FORT MYERS, Fla. — Students in the Sunshine State could be seeing the final year for Florida Standards Assessments (FSA).
Governor Ron DeSantis, pushing for all schools to implement progress monitoring, a method he says tests kids 3 times a year.
It's a method that Dr. Jeff Spiro, the Chief Academic Officer, for the school district of Lee County is familiar with.
“Progress monitoring is what we are currently doing in our schools (Lee County) that is the data that we are using to help drive instruction, to create small groups, to determine interventions, to determine enrichment. It's the most timely piece of information that we have,” said Spiro.
On Wednesday, During a Facebook live, Lee County Superintendent Dr. Ken Savage said districts need to be collecting information about students constantly.
Echoing a similar message from Gov. DeSantis that current state testing is ineffective.
"It’s so important that we know how they are learning. You don’t wait until the end of the year and then find out how effective things were,” said Savage.
While the desire for change is there, the School District of Lee County understands these changes won’t be seen until the
2022-23 school year.
“There is a lot to be done there and procedurally it still has to make its way through the legislature so I’m cautiously very optimistic about it," said Savage.
“As of this year right now where we are, it changes nothing as far as graduation requirements, the value-added model for our teachers, and any of the testings we currently have in place,” said Spiro.
