Law Summary

Summary of the Florida A+ Plan
Signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush on June 21, 1999
CER Summary, July 1999

        The Bush/Brogan A+ Education Plan has three major parts: providing accountability and improving student learning; raising standards and improving training for educators; and improving school safety and reducing truancy.

        Accountability and improving student learning -- This part of the A+ Plan will be achieved by revising state education goals, measuring annual student learning, closing the education gap, grading schools and reporting their progress, eliminating social promotion, rewarding schools for achievement and improvement, providing help to failing schools and giving parents more choices over their child's education.

        Commitment to higher professional standards for educators -- Currently, there is little accountability for teacher preparation programs in Florida. The A+ Plan raises standards for professional educators, rates colleges of education on performance, raises standards for admission to colleges of education, rewards high-performing educators, and focuses and improves teacher training.

        Commitment to safer schools -- A school with a safe environment offers children the best opportunity to learn. To foster this environment, the A+ Plan will invest more in school safety, expand second chance schools for disruptive and violent youth, and prepare teachers to handle classroom discipline.

        To transform Florida's schools and to ensure that children receive the best education possible, the A+ Plan will:

• Increase funding for Florida's public schools by $750 million.
• Grade all schools on an A to F scale.
• Expand the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) to all third through tenth graders.
• Reward successful and improving schools.
• Provide unprecedented support and change to improve failing schools.
• Eliminate social promotion.
• Dramatically increase funding for remediation efforts and school safety programs.
• Raise teacher standards.
• Increase parental choices and encourage innovation by providing Opportunity Scholarships to children in chronically failing schools.
• Provide financial rewards for superior teachers.

See also:

• CER's press release regarding passage of Florida's A+ Education Package.
• CER Press Release: School Choice -- Florida Public Schools Strive to Stay off Failing Schools List; First State-Wide Voucher Program Explodes Myths.
• Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan: POOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AREN'T DESTINED TO FAIL.
• EDUCATORS BET SALARY AGAINST GRADES, By Linda Chion-Kenney, St. Petersburg Times, reprinted in the Detroit News.

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The Center for Education Reform is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization providing support and guidance to individuals, community and civic groups, policymakers and others who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools. For additional information on school choice, contact CER at (202) 822-9000 or (800) 521-2118, visit our School Choice Library, or send e-mail to cer@edreform.com.

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