FCAT failures, high school grads

Just in case you were too busy mopping up gravy late last week, we wanted to make sure you saw this Thanksgiving Day St. Petersburg Times story about Florida’s rising graduation rates. A big reason for last year's strong increase, the story notes, are kids who failed the FCAT exit exam (which is the 10th-grade FCAT) but still managed to earn what the state says is a comparable (but really, really low) score on the ACT or SAT. Those students accounted for 43 percent of last year’s diploma growth.

Gradebook readers, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Is it fair to have the FCAT be one of the main hurdles for graduating? Does it make sense to offer students another route if they can't pass it (on three or more tries, we should add)? Is the "alternate assessment" option a loophole, intended to pad one of the nation’s worst graduation rates? Is it a reasonable exemption that fairly brings Florida's rate more in line with other states? Does it undermines accountability?

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Flunk the FCAT, still pass go?

Florida's rising graduation rate generated some nice headlines last week, but one of the reasons for it may deserve a closer look: The skyrocketing number of kids who graduated even though they failed to pass the tenth grade FCAT.

Those kids still managed to get a standard diploma because they earned what the state considers a comparable score on the ACT or SAT. (The comparable ACT scores are 15 in reading and math. For the SAT, it's 410 in reading and 370 in math.)

Last year, 6,546 graduating seniors fit into this category – a 64 percent increase from two years ago, according to figures obtained by the Gradebook from the Florida Department of Education. Meanwhile, the total number of graduates increased by 5,995 over that time – enough for a 3-percent spike.

The "alternate assessment" kids are clearly a big reason why Pinellas's grad rate improved so much. But how big a factor are they in the feel-good state story? Could they be THE reason why our grad rates are up so much?

"We've asked staff to look," DOE spokesman Tom Butler told The Gradebook. "It certainly could be a large contributor, but we really need some analysis to say for sure."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

GEDs and grad rates

It's becoming a fall ritual: The state announces the latest graduation rates. The critics say the numbers are padded by GED diplomas. The Gradebook posts the GED numbers.

Here is a district-by-district breakdown of the most recent grad rates, with and without GEDs. And here is where you can find last year's numbers.

The current state rate is 75.4 percent with GEDs, 72.9 percent without. And we should probably get used to the "without" rate. The feds are pushing a uniform national grad rate that does not include GEDs, and state Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith has recommended likewise to the Florida Board of Education.

One added note: In Pinellas, which boasted a huge spike in grad rates this year, GEDs accounted for 3 percentage points. Last year, they accounted for 1.1 percentage points.

Ron Matus, state education reporter

(Times file photo)

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Florida's grad rate at record high

Florida's high school graduation rate jumped to a record 75.4 percent last year, up a full 3 percentage points from the year before, according to data released by Gov. Charlie Crist's office a few minutes ago.

The overall numbers showed big increases for black and Hispanic students, up 3.8 and 3.1 percentage points, respectively. And the district-by-district tallies show a whopping jump for Pinellas, from 67.3 to 74.4 percent.

"I am so proud of our schools, teachers, and students for this tremendous achievement," Crist said in a written statement. Added Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith: "These results reinforce the tremendous academic progress our students have made over the last decade and prove that Florida is home to some of the best teachers in the nation."

Around Tampa Bay, Hillsborough's rate moved from 79.1 to 80 percent. Pasco's climbed from 73.7 to 79.5 percent. And Hernando's went from 75.1 to 76.9 percent.

According to the DOE, Florida's grad rate is up 15.2 percentage points since the 1998-99 school year.

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State dropout rate improves

Even as Florida's overall enrollment dropped last year, the number of high school students earning regular diplomas rose by 4.42 percent while the number of dropouts declined by 24.4 percent, according to newly released statistics.

In raw numbers, that's 11,508 fewer students who dropped out in 2007-08 than the year before, and 6,019 more students who graduated from high school. Also, the state had 26,947 fewer students who were retained in 2007-08 than in 2006-07.

Locally, the numbers looked like this (change in graduates, dropouts and retentions):

• Pinellas: 4.92 percent; -40.77 percent; -20.5 percent
• Hernando: 7.41 percent, -11.79 percent; 3.92 percent
• Hillsborough: 3.01 percent, -6.28 percent; -9.66 percent
• Pasco: 10.65 percent; -38.56 percent; 8.12 percent

To see the complete spreadsheets, click on the links: dropout data, graduates data and non-promotions data.

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Hernando schools chief: "We screwed up."

Parents had a chance to voice their anger and hear school district officials explain what happened at last week's Hernando High graduation, when many parents were kept out of the ceremony due to overcrowding. Superintendent Wayne Alexander and school officials met with them Monday evening in the school's performing arts center. [Ron Thompson, Times]

BROOKSVILLE -- Sometimes an apology just doesn't cut it.

That's what some parents said Monday, nearly a week after graduation ceremonies at Hernando High School descended into a chaotic mess of shouting mothers, crying graduates and tight-lipped police.

Speaking to around a dozen parents, superintendent Wayne Alexander said the school had failed to assign sufficient staff last Tuesday to make sure 1,519 ticket holders could find seats in a gymnasium with at least 1,550 seats and a rated capacity of 1,928 people. And administrators failed to respond quickly when the situation at the door began to fall apart.

"There was no one to coordinate the efforts to pack people in," Alexander said. "I'm sorry. We simply screwed up, we didn't do our jobs."

Editor's pick: Grad photo of the day

These two look ready to celebrate their graduation from Seminole High.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Editor's pick: Grad photo of the day

Cindy Eldredge of Spring Hill shares a photo from her graduation from St. Leo. "A long awaited day for a senior citizen of Hernando county.," she says.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Editor's pick: Grad photo of the day

Proud grandmother Barbara Burke shares this photo of Largo High graduate Tony Lanzilotta taking one last slide home, ending his 4-year career playing for the Largo Packers.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Editor's pick: Grad photo of the day

These two are ready to celebrate after the Countryside High School Graduation.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Grad photo of the day

Deidra Navarro tries out her cap and gown.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

The price of graduation? Not that much

Yesterday's post on the high price of graduation got proud mom (and USF communication prof) Elizabeth Bell to thinking. Sure, commencement costs could get out of hand, but they don't have to, Bell wrote to the Gradebook:

Let's see. How much for my son's graduation last Wednesday from Freedom High School? No senior picture; I do much better with our digital camera. No year book; his MySpace page serves many more purposes. Yes to cap, gown, and tassel, but all were borrowed from a friend who graduated last year. No class ring; he didn’t want one. (Smart kid to realize that no college student wears a high school ring.) No graduation announcement; he made his own [see above] with his Wacom tablet, Photoshop, and card stock I had on hand.

I'll admit that the twelve stamps did cost $5.04, the Latin honors cord $5, and $9 for the diploma cover. A picture shaking hands with the principal? No way. But I will treasure the image of him making the Welcome speech to the assembly at the Sun Dome. I took it with my digital camera. Total for the evening? $19.04. My son's off to do more important things? Priceless.

Happy graduation week, everyone.

So long, kindergarten

Scott Stewart shares a photo of  his  6-year-old grandson Nicholas tossing his cap after graduating from kindergarten. Nicholas and his classmates celebrated at  Fossil swimming pool in St. Petersburg.

Share your favorite grad photos.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Show off your grad pics

[A reader shares a photo of her grandson Brendan]

Proud parents and grads: Share your your graduation photos with tampabay.com. We'll highlight them on the Web site, in our community photo gallery.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.