Florida Considers Testing For Pre-K Students
August 19, 2011
While K-12 teachers have come under increasing scrutiny over their performance, with student test scores now linked to their salaries, voluntary pre-kindergarten providers are skating by with little oversight and accountability, argues one prominent early learning advocate.
Pre-kindergarten programs should test their students more extensively, argues David Lawrence, the head of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation. Lawrence said this wouldn’t be a “baby FCAT,” but instead a loose assessment of a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive skills in order to determine progress.
“It really pains me that we haven’t, in this state, subjected VPK to the same rigor and accountability that has been done with K-12 programs and services,” Lawrence said at a Thursday meeting of the Higher Education Coordinating Council. Lawrence is on a campaign to introduce tougher standards to the state’s voluntary pre-kindergarten programs. Earlier this month, he delivered a similar speech to the State Board of Education.
His efforts appear to be gaining some ground. The council, which has the authority to make recommendations to the Legislature and governor, signaled it is on board with many of his suggestions.
And next week, the State Board of Education will take up a draft legislative budget request for next year that asks for $4.6 million to begin offering voluntary pre-kindergarten assessments at a cost of $25 per student.
“There is an urgent need to follow what people voted on and have a quality pre-k program,” said Jon Moyle, a retired attorney and business representative on the Higher Education Coordinating Council. The council was formed in 2010 to help coordinate education efforts across higher education and Pre-K-12.
Lawrence, former publisher of The Miami Herald, is a longtime advocate for early learning and helped lobby for the constitutional amendment that first launched a state-funded voluntary pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds in 2002.
But Lawrence argues that the promise to voters that the pre-kindergarten system would be high-quality has never come to fruition. “We do not have a high quality system in Florida,” he said, and Georgia offers a better program.
Advocates for early learning say extensive research has shown that the right educational intervention at a very young age can make a big difference in a student’s success. “We learn all of our lives, but the window for learning is open most widely in the years from birth to age five,” Lawrence said.
There are 166,398 students enrolled in voluntary pre-kindergarten in Florida.
Like most state-funded programs, the economic recession has curtailed funding for VPK. This year, the Legislature cut funding for the program by $20 million, leaving about $385 million, or $2,383 per child.
Besides more testing, Lawrence said pre-kindergarten instructors should be required to use curriculum that has proven to be effective, and teachers should be required to have associate or bachelor’s degrees.
Florida already tests kindergarten readiness within the first 30 days of the school year.
That data is used to calculate the kindergarten readiness rate for private and public school providers in voluntary pre-kindergarten, similar to how public schools receive lettered school grades.
But Lawrence said more assessment is needed.
“What we are trying to understand is two things, one, how good the provider is, and number two, where the child is developmentally, behaviorally, socially and cognitively,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said he has been advocating this issue for years and was hopeful it would lead to legislative reforms.
“My hope is that the (lawmakers) will say “Oh, I get it,” Lawrence said.”We need to fix this so it’s the high quality people voted for. And you could make a significant number of fixes at a very small monetary cost.”
Cantonment Woman Charged With DUI After Early AM Crash
August 19, 2011
A 22-year old Cantonment woman is facing several charges after an alleged early morning drunk driving crash.
Keara Marie Duncan was northbound on Pine Forest Road in a 2002 Dodge Caravan when she apparently passed out while making a turn onto 9½ Mile Road about 3:20 a.m. Thursday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. She collided with a 2002 Chrysler stopped at a stop sign. The driver of that Chrysler, 32-year old Larry D. Simmons II of Pensacola, was not injured.
Duncan was transported to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries.
The Florida Highway Patrol charged Duncan with driving under the influence, careless driving and no proof of insurance. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $250.
Duncan’s blood alcohol level was .125, according to the FHP.
North Escambia Firefighters Among Those That Responded To Massive Ship Fire
August 19, 2011
Firefighters from as far away as Walnut Hill and Century were called upon to battle a fire in a large fishing boat at Patti Shipyard on Bayou Chico.
Smoke could been seen from miles Thursday afternoon from the Dona Martita, a 168-foot, four-story high fishing boat that was undergoing construction in Pensacola for planned use in Alaska.
Dozens of firefighters from numerous departments initially responded to the blaze about 5 p.m. Additional manpower from the Pensacola Fire Department, several stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Gulf Breeze Fire Department, Saufley Field and the Pensacola Naval Air Station were soon called in to help.
About 9:40 p.m. the Century, Walnut Hill, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to provide additional manpower.
Three firefighters were reported to be injured as of late Thursday night. One reportedly had minor burns while two suffered heat exhaustion.
There was no word on the cause of the fire.
Pictured: A ship fire late Thursday afternoon in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Different Wrecks On Hwy 97 Under Investigation
August 19, 2011
Two early afternoon accidents on Highway 97 are under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
In the first wreck, a male driver may have suffered some sort of medical problem before running off Highway 97 near Pilgrim Trail about noon today. A passerby found the man apparently unconscious in his car. The vehicle had very little damage, if any, where it collided with a ditch.
