M etro Orlando Education
Overview
Introduction
Elementary\Secondary
Registration Information Special Programs
Dropout Prevention
Vocational/Technical Introduction
Metro Orlando is on the cutting edge of providing and maintaining the highest educational standards in the nation.
Education is and should be a primary consideration in locating to a new area. When you choose the Orlando area you are choosing a region that is at the top of its class in providing quality education. The active participation of local business in the educational process ensures the growth of a skilled, well-educated work force into the 21st century and beyond.
Overview of
In Florida, school districts are countywide. Each county is a school district. The school district is administered by a Superintendent who is appointed or elected based on the desires of the county electorate. Property taxes are the primary funding source for K-12 and they are supplemented by money collected from the Florida lottery.
Elementary & Secondary Schools
Metro Orlando public school systems target instruction to the pupils' needs and abilities. Programs are available to aid the gifted as well as the challenged.
The region has 230 elementary schools and averages 23-27 students per instructor. Attendance rate for the schools is about 92.8%.
There are more than 100 private and parochial schools in the area, who offer a wide variety of educational opportunities and tuition structures. Several facilities are dedicated to the needs of the mentally and physically challenged.
Metro Orlando has more than 380 licensed child-care facilities. Community Coordinated Child Care for Central Florida, Inc. maintains an up-to-date information bank on these facilities which include day-care centers, nursery schools, Head Start programs and day camps.
Registration Information
KINDERGARTEN is a requirement prior to entering Lake County first grade. A child must complete one year of kindergarten. Only children who will be five years old by September 1st of the current school year will be admitted to kindergarten. Proof of birthdate will be required.
FIRST GRADE students must be six years old on or before September 1st, and have completed one year of kindegarten, in Florida or in any other state.
FIRST TIME ENROLLMENTS require all new students to present proof of immunization against diptheria, polio, mumps, rubella, tetanus, pertussis. In addition, proof of a physical exam during the past 12 months must be presented. Parents or guardians must present proof of residency in the form of a lease, or ownership papers, declaration of domicile or employment records.
FOREIGN AND NON-ENGLISH speaking students in Seminole County must register with the Foreign Student Office.
PUPIL ASSIGNMENT adhers to strict boundaries for student attendance. These are based on the residence of the parent or guardian. Boundaries may change from time to time, due to population growth patterns. To locate the school your child will attend contact the Pupil Assignment Office for the appropriate school district.
ATTENDANCE in the state of Florida requires all children under the age of 16 to attend public or private school. Students 16 years and older may enroll in a vocational or technical center.
TESTING in Florida requires by law that all students take the following tests:
- Florida Writing Assessment Program - Administered in February to all 4th and 8th graders.
- Grade Ten assessment Test (GTAT) Evaluates language and math skills. Administered in April.
- High School Competency Test (HSCT) Measures student's application of minimum performance standards necessary to receive a diploma. Given in Junior year. There are four opportunities to take this test. Those not receiving a passing score will be given a Certificate of Completion in lieu of a diploma.
Students are encouraged to take the SAT and ACT test, but are not required to do so. All students in grades 1 through 9 must take the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills. Note that comparative test results are only one indicator of the quality of a particular school and should not be used as a yardstick to measure the school's academic strength.
HOME SCHOOLING is an option in Florida. Parents can tutor their children at home provided they register with their district school board and maintain a portfolio of their child's work. Children will be evaluated by a standar test at the end of the year. Throughout the State of Florida the number of home schoolers has greatly encreased. Children enrolled in a private school do not have to be registered with the school board.
Special Programs
Greater Orlando's school districts are very responsive to the concerns of their communities. Programs have been developed to respond to these concerns. Most of the following programs are available in all four of the areas school systems. However, Dropout prevention is a program developed by the state of Florida. It is a very aggressive approach to reduce the rate of dropouts before they become a problem.
Dropout Prevention
High school dropouts have been an increasing problem nationwide. Florida's 67 counties have comprehensive dropout prevention plans, which are designed to meet the needs of students who are not effectively served by conventional education programs in the public school system. Six types of programs for dropout prevention are in place:
- Dropout retrieval
- Educational alternatives
- Teenage parent
- Substance abuse
- Disciplinary
- Youth services
The 4-county region have dropout prevention programs for students in grades 4-8 and 9-12. For specific information on these programs get in touch with the county school district. (See individual county information in this section).
Vocational/Technical Schools
There are more than 800,000 people enrolled in Florida's public vocational-technical training services. These services may be provided in public training facilities or at a company's place of business. In addition to industry training, vo-tech schools offer a wide variety of courses and programs for personal advancement and enrichment.
Industrial/technical courses include:
Air Condition, refrigeration & Heating; Air craft mechanics; Appliance repair; Architectural & Construction Design; Automotive Mechanics; Automotive Body Repair; blueprint reading; Building Maintenance; Business machine Repair; Cabinet Making; Carpentry; Commercial Art; Communications; Diesel Agricultural Drafting & Design; Tech Electro-Mechanical Tech; Electronics Tech; Electronics Fabrication & Assembly; Environmental Tech; Gasoline Engine mechanics; Graphics Arts; Industrial Machine Shop; Machinery Mechanics; Masonry; Mfg. Operations Tech; Photography; Sheet metal Survey Tech; Technical Illustration; Truck-Bus Mechanics; Welding.
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