Pine Ridge Elementary School hosted a celebration in honor of receiving an “A” school grade.
The Clermont-area elementary school has been a “B” graded school by the Florida Department of Education since 2006; however, in 2010 it secured an “A” grade.
“I’m so proud of our students,” said Amy Cockcroft, Principal of Pine Ridge Elementary. “There were a lot of factors that contributed to our success, such as teacher collaboration and the hard work of our parents and volunteers.”
Pine Ridge Elementary celebrated its achievement in conjunction with the “Pro Kids Show!” The live action motivational program by Scott Humston used music, magic, comedy, storytelling and audience involvement to help students learn the importance of honesty, self-respect, cooperation and responsibility.
School grades are determined on a point system. A school earns one point for each percentile of students who score high on the annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). A school also earns one point for each percentile of students who show learning gains in reading or math skills. Extra weight is given to improvement in reading skills among the lowest-performing readers in each school. Other criteria include the addition of science FCAT scores and learning gains made in mathematics.
The grade is given to a school on the basis of its overall points. To receive an A, a school must score 525 points or more, test at least 95 percent of eligible students; show learning gains in reading of at least half of the lowest 35 percent of reading performers; and demonstrate the learning curve of the lowest-performing quarter of students is within 10 points of the learning curve of the rest of the students.
