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The purpose of this technical assistance paper is to assist education leaders and administrators in the consistent implementation of the Florida Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act in Section 1003.491, Florida Statutes (F.S.). This technical assistance paper addresses questions on recent legislation, funding, and data reporting. [For the previous report, see ED616038.]

The community schools strategy transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. As partners, they organize in- and out-of-school resources, supports, and opportunities so that young people thrive. A growing number of states are investing in community schools as a strategy to address long-standing social inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a review of state American Rescue Plan Act plans, as well as state legislative and state education agency websites and other online resources, this report describes community school initiatives in eight states. The report highlights three potential approaches to state support for community schools: (1) ongoing support through school funding formulas; (2) competitive grant funding; and (3) capacity-building supports (such as certification processes).

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding each institution's direction and priorities as well as performance expectations and outcomes on institutional and System-wide goals. Contents include: (1) Introduction; (2) Strategy; (3) Performance-Based Funding Metrics; (4) Preeminent Research University Funding Metrics; (5) Key Performance Indicators; (6) Enrollment Planning; (7) Academic Program Coordination; and (8) Definitions. [For "Florida International University Accountability Plan, 2021," see ED613745.]

To best train and support school leaders in their evolving roles, they require high-quality preparation and in-service pipelines that both address the changing demands on their positions and acknowledge the cascading effects that well-prepared leaders have on both student outcomes and in school culture and retention. Including school leaders in the policymaking process will help guide state leaders on the most effective approaches for their states and needs. To that end, this Policy Brief explores school leader representation on state and local boards of education and on statewide task forces and commissions. The brief also presents an overview of the school leadership pipeline and examples of recent legislative action in 13 states that supports development along the continuum.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs, thousands of New Yorkers are searching for jobs, and employers across the state are struggling to fill empty positions. New York's publicly funded city and state community colleges are uniquely positioned to help bridge this gap, providing more job-focused education for mid-career adults and traditional college-age students. The need for job training is sure to grow in years ahead as automation and business restructuring transform the New York labor market. But meeting the need will require new thinking and new priorities--in Albany, at city hall, and on community college campuses across the state. This report discusses steps that could make the most difference, which include new State University of New York (SUNY) leadership focused on workforce education; state incentives and guidance for colleges preparing students to earn industry certifications; blurring the line between credit and noncredit education; and increased funding for short, job-focused reskilling programs.

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding each institution's direction and priorities as well as performance expectations and outcomes on institutional and System-wide goals. Contents include: (1) Introduction; (2) Strategy; (3) Performance-Based Funding Metrics; (4) Preeminent Research University Funding Metrics; (5) Key Performance Indicators; (6) Enrollment Planning; (7) Academic Program Coordination; and (8) Definitions. [For "Florida International University Accountability Plan, 2020. Revised," see ED610469.]

This report responds to the requirement of PL 110-246 to assess the effectiveness of state and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals. Direct certification is a process conducted by the states and by local educational agencies (LEAs) to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications. The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act (PL 108-265) required LEAs to establish systems to directly certify children from households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by school year (SY) 2008-2009. This report presents information on the outcomes of direct certification for SY 2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019. [This report was produced with the Food and Nutrition Service's Child Nutrition Division. For the SY 2015-2016 & SY 2016-2017 report, see ED616726.]

The purpose of this technical assistance paper is to assist education leaders and administrators in the consistent implementation of the Florida Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act in Section 1003.491, Florida Statutes (F.S.). This technical assistance paper addresses questions on the legislation, funding, and data reporting.

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding each institution's direction and priorities as well as performance expectations and outcomes on institutional and System-wide goals. This System Accountability Plan summarizes the data from each university's Accountability Plan. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to also review each university's Accountability Plan for important narrative information detailing key opportunities and initiatives in the coming years. Contents include: (1) Introduction; (2) Performance-Based Funding Metrics; (3) Board of Governors Choice Metric; (4) Preeminent Research University: 2020 Evaluation; (5) Key Performance Indicators; (6) Enrollment Planning; and (7) Definitions.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools had 23,062 graduates in the 2018-2019 academic year. Most students, 90%, achieved a standard diploma (24 credits). Some students chose an alternative curriculum where 506 (2%) achieved an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma and 368 (2%) achieved an International Baccalaureate (IB). An additional 445 (2%) students earned an Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) 18 credit diploma. Over a quarter of graduates (27%) earned the Superintendent's Diploma of Distinction for outstanding academics and community service. Florida's Scholar and Merit diploma designations were awarded to 7,870 (34%) graduates demonstrating academic strength and career industry certification. Over 3,200 (14%) students also earned the Florida Seal of Biliteracy, in Gold or Silver, demonstrating mastery of a foreign language. The rates of both of these State level designations increased from the 2017-2018 academic year.

