States are walking away from high school exit tests. Is Florida next?
Each spring, thousands of high school seniors across Florida don’t get to graduate because they’ve failed to pass a test. It’s been that way for nearly 50 years. Some people say it’s time for Florida to join a growing number of states in eliminating the high school exit exam mandate. Florida remains one of six states that still rely on exit tests. More from the Tampa Bay Times and WTVT.
College tuition has fallen significantly at many schools
The cost of college keeps spiraling ever higher, right? Not necessarily. New research indicates students are paying significantly less to attend public universities than they were a decade ago. And tuition increases at private colleges have finally slowed after years of hefty rises. Figures compiled by the nonprofit College Board indicate the average student attending an in-state public university this year faces a tuition bill of $11,610, which is down 4% from a decade earlier when taking inflation into account. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
The Florida Board of Governors has some resolutions for universities
At its last meeting ahead of the new year, the Florida Board of Governors set several lofty strategic goals. First, the board wants to see more Florida public universities and colleges improve in the yearly U.S. News & World Report rankings by 2030. Throughout the state, the board also wants Florida to be home to at least one top 10 liberal arts college and top HBCU. [Source: WFSU]
Florida schools seek added security as shootings rise nationally
In Florida, as across the nation, schools have taken myriad steps to tighten campus security with measures including adding metal detectors and requiring all doors and gates be locked when students are present. Despite these efforts, school shootings continue. Last year marked the second-highest number of school shootings and threats recorded nationwide since the 1960s, just 19 below the 2023 level, according to the K12 School Shooting Database. That includes 13 incidents in Florida. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Proposal would provide free school lunches to all Florida public school students
Free lunch programs already exist for students across the nation. That could soon expand to include millions more right here in Florida. The proposal in the state legislature would provide free breakfast and lunch to every public school student in the state, no matter their family’s income. Right now some schools and school districts across the state are using a federal program to offer every student a free lunch and breakfast. [Source: WCTV]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Central Florida high school teacher nominated for a Grammy Award this year
The Grammy Awards, commonly referred to as the biggest night in music, are set to take place in February. For each performer who takes the stage, there is a good chance there's a music teacher who played an important part in them getting there. That's why the Grammys have a "Music Educator Award," honoring those who have made a significant contribution to music in public and private schools.
› DeSantis adds conservative reformers to University of West Florida board
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed five members to the University of West Florida’s board of trustees Monday, adding two controversial higher-ed reformers to the body that oversees the Pensacola public university. The appointments, which include a political science professor who has criticized feminism and a Heritage Foundation fellow who has written about privatizing public universities, come two years after a similar slate of appointments at New College of Florida.
› UCF joins elite Florida colleges with tighter acceptance rate
The University of Central Florida is among the top 100 most selective institutions in the nation. An analysis of acceptance rate, matriculation rate and admission data by The Business Journals shows the Orlando university is No. 71 in the nation for selectivity, up three spots from last year, and is No. 3 in the state behind only the University of Florida and Florida State University.
› Tampa Bay charter network nears end of yearslong legal dispute
One of Tampa Bay’s largest charter school providers is a step closer to finalizing a yearslong legal dispute with its child care and early learning provider after a $30 million legal settlement signed in November. The agreement untangles what had become a contentious relationship between Plato Academy Schools, which serves roughly 4,000 students in the Tampa Bay area, and Superior Schools, a for-profit education and childcare provider which had operated pre-K and before- and after-school programs for Plato.