- April 24, 2024
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After pulling itself out of a failing rating, Palm Harbor Academy has drafted a success plan to continue to improve its performance in the future.
In the 2012-2013 school year, the charter school would have received an F rating. It was not formally assessed by the state because it enrolls too few students, but the district still evaluates Palm Harbor annually under state assessment standards to determine what score the school would have received if graded.
The F grade was cause for concern, and last year, the school extended the school day by 60 minutes and used that time to bring in consultant specialists in math and reading. It also ensured that all of its teaching staff are certified and qualified in accordance with Title I requirements and implemented professional development initiatives, among other things.
The changes were successful: Last year, had the school enrolled enough students to qualify for state assessment, it would have received a C grade.
Although Palm Harbor is still one of the lowest-scoring schools in the district (it is tied with Phoenix Academy, which received a C last year), it is increasing its rating at a rate faster than any other school in the district, according to consultants who were hired by the school hired to help it turn around, and who presented a report to the Flagler County School Board on Aug. 20.
This year, the state enacted a tougher grading system for schools in preparation for the switch to Common Core Curriculum. To prevent schools from seeing drastic declines in their grades during the transition time, the state Legislature passed a safety net that prevented schools from declining more than one letter grade year over year.
Because of that, both Rymfire Elementary School and Bunnell Elementary Schools were awarded B ratings when they would have earned C ratings if assessed using the state’s standards as Palm Harbor was.
Those involved with the charter school hope to keep the positive trend going. To do so, it will continue the use of its specialists and consultants in the classroom and will continue offering professional development courses.
The school will also move away from teachers working in isolation and more toward working collaboratively and cooperatively. This, along with the changes enacted last year, should expedite the school’s turnaround, its consultants said.
“The anticipation is that improvements are going to be faster because now there won’t be a slow period of finding their way,” said Kim Komisar, one of the school’s consultants. “They’re already found their way.”
