will be charged with developing recommendations for transitioning Florida’s community colleges to four-year state colleges and for funding a state college system.

In the meantime, nine of Florida’s 28 community colleges will become “pilot” state colleges. Beginning in fall 2008, they will offer four-year degree programs in such subjects as elementary education, secondary math and science education, nursing and business management. Some will even take on new identities, dropping “Community” from their names or, in the case of Okaloosa Walton College, becoming Northwest Florida State College.

Public and Private Universities

At 11 public universities, dozens of private colleges and universities and hundreds of technical institutions, Florida’s future workforce is busy today acquiring the knowledge and skills that will be needed by employers tomorrow.

Enrollment at Florida’s 11 public universities tops 300,000; another 120,000 students attend private, independent colleges and universities. In 2006-2007, public universities in Florida awarded close to 65,000 degrees. The state boasts four major medical schools; two more — at the University of Central Florida and at Florida International University — are slated to open in 2009.

The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) is an association of 28 private, accredited and not-for-profit schools that are Florida-based. With classes at 180 sites throughout the state, ICUF schools turn out one-third of all college degrees awarded in Florida, including 26% of baccalaureate programs and 56% of first professional degrees (doctors, lawyers, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists and podiatrists).

Additional educational options are available at career schools and for-profit colleges where classes tend to be smaller and the curriculum heavily career focused. According to the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, the number of for-profit colleges offering degrees in Florida has grown from 238 in 2003 to 313 in 2008, and enrollment is on the rise. In 2006-2007, approximately 135,000 students were enrolled at Florida’s for-profit colleges, up 23% from the previous year.

WORKING TOGETHER

The Centers of Excellence program, launched by Florida legislative mandate in 2003, began with just three centers. In July 2008, the list grew to 10 with the addition of the Center of Excellence for Advanced Aero-Propulsion at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

The new center is a collaboration of the state’s premier researchers in aerospace and aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida and FSU, working to bridge the gap between academia and industry and give university-produced innovations a better chance at commercial viability.

Florida’s aerospace industry employs some 83,000 highly skilled workers and has an estimated $100-billion impact on the state’s economy. The new center will aim to help the industry remain competitive while it contends with an aging workforce and the need for ever-more innovative technologies.

For More Information
To learn more about how the right talent, facilities and can-do attitude are coming together to fuel the innovation economy in Florida, see the special report Florida Innovation.