Pinellas Schools Show Progress During Unprecedented Year

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL —In a year that brought major adjustments to the way teachers do their jobs, Pinellas County schools not only navigated the pandemic but outpaced the state average in academic performance, said Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Michael Grego.

The Florida Department of Education released the 2021 Florida Standards Assessment and End of Course exams in which 95 percent of Pinellas students participated.

Overall, the district performance remained consistent with state trends; however, outpaced the state average in several areas.

• In mathematics, students in grades three to five and six to eight and Algebra I outpaced Florida’s average score. Specifically, Pinellas County Schools Algebra I students outperformed the state average by 10 percentage points.
• In English language arts, Pinellas County school students in grades three to five outpaced Florida’s average score.
• In science, Pinellas County remained above the state average in fifth-grade scores, this year outpacing the state by 8 percentage points. Additionally, the overall fifth-grade science scores increased by 1 percentage point from 2019.

“What an incredible year for Pinellas County schools and its students,” said Grego. “I am so proud of all the teachers, administrators, support staff and families who worked so hard to make sure students were prepared and took these exams. These scores tell us where we need to focus our efforts during the 2021-22 school year and reinforce the fact that Pinellas County schools did not take its foot off the gas during the pandemic.”

He said Pinellas County schools and teachers will use the results for every student to identify if learning loss occurred and determine additional supports needed to accelerate learning during the upcoming school year.

The results also help district and school leaders make decisions about allocating resources for student learning in the coming year.

Parent involvement is integral in this process and Pinellas County excelled there as well.

Nine Pinellas PTAs were named National PTA School of Excellence Winners for 2020-21.

They include:

• Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary PTA
• Dunedin Highland Middle School PTA
• East Lake Middle School Academy of Engineering PTA
• Elisa Nelson Elementary PTA
• Mildred Helms Elementary PTA
• Oakhurst Elementary PTA
• Ozona Elementary PTA
• Seminole High School PTSA
• Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School PTSA

In addition, Pinellas County Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and Parent-Teacher-Students Associations (PTSA) were honored at the Florida PTA 2021 Leadership Convention, July 15-18 at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor.

The Florida PTA is made up of approximately 1,450 local school organizations with more than 300,000 Florida members.

Among those honored:

• Outstanding Administrator of the Year Award - Kelly Kennedy, Principal, Oakhurst Elementary School
• Outside-the-Box Award - Oakhurst Elementary School PTA
• Student Community Service Award - Largo High School PTSA
• Membership Plus Award - East Lake High School PTSA
• Local Unit and County Council Program Award - Oakhurst Elementary PTA
• Literacy Award - Oakhurst Elementary PTA.