Schools' writing scores flourish

The statewide writing test has been a stumbling block for Hernando schools. But this year, the district sees a change for the better.

By ROBERT KING

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 22, 2000

When compared with other counties in Florida, writing has not been one of the strengths of Hernando County's schools in recent years.

Since the Florida Writes! test was introduced in 1993, Hernando County's average middle school score has always been below the state average. Elementary and high school students have topped the state average just once -- and not in the past three years.

But in a performance that could signal a writing turnaround, Hernando schools showed solid improvement on this year's annual writing exam, which is given to students in grades four, eight and 10.

Hernando County matched the state average for elementary schools and middle schools and, thanks largely to a phenomenal performance at Central High School, bested the state average in grade 10.

Hernando County students outperformed their peers in Pasco County at each grade level. And they did better than Citrus County students at the middle school and high school levels.

The portion of Hernando students who met the state's standard score of 3.0 (on a scale in which 1 is low and 6 is high) jumped by at least 12 percentage points each grade level this year.

Several individual schools turned in strong performances, too.

The brand-new Chocachatti Elementary School, which made its debut this year as Hernando's first magnet school, had the best writing scores among the county's 10 elementary schools.

Tied for second was Moton Elementary, which last year had the poorest scores in the district and -- with its reading and math scores thrown in -- earned the label of Hernando's only D-graded school. This year, Moton easily beat the state average.

"We are beyond thrilled," said Beatrice Ellison, who has taught at Moton for the past decade. She credited the improvement to a staff willing to come in for training after school and on Saturdays and to the atmosphere of discipline instilled by new principal Donnie Moen.

"For some reason, God blessed us," Ellison said.

The writing scores were released Wednesday. Still to come are the reading and math scores from the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Combined, the three scores will help determine each school's A-to-F performance grades.

High schools

Only one county in the state -- Union -- had bigger one-year gain on the state writing exam than Hernando. The county average went from 3.3 last year to 4.0.

Central High, which had the poorest writing performance among the county's high schools last year, left everyone else in the dust this year. It scored a 4.3, well above the state average of 3.9.

"That's a little improvement, isn't it?" said Central principal Dennis McGeehan. "I would say that is the result of the concerted effort of the staff and faculty."

Springstead High matched the state average of 3.9. Hernando High had a 3.8.

Among the three schools, the number of kids meeting the state's minimum standard of 3.0 grew from 81 percent in 1999 to 93 percent in 2000.

Middle schools

Only four school districts in the state had higher gains than Hernando at the middle school level. The county's average went from 3.1 to 3.7.

Fox Chapel (3.9) and West Hernando (3.8) both beat the state average. Parrott scored 3.6. Powell, which until recently had been the county's powerhouse middle school, fell below the state average for the first time in three years with a 3.5 and had the lowest score among the county's middle schools.

For the first time, the county's overall middle school writing score wasn't below average.

Superintendent John Sanders said he was particularly pleased that 53 percent of the middle school students scored a 4 or better. "I think that shows that, at the top end, our kids are putting forth the effort."

Overall, the chunk of eighth-graders who met or exceeded the standard 3 score increased by 14 percent.

Elementary schools

Hernando's scores increased from an average of 2.9 last year to 3.2 this year. The fourth-graders matched the state average. The percentage of kids performing at or above the state's minimum level of 3 jumped by 15 percent.

"I call this good news," said Elaine Wooten, the county's elementary curriculum specialist.

Wooten was especially pleased with Moton's turnaround.

"The credit goes to those teachers who put forth the extra effort to do their best," Wooten said.

Chocachatti, which drew students from throughout the county as the county's first magnet, tried a number of new programs and techniques that made it a laboratory of sorts.

"I'm pleased with Chocachatti's scores," Sanders said. "Anytime you try a magnet school with a whole new staff and students, you never really know if the basics will stay strong. But they have."

The state Department of Education decided this year to include scores from all students tested, including some special-education children not reported in past years.

To make a fair comparison between 1999 and 2000, the Education Department adjusted the 1999 county and state scores to reflect the inclusion of those students. Yet, in a reporting quirk, the department did not include an adjusted 1999 score for individual schools, making a two-year comparison impossible.

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