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Editorial

Don't gloss over fallen grades

By EDITORIAL
Published June 25, 2006

Students, teachers and administrators at a majority of Hernando County's 20 public schools can take pride in the annual grades they received from the state Department of Education. Six schools improved their rating from the previous year, and six more maintained their grade of C or above.

That progress is proof of students' and educators' hard work to conform to the flawed appraisal system that is based almost entirely on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.

Parrott Middle and J.D. Floyd Elementary schools deserve an extra pat on the back for improving their grades dramatically, from C's in 2005 to A's this year.

However, this year's results also tell another story, one that should not be overlooked by the School Board and superintendent Wendy Tellone.

All four high schools fell short of success. Hernando High School failed to improve its D rating and Springstead High School dropped from a B to a C, joining Nature Coast Technical and Central high schools in their collective mediocrity.

And three of the county's most populous elementary schools, Deltona, Westside and Spring Hill, dropped a grade. Westside went from an A to a B, and Deltona and Spring Hill slipped from B's to C's.

To be sure, far too much emphasis is placed on the FCAT, and the standardized test cannot fully assess all that students have learned. Moreover, when combined with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which requires all schools to show improvement, it is becoming even more difficult to satisfy the requirements. That means missed opportunities for additional state funding, and it could mean paying more for families to send their children to schools that fare better.

Unless the system is changed, however, this is the standard to which educators and students are forced to adhere. And, based on that criterion, Hernando schools clearly need to improve.

Superintendent Tellone issued a statement when the FCAT results were released. She said, "I am extremely pleased with the successes of our students and staff and recognize with tremendous appreciation the hard work put forth by everyone."

Tellone's praise of the schools that showed improvement is very well-placed. They deserve the admiration of the entire community.

But along with those successes come disappointments, and it would be inconsistent to acknowledge one and not the other. Don't dwell on the negative, but don't ignore the need for the struggling schools to do better.

[Last modified June 26, 2006, 10:56:15]