[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Broward 
County schools on being just one of five large urban school systems 
nationwide whose standardized test scores equaled or exceeded their 
state averages according to a new study by the Council of the Great 
City Schools.
  For the state of Florida this is no small feat, for improving 
education of our young people is our highest priority. The study 
focused on 57 school districts around the country examining test 
results from the 2000-2001 academic year.
  When the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) testing began 
five years ago, those in grades three through ten in Broward County 
schools placed below the state averages, but ever since they have moved 
well past, making exceptional gains especially amongst the youngest of 
the students.
  For a long time, other districts were being used as the examples and 
models for elite schools. Now Broward County can be the exemplar for a 
better education. Broward County has the fifth largest school system in 
the country, and has raised their scores at a greater rate than any 
other Florida school district.
  For example, Broward's black fourth-graders improved their score ftom 
the previous year by 12 percentage points on the reading part of the 
FCAT test.
  I would also like to commend Miami-Dade County schools for closing 
the test score gap between minority and white students more than any 
other district. Black and Hispanic students made the greatest gain in 
FCAT math scores.
  The overall gap between white students and black and Hispanic 
students is dwindling and with renewed effort and determination, it is 
only a matter of time when all of our kids will be enhancing their 
scores equally.
  Mr. Speaker, I must say I am extremely pleased with the academic 
achievements Broward County and Miami-Dade counties have made. Their 
students are receiving better educations and a renewed sense of 
committment for a higher education. For that, we shall all be better 
off. Again, I congratulate the students and educators of Broward and 
Miami-Dade county.

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