AVON PARK — An Avon Park High School teacher has been suspended without pay for an undisclosed incident, which is being investigated by the school district and a state education bureau. Science teacher John Altic's five-day suspension from May 21-27 was formally approved by the School Board of Highlands County on Tuesday. Altic was suspended because of an incident, which is currently under investigation, that occurred May 16 at Avon Park High School, Human Resources Director Vivianne Waldron said. Since this is an active investigation no more information can be released, she added. Altic, 63, was suspended for five days because that is the maximum length of time the superintendent can suspend a teacher without input from the school board, Waldron said. A disciplinary letter has been placed in his personnel file. ...more

June 13, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Department of Education has announced the 2008 Just Read, Florida Recommended Summer Reading List. The list encourages students to continue their reading efforts during the summer vacation months. Research indicates that children who don't continue to read while on holiday breaks and vacations risk losing progress made during the school year. ...more

June 10, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores constantly trailed the state scores released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education. Except for a few high points at individual schools at the elementary and middle school levels, the percentages of students performing on or above grade level on the math, reading and science FCAT were lower than the state-wide percentages. Statewide, 38 percent of the 10th-graders scored on or above grade level on FCAT reading, compared to only 30 percent in Highlands County and only 25 percent at Avon Park High School. On the 10th-grade math FCAT statewide 69 percent scored on or above grade level compared to only 62 percent in Highlands County and 49 percent at Avon Park High School. ...more

June 10, 2008

TAMPA PALMS - The school year has ended, but most students are waiting to find out how they scored on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. While scores are usually released before students end the school year, the Florida Department of Education didn't release the bulk of reading, writing and mathematics scores until this week. Schools alerted families to the release of scores by calling their homes with a recorded message. Families that want to see scores have two options: They can access scores through the state's FCAT Parent Network site, www.fcatparentnetwork.com, beginning 6 a.m. Thursday, June 12, using the secure login and password provided by their school. Printed scores will be available for pickup at schools. Families will not be able to get test information over the phone. ...more

June 10, 2008

When Wimauma Elementary improved its school grade from a C to an A two years ago, a lot of the credit went to the school's third-graders. ...more

June 7, 2008

Finally, Florida may have to honestly calculate its high school graduation rate. ...more

June 7, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Pasco County students continue to perform better in reading and mathematics than most of their peers across the nation, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results announced Thursday. ...more

May 28, 2008

SEBRING — The State Education Practices Commission will consider a settlement agreement concerning a former Highlands County teacher who is serving community supervision for a number of drug offenses. ...more

May 26, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Pasco County third-graders showed improvement in FCAT scores for reading and math, but their math scores still lag behind the state average. ...more

May 22, 2008

SEBRING — More Highlands County third-graders scored at or above grade level in math and reading compared to the state average, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results released Wednesday. However, about 146 third-graders, or 15 percent of the students, will have to pass another test after a summer reading camp to be promoted to fourth grade. They scored in Level 1 or the lowest level of the assessment scale. Eighty-percent of the county's third-graders scored in Level 3 or above in math. Statewide, and last year in Highlands County, 76 percent had achieved that level. In FCAT reading, that number was 74 percent compared to last year's 70 percent and this year's state percentage of 72 percent. ...more

May 21, 2008