FL - 3 schools' grades will come late from state

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By KENT FISCHER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 14, 2002

A state computer error left three Pasco schools off Florida's latest educational report card.

In addition, the district is challenging the grade of Denham Oaks Elementary.

The state uses student test scores to grade its schools, A through F. Denham Oaks received a B, but Pasco school administrators say its scores were high enough for an A.

When the state released its annual school report card Wednesday, Mitchell High, Sunray Elementary and Chasco Elementary received no grades, even though their test scores were reported along with every other district school.

Assistant superintendent Sandy Ramos said state officials told the district that a "programming error" caused the schools to receive an "N" (no grade). The district has received no official word from the state, but administrators say they expect Chasco and Mitchell to each receive C's, while Sunray is facing a D.

Under the state grading program, only schools that have been open for at least two years receive grades. All three Pasco schools opened in 2000.

"We know that they should have received grades," said Katherine Divine, Pasco's director of research. "Apparently, it was a programming error."

Around the state, 124 schools received no grades, according to the state Department of Education. The department, however, couldn't say how many of those schools should have received grades but did not. The department would say only that there were "a number" of computer glitches that caused some problems with the release of the scores Wednesday and that the state is working to fix the mistakes.

SP Times

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2002


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