Florida

The Florida Department of Education has set forth its vision to establish an efficient, world-class education system that engages and prepares all students to compete globally for college and careers. Public education in Florida serves nearly 2.9 million students in 69 traditional school districts and 6 special school districts, including 4 university lab schools, Florida School of Deaf and Blind, and Florida Virtual School. In 2023, Florida rolled out its new English Language Arts and mathematics standards—the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking Standards. These new standards are aligned with one of the state’s strategic goals of ensuring the highest student achievement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. House Bill 7039 (2023) further supported this effort by requiring instructional materials for reading skills to be based on the science of reading, with the primary focus on phonics instruction. The bill also outlined further supports to be provided to students identified with a reading or mathematics deficiency. The state also remains focused on addressing teacher high demand needs areas and further strengthening its skilled workforce and economic development. The new Teacher Apprenticeship Program, established in 2023, provides additional pathways for individuals to enter the teaching profession in an effort to increase the pipeline of high-quality teachers in Florida classrooms.