Three Dunedin Schools Earn 'A' on Report Card

Three Dunedin schools maintained an A grade on their Florida report card.

Curtis Fundamental, Academie Da Vinci Charter School and Garrison-Jones — all elementary schools — are the only schools in Dunedin to earn As, according to Florida Department of Education school accountability reports for 2010-11, released last week.

Here’s a quick synopsis how Dunedin schools stacked up against the requirements. 

Elementary Schools

Curtis Fundamental Elementary: A

• improved in all areas on its report card. The school made its biggest improvement in making learning gains in math (with a score of 72, up from 59). It also showed significant improvement in learning gains in reading. 

Academie Da Vinci Charter School: A

• scored high marks across the board. The only area scores dipped slightly was in math-learning gains. This year, fourth-grade teacher Wendy Stanziano received roughly $1,400 in grants for science field trips, thus freeing up some class funds for a math-learning website that she thinks may benefit all grades.

Garrison-Jones Elementary: A

• ’ scores dipped some in areas of math and science, but the number of students meeting the writing standard increased. Perhaps it’s no surprise one of the winners of last year’s Diversity Week essay contest came from Garrison-Jones. 

San Jose Elementary: B

• dropped to a B from the previous year’s A. The school's scores fell most behind in making math and reading learning gains, but increased its overall science performance. The report card shows San Jose’s strongest numbers are in reading. (One class’s writing is even featured on Dunedin Patch.)

Dunedin Elementary: C

• maintained a C for the 2010-11 year. The school made some gains in getting the lowest-scoring students to improve in reading and math. The school's student body is the most diverse in Dunedin (64-percent minority), and has more students on free-and-reduced lunch than any other elementary school in the city (83 percent). The next highest elementary, San Jose, is composed of 32 percent minorities and 52 percent were on free and reduced lunch. , an ESOL teacher, was recently announced as one of six finalists for the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award.

Middle and High Schools

Dunedin Highland Middle: C

•  maintained its C from the previous year. The school made its most notable gain in getting more struggling readers to make learning gains. 

Dunedin High: B

• (Full report)

For a detailed look at a specific grades, visit the school accountability report locator on the Florida Department of Education website.