From Jeff Solocheck in Gradebook:
The U.S. Department of Education on Monday released its first report on high school graduation rates using common, nationally accepted standards. In past years, states used different formulas for calculating graduation rates, making comparisons difficult.
The new federal comparison, from 2010-11, doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Florida. For all students, Florida’s graduation rate was 71 percent, lower than all but five states (Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon) and the District of Columbia.
The state’s rates for minority groups were lower than the total — 69 percent of Hispanics and 59 percent of African-Americans. In comparison to other states, Florida’s Hispanic graduation rate surpassed that of 17 states and D.C., while its African-American graduation rate was better than five states and D.C.
How Jeb Bush continues to dodge such numbers and is still considered an authoritative figure on education policy boggles the mind. These sorts of dreadful numbers are not new to Bush’s Florida education empire. The former Florida governor’s mouthpieces have continued to poo-poo the disturbing number of college freshmen who need remediation in reading, math or writing.
With conservative pundits now breathlessly uttering Bush’s name as a presidential candidate in 2016, one wonders if a republican pol anywhere would dare question Bush on education – let alone his record. Bush’s gotten everything he wants on education policy – save (thank goodness) Parent Trigger – and owns these results.
Those same mouthpieces will be out soon to tell Floridians all is well and that their education reform prescription is getting results. But Jeb Bush’s high-stakes tests, school grades, charter schools and online classes aren’t preparing Florida high school kids for college. Today’s release of the federal study shows they aren’t graduating from high school either.
