The Bush/Brogan A+ Plan of 1999 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Although these plans are state and federal laws respectively, they are intimately related. The first thing to take into consideration is that both of these pieces of education legislature where written by Bush Brothers;  as I stated before, Jeb Bush's administration was marked by a focus on public education reform. While writing and passing this law, his brother George H. W. Bush was drafting a similar plan for the entire nation. Both pieces of legislature touched on accountability, safety in schools and improving failing schools. Another these plans held is a large group of critics who assert that testing is not the answer to everything.

It has also been stated that the A+ Plan was working out nicely before it had to be tailor fitted to adhere to the NCLB Act. Supporters of both vocally declare that Florida schools are getting better, and that the “checkpoints” each school must reach each year equals a slow yet steady path to the finish line. Whichever school of thought one subscribes to it goes without saying that educational reform was needed and that as with most debatable issues, something is better than nothing at all.

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The Future of The A+ Plan ...

The A+ Plan of today is somewhat different from the original plan passed in 1999, some 10 years ago.

Has it made gains in improving standardized test scores? Some improvement has been made, yes. From 1998 to 2003, when the A+ Plan was instituted, did the National Assessment of Educational Progress show improvement in all grades/subjects assessed (reading, mathematics and writing) by Florida students? Yes, and said improvement was quite impressive. Knowing this, could one say that both the NAEP and the FCAT indicate that student achievement generally improved since the late 1990s as a result of the Bush/Brogan Education Plan? Without a doubt. At that point in history, the original Assistance Plus Plan was just what Florida Schools needed. As time passes, reforms change.

Although this education plan took many forms during the last decade, the most recent shape in July of 2008. Now known as the Differentiated Accountability Plan, this regionally-supported system places the brunt of its emphasis on assisting “D” and “F” schools. Besides helping these schools, most other areas of interest follow guidelines established by Florida’s Sunshine State Standards, Florida Statutes and all other applicable rules and laws.