FL's Lt Gov Frank Brogan
Posted on 09/07/2002 10:01:51 AM PDT by summer
In the News
Governor's Message
FRIDAY, September 06, 2002
MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR JEB BUSH
This week, Lt. Governor Brogan and I were pleased to make two very important education announcements.
First, Secretary of Education Jim Horne and Education Commissioner Charlie Crist joined us on Friday to announce the latest FCAT reading scores. The scores, which clearly demonstrate rising student achievement among fourth, eighth, and tenth graders, are very encouraging. From 1998 to 2002, FCAT reading scores have improved significantly in these three grade levels and among African-American, Hispanic, and White regular curriculum students. There have also been steady gains for students in exceptional education programs.
In the simplest of terms, today's announcement confirms that the number of students scoring in the lowest level on the FCAT reading test are declining, while the number of students meeting and surpassing the proficient level on the FCAT reading test are rising. Furthermore, these reading gains have occurred while greater percentages of students are being tested. Student participation rates on the FCAT test have increased since 1998 at the elementary, middle, and high school levels to 98%, 97% and 94%, respectively.
Later in the day, Lt. Governor Frank Brogan announced that minority enrollment at the University of Florida has increased, while total minority enrollment increased and minorities as a percent of the entering first-time-in-college students held steady system-wide for the third consecutive year under the One Florida undergraduate program. The University of Florida is to be commended because they stepped-up their recruiting efforts and partnerships with schools that have high minority populations. Those efforts have resulted in an increase in diversity without resorting to the race-based preferences or set asides of the past.
Both of today's events serve as reminders that education remains the top priority of this administration. It wasn't long ago that our critics were saying that rising student achievement and increased minority enrollments were goals well beyond our reach. Today, we can take pride in our accomplishments and simultaneously reaffirm our commitment to improve our public education system for all Florida children. Through a variety of programs, everyone from infants to preschoolers and school-age students are benefiting from programs that, we hope, will instill a lifelong love of reading and learning.
Next week, I will observe the National Day of Remembrance on September 11th by joining Floridians in a variety of events and locales statewide. I look forward to participating in a World Trade Center monument dedication in Jacksonville, meeting with the Bayshore Patriots in Tampa, and saluting firefighters in Orlando and Miami. I ask that the thoughts and prayers of all Floridians be with the victims of the 9/11 attacks, their families, and our brave servicemen and women who continue to risk their lives to end the threat of terror.
Next week, I will observe the National Day of Remembrance on September 11th by joining Floridians in a variety of events and locales statewide.
Bush 9-11.....
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