Gates Foundation throws $2 million to Florida Virtual School

FEBRUARY 23, 2011

Florida Virtual School has landed a grant of more than $2 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop four college-prep courses in English and math. Two of the courses are aimed at ninth graders, and the other two will be for seniors.

"The courses will emphasize 21st century skills such as authentic skill development, critical thinking, contemporary research opportunities and real world experiences," the school said in a news release.

President and CEO Julie Young said the boost would help the school to stay on the cutting edge.

"There is always room to grow, and we are excited about how these innovative and impact-driven courses are taking FLVS to the next level," she said.

The English courses will be rolled out for testing beginning in 2012, with the math courses to follow the next year, officials said.

Posted by Tom Marshall at 12:35:00 pm on February 23, 2011 in

| Permalink | Comments

Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours

Most Recent Blog Posts

Principal promotions in Hillsborough May 22

PCTA to Pinellas board: Resolve to 'reexamine standardized testing' May 22

Pinellas principal changes in order May 22

Pasco school budget town hall meetings get rocky start May 22

FCAT call center doesn't have student scores May 22

Florida education news: FCAT hotline, Florida Polytechnic, same-sex schools and more May 22

Pasco teachers, support staff ratify contracts May 21

Former Hernando superintendent applies for top job in Pinellas May 21

ACLU questions legality of some Florida single-gender school offerings May 21

Board entitled to question Gilzean's Graduates, attorney says May 21

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

Meet the team

THE TEAM

Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Cara Fitzpatrick covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: cfitzpatrick@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: jsolochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

Comment Policy

Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that:

Is libelous

Is abusive, harassing, or threatening

Is obscene, vulgar, or profane

Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive

Is illegal or encourages criminal acts

Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution

Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others

Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious)

Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises

The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy.

Registration FAQ

Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site.