TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Diligence Pays Off At Springstead

ADVERTISEMENT

By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: July 10, 2008

Updated:

BROOKSVILLE - With school grades released Tuesday, officials at one local school are celebrating a particularly large milestone.

Springstead High School jumped from a "D" to a "B," the first time in six years the school has earned such a high mark.

Principal Susan Duval attributed the jump to new intercurricular learning techniques, as well as a commitment by her staff and the students to improve and strive to reach their goals.

"They have it within them," she said. "Springstead is a wonderful school and has amazing students and staff. The sky is the limit, and this has (shown them) that they have the ability to make their dreams come true with diligence and hard work."

The school was just three points away from earning an "A," a point that Duval said has given the school the goal for next year.

"We were so close," she said. "Springstead is an 'A' school and always has been."

School officials celebrated the news Tuesday that nine schools had earned the top grade and nine got a "B," based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores. There were no "C" grades and two "D" grades.

The percentages of students meeting the standards in reading, math, science and writing, coupled with gains made by the lowest performing students in reading and math, were high enough for the district to score an overall "A" grade. That's a step up from a "B" each year since 2004.

With five schools improving their grades, Spring Hill Elementary also jumped two percentage points from a "C" to an "A."

But at Springstead, even going from a "D" to a "B" has been an uphill climb. The school has the highest minority rate in the district, the second-highest number of students receiving free and reduced lunches and a significant number of students with disabilities, requiring much collaboration and thinking outside the box, Duval said.

"It's about figuring out what needs to be done and going after that," she said. "It's not an easy task for a school with our diversity (level) to always come together this way to make gains, but our kids really worked hard."

This year, the school focused on implementing new cross-curriculum, interdepartmental projects and strategies. Remediation coach Wendy Nugent worked closely with each department - even physical education teachers - to show specific weaknesses to look for and how to better improve reading and comprehension in all areas, Duval said.

New technology has included a data-driven computer program called Educate Kids, which helped school officials pinpoint the issues students particularly needed help with, she added.

"Our English department revised what they were doing on writing and reading strategies, and every department was making a significant effort to show students that the FCAT is not something that is just is a test in isolation," she said. "It's skill development, and we really tried to make kids see that this is something they need to do well on to be (successful in life)."

Also, officials have been focusing on helping every student to earn the highest possible score, Duval said.

"It's a matter of moving everybody up," she said.

During the coming year, the school will be focusing on even more intensive strategies in reading classes, including grouping by ability level and having some students remain in class for a year, instead of a semester.

Also, students who need additional help will be using software programs and participating in a double-period of reading, Duval added.

Across the district, eight schools maintained "A" grades - a feat that can also be difficult because a new batch of students is being tested each year, administrators said.

At Brooksville Elementary School - a Title I school, which means it has a high poverty rate - principal Mary LeDoux attributed the school's maintained "A"-ranking to a redistribution of help in each classroom. Classroom aides, special teachers and staff members were assigned to a classroom to help students who needed extra remediation, she said.

She also pointed toward new software programs that identify reading weaknesses in elementary school students. Officials have carefully analyzed the data each month and focused on specific techniques to help each student improve.

"They call me the data queen, because we're always looking at numbers," LeDoux said. "Also, our teachers are pretty committed. They always say they don't necessarily need more stuff to get things done, and instead like to focus on 'people power' to help correct weaknesses."

Of the district's 10 Title I schools, three maintained their "A" grades and three improved from "C" grades.

Two schools dropped or maintained a poor grade. Hernando High earned a "D" grade for the fourth consecutive year, and Central High scored a "D" after six years of "C's."

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT