It's sort of like paying your kid for getting A's in math and English.
A freshman legislator proposes that schools and districts get grades from A to F based on how well students do on state tests. Then, the standouts among them would be in line for extra money from the state.
Plus, said Rep. Pam Myhra, the proposed report cards would be easier for parents and students to grasp than the current ones, in which boxes show levels of improvement among students who are "proficient" and "not proficient" in reading and math.
"It is not clear to parents," said Myhra, R-Burnsville, of the current school and district report card system.
But opponents say the Myhra plan oversimplifies student performance and tilts heavily in favor of wealthier suburbs, where test scores generally range higher.
"This has a very strong bias toward schools that have an upper middle-class population," said Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. "[In terms of] proficiency across the state, you can literally line it up with a correlation between wealth and good test scores. We just don't think it's very fair, and it's not very accurate."
The Department of Education unveiled a similar grading system for schools and districts at the State Fair in 2003. That report card used a one- to five-star system, with five being the best. The star system was eventually discontinued after educators squawked. Minnesota schools and districts are already judged by test score goals mandated under the federal No Child Left Behind law. That law prescribes penalties for schools that don't show enough improvement over time, but it has no rewards system.
Used in Florida