F-rated charter school in Lauderdale Lakes won't have to close for now

Edumacation: Say you have a school in your area that just blows, I mean 59 points below the minimum score of reaching a "D". They failed three years in a row with almost zero signs of improvement.

Do you say enough, shut it down and force drastic changes or just blame standardized tests and keep it open because the community likes it? In Broward County, failure means success.

More than 100 students, teachers, administrators and community leaders packed the Broward County School Board meeting, pleading with board members to spare the Lauderdale Lakes charter school. Their request: another year to show they can raise student scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and raise the school's grade from an F. "The FCAT is not an indication of one's intellectual ability," said James Jackson, 18, who graduated from Smart School in May. "A number is not reflective of how smart I am." The strong showing worked. After nearly three hours and impassioned speeches from more than 30 people, board members sided with the school. They opted to defer a vote to put the school on notice that the district will shut it down, the first move in closing a charter school. State and district officials designated Smart School for closure after it received three F grades in four years on the state's student progress report. Charter schools are privately run public schools that sign contracts with the school district, giving the district limited oversight and the school some freedom over curriculum. But charter schools that do not do well on the FCAT risk sanctions and closure. Board members sidestepped Superintendent James Notter's concerns that the school could not significantly boost its performance. Instead, they criticized the test and its weight in factoring grades under Florida's school accountability plan. "I think this school is embracing their community. I think they're embracing their students, and I applaud them for that," said board member Jennifer Gottlieb. "To me, this is about taking a stand. It's about standing up against the FCAT, against the A-Plus plan and bureaucracy." Board member Stephanie Kraft said it would be hypocritical of her and other board members to rail against tests like the FCAT but use the standardized test's scores as a basis for shuttering Smart School. "It goes against everything we've been saying for years," Kraft said. .....There's no guarantee Tuesday's move will save the school. Smart School received a state-required overhaul last year after two failing grades in three years. Under state rules, a third F this year would trigger the school's closure, which school administrators knew at the start of the 2007-08 school year. Before the vote, Notter said he doubted Smart School could boost its scores enough to raise its state grade. The school earned six more points this year than last year, and would need to boost its score by at least 59 points to receive a D.