Is poverty really an excuse for poor public education

Earlier this week, Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas blamed the district’s low assessment scores on Escambia County’s poverty.

“Children in poverty don’t have the resources prior to going to school that students in school have. Not an excuse. That’s why we exist.”

Malcolm Thomas

Escambia County had one elementary school with 100-percent economically disadvantaged students that earned a B – Montclair Elementary with 391 total points, 56%.

Other Escambia County elementary schools with 100-percent economically disadvantaged students didn’t fare as well:

• Ferry Pass 368 pts., 53%, C
• Brentwood 366, 52%, C
• West Pensacola 351, 50%, C
• O.J. Semmes 340, 49%, C
• Navy Point 336, 48%, C
• C.A. Weis, Ensley, Longleaf, Myrtle Grove 333, 48%, C
• Sherwood 313, 45%, C
• Oakcrest, Lincoln Park 306, 44%, C
• Bellview 296, 42, C
• Global 293, 42, C
• Warrington 265, 38, D
• Holm 244, 35, D

Inweekly analyzed how non-charter elementary schools with 100-percent economically disadvantaged students in other districts fared – 373 schools statewide:

• A’s – 21 schools 5.6% Escambia 0% of 17
• B’s – 78 schools 20.8% Escambia 5.9%
• C’s – 217 schools 58.2% Escambia 82.4%
• D’s – 61 schools 16.3% Escambia 11.8%

Poverty does make education challenging for elementary school students, but 26 percent of the elementary schools in Florida that have 100 percent poverty are performing at A and B levels.

Has the district administration shadowed those schools to find out how they’re doing it?

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Escambia County has two of the lowest performing middle schools in Florida. Both Workman and Warrington have 100-percent economically disadvantaged students and received D’s.

There are 82 middle schools in the state with greater than 94 percent economically disadvantaged students that scored higher. One is a A, 10 are B’s.

