FCAT Scores and School Quality

The Florida DOE released 3rd grade Math and Reading scores today. Click here to check the score reports for any district, or school in the state.

My quick perusal shows that our own Westshore Elementary really struggled with the test this year. The percentage of third graders getting a Level 3 or above on the Reading test fell from 66 to 63, the Level 3 and above rate for Math fell a whopping 18 points from 70 to 52. This likely means the long held "A" rating will be lost, but the scores must come as a shock after the 4th grade writing climbed 6% in one year-to 90%. Westshore's Writing results, reported last month, beat many schools in wealthier areas.

Newsweek magazine also reported the results of their latest ranking of America's high schools. Hillsborough High slid from 10th to 21st in the nation. It will be interesting to see if they outdo last year's "D" grade under the state's A+ plan.

If you are confused by the myriad ways schools are rated, and how Hillsobrough can be one of the entire country's best but regarded as one of the state's struggling schools, join the club. When I talk to parents who complain about the long commute from the burbs, the lack of time they can spend with their kids, and lately the price of gas, they earnestly believe all those negatives are offset by the education their kids get in suburban schools.

Or they want to believe it, some seem to think they've been hoodwinked. They ask me for an opinion of which schools in the area are "best" and I never know what to say. As a parent, and a teacher, I learned long ago that you cannot judge a school by its ratings. I am committed enough to public schools that I have always taught in them, and always in alternative programs dedicated to getting "problem" students back on track. However, the daughter has attended public school, Catholic school, home school and private school. We have always tried to find the right fit for her and ratings don't have a category that says "Excellent setting for highly social, right brained female, who is an auditory learner, and needs to build a relationship with a teacher before tackling challenging curriculum. Math teachers all have novel approaches to overcome math phobia and your student's slightly delayed development of abstract reasoning. Teachers will return phone calls and e-mails the same day received and have no other life than teaching your child." Even home school can't provide all that 100% of the time.

Having gone through the process of choosing a school for the daughter 8 times in 10 years, what do I look for?

Safety- There's a federally mandated rating for that, but see Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews' explanation of why it's a joke in his column "The 26 Most Dangerous Schools in America." (Sorry you'll probably have to register with the WaPo site to get to his columns.) Instead of looking at that, I make an appointment with the principal for just after dismissal and arrive before the last bell rings. Will I be run over by students who don't even seem to recognize there's an adult around, or will students and staff greet me and direct me to the office? Is there a general sense of boisterous cheeriness at being set free for the day, or are gaggles of meanspirited students lingering around the lockers, or classroom doors, ready to descend on their hapless prey? I'm less afraid of an intruder getting in, or even students with guns, than I am the daily destruction of children's spirits by other kids. All the bully prevention programs in the world can't take the place of a school climate that doesn't tolerate students treating each other like crap, whether by word or deed.

Connection- There is no rating for this, but it can be generally evaluated by class size and school size. I ask, "Is every child here known, by name, by an adult other than his classroom teacher?" Eating lunch in the cafeteria is a good way to find out. Nothing is more lonely than being a little kid and the lunch lady doesn't even know your name.

One large, thousand student, elementary school the daughter attended did a good job with connection. The principal simply divided the school into "upper school," 3-5th grade, and "lower school," or K-2nd grade. He then devised a schedule that kept the two groups from crossing paths in the hall or other common areas. Except during fire drills you'd never know there were over 1,000 kids in the building and as students moved to the library or out to the playground the custodian assigned to their "school" could greet most of them by name.

Teachers- I really look more at teacher satisfaction than the federal definition of highly qualified or exemplary teachers. It may surprise education critics to learn that most teachers are most satisfied when their students are performing at high levels and their schools are safe, comfortable, places to be where everyone is treated with respect.

Nose around. Are rats deserting a sinking ship? Perhaps you've entered a situation where teachers are incompetent, and should be shown the door. But, as in any industry, high turnover is as much a symptom of mismanagement as it is incompetent employees. Again, being at the school at dismissal time is a good idea. Are teachers as likely as students to mow you down on their way out the door, or do they linger, perhaps gathering in twos and threes in each other's classrooms sharing ideas or just bs'ing while they unwind from a stressful day? Evesdrop a little. Do they speak of kids with contempt, or do they show some sense of humor and understanding when recounting the latest tales of student insubordination?
Most importantly, do they sound like they are trying to figure out what is going on in their classrooms, with both kids and curriculum, and looking at how to get everyone to learn? Finally, I give a lot of bonus points to teachers who keep a "new student kit" ready to hand to the new kid. Too many assume that the beginning of the school year is the only time they need the supply list, phone number info, or class procedure handouts. Even if your child is not going to be changing schools at mid-year you could be affected. I prefer the daughter's teachers to be organized enough that a new student doesn't throw off the entire class for weeks while everyone adjusts. By the way, teacher organization is highly correlated to student achievment.

Having said all that, I do look at school ratings. However, I believe they tell me more about the parents of the kids my kid will be sitting next to than they do about the education she'll receive. If you are still reading this you may well be wondering where we decided to send the daughter. After much research, and the husband's discussion with some achievement oriented parents who chose Robinson High for their children, like SOCOM's General Daly, we chose our Port Tampa location. In the interest of full disclosure though, the daughter will not be going to Robinson. Our house wasn't completed until November so we home schooled this year because of the mid-year move. Now she'll be finishing high school in December. We look forward to seeing how Florida's community college system measures up.