• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Schools to Get Grades Today: State to Release Ratings Based on FCATs; No Child Left Behind Report Also Coming

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 09:00 CDT

By Erica Rodriguez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Jun. 14--MANATEE -- School officials, administrators and teachers can quit holding their breath, crossing their fingers and losing sleep.

School grades are scheduled for release by the state today, along with federal No Child Left Behind progress reports.

"Everybody's worried," said Carla Frazier, supervisor of measurement and data analysis for the Manatee County School District, adding that she expects to hear "one collective exhale when the school grades come out . . . because at least then we'll know."

Each year, Florida state school officials take data generated by Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores and use the information to assign a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F to each school.

The letter grades are determined by several factors, including:

-- Percentages of students scoring at or above a "minimally acceptable" level in math, reading and writing. FCAT scores are ranked by levels 1 through 5. In math and reading, a score of Level 3 or better is considered minimally acceptable -- and in writing, the minimum is a score of Level 3.5. This is the first year that writing scores are included in the calculation of school grades.

-- Percentages of students who made "learning gains" in reading and math. In order to make learning gains, students must improve their scores from a Level 1 to 2, Level 2 to 3, or maintain a Level 3 or higher score.

-- Percentages of students in the bottom quartile who made learning gains in reading. If a school does not see learning gains in the bottom quartile for two consecutive years, that school automatically goes down a letter grade.

-- The percentage of students tested. Grades only include scores earned by students who were enrolled at a given school consistently from October through February of the school year.

The FCAT also tests students in science, but science scores were not figured into the letter grades this year. Frazier said they should be included next year.

In Manatee County last year, 44 of 49 schools earned passing letter grades of A, B or C. Two schools in the district -- PAL Academic Charter School and Community High School -- received F grades, while three schools -- Myakka City, Palmetto High and Southeast High -- received D's.

"It really becomes the self-esteem of the schools," Frazier said. "It really has an impact on them emotionally, and it's kind of sad that it has become that."

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Education Commissioner John Winn are supposed to announce the 2006 school grades at 11 a.m. in Tallahassee.

Also set for announcement today: the yeas and nays of schools' "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

FCAT scores for reading and math are also used to determine whether Florida schools have made "adequate yearly progress" under No Child Left Behind.

FCAT scores for each school are split up into subcategories that include race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, learning disabilities and primary languages spoken. If one subcategory for a given school does not show "adequate yearly progress," the school is determined to have not made adequate progress overall -- and has thus earned a "No."

"Really, with No Child Left Behind, it's all or nothing," Frazier said.

Erica Rodriguez, Herald reporter, can be reached at erodriguez@HeraldToday.com [mailto:erodriguez@HeraldToday.com] or at 745-7095.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Source: The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.)

More News in this Category