54.051 - Education on Trial: Challenging the Constitutionality of Florida's Public Education System

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium presents findings from the 2016 trial that challenged whether the Florida State Board of Education failed to fulfill its constitutionally required duty of providing a high-quality education system. Experts for the Plaintiffs provide empirically-based arguments from a variety of perspectives, including achievement, teacher quality, and the adequacy and quality of the education system for the state’s most disadvantaged populations. The symposium will feature group discussions considering the implications of the studies and the verdict and questions such as should states or districts be ultimately responsible for ensuring equity in educational opportunities? Engaging in this symposium will bring attention and contribute to the national discourse on ensuring equity in educational opportunities and achievement for all children.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Division L - Section 2: Legal/Judicial Issues for Underserved Populations

Chair

• Julian Vasquez Heilig, California State University, Sacramento

Papers

• Achievement Inequities in Florida's Public Schools: A Summary of Assessment and Enrollment Data Analyses - Jessica Bailey, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Land, Learn, Leave: Florida's School Destabilization - Barbara Torre Veltri, Northern Arizona University

• Opportunity Gaps for Students With Special Needs, English Language Learners, and Students in Poverty - Edward G. Fierros, Villanova University

• Homelessness as a Barrier to Educational Opportunity: A Statewide Analysis and Case Study - Kerri Tobin, Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge

Discussant

• Daniel Losen, University of California - Los Angeles