Tougher FCAT could hit Pinellas schools hard

Critics have been saying for weeks that the move to a tougher FCAT will be bad news for schools around the state.

On Tuesday, the Pinellas school board got a sense of how bad it could be.

If the new standards were applied to last year's FCAT results, 74 schools would have had double-digit decreases in the percentage of students passing the reading test, according to a district analysis presented to the board at a workshop. Eighty-one would have seen similar results with the math test, including 27 that would have plummeted by 20 or more percentage points.

"This is not a prediction ... but that's a pretty good indicator," said Superintendent John Stewart. "It's a good warning sign to everyone."

Last month, in a hotly debated move, the state Board of Education increased the passing scores for all levels of the annual reading and math exams, saying the state needed to again raise the bar for academic success. The changed followed the state's move to FCAT 2.0, a new, more rigorous version of the test.

Lower FCAT scores are likely to set off a series of accountability dominoes, including tumbling school grades and additional state mandates for schools falling short.

Stewart said the district has been getting the word out to teachers and principals, letting them know the challenges are greater but also trying to reassure them that the test results will be fine if they continue to focus on what's important.

"We're just going to redouble our efforts ... and work as diligently as we can to make that every student is learning," he said in a video message to staff this week.

In other workshop action:

The board briefly discussed a proposed legal agreement that renews the district's commitment to boosting the number of black teachers, and offers general guidelines on how to do so. Board members raised no objections to the agreement, which is the latest spinoff from the district's long-running desegregation lawsuit.

"We're not where we were 30 years ago. The school (district) has made considerable progress," said Watson Haynes, who leads a group that advocates for black students. But the agreement will ensure that progress continues, he said

The board is scheduled to vote on the agreement next week.

The board also heard more details about a coming recommendation from Stewart to redistribute millions of dollars in federal money that the district receives to help high-poverty schools.

Under former Superintendent Julie Janssen, the board shifted the money away from elementary schools exclusively and to elementary, middle and high schools. Stewart wants to change the distribution back to elementary and middle schools. He also wants more specific goals set for the money and more monitoring for effectiveness.

"This seems like a more focused approach," said board member Peggy O'Shea.

Ron Matus can be reached at (727) 893-8873 or matus@tampabay.com.