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FCAT news so far: 'respectable scores'
By KENT FISCHER, Times Staff Writer Pasco County schoolchildren scored a little better than average when compared to other students in Florida and around the nation, according to a batch of test scores released Wednesday afternoon. School district officials were hesitant to draw broader conclusions because they had little time to analyze the reams of data released by the state. "We feel pretty good about exceeding the national averages," said assistant superintendent Sandy Ramos. "Those are respectable scores."
The district could not determine on Wednesday if any of its schools would land on the state's dreaded list of "failing" schools. Since 1999 the state has used student test scores to rate schools A through F. For the school letter grades, a complex formula takes into account annual achievement gains, the scores of minority students and other factors like attendance. "We're just sort of rumbling through the obvious stuff at this point, the ups and the downs," Ramos said. "We're trying to keep from jumping to conclusions just yet." Students in "failing" schools can qualify for a voucher to attend a private school of their choice. Schools with top scores, meanwhile, get cash bonuses from the state that they can spend any way they want. Pasco never has had an F-rated school. The release of the school grades isn't expected until next month. Students will get their individual scores by the end of the month. In the meantime, schools will sift through the data released Wednesday, looking for clues that could lead them to soft spots in the curriculum. Some quick conclusions the district was able to shake loose Wednesday were: Every grade tested (three through 10) showed improved math scores over last year. Math scores exceeded the national average in every grade tested. Every grade but ninth topped the national average in reading. More than half of the district's elementary school students met the state's "high performance" criteria in both reading and math. The state released three batches of scores Wednesday, and those district conclusions were drawn from only one portion of the data. Those scores also included those of learning-disabled students and those for whom English is not their native language. Those students tend to score lower and are not included in the state's grading calculations. That means there is a chance that Pasco's scores could inch higher in the final analysis. "We'll know a lot more in a few weeks, but as a whole, we're showing improvement," said superintendent John Long. Nevertheless, Long and others said they intended to watch closely the scores from schools that serve mostly low-income children. Those schools have almost always turned out the district's lowest scores. "We have some concerns with those schools because we know those children come to us not having been read to, from homes where mom and dad are both working," Long said. "We know the relationship between poverty and test scores." -- Kent Fischer covers education in Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6241 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6241. His e-mail address is kfischer@sptimes.com.
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From today's Pasco Times Editorial Letters |
