Saturday, May 19, 2012
The Hillsborough County School District is touting its students' test scores following a controversial decision to lower the cut score so that fewer students would fail.
Plant High School students were among several Hillsborough County schools that excelled on Florida's FCAT writing test, school officials said Friday. Plant's 10th-graders scored a 3.8 on the test, helping Hillsborough County's 10th-graders as a whole earn a 3.5, the second highest score in the state when compared to "comparable and contiguous" school districts. Hillsborough's 4th-graders also had the second highest scores statewide, while the 8th-graders were tied for third highest. Students can score between a 1.0 to a 6.0 on the writing test. In an emergency session held earlier this week, the State Board of Education lowered the cut score for the FCAT writing test after initial results showed only about a third of students would have …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The passing grade for Florida's standardized writing test has been lowered by an emergency rule, keeping the failure rate basically unchanged, TBO.com reports.
Was this the right call? What are your thoughts on the FCAT? Post your comment below. The passing grade for Florida's standardized writing test has been lowered thanks to an emergency rule instituted Tuesday, keeping the failure rate basically unchanged from a year ago, TBO.com reports. "The State Board of Education unanimously passed the rule today after preliminary results showed only about a third of students would pass this year," according to TBO's story. That would have been down from 80 percent or better on last year's writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), TBO reports, a decrease that came after the test was made more difficult. The FCAT writing test is taken by 4th-, 8th- and 10th-graders. Read more …
The 22nd Annual Elementary Fine Arts Festival will take place at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, May 16.
From Hillsborough County Public Schools: More than 700 fourth and fifth grade art and music students from public schools across the county will showcase their talents at the 22nd Annual Elementary Fine Arts Festival at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Pl., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16. The Morsani Hall lobby will open at 6:30 p.m. for the student artwork gallery. At 7 p.m., music students from around the county will participate in a variety of performances including a festival orchestra, handbell choir, three regional choruses, Orff ensemble, world drumming, and a finale of all ensembles. Students and parents have raved about past performances. “It was amazing how all of the separate ensembles …
Monday, May 14, 2012
Plant High School will participate in the National Scholastic Rowing Association Championship Regatta in New Jersey at the end of May.
Submitted by Ellen Fiss (proud parent of “Garrett”, Freshman Coxswain): Over 100 athletes represented H.B. Plant High School at the Florida State Championships for Rowing held April 28-29 in Sarasota. Congratulations to all the athletes and coaches including the Plant Girls Freshman 8, who brought home gold medals and two trophies - as the fastest Freshman Girls Team and the fastest Scholastic Team in the State of Florida. The Girls Freshman team was in control of the entire 1,500 meter Grand Final race besting second place finisher, Winter Park High School, by 14.9 seconds. The Girls Junior 8 won silver medals in their final race and the Girls Second Varsity 8 won bronze medals. In addition to these teams, the Girls First Varsity and the …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Plant High and Robinson High make the U.S. News & World Report's list of the best high schools across the country.
U.S. News & World Report has released its annual rankings of the nation's best high schools, and both Plant and Robinson are on the list. Plant is ranked No. 22 in the state of Florida and No. 321 nationally. “We are absolutely thrilled,” said Plant High School principal Robert Nelson, “I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world.” But Nelson said that he does not take credit for the ranking. Nelson attributed the success of the high school to the school staff and student body. Robinson checks in at No. 34 in Florida and No. 574 in the nation. U.S. News evaluated nearly 22,000 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. "Schools were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals based on state proficiency standards, how …
27.920407
-82.501819
Henry B. Plant High School
2415 S Himes Ave, Tampa, FL
/articles/plant-robinson-ranked-among-nation-s-best-high-schools
1987140
/locations/6957540
27.875371
-82.514471
Robinson High School
6311 S Lois Ave, Tampa, FL
/articles/plant-robinson-ranked-among-nation-s-best-high-schools
2052301
/locations/6957541
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Lady Knights were one of six Central Florida high school teams to win a complete sponsorship for new uniforms in Allen Sportswear's Dress the Champions contest.
