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What kept FCAT scores from rising? Third-graders' marks a puzzle
BY SONJI JACOBS Extra classes, after-school tutoring, special coaches and even pep rallies failed to nudge the scores of Broward's third-graders higher than the numbers posted by their peers last year on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. In the five years since FCAT testing began, Broward's elementary students have shown some of largest reading and math gains in the state. This year, while the county's third-graders once again equaled or outperformed the statewide average, their reading and math results were flat compared with last year's. Scores for the remaining grade levels are due out late this week. School officials aren't ready to accept that they can't do any better, but they don't have a clear answer about why all the intensive instruction didn't boost scores. They're exploring numerous factors, including whether new elementary reading textbooks put in classrooms this year may have thrown teachers and students off stride. One clear trend continues: Poverty is inextricably linked to low test scores. More than half of the students failed the reading portion of this year's FCAT at nine Broward elementary schools; at eight of those, more than 75 percent of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches -- the school district's best measure of poverty. The best third-grade reading scores are at schools with few poor children. ''Without a doubt, one of the greatest problems is socioeconomic,'' Broward Schools Superintendent Frank Till said. ``There are some high poverty schools that do well, so we've got to study the things they're doing.'' Teachers may look to Nob Hill Elementary in Sunrise. Among schools with 10 percent or fewer students at Level 1 on the reading FCAT, Nob Hill has the highest percentage of low-income students. More than a quarter -- 27 percent -- receive aid for school lunches. ''As far as I'm concerned . . . the most important thing in student achievement is the teacher,'' Nob Hill Elementary Principal Patricia Patterson said. ``It doesn't matter if you have 25 or 45 kids in a room. It's the teacher.'' There's no single answer, but Till agrees that good principals and good teachers are absolutely essential, a viewpoint shared by many across the county. TEACHERS REWARDED Patterson said principals often track teachers' performance, and work to boost the skills of those whose students consistently underperform, with skills training or professional development courses. And they reward their most successful teachers and encourage them to seek higher professional goals. Nob Hill third-grade teacher Lois Linder has been in the classroom for decades and been a part of the school community for years. Linder said that while the FCAT has changed the way teachers plan lessons, she still tries to cultivate creativity and fun. In her classroom, pictures of dinosaurs proliferate, making the space feel more like a museum than a schoolroom. ''We try to continue to be creative,'' Linder said. ``I think that's what makes Nob Hill special. We try to teach with each child's needs in mind.'' EXTRA-PAY PROPOSALS In Broward, school officials are considering proposals to offer extra money for teachers and principals who choose to work in schools with high poverty rates and other challenging circumstances. Right now, the district only offers pay incentives in critical-need areas such as special education, Associate Superintendent Dan Cochran said. High achievement for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, is a cornerstone of Gov. Jeb Bush's A+ School Accountability Plan. When the state Department of Education releases school grades each year, Bush highlights a high-poverty school that has made great academic strides. Two years ago, Hollywood Park earned that honor, jumping from a D to an A. Last year, the school earned a B. DIFFICULT TASK Clearly, the goal is not impossible, but it is difficult. Statewide, more than 40,000 third-graders failed the reading FCAT, with 7,200 in Miami-Dade and 4,700 in Broward. The third-graders at Embassy Creek in Cooper City aced the FCAT with only 4 percent failing -- the lowest in the county. There, 6.1 percent of students are low-income. At Sanders Park Elementary in Pompano Beach, where 95.2 percent are low-income, 62 percent failed. Johnny Roundtree, Principal of Robert C. Markham Elementary in Pompano Beach, said preparing for the FCAT is especially challenging for teachers at low-income schools with many non-English-speaking students. ''There are a lot of obstacles we have to deal with,'' Roundtree said. This year, 52 percent of Markham third-graders failed the reading FCAT. More than 97 percent of his students receive free or reduced-priced lunches. Many are Haitian and Hispanic students struggling to learn English. FREE BREAKFAST Parent involvement in school activities is scarce, and often kids arrive on campus late or hungry in the mornings. This year, the school gave free breakfast to every child on test days. Roundtree said he and his staff are already working on plans for next year. They are encouraged, because the school has climbed to a C grade over the past two years. And they are looking forward to a state grant for reading that will be in place next year, as well as a second reading coach on campus. Roundtree said he makes it a priority to keep his teachers motivated. ''I don't beat up on my teachers,'' Roundtree said. He added: ``I don't like grading schools. It puts enormous pressure on teachers, but we do what we have to do.'' |
