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FCAT Writing Scores Near State Averages

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Students and teachers at Cox Elementary in Dade City tried new strategies to improve test scores this year as the school faces possible sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

At least some of those efforts paid off Thursday when the state released the results of the writing portion of this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

At Cox, 72 percent of students who took the test are writing at the proficient level, up from 62 percent a year ago.

"I'm very pleased with their performance," Principal Leila Mizer said.

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said she was happy with the performance of numerous schools throughout the county, and is hoping the schools with the most success will be able to share their writing strategies with schools struggling to improve.

Students in the fourth, eighth and 10th grades take the writing portion of the FCAT.

The elementary and middle students are scored on two types of writing - expository and either narrative or persuasive - and also get a combined score. The 10th-graders are scored on just one type of writing, a persuasive essay.

The highest possible score on FCAT writing is 6. The state considers a 3.5 to be the standard for writing proficiency.

In Pasco, 67 percent of fourth-graders, 86 percent of eighth-graders and 77 percent of 10th-graders met that proficiency level.

That compares with 71 percent of fourth-graders, 83 percent of eighth-graders and 76 percent of 10th-graders a year ago.

The combined score for fourth-graders was 3.6, down from 3.7 last year. The state average was 3.8, down from 3.9.

The combined score for eighth-graders was 4.2, up from 4.0 a year ago. The state average was 4.2, up from 4.1.

The score for 10th-graders was 3.8, the same as last year's combined score when 10th-graders still were tested on expository writing. Statewide, 10th-graders averaged 3.9, unchanged from last year's combined score.

A passing score on the 10th-grade FCAT writing exam was supposed to become a diploma requirement this year, but last month the state Board of Education decided to delay tying the results to graduation.

Middle schools produced the best scores in Pasco. Centennial Middle in Dade City led the way, with 95 percent of its students scoring 3.5 or higher.

Fiorentino pointed to Gulf, Pasco, Stewart and River Ridge as other middle schools that showed significant improvement.

At Cox Elementary, Mizer said she is encouraged by the writing scores, which could help the school as it works to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind.

This year Cox and Hudson Elementary have been planning for what could be a major reorganization in 2008-09 if they are unable to make adequate yearly progress as measured by the federal government.

The writing scores are just part of the overall picture, though. FCAT math and reading scores are yet to come, and No Child Left Behind also measures how subgroups of students perform, not just the school as a whole.

As Cox tried to improve writing scores this year, the school had help from the University of South Florida's Tampa Bay Area Writing Project, which conducted training sessions for teachers and workshops for students, Mizer said.

Even though fourth-graders districtwide saw a drop in writing proficiency, individual schools other than Cox showed marked improvement. Fiorentino said.

At Lacoochee Elementary, for example, 88 percent scored at 3.5 or better, a jump from 64 percent last year.

"That's fabulous," Fiorentino said. "That speaks volumes."

Other elementary schools with big gains were Quail Hollow, Northwest, Richey and San Antonio.

Some of this year's improvement may be linked to schools working together. The elementary and middle schools whose students advance to Zephyrhills High decided as a group to emphasize writing this year, Assistant Superintendent Sandy Ramos said. So did the elementary and middle schools that provide the feeder pattern for Gulf High in New Port Richey.

Both groups did well.

"By and large, that seems to be a good strategy," Ramos said.

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

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