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Students of distinctio
By DONNA WINCHESTER, Times Staff Writer
More than 450 elementary and middle school students will walk across the stage at Ruth Eckerd Hall tonight at the 21st annual PRIDE awards, a ceremony that has become a Pinellas County tradition. PRIDE, which stands for Program to Recognize Initiative and Distinction in Education, rewards fifth-graders who excel in math, science, social studies and writing. Eighth-graders are recognized in math, science, social studies, writing and world languages. The ceremony, attended each year by hundreds of cheering parents and teachers, was created to encourage children to do their best, said gifted supervisor Art Dimter, whose office coordinates the event. "What we're trying to do is reach highest student performance in our school system," Dimter said. "We hope to have more kids strive to be at a higher level." The program began in 1982 as a state of Florida initiative to identify outstanding high school students. The district expanded it to honor elementary and middle school students the first year. When the state dropped its funding, the Pinellas County Education Foundation stepped in, and with the help of corporate sponsors, contributes about $5,000 annually for the program. To win a PRIDE award, fifth-graders must maintain an A average in their subject throughout the year, demonstrate a positive attitude and earn the highest score in their class on a county-developed test administered between December and February. Eighth-graders don't have to take a test, but must maintain a 3.5 grade point average in their subject throughout their middle school years, demonstrate an interest in their subject by joining clubs, and exhibit good citizenship. High school students, who are recognized at year-end ceremonies at their individual schools, win PRIDE awards based on their SAT or ACT scores and their grade-point averages. The only thing that has changed about the awards over the years, Dimter said, is that more children have begun tying for the highest score in a particular subject. The district administered three tie-breaking tests last year at the elementary level. This year, a couple of the tests were made harder to keep up with increased student achievement. The evening is a high point in the early educational careers of many children. Each receives an introduction from his or her principal before shaking hands with Superintendent Howard Hinesley. The students receive bronze medallions engraved with their names and a gold-toned trophy. Many students who have won PRIDE awards in fifth grade have returned three years later to pick them up as eighth-graders, Dimter said. In most cases, the middle school and elementary school winners continue to excel in high school. "We see them in our advanced placement classes and in our International Baccalaureate programs," he said. "If you ask those kids if they've ever won an award at some point in their school careers, most of them will say they've won a PRIDE award."
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