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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2004

Contact: Diane Pratt-Heavner
(202) 226-7797

   

Congressman Jim Davis Again Urges Gov. Bush to Fix Florida’s Failed Accountability System

 

WASHINGTON , DC – Today, Floridians learned that 68 percent of their schools earned an “A” or a “B” under the Florida A+ Education Plan, but 77 percent of schools failed to earn “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) due to Governor Jeb Bush’s implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

 

Congressman Jim Davis , who last month wrote to Governor Bush urging him to fix Florida ’s education policies before many of Florida best schools are forced to redirect vital Title I education funds out of the classroom, sent a letter to the Governor today calling on him again to address this confusing contradiction in the state’s accountability system.

 

NCLB gives states flexibility to determine the criteria used to measure AYP.  As a result of Governor Bush’s NCLB policies, Florida has overwhelmingly led the nation in the percentage of schools failing AYP.  These policies have severe consequences.  Students attending schools that fail to meet AYP two years in a row can transfer to a school that has passed AYP, and the failing school must use a portion of their Title I classroom funds to pay for transporting students to other schools.

 

“I strongly support accountability in education, but Governor Bush’s implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act is punishing many of the parents, teachers and students who have worked so hard to earn “As” and “Bs” under the Florida A+ Plan,” said Congressman Davis.  “An accountability plan should help parents and teachers understand how their students and schools are doing, but Florida ’s accountability system is only adding to the confusion.”

 

Read Rep. Davis' Letter to Gov. Bush

 


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