Going beyond basics

Many schools will offer programs geared toward themes such as technology, geography or Spanish.

By ROBERT KING

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Florida schools are under the gun to teach to the standards being set in Tallahassee.

And teachers everywhere are gearing their instruction in math, reading and writing to fit what's being analyzed by the all-important Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

You might think such controlling forces would drain the personalities of neighborhood schools in favor of a cookie-cutter approach crafted from Tallahassee.

But Hernando County's schools are increasingly trying to separate themselves from the pack with theme-driven programs that emphasize topics such as the arts, foreign languages and technology.

This year, the trend toward theme-schooling will continue when schools open Aug. 14.

Brooksville Elementary School is cutting the ribbon on a new look that it refers to as its "Fundamental School of Global Studies."

It features a straight-laced approach. Reading, writing and language arts are taught uninterrupted for up to 21/2 hours in the morning. Parent involvement is required. There is an after-school detention program for slackers. And the influence of other cultures is emphasized in every subject of study.

Powell Middle School adds a major new focus to its repertoire this year. It will trot out a microsociety and arts-themed program that is the middle school version of what debuted at Chocachatti Elementary School last year.

Powell will introduce its students to drama, dance, strings and other arts classes. And it will establish a miniature society with a working economy and government.

Along with new themes at Brooksville and Powell, Deltona Elementary will expand the Spanish language niche it carved out last year to fourth-graders. Last year, Deltona started incorporating Spanish instruction into the everyday lessons in first, second and third grades.

All of this specialization is no coincidence.

School Board members and Superintendent John Sanders have been encouraging the diversity. In a small sense, it offers parents a choice within the public school setting. Movement is limited to a large extent by the availability of vacant seats at each school.

But there is something more to it than choice.

"I think it is to stir interest among students and parents about what's going on in schools and that we're not all copy-catting," said Alice Black, the assistant principal at Deltona Elementary.

J.D. Floyd Elementary School has committed itself to a concept known as Project CHILD. It emphasizes the use of technology in the classroom. And it funnels students into the classrooms of certain teachers year after year to promote continuity in the teaching of reading, math and language arts.

Principal Janet Yungmann-Barkalow says her school's decision to organize itself around Project CHILD has been a rallying point for J.D. Floyd. "If you have kids and parents buy into a school ... they are proud of it and they put more effort into it," she said.

Chocachatti has taken the theme-based approach to its ultimate extent -- the magnet school. The new school opened its doors a year ago.

Its students -- who were chosen by lottery from all over the county -- and teachers came with the understanding that the school was going to be organized around its microsociety and arts programs.

Some of the other, more established schools that now have themes are pondering whether to go the magnet route, which would require the drastic decision to open the enrollment to students who do not live immediately around the school.

Most agree that such a move is difficult, given that many families who have invested years in a school might not be willing to accept the new flavoring administrators want to bring.

Whether more magnet schools appear or not, one thing is sure: More specialization is on the way.

The county's next high school, due to open in 2002, will emphasize vocational and technical education. And other existing schools are looking at making a name for themselves.

Hernando High School has received a $200,000 state grant to make itself into a "millennium" high school where students key in on exploring potential careers.

Two middle schools -- Parrott and Fox Chapel -- have been pursuing a program that would introduce laptop computers into the classroom. Eventually, laptop classrooms could be a school theme.

Other schools are toying with themes ranging from technology (Pine Grove Elementary) to English literature (Moton Elementary).

"It provides a common focus, a common direction," said Pine Grove principal Dave Dannemiller, who wants his students to use technology to research and develop their own projects. "It makes all of the stuff they have to do make sense. It answers the classic question of "Why do I have to do this?' "

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.