If You Give a State a Hammer…

In the 1960s, Abraham Kaplan, a Professor of Philosophy at UCLA, urged scientists to exercise good judgment in the selection of appropriate methods for their research. Just because certain methods happen to be handy (say, using standardized test scores to indiscriminately make education decisions?), there’s no assurance that same method is appropriate for all problems. He summed up what became known as “Kaplan’s Law of the Instrument” as

“Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.”

This could sum up Florida’s high stakes testing regime where, in the name of “accountability,” standardized test scores are used to determine everything from school and district grades to teacher evaluations, student promotion/retention rates and graduation eligibility. For decades, Florida’s A+ Accountability system has been treated like the sacred cow which must not be touched. High stakes standardized tests are Florida’s hammer, and public school students and teachers continue to get pounded.

As promised in HB1, the Florida Senate has prioritized the deregulation of PreK-12 public schools this session. Senate President Passidomo has made “leveling the playing field” and “reducing bureaucratic red tape” her priority and the Florida Senate is pushing forward with a series of bills.

SB7004 focuses on assessment and accountability. While keeping Florida’s testing regime intact, the bill seeks to:

Not surprising, former Governor Jeb Bush, who championed Florida’s A+ plan, is not a fan of SB7004. His recent op-eds encourage lawmakers to stand firm on his signature accountability policies.

His 11/29/23 op-ed in the Sun Sentinel celebrated Florida’s success in national 4th grade Math and Reading scores on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card.” Florida’s 4th grade success, he says, is directly attributable to the implementation of his A+ Plan, which emphasizes high expectations, standardized measurement, accountability, and choice. He warns that SB7004 will water down these policies and warns “We’ve spent two decades establishing, maintaining and building upon these ideals. Now is not the time for lawmakers to get weak-kneed on policies that have played key roles in contributing to two decades of educational progress.”

[For the record, much of Florida’s 4th  grade success on the NAEP is likely a result of its 3rd grade retention policies – low performing readers are held back a year, artificially elevating 4th grade scores.]

His 12/7/23 op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times warned that the Florida’s ACT scores have been declining for several years (indeed, Florida’s Class of 2023 had some of the worst ACT scores in the nation). Florida, he says, is providing increased support for schools and educators but still we are failing our high school graduates:

“Our state has made big commitments to supporting schools and educators, and we’ve opened new doors for parents to find K-12 options for their children, but we’re falling behind when it comes to preparing students for success beyond graduation.”

Policymakers, he says, “should be appalled not just by these poor results, but by the long-term movement in the wrong direction.” What is the solution? You guessed it: Florida’s lawmakers must maintain their focus on accountability in PreK-12 public schools.

“Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.”

After 25 years of his A+ plan, according to Jeb, Florida’s 4th grade success AND Florida’s ACT scores’ “long-term movement in the wrong direction” are BOTH evidence that lawmakers must remain committed to his test-based accountability system. As Bush wrote in the first line of the Tampa Bay Times piece, “If you had to pick one issue in K-12 education where Florida policymakers need to maintain their focus in the coming years, the answer is clear: accountability.”

This is Jeb’s hammer. If Florida’s lawmakers cave to his pressure, public school students and teachers will continue to get pounded.