Embracing the Scores

Each year, teachers wait in anticipation for the FCAT Writing, Reading, Math, and Science scores to come in. The teachers are excited to celebrate overall classroom success, but also, and more importantly, individual student's successes. The teachers have poured their hearts and souls all year into maximizing each minute of the day, preparing focused lessons that propel students to be self-directed learners and deep thinkers, and lovingly scaffolding each student to perform at their fullest potential. They want this FCAT success for the child. They want this FCAT success to validate their hard work.

The minute the scores become available on-line a buzz begins to envelope the front office. As word travels from the principal to instructional coaches to teachers, the buzz begins to escalate. The principal jumps into action and begins crunching numbers as teachers begin to swarm her office. Teachers, with their class rosters in hand, take the school print outs and begin filling in their rosters with student scores. In no time, teachers are high fiving each other to celebrate individual student's success, classroom averages are calculated and celebrated, and word travels like wild fire throughout the school that the news is in...and it looks good!

Thursday, the 2008 FCAT Writing scores became available on-line. The office was a buzz as this scene once again unfolded. Fourth grade teachers had 92% of their students score a Level 3.5 or better this year, an increase of 3% over last year's results! As remarkable, not one student scored below a Level 3.0--a first in Chets history! I am so proud of the teachers and the students for these incredible results! I celebrate the fourth grade teachers and students and every teacher that built this student's foundation from Kindergarten up. It takes 180 days every year to prepare the child for top performance. And, once again, I am stand in awe of their success.