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Florida Gets "A" For Civil Rights Education

MIAMI (CBS4) – When it comes to teaching about the civil rights movement, South Florida teachers along with their fellow teachers across state have made the grade.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has given Florida an A for education about the civil rights movement. It was only one of only three states given the top grade in a nationwide study.

The study found that Florida's standards and curriculum requirements provide core knowledge about key civil rights figures, though did leave out some important events, such as the Montgomery bus boycott. The study also concluded the standards were weakest in discussing resistance to the civil rights movement, such as segregation laws and poll taxes.

Alabama and New York also received an A. Thirty-five states received an F. The authors say that with a few changes, Florida could have model standards for teaching about civil rights.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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