State Board of Education to Meet in Tampa Tuesday

The State Board of Education will meet in Tampa on Tuesday to discuss the transition to Common Core, an education initiative focusing on mathematics and English Language Arts. There are five key components to the English Language Arts portion of the Common Core initiative: reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and media and technology. The two main components of the mathematical portion of the Common Core initiative are mathematical practice and mathematical standards.

Florida will be implementing the Common Core standards beginning in the 2014 school year.

The Board of Education will also be discussing the approval of district turnaround plans for 58 schools in 18 districts across the state. If a school receives an "F" or a second consecutive "D" grade, that school district must submit a turnaround plan to the Department of Education for approval by the State Board of Education. If the plan is approved by the Board of Education, the turnaround plan must be implemented within the next school year if a school's grade doesn't improve.

Broward County has already recommended closing two of its schools. It was the only school district to recommend closing schools' doors versus implementing another turnaround plan.

The Board will also be discussing an amendment to the state Board rule on supplemental educational services and the differentiated accountability rule, which will add "focus" and "priority" as two new levels of intervention. It will also define the five new turnaround options for school districts.