District	School	Points	%Total	Grade	% Minority	% Economically Disadvantaged
CALHOUN	BLOUNTSTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL	554	62	A	31.2	100
SUMTER	SOUTH SUMTER MIDDLE SCHOOL	537	60	B	31.9	96.6
TAYLOR	TAYLOR COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL	522	58	B	38.1	100
MIAMI-DADE	THOMAS JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL	516	57	B	98.8	95.3
MANATEE	W. D. SUGG MIDDLE SCHOOL	501	56	B	78.3	100
ST. LUCIE	FOREST GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL	495	55	B	80.5	100
LEE	HARNS MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL	488	54	B	85	100
PINELLAS	LARGO MIDDLE SCHOOL	485	54	B	60.6	100
HENDRY	LABELLE MIDDLE SCHOOL	483	54	B	82	100
PINELLAS	MEADOWLAWN MIDDLE SCHOOL	483	54	B	51.5	100
LEON	FAIRVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL	482	54	B	86.7	100
BAY	EVERITT MIDDLE SCHOOL	477	53	C	55.7	100
OSCEOLA	KISSIMMEE MIDDLE SCHOOL	477	53	C	91	100
SUWANNEE	SUWANNEE MIDDLE SCHOOL	476	53	C	43.3	98
MIAMI-DADE	HENRY H. FILER MIDDLE SCHOOL	475	53	C	98.9	96
DIXIE	RUTH RAINS MIDDLE SCHOOL	471	52	C	15.3	100
POLK	BARTOW MIDDLE SCHOOL	471	52	C	53.1	97.6
PALM BEACH	L C SWAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL	466	52	C	93.3	94.3
ORANGE	STONEWALL JACKSON MIDDLE	464	52	C	90.6	100
MIAMI-DADE	MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL	464	52	C	98.4	97.4
PINELLAS	PINELLAS PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL	464	52	C	52.7	94.3
HERNANDO	WEST HERNANDO MIDDLE SCHOOL	460	51	C	36.2	97.8
POLK	KATHLEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL	458	51	C	56.4	100
LEON	RAA MIDDLE SCHOOL	458	51	C	62.9	99.9
ORANGE	PIEDMONT LAKES MIDDLE	455	51	C	76.6	97.5
OKEECHOBEE	YEARLING MIDDLE SCHOOL	454	50	C	59	97.3
ORANGE	LIBERTY MIDDLE	450	50	C	85.7	100
OSCEOLA	DISCOVERY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	450	50	C	91.4	100
COLLIER	IMMOKALEE MIDDLE SCHOOL	450	50	C	98.1	98.2
HERNANDO	D. S. PARROTT MIDDLE SCHOOL	448	50	C	38.1	100
PINELLAS	BAY POINT MIDDLE SCHOOL	447	50	C	75.2	100
HARDEE	HARDEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL	446	50	C	74.9	100
ORANGE	JUDSON B WALKER MIDDLE	446	50	C	91.2	100
ORANGE	CARVER MIDDLE	440	49	C	99.2	100
DUVAL	LAKE SHORE MIDDLE SCHOOL	439	49	C	79.8	100
LAKE	CARVER MIDDLE SCHOOL	439	49	C	55.7	100
MANATEE	ELECTA LEE MAGNET MIDDLE SCHOOL	439	49	C	76.2	100
ORANGE	MEMORIAL MIDDLE	437	49	C	95.9	100
BRADFORD	BRADFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL	437	49	C	29.8	96.6
PALM BEACH	LAKE SHORE MIDDLE SCHOOL	435	48	C	97.2	96.5
MIAMI-DADE	SHENANDOAH MIDDLE SCHOOL	433	48	C	97.7	94.8
LEE	LEHIGH ACRES MIDDLE SCHOOL	430	48	C	81.9	100
PUTNAM	C. H. PRICE MIDDLE SCHOOL	430	48	C	33.9	100
BAY	MERRITT BROWN MIDDLE SCHOOL	429	48	C	18.9	100
LEE	OAK HAMMOCK MIDDLE SCHOOL	429	48	C	81.3	100
OSCEOLA	DENN JOHN MIDDLE SCHOOL	429	48	C	88.9	100
PUTNAM	GEORGE C. MILLER JR. MIDDLE SCHOOL	429	48	C	71	100
ORANGE	LOCKHART MIDDLE	428	48	C	89.4	100
POLK	SLEEPY HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL	428	48	C	71.8	100
DUVAL	ARLINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL	424	47	C	76.4	100
PINELLAS	JOHN HOPKINS MIDDLE SCHOOL	422	47	C	75.8	100
MIAMI-DADE	BROWNSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL	421	47	C	99.2	94.6
HILLSBOROUGH	MEMORIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL	417	46	C	92	94.3
ORANGE	COLLEGE PARK MIDDLE	416	46	C	83.6	100
PINELLAS	OAK GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL	416	46	C	58.9	96
POLK	WESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL	413	46	C	77.6	100
ORANGE	ROBINSWOOD MIDDLE	412	46	C	97.9	100
DUVAL	ALFRED I. DUPONT MIDDLE SCHOOL	408	45	C	81	100
POLK	CRYSTAL LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL	408	45	C	65.6	100
DUVAL	FORT CAROLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL	405	45	C	80.9	100
LEE	FORT MYERS MIDDLE ACADEMY	404	45	C	89.5	100
ESCAMBIA	BELLVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL	403	45	C	75.9	100
MIAMI-DADE	GEORGIA JONES AYERS MIDDLE SCHOOL	401	45	C	99.5	95.9
MIAMI-DADE	HOMESTEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL	400	44	C	96.9	98.8
HERNANDO	FOX CHAPEL MIDDLE SCHOOL	399	44	C	37.4	100
MIAMI-DADE	CAROL CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL	396	44	C	99.4	95.8
POLK	LAKE MARION CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL	393	44	C	90.4	100
ORANGE	WESTRIDGE MIDDLE	391	43	C	97.6	100
POLK	JERE L. STAMBAUGH MIDDLE	385	43	C	54.1	100
DESOTO	DESOTO MIDDLE SCHOOL	384	43	C	58.3	100
POLK	SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL	383	43	C	67.3	100
MIAMI-DADE	JOSE DE DIEGO MIDDLE SCHOOL	382	42	C	99	95.8
LEON	R. FRANK NIMS MIDDLE SCHOOL	379	42	C	95.2	100
ST. LUCIE	DAN MCCARTY MIDDLE SCHOOL	378	42	C	89.4	100
MIAMI-DADE	CITRUS GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL	378	42	C	99.5	95.2
DUVAL	JEAN RIBAULT MIDDLE SCHOOL	374	42	C	95.6	100
LAKE	OAK PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL	374	42	C	68.6	100
POLK	SHELLEY S. BOONE MIDDLE SCHOOL	371	41	C	87.3	100
PINELLAS	TYRONE MIDDLE SCHOOL	370	41	C	52.8	99.9
DUVAL	MATTHEW W. GILBERT MIDDLE SCHOOL	368	41	C	96	100
ORANGE	MEADOWBROOK MIDDLE	366	41	C	97.8	100