The Quality Early Education System (QEES) program is based on a vision where all children arrive at school with the benefit of high-quality positive life experiences that matter for brain development in all of the areas that play critical roles in school success. This vision is greatly needed in Hillsborough County, Florida, where data from 2018 indicate that only 50% of children arrive ready for school (Sokol, 2018). The key strength of the QEES program lies in its ambitious commitment to dramatically impact the quality of children's experiences prior to school at a level that can significantly improve children's chance for school success. This Year 1 report tracks the progress of the initial objectives set by the QEES program using measures and data developed and collected by the QEES team, led by Program Director Marni Fuente. The report presents each objective with an analysis of the breadth and effectiveness of the services provided. Breadth refers the quantity of the objective, whereas effectiveness refers to the quality of the objective. To be considered a success, the breadth and effectiveness targets of each objective need to be fulfilled. Overall, the QEES program demonstrated impressive success for both breadth and effectiveness targets. For 6 of the program's 9 objectives, the breadth and effectiveness goals met and exceeded, and in many cases the target was greatly exceeded. Not all of the targets were reached, but even in those cases the results illustrate large numbers of participants served effectively. [This report was produced in partnership with Early Literacy Matters, Conscious Awareness Learning Model (CALM), and Hillsborough County, Florida.]

In order to build an inclusive economy State leaders have recognized the critical importance of postsecondary attainment in meeting economic and equity goals. Nearly every state has, or is considering a postsecondary education attainment goal, which sets a threshold for the number of people within that state who hold some type of postsecondary credential at 55 percent or higher. These goals can drive policies that help more individuals attain postsecondary degrees and credentials that attract business and lead residents to good jobs. States are increasingly recognizing that they will be unable to achieve these goals without focusing on student populations that have traditionally been underserved by higher education and other training strategies. Thirty states have set goals to close racial equity gaps or increase attainment for people of color, and a number of states have developed policies to expand access to degrees and credentials for adult learners and other non-traditional students. Non-degree credentials (NDCs), such as certificates, industry certifications, apprenticeship certificates, and occupational licenses are a key component of state credential attainment goals, helping workers obtain better jobs and serving to reconnect them to further postsecondary education and training opportunities. NDCs are already a significant part of the education and training landscape. Quality assurance is particularly important given the role that NDCs play in providing opportunities for people of color and other underrepresented groups who have been historically underserved by postsecondary education and training. In this paper, National Skills Coalition (NSC) lays out the importance of building robust quality assurance systems for NDCs. The paper proposes a consensus definition of quality NDCs and criteria developed in consultation with twelve leading states, that states can adopt for their own quality assurance systems. These criteria should allow policymakers to be comfortable supporting these programs with public funds, students to be confident about selecting high-quality training, and employers to understand which programs are effectively preparing students for careers. The quality NDC criteria can also help states address racial and other equity gaps by providing more pathways into quality postsecondary education and training and good jobs for people of color. In conclusion, NSC provides a range of policy recommendations for states to consider to support increased attainment of quality NDCs.

M-DCPS had 23,764 graduates in the 2017-2018 academic year. Most students, 91%, achieved a standard diploma (24 credits). Some students choose an alternative curriculum where 443 (2%) achieved an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma and 400 (2%) achieved an International Baccalaureate (IB). An additional 461 (2%) students earned an Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) 18 credit diploma. Over a quarter of graduates (27%) earned the Superintendent's Diploma of Distinction for outstanding academic year's rate (25%). Florida's Scholar and Merit diploma designations were awarded to 6,972 (29%) graduates demonstrating academic strength and career industry certification. Over 2,700 (12%) students also earned the Florida Seal of Biliteracy, in Gold or Silver, demonstrating mastery of a foreign language. The rates of both of these State level designations increased from the 2016-2017 academic year. [To view "Summary of 2016-2017 Graduates by Diploma Type," see ED587682.]

This report responds to the requirement of PL 110-246 to assess the effectiveness of state and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals. Direct certification is a process conducted by the states and by local educational agencies (LEAs) to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications. The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act required LEAs to establish systems to directly certify children from households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by school year (SY) 2008-2009. This report presents information on the outcomes of direct certification for SY 2015-2016 and SY 2016-2017. [For the SY 2014-2015 report, see ED616764.]

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Key Performance Indicators; (4) Enrollment Planning; (5) Academic Program Coordination; (6) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (7) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Key Performance Indicators; (4) Enrollment Planning; (5) Academic Program Coordination; (6) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (7) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Preeminent Research University Metrics; (4) Key Performance Indicators; (5) Enrollment Planning; (6) Academic Program Coordination; (7) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (8) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Preeminent Research University Metrics; (4) Key Performance Indicators; (5) Enrollment Planning; (6) Academic Program Coordination; (7) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (8) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Key Performance Indicators; (4) Enrollment Planning; (5) Academic Program Coordination; (6) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (7) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Key Performance Indicators; (4) Enrollment Planning; (5) Academic Program Coordination; (6) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (7) Glossary.

