There is a flicker of good news among the five struggling elementary schools in south St. Petersburg's poorest neighborhoods. Three are showing significant gains in student test scores this spring following years of decline. The improvements should give district leaders a boost as they implement measures to fix the failing schools, where much work remains to undo the damage from years of systemic neglect.
Melrose, Maximo and Fairmount Park elementary schools made double-digit gains in many cases among third-, fourth- and fifth-graders on Florida's standardized English and math tests. The gains are particularly encouraging among fifth-graders, who struggle more than younger students to catch up. At Maximo, for example, fifth-graders' pass rate in math on the 2015 Florida Standards Assessment was an abysmal 12 percent. In 2016, it jumped to 35 percent. That's a healthy gain.
The three schools, plus Campbell Park and Lakewood elementaries, spiraled into failure after the Pinellas School District abandoned integration efforts in 2007. As detailed in the Times' "Failure Factories" series, the schools became overwhelmingly black and poor, and district leaders failed to follow up with promised resources. Discipline problems mounted and teachers were too often left to fend for themselves. By every measure, these five schools quickly became among the worst in the state.
Improvements aside, the schools' 2016 test scores still reflect the challenges ahead. A 35 percent passing rate on a state test is unacceptable, and that's a bright spot. At Campbell Park Elementary, just 4 percent of fourth-graders posted passing scores in English. That's down from 8 percent in 2015. At Lakewood, fifth-graders lost ground in English, with the pass rate of 21 percent in 2015 dropping to 15 percent this year. Compare those figures to the district averages, which show a combined pass rate for the three grades of 60 percent in math and 52 percent in English, and it's clear that district leaders must remain focused on getting these students on track with their peers.
Pinellas school superintendent Mike Grego has brought in more training for teachers and lengthened the school day to add time for instruction. The district is offering up to $25,000 in added pay to teachers who go to work at failing schools. Turnaround leader Antonio Burt, hired in January, has plans that reach beyond the campuses to strengthen partnerships with businesses, expand mentoring programs and deepen parental involvement — a key factor in student success. This fall, he plans to implement classroom strategies to help kids settle in each morning and be ready to learn. These efforts show promise in stopping the cycle of failure.
Four of the five "Failure Factories" schools have new principals, and all have plenty of new teachers. Grego and Burt told the Times editorial board Tuesday that many of the teachers left voluntarily rather than tackle an extended day and overhauled routines. With new leadership, teachers and approaches to teaching reading, science and math will come new expectations for more success.
One unqualified success has been the district's Summer Bridge program. Aimed at stemming students' learning losses during the vacation months, the program is in its fourth year of providing needed reviews in core subject areas. Students who complete the program show proficiency gains in subject areas, and this summer Grego says 16,000 students are registered. That's an increase of more than 1,000 students over last summer who stand to benefit from the extra lessons.
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Explore all your optionsThere are miles to go. Plaintiffs in a civil rights-era desegregation lawsuit say the district still isn't spending enough money to ensure that black children catch up to their peers in reading and math. The Concerned Organization for Quality Education of Black Students, known as COQEBS, has similar concerns and is pursuing separate legal action that is headed toward mediation. And the district's efforts should be a key issue in the August School Board elections.
The latest test scores at the south St. Petersburg elementary schools provide some modest encouragement that focusing significant human and financial capital pays off in improved student achievement. When school starts in August with revamped faculties and new teaching approaches, the challenge will be to take a more significant leap forward.