Nine of 14 area schools receive 'A's

It's apples all around for the 14 schools serving the Collier Citizen readership area. Nine of the area's schools received 'A's, two earned'B's and three received 'C's on their state reports cards for 2005-06.

Only one school fell in grade level and four brought their grades up at least one grade level.

At the head of the class are Golden Gate Middle and Estates Elementary, both of which jumped from 'C's to 'A's in 2006.

"The faculty is very excited," GGMS Principal Mary Murray said of the school's first 'A'. "It's been a good shot in the arm, not only for Golden Gate Middle, but for the Golden Gate community as a whole." Oliver Phipps, principal at Estates Elementary says the accomplishment represents a team effort on the part of a highly-motivated staff.

"I called the team leaders to let them know and each one of them screamed over the phone," he says. "It's summer, but they're already pumped for next year." Eight years ago, when the state first launched the grading system, the Collier school district had only two 'A' schools -Oakridge and Pine Ridge middle schools. This year, the district had 22 'A' schools, nine'B' schools, 10 'C' schools, one 'D' (Everglades City) and one 'F' school (Immokalee High School).

The state grades reflect each school's progress in improving scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. For that reason, schools can earn 'A's and still have test scores under district and state averages.

In addition to the state grades, schools were also awarded a"pass/fail" from the federal government to measure adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind initiative.

Of the 14 schools serving the Citizen readership area, four made AYP and three failed. Seven schools were given "provisional" AYP status, a label established by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for schools deemed as high performing under the Florida education system but not meeting all of the NCLB requirements. Countywide, 10 schools made AYP, 12 failed and 21 were given provisional status.

Sabal Palm and Golden Terrace elementary schools also improved their grades one grade level with an 'A' and a 'B,' respectively.

For some schools, better grades were missed by just a few points.

Golden Gate Elementary missed a 'B' by one point and Gulf Coast High School missed retaining its 'A' by just six points.

"It really makes you think," says GCHS Principal Dave Stump, "When it's that close, one student's performance could make a real difference. We'll take a close look at the data and then sit down with the staff to talk about what we will do next year." Schools that noted significant improvements had some common approaches. Nearly all schools boosted their reading and writing programs and targeted lower performing students. Title I schools, those that receive federal assistance, used funds for additional staffing and programming.

"Our sixth and eighth graders averaged up to two-year gains in reading and our seventh graders averaged more than two-year gains," says Murray, whose school also established a mandatory uniform policy this year. Murray downplays any direct tie between the new policy and the test score improvements, but says the change was an important part of a new direction for the school.

"We changed the climate of the school and reformulated how we were doing business," she says. "We changed scheduling to tailor learning to the individual needs of the students." To hold the thermostat steady on the new school climate, Murray says it was vital that all school staff took ownership of the change, establishing consistent expectations of performance, effort, and discipline in all classrooms. Parents were also brought on board to encourage the same expectations at home.

"We spent a lot of time on teacher morale to ensure a more positive environment for all," Murray says.

That was time spent wisely, according to Phipps, who has been known for his unique approach. While at Golden Gate Elementary, Phipps held a "revival" for his staff, complete with robes and choir.

"There is a lot that teachers have to do these days," he explains.

"They have 25 children at all different levels and they have to individualize learning for each child. There's a lot involved. When they come to work, they need to be pumped up. I've been blessed with a staff that works hard and has a passion for teaching. I do a lot of cheerleading to make sure they know they are appreciated."