Florida Passes Controversial Race-Based Student Achievement Plan

BRADENTON -- The Florida State Board of Education last week passed an academic plan that will set education performance goals based on race. The plan, which will be recognized from 2012 to 2018, has sparked outrage for establishing math and reading goals by racial groups and setting starkly different expectations between them.

As part of the FLDOE’s Strategic Plan outline, expectations for math and reading levels by 2018 are listed as 92% and 90% for Asian students, 86% and 88% for Whites, 80% and 81% for Hispanics and 74% on both for African-Americans. 

Leaders from minority organizations, as well as high-ranking education officials, have been among the most vocal in expressing their opposition to such a move. Jacksonville NAACP Education Committee Secretary Elnora Atkins told First Coast News, “They are putting kids in boxes: ‘These kids can do this, these kids can do this, and these kids can do this,’ instead of saying, ‘All students can achieve.’” 

But supporters of the measure say that the expectations reflect current disparities in reading and math levels, and that the 2018 goal is “realistic and attainable,” as FLDOE spokeswoman Cheryl Etters told the Sun-Sentinel. "Of course we want every student to be successful," Etters said. "But we do have to take into account their starting point."

The plan comes from a waiver granted to the state of Florida that relaxes some regulations from the No Child Left Behind bill - specifically the requirement of drastic positive change in performance for students of all ethnicities. Florida is one of the newest states to receive such a waiver, which has now been granted to the majority of states in the country. A review of the race-based goals will take place in 2014-2015.