Florida Budget for All Its Research Proposal

Basically, the assessment stays the same from year to year, with only carefully documented changes. This allows NAEP to offer a clear snap shot of student academic progress over time.

Just today, January 15, 2009, what was feared by many over the past several months would occur in Florida has come true. The biggest bite of budget cuts, $466 million, is to come from public school and pre-kindergarten programs. In addition, the state's higher-education programs will see about $184 million in cuts. Daytona State College, alone, will lose about $2.1 million.

Besides the immediate impacts such short-sidedness will bring in daily educational programming, is the much more devastating long-term effects. When children do not do well in second grade, that poverty of education follows them throughout all of their years of schooling, and eventually hits the state hard when the students graduate. These are the country's future leaders that are being educationally starved. What does that mean for the state of Florida and of the country as a whole?

Bibiana Salmon of Doral, Florida, was so upset by the shortsightedness of the school budget that she pitched a tent and started a hunger strike, saying, "They are robbing our children's future" (Miami Herald).She said she watched with dismay as her daughter's high school cut back teacher benefits, special education instructors, a career specialist, made support staff do double duty and reduced the number of class periods from eight to six. Her hunger strike was to send a message to legislators that they must put children first. As Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach stated, "You pay for a cheap education forever.,"

Carey, K. (May 6, 2008) "Rankings Go Global." Inside Higher Ed. Article retrieved January 15, 2008. http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/05/06/carey

Klas, M. (January 15, 2009). "Florida Legislature Budget Cuts Hit Home. " Miami Herald.

Retrieved January 15, 2009. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/853959.html

UPI. (November 19, 2008) "U.S. slipping in education rankings." Retrieved January 15, 2009. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/19/US_slipping_in_education_rankings/UPI-90221227104776/

United States Department of Education. Nation's Report Card.

U.S. Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml.....