Split Manatee County School Board calls for changes in state testing system

Split Manatee County School Board calls for changes in state testing system

BRADENTON -- By a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Manatee County School Board narrowly approved sending a letter to Gov. Rick Scott and other lawmakers voicing concerns over the state accountability system.

Dave Miner, board liaison with the Central Florida School Board Coalition, motioned for the board to send a letter, similar to one the coalition has already authorized sending lawmakers, asking for fixes to what many have called a flawed accountability system. The letter specifically asks the state to issue "incomplete" grades for the 2014-15 school year, and hold students and teachers harmless based on the results of the 2014-15 testing season.

In the 2014-15 school year, Florida students took new tests based on the new Florida State Standards, which are a modification of the Common Core Standards. The testing period was rife with technical issues across the state as some students reported being booted out of the online system, calling results into question.

The Central Florida School Board Coalition covered more than 1 million students and families in 13 districts across the state, including Manatee County. Later this year, Miner will take over as chairman of the coalition.

Miner, board Chairman Bob Gause and board member Charlie Kennedy all voted to approve sending the letter, but board members John Colon and Karen Carpenter voted no.

"I think Manatee County is important enough that we need our own letter," Colon said. "This is a broad-based statement. I don't agree with everything in it. I think we should read it, study it and decide what works for us and what doesn't. There are some of the things I'm not sure of. I'd like to study it a little more before I vote for it."

Carpenter said she agreed with Colon more discussion is needed about the letter, which should be more specific to Manatee.

The board also used a new online agenda software for the first time, heard a proposal from a high school students to change how the district calculates grade-point averages and recognized a number of different students and departments.

The new online software is meant to aid the district and the public with workflow during the meeting, including an online feature allowing the public to sign up to speak online prior to the meeting.

"All in all, it's actually working real well," Gause said. "I was not expecting it to go that smooth."

During public comments, Ian MacDonald, a 17-year-old Bradenton resident and Manatee High School senior, asked the board to reconsider how grade-point averages are calculated.

Honors classes, advanced placement classes and dual enrollment classes now are all weighted the same in calculating a student's grade-point average.

"I think students should be rewarded for more," MacDonald said.

MacDonald said the move would align Manatee County with other districts across the state and could help inspire students to take more challenging classes.

Kennedy said he appreciated MacDonald coming in to be a voice for students, and Cynthia Saunders, deputy superintendent of instruction, said the district looked at the issue about two years ago, and would look into it again.

Saunders said the district had software issues making the change last time, and the change could retroactively affect students negatively, but said she agreed with MacDonald's sentiment.

Board members recognized groups of students and staff members including:

Four National Merit scholarship student finalists. The winners will be named in the spring.

Students who are part of the German-American partnership program where German students visit Manatee County schools. Manatee County students will head to Germany last this year.

Members of the English for Speakers of Other Languages Department were honored by the state for "outstanding professional learning practices."

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter@MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Split Manatee County School Board calls for changes in state testing system ."