Florida to set education performance benchmarks by race

Posted on October 17, 2012 By Hope Gillette Education

performance benchmarks

New benchmarks for reading and math would be determined by race and ethnicity. (Shutterstock photo)

According to the Daily Caller, lower performance  benchmarks in Florida will be set for Hispanic, Native American and African-American students, with higher benchmarks put in place for Non-Hispanic whites and Asian-American students. The Florida State Board of Education is developing a strategic plan to create performance guidelines based on race and ethnicity for students in the subjects of reading and math.

“It is our goal to ensure that there is no such thing as an achievement gap in Florida’s K-12 education system,” State Board Chairman Gary Chartrand said in a statement. “We have to acknowledge that there are different starting points among groups of students today. We can only close the achievement gap in Florida if we are willing to have an honest conversation about what it will take to get all students to that level of success.”

Effectiveness of lower performance benchmarks

Chartrand explained that between the years of 2001 and 2010, the achievement gap between African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites only decreased by 5 points. “By clearly outlining that all students are capable of performing on grade level and understanding what we will need to do to move them towards that goal, we can make sure that every student in Florida is prepared for success in college and careers,” he said.

Critics of the new performance benchmarks are concerned Florida is lowering standards for children based on race, a decision Patrick Franklin, Urban League of Palm Beach County President told the Examiner was “unacceptable.”

Concerns that students will be harmed by the new policies have also been raised.

performance benchmarks

Lower performance benchmarks will be set for African-Americans, Hispanics and Native American students in Florida public schools. (Shutterstock photo)

“[There are] a lot of [Asian] students that are average and below average. Being perceived as a higher achiever really hurts a lot of students,” said Winnie Tang, President of the Asian American Federation of Florida to the Examiner.

Supporters of the performance benchmarks plan, however, feel it is an excellent way to accelerate the education goals of students who historically have lower achievement percentages.

According to Cheryl Etters, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, the new performance benchmarks program sets reasonable and attainable goals. While the Board of Education wants every child to be successful, members feel it is important to take into consideration a student’s “starting point.”

“Setting objectives that will ensure the best access and opportunities for our state’s diverse student population, while increasing educator effectiveness, raising standards, and deepening the level of school curriculum, are at the forefront of Florida’s ambitious education agenda,” wrote the Board of Education in the strategic plan outline.

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  • Northern Donky

    Why not have the starting point be household income? Have parents provide the school district a copy of their state and federal tax returns and individual benchmarks can be established that are race blind.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HHWL5Z4MLA6WEYXJGVOZTMFHVA EL

    As an Asian American, based on my observation, success in
    academic come in several factors. 1) natural intelligent, 2) apputitude, 3)
    discipline 4) family/culture influence or expectation.

    Certainly ethnic, culture, race, environment, and other
    factors partly determine or influcence the success of student performance or
    career. For one part, Asian family even
    in back home, have tendancy to expect their kids to do better than them. They believe education, knowledge, security
    is the future of their kids. Therefore, at young age, in addition to regular
    schooling, they are being coached or put into after school program to strength
    or make up areas they want to excel or lacks. The down side is they dont have
    enough time for other outside sports or activities.

    Discipline, famly expectation, influcence, and environment
    play an important factors for student to become proficiency in their homework,
    study, concentration. So, at the early
    age, we were taught in certain ways to behave correct at home, in community,
    and around the world. Ethic, moral, right and wrong all taught in young age.
    Even if their parents were not raised in a good environment, let say povety,
    lack of education, or not as normal as it should be, they would expect their
    kids not to be like that and all resources are being delivered to make better
    future.

    Unlike other cultures, for example, African American,
    culture, family, apputitude, influence placed on after school basketball,
    sport, TV, and other events. Little pressure from family, community, role
    model, discipline, and interest, study or education can sometimes not their
    important subject. Most people make thru high school or 2 year college.
    However, in order to make it into difficult subject, higher education, such as
    engineering, math, science, biology, and other research field, without strong
    foundation, discipline, and all factors discussed, it would be almost difficult for student to even get into the
    pre-classes for those areas.

    Some years ago, I was invited to U.C. Davis of CA’s engineering
    depts graduation. Almost more than 1/2 of the entire all engineering
    disciplines graduates were all Asian Pacific Americans and/or some foregin
    Asian Pacifc.

    But the drawback, our community lacking the representation,
    focus, discipline, and interest in sport, media, entertainment, and other
    unrepresented fields, in which, I believe, this community should diversify into
    them.

    Who is smarter, well, technically, I think some students
    need to work very hard, focus, driven, and to even challenge the difference in
    advantages enjoyed by some. Of course,
    the same would be for our community, sport, which we lacks the connections,
    supportive systems, family pressure, and interest.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rob.edwards.3572 Rob Edwards

    So certain groups get dumber and certain groups get better…..nice, especially when they go to compete against each other in the work force.