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The Dark Cloud Of A “D”: Northview Works On FCAT Improvement

Northview High School is one of four D–rated schools in Escambia County, a stigma that has hung over the school since school grades were released last year. But rather than being a dark cloud, it has been motivation to make sure this week’s FCAT scores are as high as possible.

Northview was a solid C-rated school from 1999 to 2007. Then in the 2007-2008 school year, NHS jumped to a B rating, just a handful of points from being an A school. But for this past school year, Northview dropped all the way to that D.

The school went to work to implement a variety of plans to help students improve their FCAT scores and overall school performance. FCAT efforts were focused on achieving learning gains for ninth and tenth grade students and increase the number of the lowest performing students that achieve success.

“Northview teachers and staff have worked extremely hard to implement each and every initiative, whether school-based decision or district mandate, in order to address areas to improve FCAT scores,” Gayle Weaver, Northview principal, said. “There was a focus on trying to isolate the major factors contributing to the low test scores of some students. Consensus was achieved through believing that low self esteem, frequent absences, and out-of-school suspensions for discipline were some of the major factors contributing to low test scores.”

The primary strategy implemented was the Adviser-Mentoring Program, pairing a faculty member with a students from the lower 30 percent of ninth and tenth grade students, and the implementation of an In-School Suspension (ISS) program.

In the mentoring program, advisers meet with students periodically, review academic and discipline, connect with parents, and monitor any activities associated with the student.

“The team believes that regardless of the lack of data that the adviser-mentoring program has been successful because it has brought faculty and administration into closer contact and understanding with the lower 30 percent of students. The mentors have seen themselves as the ‘Life lines” for these students,” Weaver said.

The absence and discipline issues were addressed with the ISS program. If current trends continue, Weaver said the number of discipline referrals for the year will be down about 50 percent. Out-of-school suspensions were down to just 11 in the first semester; there were 182 for the last school year. And, average daily attendance has held steady at about 94 percent, the principal said.

With the new programs in place, Weaver said she is optimistic that Northview is on track to improve this week’s FCAT scores and the school’s D status.

“Every student comes to us with a fertile mind, much like the unplowed field. The mind can reap wonderful harvests or become the barren field of weeds and poison plants, like nightshade. Teachers try their hardest to cultivate the minds of their students and to sow seeds of wisdom, and much like the farmer in spring planting, teachers have high hopes for a bountiful harvest. Such is ours,” she said.