Education

Florida Standards Assessments’ replacement increases testing time

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.

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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 …

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