Florida’s science standards were dismal. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute regularly reviews/grades all states’ science standards and for the entire life of that report Florida’s standards were given F after F. This year is the first time our standards are being reviewed after a complete overhaul in 2008. I know everyone felt great once the standards were finally approved by the State Board of Education — over the vocal protests of those who didn’t like seeing evolution in the document.
So, how did we do this time? We moved up the grade ladder, but not by much. We got a D. From the report:
Florida’s standards evoke a split personality. The document starts out well at the primary level, but in the higher grades it weakens into poor organization, ambiguous statements, and basic errors. One has the impression that the writers were pushing the limits of their scientific expertise at the higher grades. Taken as a whole, the document does not provide a solid foundation for a rigorous K-12 science curriculum.
What do you folks think?