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State Program Aids Struggling Pasco Schools

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 30, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Eighteen Pasco County schools in need of improvement will receive additional support services from the state under a federal pilot program launched Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education.

Statewide, 1,081 schools are to receive support under the program, which focuses on schools that need improvement because they failed to meet adequate yearly progress two or more years in a row under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The amount of support services will vary. Schools were placed into five categories based on their state-assigned letter grade, percentage of adequate yearly progress requirements met and the number of years they failed to achieve adequate yearly progress.

Seven Pasco elementary schools were listed as Prevent I, the least restrictive category. They are Sunray, Gulf Highlands, Locke, Richey, Fox Hollow, Giella and Shady Hills.

Prevent I schools have letter grades of A, B or C under the state grading system and meet at least 80 percent of progress criteria. They get to direct their own intervention, with assistance from the district and monitoring by the state.

Marlowe, Chasco, Schrader, Moon Lake, West Zephyrhills, Northwest and Hudson elementary schools were categorized as Correct I schools.

Correct I schools are planning for or implementing restructuring because they failed to meet progress marks several years in a row. They also have letter grades of A, B or C and meet at least 80 percent of progress criteria. The school district will direct and monitor the interventions for those schools, and the Department of Education will review their progress.

One school - Ridgewood High - was categorized as Prevent II. Schools in that category meet less than 80 percent of progress criteria. All Title I D and F schools and all non-Title I D schools also are included. Ridgewood is a non-Title I D school. The school district will direct the school's intervention and provide assistance.

Three elementary schools - Cox, Pasco and Lacoochee - were categorized as Correct II schools. Correct II schools are planning for or implementing restructuring and meet less than 80 percent of progress criteria. All Title I D and F schools and all non-Title I F schools are also included. Cox is a D school. The county has no F schools.

For Correct II schools, the school and the district implement interventions that are directed by the state.

Florida was one of six states chosen for the pilot program by the U.S. Department of Education.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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