Here in Collier County there are big problems with third graders not being promoted this year. The FCAT is bringing accountability to the schools, and because of that 1 in 3 third graders in Collier County may be left back this year. It's unbelievable. Jeb Bush has exposed a lot of the problems that exist, now it is time to get to work fixing them. Check this out:
Reading: Hundreds of pupils risk flunking the third-grade
Sunday, February 23, 2003
By RAY PARKER, brparker@naplesnews.com
Third-graders come under the spotlight this year as the state kicks in its no-social-promotion law.
In Collier County, only 34 third-graders, or 4 percent, were retained last year despite the 841 who scored at the lowest reading level.
That changes this year.
Tallahassee has made it harder for the lowest performing kids to be promoted. All third-graders with reading scores in FCAT's level one, the lowest of five levels, are supposed to be retained unless they qualify for exemptions.
Dick Woods, 74, originally from Montclair, N.J., and a resident of Naples since 1995, reads "Noel the Coward" by Robert Kraus, to Ariel Rodriguez-Mohr, 6, of Naples, a kindergartner at Laurel Oak Elementary of North Naples. Woods who volunteers one morning a week reading to elementary-aged children, said, "If you catch kids and trigger their imaginations, their lives will change for the better." Woods' wife, Coleen Woods, also volunteers her time reading to children. David Wallace/Staff
More than 800 Collier youngsters — nearly one in three — might be held back.
And in Lee County, more than 1,000 third-graders — almost one in four — could be affected.
"Every district is going to see an increase in retention this year in third grade," said Richard Itzen, Lee County's testing chief. "(But) it's difficult to predict the impact now."
Last year, more than 50,000 Florida third-graders scored at the lowest reading level.
Students take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) next month, and their scores are expected in May.
Collier administrators remain optimistic.
Dee Whinnery, Collier County's student services chief, said parents have been alerted about the new law.
She added poor-performing students are provided individual improvement plans and receive extra tutoring.
"We've given the parents lots of opportunity to get involved at the (school) level," Whinnery said.
Still, Collier School Board Chairwoman Linda Abbott, who's made reading a pet project, said many parents are worried.
"They didn't anticipate their children being held back, so they're quite surprised and upset," Abbott said. "What we need most of all is accountability in our (district) reading program."
At the board's March 27 public meeting, Abbott expects a district reading report that will highlight students' scores over the past three years. Those interested can call 254-4000.
Under the new retention law, even Collier's top performing school could have almost 10 percent of its third-graders retained.
Last year, Sea Gate Elementary students outperformed all others in FCAT reading. Even so, 11 of its third-graders scored at the lowest reading level. Sea Gate Principal Brian Castellani was unavailable for comment.
AT A GLANCE
In Collier County, 34 third-graders were retained last year despite the 841 who scored at the lowest level on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). But this year, all third-graders with reading scores in FCAT's level one, the lowest of five levels, are supposed to be retained unless they qualify for exemptions.
Those 841 third-graders went to the following schools:
Sea Gate: 11 students
Tommie Barfield: 11
Lake Park: 18
Naples Park: 21
Pelican Marsh: 24
Vineyards: 28
Big Cypress: 33
Highlands: 34
Poinciana: 38
Laurel Oak: 38
Corkscrew: 39
Avalon: 44
Village Oaks: 48
Shadowlawn: 50
Golden Terrace: 57
Lake Trafford: 58
Lely: 60
Golden Gate: 67
Pinecrest: 71
Manatee: 91
And the district's worst performing school?
If last year's scores recur, Pinecrest Elementary in Immokalee could have to retain much of its third-grade class: 66 percent.
Pinecrest Principal Pamela James will meet with parents Monday to discuss the new law's implications.
She added that her team has been working hard to pull up lagging readers, including tutoring classes on Saturdays, after-school programs, and individual instruction in the classroom.
Still, school officials say there's more to analyzing student reading skills than an FCAT number, and that incremental progress has been made, especially with the lowest-performing students, with mounting challenges:
One of every three students — or 12,034 children — don't speak English as their primary language in their homes. Of those, there are 5,132 in the English For Speakers of Other Languages program.
Nearly half of the students sign up for the reduced- or free-lunch program.
Students from poor families can start school at a disadvantage because the kids aren't exposed to quality preschool and other activities.
In short, educators say, they start further behind than their wealthier peers.
"We'll have to be very creative," James said.
Tallahassee allows for two exemptions to its retention law so that third-graders can advance.
A student could be promoted despite a poor FCAT reading score if he or she scored well enough on a different standardized test.
The second criterion is a portfolio of work that shows the child understands reading passages up to 700 words.
Also, the retention law exempts students who have been in limited-English programs for two years or less; exceptional-education students already retained once; or regular-education students already retained twice in grades K-3.
The problem is, Tallahassee continues to update its compliance rules. Collier and Lee school leaders will know more in May, once the FCAT scores are reported.
In Southwest Florida, third-grade failures in reading are near the state average of 27 percent — 22 percent in Lee County and 31 percent in Collier.
Collier's rate of low-performing third-graders is almost 1½ times more than Lee's.
Naples boasts a healthy cadre of volunteers in its public schools, thanks in part to the efforts of The Education Foundation of Collier County, which coordinated about 450 volunteers this year.
For Dick and Colleen Woods, reading is so important they give up their most precious commodity: time.
Dick Woods, 74, of Naples, walks with Esperanza Reyes, 6, of Naples, between Esperanza's kindergarten class and the school library, where Woods spends time reading to Esperanza at Laurel Oak Elementary of North Naples. David Wallace/Staff
Every Tuesday morning the retirees find their way to Laurel Oak Elementary, where they help youngsters pronounce hard words and much more.
Dick Woods and 6-year-old Esperanza Reyes recently sat next to each other on white wicker chairs inside the school library reading "Gentle Little Lion."
"'Lions greet each other by rubbing cheeks when they are content,'" Woods read to the youngster, who's missing several front teeth.
Educators have long said that this kind of one-on-one help can make the difference for a child who's struggling. And with many families just plain too busy, the demand for reading mentors is greater than ever.
Those interested can call the foundation at 643-4755.
When he signed the retention law last year, Gov. Jeb Bush said parents were ready.
"If you ask Florida parents, 'Do you believe we should pass kids on when they haven't learned to read?' they say, 'No.'"
Four years ago, Tallahassee thought it had dealt with the social promotion issue. It passed a law saying fourth-graders should not be promoted if they failed the FCAT reading test.
But the law allowed schools to promote those students if there was "good cause."
The numbers speak for themselves: In 2001, roughly 3 percent of fourth-graders statewide were retained, but about 30 percent failed FCAT reading.
"Before it was like Swiss cheese," state Education Commissioner Jim Horne said. "Clearly we'll be a lot less forgiving than we were in the past."
But, he added, "it's not just about retentions. It's about getting students prepared so we don't have to retain them."