JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Duval County schools may see more "F'" grades among elementary and middle schools now that the federal government has waived the No Child Left Behind requirements for Florida.
But Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals sees many positives in the change which Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson called necessary because the previous accountability systems were confusing to parents and stakeholders. And getting Duval County high schools off intervene status was impossible Pratt-Dannals said.
Pratt-Dannals said the federal requirement to have 100 percent student proficiency by 2014 was undoable and unreachable.
"This idea we are going to get 100% in a very short period is unrealistic, particularly given the resources we have seen the last four years going down, down, down and down."
The goal to meet standards and show continuing growth is now moved back to the 2016-2017 school year. He said school grading criteria were too difficult for high schools, not hard enough for the lower grades. Now it will be more balanced. But he expects more F schools statewide among elementary and middle schools.
"It is important for the public to know not that we have gone backwards, we have totally new criteria establishing what is an "F' school and how you get into intervene status."
And a school with an "F' grade for the first time moves immediately into intervene status. But with the waiver, a 5th option will be available to school districts to turn around the school. Called a hybrid, it gives school districts flexibility and more control in submitting strategies to be approved by the Florida Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
Under current rules the state has much imput into how intervene schools are dealt with, with the district having less say-so. Other options include closing the school, turning it into a charter school, or letting an outside organization run it.
"We will be able to put together a plan that will receive the commisioners' approval and the board of education approval, this is really a good thing, being able to come up with a plan that works, with a group of strategies we have confidence in. And we will be able to have the community with us rather than fighting us which is what we had last year."
Pratt-Dannals will be in Washington Friday meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Education at the White House. Educators will discuss strategies to improve lowest performing schools.
A bit of good news from Pratt-Dannals. He said mid-year measurments of student performance just completed shows student progress at Duval County's intervene schools, and the state agrees with that assessment.
First Coast News