Alachua County Public Schools began taking standardized tests with the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking less than a month into the school year. Students in voluntary prekindergarten through 10th grade will participate in this assessment three times a year. Florida Assessment of Student Thinking replaces the end-of-the-year Florida Standards Assessments and monitors student progress in the fall, winter and spring. Each cycle tests students’ knowledge of the entire year’s material in English Language Arts and mathematics, according to the Florida Department of Education. But critics of the new assessment say more time spent testing means less instructional time.
Read More »Program uses tennis to ace the graduation rate for east Gainesville students
Aces in Motion helps students ace middle and high school.
Read More »Florida teachers, parents fearful for future of K-12 education
A month into the new school year, Florida teachers, parents and students are already experiencing state changes to public school curriculum through new state civics standards and education bills.
Read More »Teen accused in high school bomb threat re-arrested over questions whether he would attend court hearing to change not guilty plea
A teenager accused of making a bomb threat at his high school last year is back in jail after his bail bondsman learned that the teen was planning to skip out on an upcoming hearing where he will plead guilty, according to court records.
Read More »Tongue in cheek, UF wrestles with mystery thefts of ‘Top 5’ banners on campus
After a second consecutive year of mysterious thefts of “Top 5” banners hung across campus to commemorate its national ranking among public universities, the University of Florida appears to be throwing up its hands and making a gag out of the pilfering. A new TikTok the university posted this week …
Read More »Alachua County schools sets new record with 45 National Merit semifinalists
Alachua County Public Schools set a district record of semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship program with 45 students receiving semifinalist status. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a competition for high school students to earn thousands of dollars in scholarship money, and it is recognized as an indicator …
Read More »Audio postcard: What some UF students think of the debt relief plan
The White House has released data that shows more than 2 million Florida borrowers could benefit from the Biden Administration's plan for student debt relief.
Read More »Wild Spaces and Public Places campaign kicks off
Wild Spaces and Public Places returns to the ballot in November. Alachua County voters get to decide if the sales tax should increase by another half-cent. At the campaign kickoff, held at Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center, supporters stressed the funding is essential. Wild Spaces and Public Places currently funds …
Read More »Florida Bar Exam scores announced, with UF having second-best passage rate
The University of Florida Levin College of Law Florida Bar Exam has released the test results for the most recent exam.
Read More »College Board National Scholars program recognizes Alachua County students for academic achievement
College Board recognizes high performing Alachua County high school students from underrepresented groups as national scholars.
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