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30ABandMan

Beach Fanatic
Apr 1, 2007
731
77
SGB
:)
 

hkem1

Beach Fanatic
Sep 8, 2007
350
41
South Walton FCAT scores

For anyone new to the area, this is a much simpler way to evaluate the school than the Florida grading system. Visiting would be the best way, but if that is not possible.

Grade 10 South Walton: 46% passed the reading FCAT, 88% passed the math FCAT.

State Average in reading was 38% and 73%.

Those numbers might look good because they are higher than the state average, but consider that South Walton only has 14 percent of students eligible for free lunch while the state average is 46% percent.

There are many studies that have shown how wealth correlates with student achievement on standardized tests.

So, shouldn't South Walton be capable of doing more with what it has?

Sources:
South Walton High School - Santa Rosa Beach, Florida - FL - School overview

The Coefficient of Determination: Family Wealth and Student Achievement Scores
 

mdd88jd

Beach Lover
May 26, 2008
155
210
Agree with all posts, except Shallownoles.....we are all proud of South Walton High School's "A."

To respond to the poster about the percentages, remember what the grade represents. It represents how many of the students in the botton 25% of the FCAT scores improved their reading, math and science scores from previous year. The grade als partially represents the number of students, as a percentage of the whole student body, that are enrolled in AP, IB, Dual Enrollment classes and the school's drop out rate. Remarkably, the overall percentage of students scoring in the Level 1, 2 and 3, as noted by the poster, is not a huge part of the grade.

We continue to work on the reading and math scores. We are making progress. But, the progress is inconsistent at best. We are certainly not happy with all the schools' grades. But, S. Walton's grade shows great work.... And, I always encourage folks to go visit schools. They are always pleasantly suprised by the experience.
 
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ShallowsNole

Beach Fanatic
Jun 22, 2005
4,292
849
Pt Washington
And I agree with mdd88jd's post, and since he knows me fairly well, he should also know that my post was, at least in part, tongue-in-cheek. However, I am finding it much more difficult to convey that when I post from my phone than when I post from my PC with the nice big screen and large keys. :roll:

Well, that and I'm a Freeport grad married to a Walton grad with a senior at South Walton...gotta keep the rivalries going! :cool:
 

mdd88jd

Beach Lover
May 26, 2008
155
210
Hey Shallow Noles. I understand. Hard to get past those old high school rivalries. I know you well enough to know you have deep connections to the three stand alone high schools.

Like you, I have such deep connections to all four high schools. It's hard for me to pull for one against the other. My connection to WHS is obvious. I am an almuni. I voted to build SWHS and have attended every graduation as a school board member. The school is like my "baby." My dad was the principal at Freeport and was the first basketball coach there back in the 1960s. My brother coached at Freeport and I volunteered there for 7 years. And, I volunteered with my brother at Paxton for two wonderful years. So really, I have connections to all four.

One good thing about school grades is that Walton High School feels the competition. They will work hard to catch up with the other two schools.
 

ShallowsNole

Beach Fanatic
Jun 22, 2005
4,292
849
Pt Washington
If I could figure out how to do a thank-you from my phone, I would! Meanwhile, I'll be in the gym at SWHS for the next 3+ hours. Go 'Hawks!!
 

North Lake

Beach Lover
Apr 15, 2007
147
108
Hey Shallow Noles. I understand. Hard to get past those old high school rivalries. I know you well enough to know you have deep connections to the three stand alone high schools.

Like you, I have such deep connections to all four high schools. It's hard for me to pull for one against the other. My connection to WHS is obvious. I am an almuni. I voted to build SWHS and have attended every graduation as a school board member. The school is like my "baby." My dad was the principal at Freeport and was the first basketball coach there back in the 1960s. My brother coached at Freeport and I volunteered there for 7 years. And, I volunteered with my brother at Paxton for two wonderful years. So really, I have connections to all four.

One good thing about school grades is that Walton High School feels the competition. They will work hard to catch up with the other two schools.


Amen, Mark! I graduated from Walton in 1970 when it was the only high school in the county with a football team. Had many friends at Paxton and Freeport at the time - among them a former state representative, several PhD's, many friends who are now teaching and leading our school district, and many who have become successful businesspeople and professionals who have excelled here and elsewhere. I now also have a daughter who graduated from Freeport, and a son who graduated from South Walton. We've come a long way in the last 40 years, and we need to encourage all schools in the county to be all they can be. The intra-county sports rivalries are good to keep the competitive spirit alive and they bring our county together, but academically we all need to be on the same plane. We have a big disparity in the grades among the schools in our small county. Whether the disparity is attributed to the administration in each school, the faculty in each school, or the student demographics in each school, in an ideal world all schools in the county, in the same system as they are, would achieve the same grade -- hopefully an A if we're doing it right. How can we get there?
 
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