Florida's students

The future doesn't look too bright for Florida's students:

Broken down by race and ethnicity, Florida's achievement figures paint an even worse picture. As many as 48.4 percent of the state's public-school students are minority. But the disparity between white, black and Hispanic student achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress math test hasn't dramatically improved.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2003, on average, white fourth-grade students scored 11 points higher than Hispanic students and 28 points higher than black students, a 6-point narrowing of the gap in 11 years. Economically disadvantaged students scored 23 points lower than others.

Between 1990 and 2003, the disparity in the NAEP math scores of Florida eighth-graders hasn't significantly changed. White eighth-graders scored 37 points higher than black students in math and 22 points higher than Hispanic students. Financially poor students scored 28 points lower than others -- no change since 1996.

Even with all of the guv's emphasis on improving reading, the disparity between white, black and Hispanic fourth-grade achievement in Florida on the NAEP reading test is about where it was in 1992. In 2003, white students scored 31 points higher than black students and 18 points higher than Hispanic students. Poor kids scored 26 points lower than others -- no change since 1998.

In 2003, the average reading score of Florida eighth-graders was lower than the national average. Between 1998 and 2003, the reading scores of eighth-graders remained equally unequal. In 2003, on average, white students scored 29 points higher than black students and 17 points higher than Hispanic students. Financially disadvantaged students scored 22 points lower than others.

During the Jeb years, from 2000 to 2002, average graduation rates remained discouraging: 63 percent for whites, 47 percent for blacks, 49 percent for Hispanics -- according to Manhattan Institute figures. According to Education Week, only 31 percent of Florida ninth-graders who graduate with a regular high-school diploma after four years enroll in a degree-granting, two- or four-year institution of higher education.