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High School

There are 40 Florida non-charter high schools that have larger percentages of economically disadvantaged students than Pine Forest and Escambia High but also have higher graduation rates and scores.

• Pine Forest 447 pts., 82% graduate rate, 93.1% economically disadvantaged;
• Escambia High 454 pts., 80% graduation, 86.7% economically disadvantaged

District	School Name	GradRate	Points	% Total	Grade	% Minority	% Economically Disadvantaged
LIBERTY	LIBERTY COUNTY	88	693	69	A	21.8	100
MIAMI-DADE	MIAMI SENIOR	88	615	62	A	98	87.4
CALHOUN	BLOUNTSTOWN	91	613	61	B	31.7	100
MIAMI-DADE	WILLIAM H. TURNER TECHNICAL ART	98	611	61	B	99.6	86.9
DUVAL	ROBERT E. LEE	85	597	60	B	85.1	92.5
DIXIE	DIXIE COUNTY	97	573	57	B	16.8	94.2
HENDRY	LABELLE	89	570	57	B	73	88.1
JACKSON	SNEADS	82	562	56	B	29.4	88.5
DUVAL	ANDREW JACKSON	94	559	56	B	90.3	100
MIAMI-DADE	MIAMI EDISON	91	554	55	B	100	88.1
LEON	JAMES RICKARDS	93	546	55	B	92	100
ORANGE	OAK RIDGE	94	541	54	B	95.6	95
ORANGE	COLONIAL	97	536	54	B	88.9	95.7
MIAMI-DADE	NORTH MIAMI SENIOR	87	531	53	C	98.5	87.6
MIAMI-DADE	NORTH MIAMI BEACH	89	515	52	C	97.4	87.9
MANATEE	SOUTHEAST	82	511	51	C	77	88.8
PINELLAS	PINELLAS PARK	93	509	51	C	53.2	91.1
HARDEE	HARDEE	81	507	51	C	70.8	90.8
DUVAL	TERRY PARKER	93	502	50	C	80.6	95.7
DUVAL	EDWARD H. WHITE	89	501	50	C	80	94.5
MIAMI-DADE	MIAMI NORTHWESTERN	89	499	50	C	99.7	87.9
DUVAL	ENGLEWOOD	91	497	50	C	74.1	87.5
LEE	LEHIGH	92	494	49	C	85	90.4
MIAMI-DADE	HOMESTEAD	84	494	49	C	97.3	90.2
TAYLOR	TAYLOR COUNTY	96	492	49	C	36.9	100
DUVAL	WESTSIDE	96	488	49	C	85.2	100
PALM BEACH	GLADES CENTRAL	87	479	48	C	96.7	95.6
HENDRY	CLEWISTON	80	476	48	C	82.5	98.2
PUTNAM	INTERLACHEN	89	474	47	C	30.8	100
LEON	AMOS P. GODBY	94	473	47	C	85.6	100
DUVAL	JEAN RIBAULT	87	472	47	C	97.8	100
ORANGE	MAYNARD EVANS	88	472	47	C	98.6	97.4
PINELLAS	GIBBS	91	468	47	C	71.2	97.1
MANATEE	BAYSHORE	78	467	47	C	73.8	93.8
HOLMES	HOLMES COUNTY	85	466	47	C	11.6	96.7
DESOTO	DESOTO COUNTY	69	462	46	C	65.6	93.8
MIAMI-DADE	MIAMI CAROL CITY	85	462	46	C	99.4	87.6
DUVAL	WILLIAM M. RAINES	92	461	46	C	98.6	100
PALM BEACH	LAKE WORTH	84	459	46	C	93.7	91.4
ST. LUCIE	FORT PIERCE WESTWOOD	92	454	45	C	80.9	86.8