Florida

Florida bill would provide standardized tests in multiple languages

Published

4 months ago

February 2, 2025

Florida bill would provide standardized tests in multiple languages

ORLANDO, Fla. — In an effort to help even the playing field, a bill filed in mid January hopes to help English language learners when it comes to standardized testing.

House Bill 159 and the similar Senate Bill 260, would give students still learning English a chance to take standardized tests in their first language to ensure they’re placed in the right classes.

What You Need To Know

House Bill 159 and Senate Bill 260 hope to give students a chance to take standardized tests in their first language

One of the co-sponsors of the bill, Democratic State Rep. Rita Harris, says the bills would help accurately assess students and place them in their correct classes

Richell De Jesus believes, if administered correctly, the bills could help students of multiple background showcase their capabilities in school

If passed, changes would go into effect during the 2027-2028 school year

The two bills are set to be considered for the next Florida Legislative Session in March, and were filed by Democratic State Rep. Rita Harris and Democratic State Sen. Kristin Arrington respectively, after hearing from teachers.

“During the course of the last year there were conversations about concern of you know kids who are ELL’s, or English Language Learners, being placed in the right classes,” said Harris. “And so, I worked with some stakeholders and thought this would be a great bill to file to ensure equity in learning.”

The bills look to ensure students are accurately assessed and if passed, the bills would call for the Department of Education to develop a version of each statewide standardized test in the three most prevalent languages represented in the ELL population.

It’s a piece of legislation that former Florida ELL student Richell De Jesus says would have benefited her when she moved to the U.S.

“A bill like this can help students be placed in the correct place where they need to be in school and give them the opportunity to be advanced and ahead if that’s what they need and not be sitting in a classroom where they know half of the material and they’re only there because they don’t know the actual language,” De Jesus explained.

De Jesus says she received all As and Bs while in the Dominican Republic. She says she was still proficient in subjects like math and science, but she struggled early on when it came to classes and standardized tests involving reading and writing in English.

“I feel like I wasn’t excelling at my full potential,” said De Jesus. “I couldn’t reach my full potential because of the language barrier.”

While De Jesus has been able to have a successful educational career and is currently a student at FAMU’s College of Law, the results from those first few standardized tests weighed on her confidence.

“So, I think it just affected my scores and my average performances and how I thought of myself because I wasn’t excelling like how I used to be back in the Dominican Republic,” she shared. “It was simply because I didn’t understand what I was reading and the materials.”

Harris says she has gotten great feedback from teachers as they feel this will help their students; while also giving families a say to choose what language they want their child to take standardized tests in.

It ensures that all students can properly showcase their capabilities.

“Here in Florida, it’s not just a bunch of Hispanic people, there is a lot of Hispanic people, but there’s also a lot of other minorities that speak Creole and other languages,” De Jesus said. “So, if they were to put the top three languages spoken other than English, then it would definitely benefit a lot more families and hopefully other states can implement things like this.”

Harris says she has yet to hear any negative feedback from the other side of the aisle on the proposed bills.

If passed, these changes could be seen in the 2027-28 school year.

Source link

Click to comment

Florida

What’s Brewing: ECF Gets Underway; Watch Parties in Florida | Florida Panthers

Published

5 hours ago

May 20, 2025

Press Room

What’s Brewing: ECF Gets Underway; Watch Parties in Florida | Florida Panthers

“I wasn’t ready to stop playing hockey.”

Safe to say Sam Bennett summed things up perfectly during Game 7 in Toronto.

After taking down the Maple Leafs in a wild seven-game series, the Florida Panthers will continue their quest for a second straight Stanley Cup when they face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, starting with Game 1 on Tuesday.

In 2023, the Panthers swept the Hurricanes to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

“I think the only difference is what we’ve gone through and having that experience to rely on,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said of the impending rematch. “There’s really not much different with us. We’re still goofing around, having fun, joking all the time. But when it’s time to put those work boots on, I don’t think there’s a team that works harder.”

While the Panthers will start the series on the road, there’s still a party in South Florida.

To see what’s going on around the Territory this week and beyond, continue below.

THE GAMES

Tuesday, May 20: at Carolina Hurricanes – 8 p.m. ET

**TV & Streaming**: TNT, Max, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 931

Thursday, May 22: at Carolina Hurricanes – 8 p.m. ET

**TV & Streaming**: TNT, Max, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM & 1230 WBZT-AM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 931

Saturday, May 24: at Carolina Hurricanes – 8 p.m. ET

**TV & Streaming**: TNT, Max, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM & 1230 WBZT-AM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Click Here

WATCH PARTIES

Grab your jersey and get ready to party this week.

