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School Grades Released

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By LENORA LAKE

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 12, 2008

USF CAMPUS - The USF/Patel Intermediate Charter School, which two years ago faced possible cancellation of its contract because of poor student performance, has received its lowest school grade ever, an F.

The school, operated by the University of South Florida on the university campus, had received a C for 2006-07 and a C for 2005-06. It got a D for 2004-05, the first year it had a large enough enrollment to receive a grade.

Letter grades were released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education. They have been assigned since 1999 and are computed using Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.

Patel Principal Rylene Stein and Colleen Kennedy, dean of the USF's College of Education, were unavailable for comment Tuesday. However, Kennedy issued a statement through her communications director, Kim Tucker, that she would review the grade with the principal. Her office had no further comment.
Charter schools are operated with public money by organizations other than school districts, but they must be chartered through school districts.

When the school received a C in June 2006, Hillsborough County school board members decided to renew the contract even though school district administrators had expressed concern about it.
Hillsborough County school board member Candy Olson said then that if the school should decline in academic performance during the next two-year period, the county board would revisit terminating its contract.

Olson said in an interview Tuesday that the school's performance is "something that absolutely" should be reviewed.

She said the district should ask: "Who are the children they are serving and is the staff doing everything possible for those children?"

She added, "It doesn't mean you shut them down, but you have to watch them."

Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High, a charter school that just ended its first school year, received a C.

Terrace Community Middle School, a charter school, retained an A, as did all New Tampa elementary and middle schools. New Tampa's Freedom High School joined the A group, moving up from a B.

New Tampa's Wharton High also saw improvement, going from a C to a B.

King High School, which serves Temple Terrace residents, saw its grade go from a D to a B.

Other Temple Terrace area schools were mixed, with grades ranging from A to C.

Several University Area schools, including Mort Elementary and Witter Elementary, saw improvement, with grades going from D to C.

The MOSI Partnership School at the Museum of Science & Industry, in its first year of operation, received a B. Many of the MOSI students previously attended Shaw Elementary, which again received a C.

Many principals were away from schools Tuesday, attending meetings or conferences, and not available to comment on their grades from the state.

Results for adequate yearly progress also were released. Those results are based on federal requirements, and schools that don't meet standards could face sanctions.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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