CRESTVIEW HIGH SCHOOL EARNS AN "A" GRADE

Just another reason folks are making their home in Crestview. Quality of Life continues to rise, which put the City of Crestview in the crosshairs for a place they will call home. Great job to all concerned.

Crestview earns A grade
School grade changed after miscalculation was corrected
By KATIE TAMMEN
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4440 ktammen@nwfdailynews.com   CRESTVIEW — Crestview High School went from being a B-school to an A-school on the state grading scale late last week after a calculation error was corrected. The Okaloosa County school was given a B grade by the Florida Department of Education back in December because their graduation rate of at-risk students supposedly fell below the mandated 75 percent. The school decided to appeal the grade after realizing they had a 76 percent graduation rate for at-risk students, said Principal Ed Coleman. “We all felt we were an A-school. We saw the error and we pointed it out,” Coleman said. Only a few days after submitting the request for the state to reconsider the grade, Coleman received good news. A calculation error, in fact, had occurred and the school actually was an A-school. The issue arose after the school was penalized for dropping slightly in their graduation rates, Coleman said. Instead of applying the penalty to the final score, the state applied it to the at-risk graduation rates and that put it at 71 percent, thus making the school ineligible for an A, said Guyla Hendricks, the chief officer for quality assurance and curriculum for the district. Four other schools in the state faced a similar issue. Schools across Florida are graded each year by the state. In previous years, the grades were based on how well students performed on the FCAT, but the most recent scores were based on more comprehensive criteria. In addition to FCAT performance, high school grades now also are based on graduation rates and student participation in accelerated courses. This is the third year in a row Crestview has been an A-school. “I am extremely proud of our faculty and staff. I am extremely proud of our students and parents,” Coleman said. “I think it (the A grade) just speaks volumes about the quality of our education.”