Report on Florida’s Educational System and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report analyzes the state of Florida’s secondary and tertiary education systems, assessing their performance against key metrics and their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Executive Summary

An analysis based on a 30-year veteran teacher’s perspective indicates significant challenges within Florida’s education sector. While high school graduation rates have nominally increased, a persistent and high rate of college remediation suggests a failure to provide effective learning outcomes. This disconnect poses a direct threat to achieving SDG 4. Furthermore, proposed governance changes in higher education accreditation raise concerns about institutional integrity (SDG 16), with potential negative consequences for graduate employability and economic growth (SDG 8).

Analysis of Secondary Education and SDG 4: Quality Education

The core challenge identified is a discrepancy between graduation statistics and actual student preparedness, which directly contravenes the principles of SDG 4, aiming to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

Key Findings on Educational Outcomes

• High Remediation Rates: Over 55% of high school graduates entering Florida’s colleges and universities require remedial courses in foundational subjects like math, reading, or writing. This statistic has remained consistently high for over a decade.
• Inflated Graduation Metrics: Official data shows a rise in high school graduation rates from 59.2% in 2003-2004 to 89.7% in 2023-2024. However, these figures are described as a “shell game,” masking a lack of genuine comprehension and preparedness for higher education or the workforce.
• Failure to Meet SDG Target 4.1: The high remediation rate indicates that a majority of students are not achieving “relevant and effective learning outcomes” by the end of their secondary education, a primary target of SDG 4.

Consequences for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning

1. High College Dropout Rates: Historical data indicates that approximately half of the students requiring remediation ultimately drop out of college, failing to complete their tertiary education.
2. Impediments to SDG Target 4.3: This trend undermines the goal of ensuring “equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.” Students are granted access based on hollow high school metrics but are not equipped to succeed, creating a cycle of failure.

Socioeconomic Impact and Linkages to SDG 8 and SDG 10

The deficiencies in the education system have profound implications for economic and social development, impacting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Challenges to Employability and Economic Growth

• Lack of Workforce Readiness: The failure to impart necessary skills at the secondary level leaves graduates unprepared for the demands of the modern workforce, including challenges posed by artificial intelligence and evolving job markets.
• Undermining SDG Target 8.6: The situation directly contributes to a higher proportion of youth “not in employment, education or training,” which SDG Target 8.6 aims to substantially reduce.
• Reduced Economic Potential: A workforce requiring significant remediation and experiencing high dropout rates cannot effectively contribute to “sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” a cornerstone of SDG 8.

Governance, Institutional Integrity, and SDG 16

Recent policy changes initiated by the state government, specifically the creation of a new higher education accreditation body, raise concerns about institutional effectiveness and accountability, which are central tenets of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Concerns Regarding the Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE)

• Questionable Foundation: The new accreditation commission was established by a leadership whose track record in improving K-12 education is characterized by the persistent problems of high remediation and low preparedness.
• Acknowledged Risks: The CPHE was approved despite a board member acknowledging it carries “a huge number of risks.”
• Threat to SDG Target 16.6: This move potentially undermines the development of “effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” Replacing established accreditation systems with a new, untested model led by the same administration overseeing a failing secondary system presents a significant governance risk.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The state of Florida’s education system demonstrates a critical misalignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. The focus on superficial metrics over genuine learning outcomes undermines SDG 4. This, in turn, negatively impacts SDG 8 by producing a workforce ill-equipped for sustainable economic participation and exacerbates inequalities addressed in SDG 10. The creation of the CPHE further threatens the institutional integrity required by SDG 16. It is recommended that policymakers engage with experienced educational advisors to implement reforms that prioritize true student achievement and ensure the education system serves as a foundation for sustainable development, truth, and responsible citizenship.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  This is the central theme of the article. The author critiques the quality of high school education in Florida, highlighting the disconnect between high graduation rates and the actual preparedness of students for higher education. The entire discussion revolves around the failure to provide an effective and relevant education.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article connects the poor quality of education to future employment prospects. It mentions the “difficulty of recent grads (high school or college) getting an entry level job” and the need to prepare students for a changing job market due to artificial intelligence, which directly relates to ensuring a skilled workforce for economic stability and growth.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article implies that the current education system perpetuates inequality. Students are “pushed through without gaining full comprehension” and then face high dropout rates in college, particularly those requiring remediation. This system creates unequal opportunities for success in higher education and beyond, disproportionately affecting students who are not adequately prepared by the public school system.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

     The article directly challenges the effectiveness of learning outcomes in Florida’s secondary schools. The author argues that the rise in graduation rates from 59.2% to 89.7% is a “shell game” because it does not reflect true comprehension or preparedness, as evidenced by the high number of graduates requiring college remediation.

   • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

     The article highlights a significant barrier to accessing *quality* tertiary education. While students are admitted to college, the fact that “60% of students entering college as freshmen still require remediation” shows they have not been equipped to succeed, making their access to quality higher education unequal and precarious.

   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

     The author points to a failure in providing relevant skills for employment by stating, “any news source reveals the difficulty of recent grads (high school or college) getting an entry level job.” This suggests the current curriculum does not align with the needs of the modern workforce.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).

     The article implies a high risk of students becoming NEET. It states that “half of those getting remediation dropped out of college.” These dropouts are at a high risk of becoming part of the youth population that is not in employment, further education, or training, which this target aims to reduce.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Proportion of students requiring remediation in college

  The article explicitly states this figure was “60% of students applying to Florida colleges and universities” around 2010 and “still exceeds 55%” in 2022. This serves as a direct indicator of the quality and effectiveness of secondary education (Target 4.1).

• High school graduation rate

  The article provides the statistic that rates have “gone from 59.2% in 2003-2004 to 89.7% in 2023-2024.” The author uses this indicator to argue that it is misleading when not paired with actual learning outcomes.

• College dropout rate for students in remediation

  The article mentions that in 2007, “half of those getting remediation dropped out of college.” This is a clear indicator for measuring the success and quality of access to tertiary education (Target 4.3) and the risk of youth becoming NEET (Target 8.6).

• Youth employment rates for recent graduates

  An implied indicator is the difficulty recent graduates face in securing employment. The article notes the “difficulty of recent grads (high school or college) getting an entry level job,” which can be used to measure the relevance of skills being taught for the job market (Target 4.4).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: floridatoday.com