8 Responses to “School Grades Are Out: How Did Your Child’s School Score?”

1. Anna on January 13th, 2020 2:26 pm

   I have lived in this community for over 30 years and had two kids in the schools. Nothing is going to change when you have a very large percentage of kids going to Escambia county schools with lack of effective and supportive parenting behind them. Teachers can teach a great curriculum but if the kids are not being guided and supported from home and they are constantly thinking about what they don’t have at home – they are tuned out! You can not hold the teachers responsible for minds that are not tuned in. More help and guidance from churches and leadership within the communities where the kids are coming from is the answer.

2. David Huie Green on July 17th, 2019 11:38 am

   REGARDING:
   “School grades based primarily on standardized test scores will tell you a lot about socioeconomics, and very little about the performance of administrators, teachers, or students as individuals.”

   So the claim is made that tests can not determine if students are actually learning or if teachers are actually teaching?

   Not that a given test is not doing the job but that it is impossible to test to learn if individual students have learned from their teachers that which we wish them to know and how the group fared overall?

   Or that it doesn’t matter what is the school or who is the teacher or how the teacher teaches, the student will be whatever the student will be regardless?

   Interesting if true. It implies you could just put children in an empty room and get the same results. This is unlikely, but would certainly save a lot of money currently spent trying to improve the lives of our children…of all children.

   The more reasonable thought is that we need to know where each student started and where the student ended. That would not depend on the student beginning high or low..

   David for truth in advertising and educating

3. Donna Funck on July 16th, 2019 7:48 am

   Coleen is on the money. School grades based primarily on standardized test scores will tell you a lot about socioeconomics, and very little about the performance of administrators, teachers, or students as individuals. Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties have lower poverty rates and therefore higher school grades, any teacher or social worker could make this prediction without the time and expense of standardized tests. Someone mentioned that West Fl. High School should not be compared to others in the county because students must have a minimum GPA for admission and retention. I agree, and would like to point out that Brown Barge Middle also requires a minimum GPA for admission. Students who do not succeed in their program do not stay to be tested in the spring.

4. David Huie Green on July 14th, 2019 1:14 am

   REGARDING:
   “Look at some of the private schools that don’t teach standardized testing and have used the same curriculum over the years and how much more their students learn.”

   Actually, you can’t look at them because there is no test showing how they did.

   A good test should cover all they learned, so the results should reflect reality.

   David for good educations
   and proof thereof

5. Colleen on July 13th, 2019 3:28 pm

   I agree that the standardized tests are of no benefit except for the companies who push them. In addition, they limit what a teacher is able to teach and do in the classroom. A good teacher will know his/her students and their capabilities and willingness to put forth the effort needed to be successful. The teachers will know this within the first few weeks of school. I also agree that the schools and counties should not be rated as is done now. Until someone is brave enough to acknowledge the social and economic issues and the different demographics of the various schools and counties, nothing is going to change. When we refuse to admit there are vast differences between schools and counties, some counties and schools will continue to perceived as being good one while others will continue to be listed as poor, as is the case now. All students have the ability to succeed, but it is extremely difficult for all of them to succeed at the same level when their backgrounds and circumstances are so different.

6. Against standardized tests on July 13th, 2019 9:18 am

   West FL shouldn’t be compared to the other schools since students have to be accepted by GPA to go to that school. I have never liked these standardized tests. They were originally a way of making sure all areas of the country were teaching on the same level and if not, schools could make changes to improve their level of education being offered to students. These tests have become the curriculum and our children are missing out on so much because of them. I would love to see these tests go away and old teaching methods come back. Look at some of the private schools that don’t teach standardized testing and have used the same curriculum over the years and how much more their students learn. Technology may be changing year after year, but basic education shouldn’t.

7. Administrators you get an F on July 12th, 2019 9:49 pm

   I cannot believe that we still have the same administrators in place year after year with these sub-par school scores in Escambia County. It is equally disturbing that more citizens aren’t up in arms over how poorly we are doing.

   Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties do so much better than Escambia. The real question is why? It’s not like the kids lack the ability to learn based on geographic boundaries. So the only excuse for this poor performance is because our educators and education administrators are not being held accountable.

   Mr. Malcom Thomas has had several years to right this ship and has failed so it’s time for new leadership. If I were in a position to fix this problem I would be looking to hire an administrator/educator from the aforementioned counties because obviously they know how to get the job done. Much can be learned from how colleges recruit new AD’s and coaches when their current staff fails to get the job done.

8. Bonnie Exner on July 12th, 2019 2:45 pm

   CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THAT IMPROVED…BUT AS A RETIRED EDUCATOR THAT HAS TAUGHT IN 7 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS..ALL SECONDARY LEVELS..I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DISAGREE WITH RATING SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT CAN STIGMATIZES THOSE THAT NEED THE MOST HELP..YOU CAN FIND SUCCESSES IN ALL SCHOOLS IF YOU LOOK FOR THEM!