When students take the FCAT this month, the goal is to determine how much they’ve learned this year. But often the real predictor of students’ success occurs when the teacher first walks into the classroom.

National studies show high staff turnover — often filling schools with inexperienced teachers — can impact a school’s overall performance and can impair students’ learning. Researchers say across the country Title I schools, which get federal money because of a high number of low-income students, often have difficulty attracting highly qualified teachers.

This, they say, results in struggling students not getting the help they need and low grades for the schools. In Florida, the state grades schools based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores each year, which can translate into more money for the schools.

A Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers analysis of 2007-2008 data from the Department of Education found schools along the Treasure Coast that have lower school grades often have high teacher turnover, high numbers of not highly qualified teachers or high numbers of educators teaching out of their fields. In contrast, higher-graded schools had, with a few exceptions, more teachers with advanced degrees, more classes taught by highly qualified teachers and less turnover.

Every school that got a C or lower had 15 percent or more new teachers. Two schools had near 50 percent new teachers, with one getting an F and the other a C. About 67 percent of C or below schools had at least 25 percent new teachers. In contrast, only about 13 percent of A schools had 25 percent or more new teachers.

Not every A or B school had lower turnover rates. In Martin County, where all schools are A’s and B’s, only one school — Anderson Middle — had more than 25 percent new teachers.

School officials along the Treasure Coast said they recognize the correlation between a school’s success and stability among the teachers on staff. Administrators are beefing up recruiting and retention efforts as a way of improving schools. In some cases, officials are turning to school restructuring to not only address student improvement, but to help attract better teachers and end turnover.

According to studies, the problem starts with bonuses. Florida schools that get an A or improve by one letter grade based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores are eligible for school recognition money. Often, this translates into a bonus for teachers.

According to a Johns Hopkins University study, the best, most experienced teachers often seek schools considered high-performing because there is a better chance for a bonus. It becomes a vicious cycle for low-performing schools that constantly see their experienced teachers leave.

“High schools with high dropout rates and the middle schools that feed students into them are often marked by high rates of teacher and administrator turnover and absences,” Robert Balfanz, research scientist for Johns Hopkins wrote in a study for the National Summit on America’s Silent Epidemic. “This has multiple negative consequences. It is impossible to have meaningful and lasting reform if the teachers and administrators who need to carry it out are constantly shifting.”

That’s why some Treasure Coast schools and districts are trying to break the cycle and get the best teachers to the students who need them most.

Some schools offer financial incentives such as bonuses as a way of enticing teachers. Incentives helped stop the revolving door of teachers at Fellsmere Elementary, one of Indian River County’s two Title I schools, said Butch Teske, assistant superintendent of personnel for the district.

Fellsmere, which got D’s in 2000 and 2004, improved to an A last year. Two years ago, Indian River rehired Barry Sesack, who had a history of leading A-rated schools in the district, to head Fellsmere Elementary with about 18 new teachers and high expectations for students. About 95 percent of the school’s students are from low-income homes, and 95 percent speak Spanish as their first language.

As a way of getting the best teachers to Title I schools, St. Lucie County initiated an aggressive recruitment campaign two years ago. Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon sent letters to the district’s National Board Certified teachers asking them to transfer to the green zone, where the district’s Title I schools are located. The district transferred some teachers out of the Title I schools, not always by choice, he said.

District officials thoroughly screened and interviewed applicants before they were hired, he said. At the start of this year, all Title I schools had teachers considered to be highly qualified by the state, he said.

“It takes a special kind of person to teach in these schools,” said Owen Roberts, St. Lucie’s district assistant superintendent for assessment and accountability.They need to have the right personality and caring attitude for students who may carry emotional baggage with them to school, district officials said. Sometimes, it takes changing more than just the teachers to turn around a school. Strong principals were placed at many struggling Treasure Coast schools to institute change, such as Sesack in Fellsmere. In a few instances, the school itself was revamped.

Garden City Elementary, St. Lucie’s lone F school, was renamed Garden City Early Learning Academy this school year, focusing only on pre-kindergarten through second grade students. More than half the staff at Garden City was new last year. Principal Teri Barenborg said the change was enticing to many teachers whose specialty is teaching the youngest learners.

Indian River’s Thompson Elementary changed to a magnet school, which could explain the high turnover there. More than 50 percent of the C-rated school’s teachers were new last year. But Principal Onesha McIntosh said the school’s staff now is stable because teachers like the smaller classes and support they get at Thompson. Magnet schools are different than other public schools because they don’t have an attendance zone. In Thompson’s case, students in the immediate neighborhood were given automatic acceptance the first year.

Martin County already sees the payoff from efforts that reduce teacher turnover and strengthen teacher quality.

The district restructured Indiantown Middle and Warfield Elementary about 10 years ago. Teachers got supplements for commuting to the schools. The district also provided training, Indiantown Middle Principal Debra Henderson said. The school improved from a D in 1999 to consecutive A’s the past two years.

Warfield has been an A school five years in a row. And this year, Indiantown had no openings.

Teacher quality and retention is the No. 1 factor in having a successful school, Henderson said.

“It’s critical to keep the people you have,” she said. “Every time you have turnover, you have to start over.”

– Colleen Wixon

Tags: commuter, fcat, fellsmere, Indiantown, jobless, pre-kindergarten, superintendent, teacher, teachers, turnover

This entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 am and is filed under Martin County, Schools, St. Lucie County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.