Tampabay.com
JUNE 25, 2009

Gibbs High School avoids accountability hammer

Gibbs logo III Gibbs High in St. Petersburg won’t have to make plans for an overhaul after all.

Despite its F grade, it falls into the “Correct II” category under the state’s complicated new accountability system and not in “Intervene,” according to information released by the state Department of Education this morning. Thirty-six other Pinellas schools are in Correct II. (You can find them here.)

Those schools will still get increased intervention and oversight from state and district officials, and will still have to make changes. But only schools in Intervene face the prospect of restructuring (at least that’s the threat the state has put on paper) if they don’t make substantial progress in two years.

How Gibbs managed to avoid the most severe category remains unclear. But it may have squeaked past because even though it hasn’t improved in reading and math in the past five years, it hasn’t gotten worse, either.

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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THE TEAM

Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Ron Matus covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail him: matus@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: solochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

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