| COMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. INTRODUCTION The Sarasota County Public School District provides educational programs and services to a socio-demographically diverse population. The district's efforts to provide a solid college preparatory curriculum are evidenced by several factors, including:
Yet, there is also evidence which points to groups of students who are underserved by the district. Data supports the conclusion that, for a school system exhibiting a high degree of academic success, other proxy or contributing indicators ought to be better. For example, student drop-out rates and teacher attendance rates should be lower when compared with similar cohorts of students in other school districts. Additionally, student attendance rates - while at the mean for the cohort group - do not yet approach the effectiveness level. For example, schools with higher academic performance indicators tend to have higher attendance rates. It could be concluded that Sarasota is providing its college-bound students with outstanding academic programs. More attention must be given to low achieving students who tend to be from low income and minority families. In particular, focus should be placed on written communication skills and programs for those students choosing technical and vocational preparations in order to improve overall effectiveness of the district. It is within this context of this diversity the following COMMENDATIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS are offered.
B. COMMENDATIONS 1. Outstanding performance of students on college entrance examinations: Evidence indicates Sarasota students are scoring above the effectiveness level of their cohort group on the important examinations for college entrance. Data indicate, when Sarasota students are compared to others with similar socio-economic backgrounds, they score in at least the top 20 percent of students. 2. AP Program: The district is commended for its attention to high level coursework and programs such as the College Board approved Advanced Placement program. Evidence indicates both the participation and performance of students in AP exceed expected effectiveness levels. The district has recently implemented an International Baccalaureate Program at Riverview High School which offers an additional academic challenge to students. 3. Norm-referenced test results: The district is commended for meeting or exceeding the mean on norm-referenced tests, for all grades levels 2-8 in both reading and mathematics. 4. Perceptions of effectiveness: For a community of this size, there is a high degree of agreement among the three participating stakeholder groups - parents, teachers and administrators - that the Correlates of Effectiveness are in place. This is commendable when compared to other districts in the cohort group. On a scale of 1 to 4, an average score of 2.0 or lower indicates that the correlate is perceived to be established in the school district:
The district is commended for its attention to the various elements that make up each Correlate of Effectiveness. 5. Instructional leadership of principals: Data analysis and observations made while conducting random school site visits suggest building level administrators are striving to provide instructional leadership. Such observations are confirmed by: a. Perception data, showing uniform and high support for building administrator visibility in the schools b. Commitment of principals to the teaching-learning process, and understanding of the correlates of effectiveness. c. Collaboration of the Board of Education and administration in supporting principals in the implementing, monitoring and improving of their School Instructional Improvement Plans. 6. Attention to needs of low performing students: Evidence reviewed by the site visit team suggests individual schools are making concerted efforts to reduce the academic performance gap between high performing and low performing students. On-site observations suggest these efforts are beginning to pay dividends. An example is the increased emphasis on early childhood programs. 7. Reading in the early grades: The site visit team believes the elementary school staffs have embraced the goal of all children reading at grade level by Grade 3. Resources are being provided for after school and summer programs for students needing additional reading instruction. 8. Efforts to make technology accessible: The district is commended for providing computer workstations to students, teachers and administrators. The board of education and administration have exhibited flexibility in permitting principals to allow students to check out computers for home use, especially during the summer months. 9. Gender equity: The number of females enrolled in higher level math and science coursework generally meets or exceeds the number of males enrolled in these courses. The district is commended for its efforts to attract female students to upper level math and science courses. 10. The arts: The district is commended for recent efforts to reestablish a comprehensive arts program. Further, the district is to be commended for enlisting the involvement of some of the arts and cultural institutions in the county to focus efforts on a community/schools partnership for the arts. The on-going dialogue between the schools and the arts community can only serve to enhance opportunities for children in the area of the arts. 11. Partnership with University of South Florida: The district is commended for developing a partnership with the University of South Florida which has resulted in the assessment and evaluation of several programs. Further, the district should be commended for designing these assessments and evaluations for continuous improvement. For example, the district has invited the team from the University of South Florida Department of Special Education to re-examine the Oak Park School program to see the extent to which previous recommendations have been implemented as part of continuous improvement commitments. 12. Staff Development: The audit team commends the school district for its comprehensive program of human resource development opportunities. Staff development options are many in number, provided across discipline areas, offered districtwide and by school site. In special education, careful consideration has been given to the uniqueness of special children and the legal responsibilities that accompany special needs. While many professional development opportunities appear to be related to specific programs and instructional materials, the district also offers a large number of courses related to teaching strategies and instructional activities. Documents indicate a wide range of programs are made available for support personnel as well as professional staff.
C. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Student Programs and Outcomes a. Drop-out rate: It is recommended the district undertake major efforts to reduce the drop-out rate in order to retain more students through to high school graduation. Currently, the district has a 15.05 percent drop-out rate, cumulative over 4 years. To achieve the mean drop-out rate of its cohort group, a reduction of 3.4 percent to 11.65 percent would be necessary. To achieve the effectiveness level, a reduction of 4.65 percent to 10.4 percent would be required. Evidence indicates the drop-out problem requires attention at all four of its Grade 9- 12 high schools:
b. Summer school intervention: Successful intervention must be done on a year- round basis. Therefore, the audit team recommends that the districtÕs designated reading and mathematics teachers be included for summer school intervention programs, regardless of their seniority, to effectively address the needs of students who have not scored at appropriate levels on the NAT and FCAT. All summer school teachers in remedial areas should be provided staff development in specific areas identified by careful analysis of student performance tests. c. Student attendance rates: While the attendance of students in Sarasota County at 93.2 percent is slightly above the mean, the audit team recommends measures be explored to increase overall student attendance to the effectiveness level of 96 percent. A review of data indicates the district is carefully tracking these data and improvement has been shown for three years in a row. d. Reading: Random site visits to schools suggested a teaching emphasis on decoding skills which is important to students who are learning English as a second language and for students who are from low socio-economic environments. Middle school reading scores on the NAT indicate a decline in reading which may be the result of an imbalance between decoding and reading for meaning. The site team recommends that a strategic plan focusing upon well balanced, developmentally appropriate reading be implemented. Meaning/comprehension strategies in Grades 3- 8 should emphasize non-fiction, reading for information, and elaborated assessment requiring constructed response. e. Instructional materials: Currently schools have the autonomy to select instructional materials as vehicles for the county course of study. Consideration should be given to utilization of materials with similar scope and sequence among elementary schools with high mobility rates that feed into the same middle/high school. Budgets and school board policy should be adopted to guarantee that adequate instructional resources are available at every school. 2. Human Resource Management a. Minority and female recruitment and hiring: The number of minority teachers is not proportional to the student population. The site visit team recommends a purposeful, structured program to recruit and hire minority teachers and administrators. In addition, it is recommended that efforts be made to recruit more minorities and female administrators into central level positions. b. Teacher candidate observation: Design and implement a strategy to observe teacher candidates involved in the teaching/learning process as part of teacher selection. c. Staff development: It is recommended the district offer even more long-term, job-embedded, sustained professional development which builds capacity for change. The unique presence of an in-district staff development center should aid the district in such training opportunities. d. Formal leadership programs for principals: There is evidence principals strive to be good instructional leaders, but they may need a better defined framework in which to operate. A formal leadership institute for principals should be provided to enhance the effectiveness of site-based management. e. Teacher attendance: The audit team recommends the administration employ strategies to improve teacher attendance which is below the mean of 6.5 days for the cohort group at 7.4 days. The effectiveness level is 4.5 days. f. Differentiated salaries: It is recommended that the Board of Education and teacher representatives seriously consider initiatives in providing salary premiums which include marketplace weighted compensation for teachers in areas of critical need. Examples are teachers of mathematics, science, special education and bilingual ESOL. Such financial incentives could also be used to attract minority teachers to the district. 3. Technology a. Technology plan: Continue to implement a technology plan to provide equity for all students, with priority actions identified to address the learning needs of the lowest achieving students. The audit team believes the district should establish district guidelines intended to reduce the disparity between low and high income student access to computers and other new technologies. For example, consider the district-wide implementation of programs such as "ET (Educational Technology) Goes Home," personal computer loan programs, and school district supported staff computer purchasing programs, particularly in low income communities. b. Data-driven technology: Continue to use data to guide the selection and implementation of new instructional technologies. c. Technology systems in media centers: Develop technology systems in all secondary school media centers to provide students with up-to-date, on-line research capabilities beyond the Internet, including access to systems such as a district-wide network, access to public library information, access to university library information, the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), NEWSBANK and NEXUS. d. CAD/Graphics software:Enhance software programs to accommodate Computer- Assisted Design and computer-based art/graphics accessible in all high schools. e. Staff development: Provide on-going additional staff development in the integration of technology into the curriculum. f. Local Area Networks: Hasten the implementation of Local Area Networks (prior to 2000). g. Telephones in classrooms: The audit team recommends, for equity and school-to home communication purposes, that telephones be provided for all teachers to make outbound, local calls to parents. 4. Budgetary Considerations a. Investment per pupil: The audit team notes that with an average family income of over $46,000, a taxable value of $580,000 per pupil and high residential property value, the Sarasota County School District is expending only $5,702 per pupil in general non-capital dollars. The expenditure per pupil is below the national average of $6100 per pupil while the income level is among the top ten standard metropolitan areas in the country. While the SchoolMatch audit team recognizes much of this income is attributable to part-time residents, it is important to note that the school income is particularly low. In comparison with other schools with equivalent levels of wealth throughout the country, the State of Florida and local taxpayers are seriously underfunding district education and service programs for students. The audit team recommends the district seek increased funding from both the State of Florida and additional operating funds through a local millage election. b. Facilities updates: The district has provided generally outstanding maintenance for its facilities. However, the district houses approximately one third of its students in 600 temporary/portable buildings. Temporary/portable buildings appear to be becoming permanent buildings. Despite the excellent maintenance program, the cost will continue to increase as these temporary buildings age and the value depreciates. There is a need to provide permanent classrooms to accommodate an anticipated increase in pupil population and to retrofit older facilities for the needed technology for instruction in the 21st century. 5. Communications a. Public Information Office: It is highly unusual for a district the size and complexity of Sarasota County not to have a full-time paid professional with expertise in communications and media relations. The audit team recommends the School Board consider creating increased resources in this area. b. Graduate follow-up: The audit team recommends the district institute a program of follow-up of its graduates, using such data to refine and improve the high school experience. c. All home census: While the district has made efforts to survey families regarding information that will help in the teaching and learning process, the audit team recommends a more thorough home-by-home census. This is particularly important in Sarasota where U.S. census data reflect the community at large, not families with school-age children. The census would provide data such as the availability of computers in homes, education level of parents, interests of parents in after-school and summer school programs, mobility rates and perceptions of school effectiveness. The audit team defines the difference between a "census" and "survey" to be follow- through, with the goal of accounting for at least all homes with school-age children. The foundations and newspaper funding this study are encouraged to support the school system in this important effort. d. Use of cable television: It is recommended that the district secure and use additional and more accessible hours to broadcast school district information to community residents. e. Parent involvement: Perception data results support the need to increase parent involvement in school related activities. In meeting with parent groups, site visitors observed that volunteer groups might appreciate more regular forums through which to formulate recruitment and support strategies for increased parent involvement. |