FCAT: A thrill at Homosassa
Its sixth A grade in the state assessment test lifts spirits at Homosassa Elementary School that endured tragedy and controversy.
By EDDY RAMIREZ
Published June 9, 2005
INVERNESS - The phone rang at 1:29 p.m.
"So, how does it feel?" Jan Morphew, the district's director of research and accountability, asked. She paused briefly for effect before she added, "to earn your sixth consecutive A!"
Homosassa Elementary School principal Regina Allegretta responded with a thunderous "We did?"
"Her lipstick was up in the ceiling," Morphew later said in describing Allegretta's excitement.
The news that Homosassa had earned another A this year in the state accountability system thrilled everyone connected to the school, which was wracked with tragedy and controversy the past year. A disastrous construction project and the death of student Jessica Lunsford brought grief to staff, students and teachers.
Overall, under the Florida A Plus Plan, eight Citrus schools received A grades, one fewer than last year.
According to scores released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education, here is the final count among the 17 schools where students take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test:
Eight A grades and two B grades in the elementary schools; three B grades and one C grade in the middle schools; and one B, one C and one D in the high schools.
Compared with last year's report card, seven Citrus schools dropped at least one letter grade, and less than half the county's schools still received an A.
Principals and administrators painted a mostly positive picture of student performance in Citrus schools, especially after receiving word that no school would suffer sanctions under federal accountability standards. All elementary schools - with the exception of Homosassa Elementary - made "adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind, besting last year's results. Homosassa was deemed "provisional" because students' writing scores did not meet standards.
That piece of news did not dampen the celebratory mood at Homosassa, where Allegretta and staffers rejoiced over its streak of A's.
"I'm ecstatic. I'm thrilled," she said. Then, she paused. Choking back tears, she talked about the misfortunes that plagued the school and the resilience of staffers, teachers and students.
The school was the site of a disastrous construction project that forced students into temporary classrooms while their campus was undergoing repairs for shoddy workmanship at the newly built media center and cafeteria.
The school also suffered through the disappearance and death of third-grader Jessica Lunsford, and the revelation that her suspected kidnapper and killer, John Couey, once was employed at the school construction site. Jessica had been looking forward to taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test the Monday after her disappearance on Feb. 24.
"I never lost faith in our teachers, our staff, our students, the district and all the families that pulled together. Nothing got in our way of academic success."
Meanwhile, other principals reflected on their own performance.
At Crystal River High School, outgoing principal Steve Myers lamented the D the school received, down from a C the previous year. The school was a few percentage points shy of maintaining a C. He attributed the slip to about 20 students performing at the bottom quarter percentile who did not show enough gains in the reading section.
"The bottom line is that we didn't reach the necessary plateau for reading," he said, adding that he was optimistic about the change in leadership at the school. Patrick Simon, now principal at Pleasant Grove Elementary, which added another A to its report card, will assume the principal's helm at the school.
"I'm sure he will be instrumental at getting that turned around," Myers said of Simon.
Two other principals are moving into schools whose grades slid this year.
Superintendent Sandra "Sam" Himmel would not say whether there was a link between those appointments and the individual performance of those schools in standardized testing.
She said she was pleased with the overall performance of schools, particularly the elementary schools for meeting the federal standards.
"Every staff member works very hard for these kids, and even though a school has dropped a grade (those schools) continue to look at the data," she said. "Homosassa certainly had difficulties this year, and this (the grades) proves the focus of the staff in our schools." Several educators noted that people should not rush to attach too much weight to school grades. Increasingly, school grades are being used to determine where families choose to live and where businesses choose to invest.
"It can be very deflating receiving something less than what you believe the children demonstrated," said Nancy Simon of Rock Crusher Elementary. Her school moved up to an A from a B last year. "You have to look deeper than a letter grade."