March 29, 2024
The Florida Council of 100 Releases 'The Horizons 2040 Project: Grades 4-8'

Florida Council of 100 News Release

The Florida Council of 100 Releases 'The Horizons 2040 Project: Grades 4-8'

The report calls for higher pay for adolescent experts.

| 4/3/2018

TAMPA -- Today, the Florida Council of 100 released “The Horizons 2040 Project: Grades 4-8.”  Second in a series of three PreK-20 reports, this piece establishes a long-term educational vision, mission, and set of values for Florida and “beacons” to light the way for grades 4-8 over the next 25 years.

“Adolescent students are unique--physically, intellectually, morally, psychologically, and especially social-emotionally,” said David Dyer, project leader and former chair of the Council’s PreK-12 Education Committee.  “It takes a special kind of teacher to successfully reach these kids.”

Horizons 2040: Grades 4-8 focuses on four pivotal topics:  nurturing adolescents’ academic growth, personalizing education to meet the unique needs of each adolescent student; minimizing the disruption caused by school transitions; and making the school like a second family.

“Academic performance tends to decline in the middle grades,” said John Kirtley, chair of the Council’s PreK-12 Education Committee.  “To reverse this, it is vital that we tailor instruction to the special needs of each adolescent, providing them with a portfolio of educational options.  Districts like Miami-Dade, Orange, and Collier have shown great leadership in this regard.”

The report culminates nine months of study and discussion, involving numerous public and private stakeholders and subject matter experts.  Council members also visited a diverse group of schools, including:

  • Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
  • Alexander D. Henderson University School/FAU High School (FAU Lab School in Boca Raton)
  • Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy (Clearwater)
  • Herbert A. Ammons Middle School (Miami-Dade School District)
  • Kingdom Academy (Miami)
  • Lake Nona Middle School (Orange School District)
  • Vineland Elementary School (Charlotte School District)

“The Council will finish its work on the Horizons 2040 Project over the next 9 months to complete the remaining grades 9-12,” said Pat Geraghty, chair of the Florida Council of 100.  “We will continue to pursue best practices and powerful policies and programs from across the state and country because the future of Florida depends on an educated populace and a skilled workforce.” 

Formed in 1961, the Florida Council of 100 is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of business, civic, and academic leaders, which exists to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of all Floridians through the relentless pursuit of better, business-driven public policy. Visit www.fc100.org for more information.

Tags: Education

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