Research

A 2008 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)/Human Rights Watch report found that corporal punishment in public schools is routine in many parts of the US, and that almost a quarter-of-a-million school children were subjected to this violent, degrading punishment in the 2006-2007 school year.

Twenty states permit corporal punishment; Florida is one of them! Read the entire report here.

National Education Association's report on education in America based on Florida's Department of Education statistics.

The national education report card compiled by American Legislative Exchange Council. Florida's students score 48th on ACT scores and 43rd nationally on the SAT. Barely 60% of Florida's students graduate, compared to the 70% of students nationally. According to ALEC, Florida spends only $7,652 per pupil compared to the national average of $9,389. After all their indicators are taken into account, Florida is 37th in the nation for education.

Florida’s overall rank is 35th in the nation on a composite index of 10 indicators of child well-being. Of the five largest states in the U.S. – California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois – only Texas ranked lower than Florida.

Click here for the complete report.

According to the most recent Census data, Florida currently has the second highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation -- 18.8%, versus a national average of only 11%.

The 2008 Rankings from the American Public Health Association, United Health Foundation, and the Partnership for Prevention. Florida's overall ranking was 45th in the nation, but 46th in the nation for percent of uninsured. Florida ranks 46th and 44th nationally in terms of violent crime and high school graduation rate respectively.