Miami-Dade Legislative Item
File Number: 122193
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File Number: 122193 File Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Version: 0 Reference: R-965-12 Control: County Commission
File Name: BD OF EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN Introduced: 10/29/2012
Requester: NONE Cost: Final Action: 11/8/2012
Agenda Date: 11/8/2012 Agenda Item Number: 11A37
Notes: Title: RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REVISIT AND REVISE THE 2012-2018 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN TO ELIMINATE PROVISIONS THAT SET DIFFERENT STUDENT PROFICIENCY GOALS FOR DIFFERENT RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS
Indexes: URGING
Sponsors: Jean Monestime, Prime Sponsor
  Audrey M. Edmonson, Co-Sponsor
  Barbara J. Jordan, Co-Sponsor
Sunset Provision: No Effective Date: Expiration Date:
Registered Lobbyist: None Listed


Legislative History

Acting Body Date Agenda Item Action Sent To Due Date Returned Pass/Fail

Board of County Commissioners 11/8/2012 11A37 Adopted P

County Attorney 10/29/2012 Assigned Jess M. McCarty

Legislative Text


TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REVISIT AND REVISE THE 2012-2018 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN TO ELIMINATE PROVISIONS THAT SET DIFFERENT STUDENT PROFICIENCY GOALS FOR DIFFERENT RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS

BODY


WHEREAS, section 1001.02(3)(a), Florida Statute, requires the State Board of Education every five years to �adopt a strategic plan that specifies goals and objectives for the state�s public schools and Florida College System institutions�; and
WHEREAS, on October 9, 2012, the Florida State Board of Education adopted such a plan, entitled the Strategic Plan for the Public School System and the Florida College System, 2012-2018; and
WHEREAS, the 2012-2018 Strategic Plan is intended to guide the work of the Florida Department of Education for the next five years; and
WHEREAS, one aspect of the Strategic Plan sets different goals for different racial and ethnic groups of students, as well as different goals for English Language Learners, Students with Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged students; and
WHEREAS, under the Strategic Plan, the proficiency of Florida public school students will be judged in part based on race and ethnicity, as set forth in Performance Indicator 1.3 of the Strategic Plan, an excerpt of which is attached; and
WHEREAS, for reading, the Strategic Plan sets goals of the following percentages of students reading at or above grade level by 2018:
� 90 percent of Asian American students,
� 88 percent of Non-Hispanic White students,
� 81 percent of Hispanic students, and
� 74 percent of Black/African-American students; and

WHEREAS, for math, the Strategic Plan sets goals of the following percentages of students to be at or above their math grade level by 2018:
� 92 percent of Asian American students,
� 86 percent of Non-Hispanic White students,
� 80 percent of Hispanic students, and
� 74 percent of Black/African-American students; and

WHEREAS, these different goals for different racial and ethnic groups are interim goals to achieve by 2018 with the ultimate goal of 100 percent proficiency among all racial and ethnic groups by 2023; and
WHEREAS, while these goals call for a more rapid rate of improvement for racial and ethnic groups with lower percentages of students currently performing at grade level, setting higher goals for Non-Hispanic White and Asian students and lower goals for Hispanic and African-American students is not the right message to send to either students or educators; and
WHEREAS, Florida�s Strategic Plan for education should set goals to improve student performance equally for all students instead of setting separate goals for students based on race and ethnicity; and
WHEREAS, setting different goals for different racial and ethnic groups by 2018 has drawn criticism from a wide range stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, an official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called it �soft bigotry of low expectations�; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Hispanic Caucus, chaired by Senator Rene Garcia, urged the Department of Education to avoid tying education benchmarks to race or ethnicity; and
WHEREAS, the President of the Asian American Federation of Florida has indicated that the benchmarks are hurtful to Asian students because being perceived as higher achievers potentially harms Asian students who may be performing below average; and
WHEREAS, Governor Rick Scott has indicated that the Strategic Plan does not �articulate our shared commitment to fully close the achievement gap for all students, regardless of race, geography, gender or other circumstances�; and
WHEREAS, setting goals for students based on race and ethnicity sends the wrong message to students of all racial and ethnic groups,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Florida State Board of Education to revisit and revise the 2012-2018 State Board of Education Strategic Plan to eliminate provisions that set different student proficiency goals for different racial and ethnic groups.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation, the Chair and Members of the Florida State Board of Education and the Florida Education Commissioner.
Section 3. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate for the action set forth in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2013 State Legislative Package when it is presented to the Board.



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