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JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEKDisappointing results send principals digging deep to uncover deficiencies that might help improve student performance.
Middle school principals headed straight for their computers Tuesday morning, in search of the student-by-student details behind the disappointing FCAT results they got the day before.
"What happened? That's a really good question," said Powell Middle School principal Michael Ransaw, who overhauled the school schedule and replaced nearly one-third of its instructors this year, only to see minimal growth among sixth- and seventh-graders and a dramatic decline in eighth-grade performance on the state test.
"We're going to really have to sit down and evaluate, assess and diagnose each individual student," Ransaw said. "We're going to have to look at the data by individual and by group, and by that I mean by teacher."
Parrott Middle School principal Marvin Gordon agreed that a closer look at the data will give educators the opportunity to zoom in on the strengths and weaknesses of children and teachers alike.
There is much to review. In no single area did the school have 50 percent of students scoring level 3 or better. Parrott also saw decreases in the performances of eighth-graders for both major subject areas.
With the review findings, Gordon said, the schools can look for ways to respond in annual improvement plans.
"There is a decline throughout the state in eighth grade," Gordon observed. "I want to know from the (Florida Deparment of Education), too, what is going on."
The low percentages of students earning 3 or better on the test's five-point scale surprised school leaders because they had spent so much time revamping their instruction.
Powell, for example, went to block scheduling to increase the amount of time teachers spend working directly with students, implemented an after-school tutoring program for low-achieving students and even gave two "mock FCATs" to gauge where children had problems with the state standards.
West Hernando Middle School's seventh-graders scored two points above the state reading score, but like every other school in the district, saw declines in the performance of eighth-graders. The school had trained all its teachers how to use writing in their classrooms. "Away teams" visited A-rated schools in other parts of Florida to bring home successful teaching strategies.
"I'm floored," West Hernando principal Joe Clifford said. "I know in my heart of hearts we're on the right track."
He suggested that the schools need more time to see if new programs are working. One year is not necessarily enough time to fully effect change, Clifford said, adding also that FCAT is but one way of determining success.
In the meantime, neither Clifford nor his colleagues shied away from accepting superintendent Wendy Tellone's assessment that "we need to do some work."
Clifford said his school leadership team would meet Tuesday afternoon to begin exploring ways to "work smarter."
Ransaw and Gordon got more specific.
Each talked about using more ability grouping of students, to better direct instruction to children of similar academic needs.
"It seems to be effective," Gordon said. "In many cases, you will find a great percentage of students have the same skill deficits."
Grouping the students together, regardless of ability, often can leave the low performers behind while failing to challenge the more advanced ones, Ransaw said.
"We're not meeting the needs of all students," he said.
Gordon said at Parrott the staff also will begin assessing students who scored Level 1 more regularly, in order to get them more immediate remediation. He planned to add the Acaletics math curriculum to the school, too, because it has proven successful in the elementary schools that feed into Parrott.
After evaluating performance by student and by teacher, Ransaw said, Powell might see a reshuffling of class assignments for both groups. He also planned to bring the "corrective reading" program used at other campuses to Powell.
Each principal mentioned that middle schools could benefit from additional attention paid to remedial work there. In past years, Gordon said, the state has funneled most of the improvement money to elementary schools, and those schools have seen their student achievement increase steadily.
With the state's new Middle Grades Reform Act, the middle schools stand to receive additional reading coaches toward that end.
The act, pushed by Gov. Jeb Bush, would require middle schools with fewer than 75 percent of students reading at or above grade level as demonstrated by FCAT to incorporate a "rigorous reading requirement" as the primary component of their improvement plans.
It also would mandate a "personalized middle school success plan" for all entering sixth-graders who scored below Level 3 on FCAT reading.
"I think it's going to help out some," Gordon said of the measure, which is headed to the governor for his signature.
Ransaw suggested that one more item might increase student scores on the test.
"I think if eighth-graders had to pass the test to move on to the ninth grade, I have a gut feeling they would have done better," he said. "Not to blame the kids, though. It is our responsibility as adults to ensure they're prepared and fully understand the importance of the test."
There had been some talk that at least some eighth-graders planned to fill in the test response sheet randomly - known among kids at "Christmas-treeing" - because the test had no real consequences.
Clifford discounted that notion, saying he did not want to take credit away from students who tried hard. Gordon added that Parrott's staff routinely remind students that if they do not take the test seriously, they could end up in remedial classes even if they do not belong there.
Principals, curriculum specialists and other district leaders plan to meet at the end of the month to discuss strategies to improve the middle schools. Fox Chapel Middle School principal Dave Schoelles was on a field trip with eighth-graders and not available for comment.
- Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 352 754-6115 or solochek@sptimes.com