The Robinson High girls basketball team will have a fresh look next year. The Lady Knights were one of six Central Florida high school teams to win a complete sponsorship for new uniforms in Allen Sportswear's Dress the Champions contest. Robinson was selected as a finalist after school parent Ari Fitzgerald submitted an essay for the central Florida company's contest. In it, Fitzgerald wrote about "a team that has risen above the obstacles of relative obscurity, lack of financial resources, and tremendous sadness to post its best season the school has seen since 1996." Robinson junior Kiara Brito, 16, a member of the team, was shot and killed in her South Tampa home in June, as TBO.com reports. For the contest, the team also submitted a …
27.875371
-82.514471
Robinson High School
6311 S Lois Ave, Tampa, FL
/articles/robinson-high-girls-basketball-wins-new-uniforms
2052301
/locations/6932632
Admission to the museum is free for teachers and their families in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Submitted by Sally Shifke: We invite Tampa Bay teachers on Saturday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to visit the Henry B. Plant Museum as we salute them during Teacher Appreciation Week. Admission is free for teachers and their families with their school ID. Teachers can explore the Museum at their leisure, learn about exciting field trip opportunities in 2012-2013, enjoy our in-depth, self-guided audio tour, and participate in a special walkthrough at 1 p.m. with Curator of Education Heather Brown. They may also view the award-winning, 14-minute historical video on “Florida’s First Magic Kingdom” and investigate our new exhibit "Japan and the Victorians." Teachers can enter our hourly drawing for a chance to win prizes for the classroom. …
27.945554
-82.463898
Henry B. Plant Museum
401 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL
/articles/are-you-a-teacher-visit-the-henry-b-plant-museum-for-free
1748882
/locations/6932126
Friday, April 27, 2012
Students at one Tampa school will start earlier due to the Republican National Convention.
Hillsborough County parents hoping to get a jump on planning for next school year are in luck. The Hillsborough County School Board has given a green light to the district’s proposed calendar. The 2012-13 calendar has students reporting for the first day of classes on Aug. 21. Pupils at the Rampello Downtown Partnership K-8 School, however, will start a bit earlier due to the Republican National Convention. Their first day of classes is Aug. 14, but they’ll be off Aug. 27-31. Rampello serves students from all over the county whose parents work in the downtown area. “Rampello is located about 1,000 feet from the (Tampa Bay Times) Forum,” the district said in a media release. “To avoid traffic problems and because many of their parents who …
Monday, April 23, 2012
Have your kids reported strange questions on this year’s FCATs?
A talking pineapple challenges a hare to a race. The hare wins. The pineapple gets eaten by a gaggle of forest creatures. Which character was the wisest? No, it’s not a joke or the plotline for a beloved children’s fable. Believe it or not, that’s an abbreviated version of a question that appeared on this year’s 8th-grade New York State Exam – a test similar to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. So why should it matter to Tampa Bay area parents? That question was prepared by the same company that puts together the FCAT for our students, according to The Huffington Post. FCAT testing began in Florida on April 16 and continues this week. NCS Pearson has long been responsible for Florida’s standardized tests. It also prepares tests …
Friday, April 20, 2012
Two South Tampa elementary schools offer free summer prekindergarten programs.
News Report: Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia urges parents of 4 and 5-year-olds to enroll them in free summer Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) at one of the participating 19 public elementary schools. Children who turn 5 years old by September 1, 2012 (born between Sept. 2, 2006 and Sept. 1, 2007), are Florida residents, and who have never participated in VPK are eligible. The program will be offered between June 18 and August 8, Monday through Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. These hours are flexible so parents can drop off children later than 7:30 a.m. or pick them up earlier than 6 p.m. The VPK program prepares children to enter kindergarten. The district’s summer program is offered at two South Tampa …
Lynda
12:17 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Thank you for putting into words the reality of a teacher's work. Many of us who chose to teach and then left the profession did so because a teacher's work stopped being valued by the community. You are a real hero to me for staying with the profession. More teachers need to speak out when they can to correct all the hateful comments directed at them and the work they do. And more of the rest of… more ›