For Game 1 on Tuesday, fans can head to Funky Buddha Brewery to enjoy drinks, food, special appearances and more.

For Game 2 on Thursday, the party will be even bigger at FTL War Memorial.

The first official Panthers watch party at the newest concert venue in downtown Fort Lauderdale, doors will open to the auditorium at 6:30 p.m. for a live band performance

After that, fans can enjoy pregame show at 7:30 p.m. before the and 8 p.m. puck drop.

For more information on both watch parties, click HERE.

THIRD LINE SHINES

As it has been all playoffs, the third line is on another level for the Panthers.

Through two rounds, Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen have combined for 34 points, with Luostarinen and Marchand tied for the team lead with 12 points each.

At 5-on-5, the line boasts a 60.26 shared of expected goals, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

“Their line has been unbelievable all playoffs,” forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “They’re scoring big goals, they’re playing tough minutes and the best players, and it’s so nice to see. It takes pressure off everyone else in the goal-scoring department and stuff like that.”

Not just piling up points, the line is also bringing the body.

Heading into the Eastern Conference Final, Luostarinen ranks second on the team with 63 hits, while Marchand (19 hits) and Lundell (15 hits) have also been getting very physical.

They’ve also combined for 31 blocked shots.

“We just want to keep going and keep the pressure on,” Luostarinen said.

ECF PREVIEW

Watch below as Goldie and Randy get everyone ready for Panthers vs. Hurricanes.

Source link

Florida

Florida Lottery Powerball, Cash4Life, Fantasy 5 results for May 19, 2025

Published

22 hours ago

May 20, 2025

Press Room

Florida Lottery Powerball, Cash4Life, Fantasy 5 results for May 19, 2025

The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots. Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Monday, May 19, 2025

Winning Powerball numbers from May 19 drawing

13-14-37-50-60, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 19 drawing

11-12-27-30-35, Powerball: 07

Winning Cash4Life numbers from May 19 drawing

02-12-36-48-49, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from May 19 drawing

Midday: 01-22-24-27-33

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 19 drawing

Morning: 05

Matinee: 06

Afternoon: 09

Evening: 04

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from May 19 drawing

Midday: 7-0, FB: 6

Evening: 4-3, FB: 8

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 19 drawing

Midday: 0-0-6, FB: 6

Evening: 0-0-5, FB: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 19 drawing

Midday: 3-3-0-8, FB: 6

Evening: 9-1-0-7, FB: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from May 19 drawing

Midday: 4-0-1-9-8, FB: 6

Evening: 6-0-9-7-8, FB: 8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.

You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.

Florida law requires public disclosure of winners

If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:

Full name
City of residence
Game won
Date won
Amount won
Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.

When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Florida

When is the last day of school in Florida? See list by county

Published

2 days ago

May 19, 2025

Press Room

When is the last day of school in Florida? See list by county

Students in 16 Florida counties will start their summer vacation before Memorial Day.
Most Florida kids will start summer vacation in the week after the Memorial Day holiday.

The 2024-2025 school year is winding down to a close.

Students in 16 counties will start their summer vacation this week. Most will have to wait until the week after the Memorial Day holiday.

For students in seven counties, they’ll be waiting until June for the last day of school.

Here’s what you should know.

When is the last day of school in Florida?

Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26, but 16 Florida schools will have finished the 2024-2025 school year by the time the holiday arrives. Here’s a list of schools closing before Memorial Day:

What Florida schools are closed for Memorial Day?

All Florida schools still in session will be closed Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day.

What’s the last day of school for all Florida schools?

Summer vacation started before Memorial Day for students in 16 counties.

School for students in seven Florida counties won’t end until June.

All others will start their summer vacation in the days after Memorial Day.

Here’s an alphabetical list of the last day of school for all Florida counties. All students still in school will have off Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day:

What are 2025 federal holidays?

In 2025, there are 12 instead of the usual 11 federal holidays, although two fell on the same day.

Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day both fall on Jan. 20 this year. Since 1965, federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area are entitled to a holiday on the day a president is inaugurated. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.

➤ Trump Inauguration week

Here are 2025 federal holidays:

Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
Jan. 20: Inauguration Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 17: Washington’s Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day.
May 26: Memorial Day
June 19: Juneteenth
July 4: Independence Day
Sept. 1: Labor Day
Oct. 13: Columbus Day
Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
Dec. 25: Christmas Day