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State grades the county's schools just about average
By KENT FISCHER © St. Petersburg Times, published May 31, 2001
Pasco's marks this year were identical to last year's: 14 schools received A's and B's, while two schools got D's. The other 31 schools got C's. The rankings, released Wednesday by the state Department of Education, rate schools on their standardized test scores, grading them A through F, just like students' grades on their report cards. And while the grades marked the third time the state has ranked its public schools, principals and administrators still haven't quite figured out how the system works and what it all means. Take, for example, West Zephyrhills Elementary School. The school got an A last year after posting impressive gains on its state reading, writing and math exams. This year, teachers and students pushed the scores even higher, but the school's grade still fell to a B. A handful of students didn't improve enough in reading, even though scores as a whole went up, said assistant principal Lawson Jolly. "I was so proud and impressed because our students improved in every area," Jolly said, "but it just so happens that the state formula says we got a B." Such a fall, despite rising scores, is not unprecedented. The same thing happened last year to River Ridge Middle/High School. Deer Park Elementary got a C this year, down from an A. Yet the school posted scores that were higher than other schools which got B's and A's. Said Superintendent John Long: "It's hard for me to celebrate the A's and get upset about the D's. The (school) system overall did fine. The kids appear to be doing as well -- if not a little better -- than the rest of the state." Even while some of Pasco's new A schools were celebrating their status, others were cautioning parents and the public not to read too much into the state's school grades. The ranking system is only in its third year, and there is much debate among educators whether rising test scores mean children are learning more. "I think it's wonderful and the kids will think it's great, but it's not the be-all end-all," said Chris Christoff, assistant principal at A-rated Seven Springs Middle School. "It's only one part of the big picture." Mittye P. Locke Elementary School saw its grade jump from a C to an A. Nevertheless, principal Dennis Taylor said he's not sold on the grades' credibility. "It feels good, but I don't believe in all this, to be honest with you," Taylor said. "But if they're going to be giving out all this money, then we're happy" to get the highest possible grade. Schools that earn A's or boost their rankings by a letter grade or more will receive a cash bonus from the state. Last year the bonuses were $100 per student, which totaled more than $100,000 for some schools. Schools can use the money anyway they see fit. Last year, two Pasco high schools got D grades. This time around those schools, Hudson and Zephyrhills, got C's. Every high school in the county, in fact, earned the same grade: C. In order to earn a grade higher than a C, high schools must get at least half of their students scoring at or above Level 3 on the state reading exam (scores are broken into five levels). No county high school met that benchmark, although every one improved its reading scores over last year. Only 70 of the state's 368 high schools earned a grade higher than a C. "The criteria make it very difficult for a high school to get an A," said Assistant Superintendent Sandy Ramos. "We're going to have to take a good look at that reading test." Two schools got D's this year: Cox and Lacoochee elementaries. A drop-off in test scores released earlier this month forewarned the schools of the below-average grades. District officials said the two D grades point to one of the inherent flaws in the ranking system: The scores of this year's fourth- and fifth-graders are compared with the scores of students in those grades last year. Comparing different kids year to year doesn't show how much they grew academically, Long said. "It's hard for me to go out there and say to those schools, 'You've got a problem,' " Long said. "I don't think they do. I don't think you'll find better staffs and principals than what we have at Cox and Lacoochee." Both schools also serve some of the neediest students in the district as more than 90 percent of their students live in poverty. Mitchell High School, Chasco and Sunray elementary schools did not receive grades because they just opened this academic year.
- Kent Fischer covers education in Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6241 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6241. * * * Click here to search the Florida Department of Education's 2000-2001 School Accountability Report
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