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School In National Spotlight

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By MICHELE SAGER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

THONOTOSASSA - Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education will be heading to the Tampa area next month to give a local school one of the highest honors in education.

Terrace Community Middle School received the 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools award. The charter school was one of 287 schools to get the award this year and the only one in the Tampa Bay area.

The Blue Ribbon award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate gains in student achievement. Schools are selected based on one of two criteria. Schools must have at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improve their performances on state tests. Schools also must have students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests.

'These schools are proving that when we raise the bar, our children will rise to the challenge,' U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in a written statement. 'It takes a lot of hard work by teachers and students to become a Blue Ribbon School.'

Terrace Community has repeatedly been ranked among the top middle schools in the state for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.

'We've really come a long way in a very short time,' Principal Gary Hocevar said. 'We rose to the top.'

Ann Hancock, Spellings' regional representative, is expected to visit Terrace Community on Nov. 8 to present the award. School officials also will attend the official ceremony in Washington on Nov. 12 and 13, where all the schools will be honored.

Hocevar said he is letting the students plan the campus ceremony.

'They were so excited when I told them they could plan it,' he said. 'This is their day. This is about them.'

Hocevar said word about the Blue Ribbon award is leaving an impression. The school has received 42 applications from teachers who want to work at the school since the news was announced.

School officials credit the back-to-basics curriculum, focused teaching plans and parent and community support for its success.

'This is the icing on the cake,' said Gil Schisler, chairman of Terrace Community's board. 'This tells the board what we've done and that we're doing it better than any other school in the district.'

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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