Florida

About 5,200 Florida Teachers to Receive Bonuses Based on Test Scores

About 5,200 Florida teaches will receive bonuses as part of a program that rewards instructors based on how they scored on college admissions exams.

The Orlando Sentinel reports the Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program will reward more than $8,400 to each instructor by April 1.

The program, which ties bonuses to teachers' scores on ACT or SAT exams, was approved by the Florida Legislature in the spring. To qualify, instructors needed to have scored in the top 20 percent of exam takers the year they took the test.

Teachers with experience in the classroom also needed to be rated ``highly effective'' to be eligible. New teachers only needed the requisite test scores.

Teachers who will receive bonuses next year represent 3 percent of the state's 170,000 eligible instructors.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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