In the second, unrelated crash, a 65-year old male was injured when he ran off Highway 97 south of Tungoil Road and hit a tree. The man’s vehicle came to rest in a wooded area off the highway. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance with injuries that were not considered life threatening. A medical condition may have led to the crash.
Further details were not available on either wreck.
Pictured top: A wreck on Highway 97 south of Tungoil Road just after 1:00 Friday afternoon. Pictured left inset: An unrelated accident on Highway 97 in Dogwood park about noon Friday. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Need An Escambia County School Supply List?
August 19, 2011
School starts Monday, August 22 in Escambia County. Here are the school supply lists from each elementary school and middle school in the county.
(High schools typically do not have a general supply list. Students are advised of their supply needs in each class.)
North Escambia Area Schools:
- Bratt Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Molino Park Elementary
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ransom Middle
Complete Escambia County Lists:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Bellview Elementary
- Beulah Elementary
- Blue Angels Elementary
- Bratt Elementary
- Brentwood Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- Cook Elementary
- Cordova Park Elementary
- Ensley Elementary
- Ferry Pass Elementary
- Global Learning Academy
- Hellen Caro Elementary
- Holm Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Lincoln Park Elementary
- Lipscomb Elementary
- Longleaf Elementary
- McArthur Elementary
- McMillan Pre-K
- Molino Park Elementary
- Montclair Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- Navy Point Elementary
- Oakcrest Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- Pleasant Grove Elementary
- Scenic Heights Elementary
- Semmes Elementary
- Sherwood Elementary
- Suter Elementary
- Warrington Elementary
- Weis Elementary
- West Pensacola Elementary
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
- Bailey Middle
- Bellview Middle
- Brown Barge Middle
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ferry Pass Middle
- Ransom Middle
- Warrington Middle
- Woodham Middle
- Workman Middle
Molino Fall Ball Registration Is Saturday
August 19, 2011
Signups begin Saturday for Fall Ball at Molino Ballpark.
Fall Ball will include tee ball, baseball and softball, with registration at $35 per child. Signups will be Saturday, August 20 and Saturday, August 27 at the Molino Ballpark from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Man Convicted Of Armed Kidnapping, Assault In Pizza Buffet Parking Lot
August 19, 2011
An Escambia County man is facing at least 20 years behind bars for an armed kidnapping in the parking lot of a popular Pensacola pizza restaurant.
Dionte Stallworth was found guilty by an Escambia County Jury of attempted armed kidnapping with a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm.
On November 10, 2010, Stallworth contacted the victim, Marcus Anderson of High Stepping Shoes, to purchase athletic shoes from him. Stallworth and Anderson agreed to meet at the CiCi’s Pizza parking lot on Ninth Avenue. As Anderson was showing Stallworth the merchandise, Stallworth pulled a handgun, held it in Anderson’s side, and demanded him to get in the vehicle, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. A struggle ensued resulting in one shot being fired. During the investigation, fingerprints were taken from the trunk of the vehicle that were identified as belonging to Dionte Stallworth.
Judge Frank Bell scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2011. Stallworth is facing a maximum of 30 years state prison with a minimum mandatory of 20 years state prison for discharging the firearm in accordance with the 10-20-Life law.
Escambia Deputy, 2 Others Injured In Nine Mile Road Wreck
August 18, 2011
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy and two others were injured in a two vehicle wreck early Thursday morning on Nine Mile Road.
According to the Florida Patrol, the wreck happened at 2:42 a.m. as Deputy Heather Bruce, 27, was westbound on Nine Mile Road, responded to a call. That’s when Elisa Anderson, 19, of Pensacola pulled out in front of the deputy from Wanda Drive. Bruce attempted to avoid the collision, but her 2005 Crown Victoria patrol car struck the side rear of Anderson’s 2001 Oldsmobile.
Anderson and her passenger, 21-year old Victoria Dawson, received minor injuries and were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. Deputy Bruce also received minor injuries and was also transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Charges against Anderson are pending, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Deputies Seize $34,000 Worth Of Pot From Hunting Club Land
August 18, 2011
There have been no arrests so far after the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office seized almost three dozen marijuana plants from property belonging to a Walnut Hill hunting club.
The 34 marijuana plants were discovered recently on a food plot at a hunting club on Highway 164 near Lambert Bridge Road. The plants, which ranged in height from about four to six feet, had an estimated street value of about $34,000, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The hunting club cooperated with deputies and no more marijuana was located on the property.
Pictured: Some of the 34 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $34,000 seized from a hunting club near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Woman Refuses To Get Out Of Catfish Pond
August 18, 2011
Deputies spent over an hour Wednesday afternoon trying to coax a woman out of a Walnut Hill catfish pond.
A married couple was reportedly arguing beside Pine Forest Road just north of Arthur Brown Road just before 4 p.m. That’s when, according to witnesses, the woman swam out into the middle of a catfish pond and refused to come back to shore.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded and attempted to convince the woman to swim back to shore. She refused, and deputies obtained a boat and pulled the woman from the pond without any injuries.
The woman was transported to West Florida Hospital for evaluation.