This is a new report that combines the previous Annual Accountability Report and University Work Plans into one new document that is more closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This revised document will enhance the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by enabling comparisons between past goals and actual data to better assess performance. This change will help foster greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Contents include: (1) Strategy; (2) Performance Based Funding Metrics; (3) Key Performance Indicators; (4) Enrollment Planning; (5) Academic Program Coordination; (6) Appendix: Grad Rate Improvement Plan; and (7) Glossary.

The Florida Economic Security Report details economic outcomes of recent completers from Florida's public postsecondary educational institutions. Data from the State University System of Florida (SUS), the Florida College System (FCS), and District Technical Centers (DTCs) are included in this report. The report aims to document the variation in earnings, employment, continuing education, and public assistance among completers who have earned degrees or certificates from these three systems of postsecondary education. The results show that economic outcomes are correlated with a student's selected degree or certificate, credential level, and institution. The data discussed in this report reflect outcomes for 870,958 completers in their first year after graduation over a five-year period from academic years 2011-12 to 2015-16. Throughout this discussion, outcomes one year after graduation refer to completers during the 2011-16 period. The data also include economic outcomes for 2011-12 completers five years after graduation. Throughout this report, all outcomes five years after graduation are for completers in the 2011-12 cohort. The exploration of economic outcomes begins with a review of statewide outcomes. The report continues with a review of employment and wage outcomes (by credential and institution), continuing education trends, and rates of public assistance. The report concludes with a discussion on debt levels and labor market outlooks.

The Certification Data Exchange Project (CDEP) was launched in 2012 to provide a model for sharing industry-recognized credential attainment data. Increasingly, employers and education leaders are recognizing the value of industry credentials to verify the knowledge, skills and abilities that students bring to the workforce. As states take steps to incentivize and hold schools and institutions accountable for credential attainment, there is a need for reliable, secure data capture mechanisms. The CDEP provides a proof of concept for states working to collect better data on credential attainment. This report from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) describes the goals of CDEP, shares results, and uses a simple five-step process to discuss lessons learned and provide recommendations for future data-sharing and data-matching efforts. The report also includes helpful resources for state policymakers including a draft data sharing agreement and reporting templates.

High school students who complete technical coursework in a given field should be able to demonstrate their skill mastery by passing a technical skill assessment that is recognized in that field. States are using a variety of approaches to assess students' skill attainment, with some adopting industry-recognized assessments linked to national standards. These exams can both document that students have achieved industry-recognized standards and confer a national certification recognized by employers. With the "Career and Professional Education Act of 2007" ("CAPE Act"), the Florida legislature promoted coordinated statewide planning between business and education to help attract industries with high employment capacity to the state. Each year, the state identifies industry and third-party certifications that are based on national standards and associated with occupations in high demand or linked to emerging industries. The Division of Career and Adult Education within the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) selects a subset of industry certifications that are appropriate for secondary school students to pursue and annually creates a CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. Students and their parents do not have to pay examination costs nor manage logistics of scheduling the exam or getting to a testing location. The certifications on this list are one component of Florida's School Report Cards; schools get credit and financial bonuses for students who take industry-recognized certification exams and who pass those exams. Students earning some certifications have the potential to earn postsecondary credits as well. This study assesses several aspects of the Florida experience. One relates to the rollout of the program. The authors were able to document the changes in the number and type of students pursuing and earning industry-recognized certifications once those certifications were integrated into the state's funding formula and used to determine bonus funding. In this report, the term "certification earners" refers to all students who earned certifications in high school, regardless of their course-taking. "Certification non-earners" are those who did not earn certifications, either because they did not take an exam or because they failed it. Next, the authors assess whether awarding postsecondary credits to certification earners affects their educational outcomes, including whether students with such credits were more likely to complete high school and whether they were more likely to enroll and persist in postsecondary education. Finally, the authors assess whether industry certification confers employment benefits.

The State University System (SUS) of Florida is committed to excellence in teaching, research and public service--the traditional mission of universities. This is achieved through a coordinated system of institutions, each having a distinct mission and each dedicated to meeting the needs of a diverse state and nation. This past year, the System has experienced myriad accomplishments and has identified a number of opportunities for improvement. Some of these include: (1) At the System level, six of the eight Performance-Based Funding (PBF) metrics that are common to all universities show improvement over last year's data; (2) The Board's new Cost to the Student affordability metric shows that the average cost of earning a bachelor's degree is less than $15,000 after financial aid (grants, scholarships and waivers) is included. And the costs for 8 of the 11 universities show a decreasing trend; (3) The State University System's 6-year graduation rate for First-Time-in-College Students is the second highest among the ten largest states; and (4) The State University System of Florida produces more degrees in Business and Health Professions at both the bachelor's and graduate levels than any other discipline. [For the accompanying data tables, see ED597008. For the 2014-15 report, see ED572258.]