Similar race-based achievement targets sparked controversy in Virginia and Washington, D.C. this summer, with critics calling them a way to legalize low expectations for some students.
Florida is setting different goals for reading improvements among its students — based on race and ethnicity. By 2018, 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, 81 percent of Hispanic students, and 74 percent of black students are to be reading on grade level.
Florida wants all its public school students to make significant improvements in reading and math during the next six years, but its new standards set higher goals for some students based on their race.
The new targets approved by the State Board of Education on Tuesday set loftier benchmarks for Asian and white youngsters and lower ones for black and Hispanic children.
By 2018, 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, 81 percent of Hispanic students, and 74 percent of black students are to be reading on grade level.
Before their vote, some board members questioned the new targets, required under the waiver Florida sought from the federal No Child Left Behind law.
“As a matter of philosophy…I think we should have the same goal for all categories of our citizenry,” said board member John Padget. “Are we happy with the signal that this sends?”
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