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State corrects mistake, boosts Sheehy's grade

By Staff and wire reports
Published August 5, 2006

TAMPA - One child's test scores made the difference between a C and a D for Sheehy Elementary.

The state announced Friday it had incorrectly awarded Sheehy a D when it released school grades earlier this summer. It raised the school's grade to a C.

The difference amounted to the incorrect inclusion of a single student's scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in the school grading formula, principal Carolyn Hill said. Hillsborough district officials helped to appeal the grade.

"We're just happy the correction was made," Hill said. "We are a high-poverty school. We work hard. These children will make progress."

Hillsborough also successfully appealed the status of the Caminiti Exceptional Center under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The school now meets standards for making adequate yearly progress with students.

Statewide, 19 schools won appeals to raise their grades from the state, meet federal progress requirements or both, education officials said.

Appeals from 14 schools were denied. The total of 33 appeals dropped from 49 last year and 68 the year before. Appeals have gone down because school districts are improving their data management, said Florida Education Commissioner John Winn.

Only one school, Westview Middle in Miami-Dade County, increased its grade from F to D. The number of F schools statewide remained at 23 because another school went from incomplete to F. There was no change in the number of A schools - 1,467.

Nine schools were reclassified as meeting adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind act, but that still leaves only 29 percent of the state's schools in full compliance.

[Last modified August 5, 2006, 06:02:52]