2002
January 2003
To The Citizens of Orange County,
On behalf of Orange County Public Schools, I am pleased to present our 2002
Community Update highlighting both the accomplishments and challenges of the
past 12 months.
Among the district’s many successes in 2002 are Governor Jeb Bush’s approval of
OCPS as Florida’s third charter school district, voter approval of a half-cent sales
tax to fund school construction and renovation, and the opening of new schools
on time and under budget. The past year also presented some challenges, the
most important of which is improving student achievement in the district’s high
needs schools.
Orange County Public Schools is committed to ensuring the success of every student while operating the district in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.
In a school district as large and diverse as OCPS, this is a complex task requiring
the efforts of the entire community. I hope you find this report informative and
that it gives you a better appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our
22,000 employees in meeting the public education needs of our community.
Sincerely,
Ronald Blocker
Superintendent
Orange County Public Schools
The School Board of Orange County, Florida does not discriminate in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its programs and activities
on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability or any other reason prohibited by law. The Equal Opportunity
supervisor responsible for compliance is Emma Newton, Chief Human Resource Officer, Human Resources & Labor Relations, and she may be contacted at the Educational Leadership Center, 445 W. Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, 407.317.3239.
Student
Performance
Here in Orange County, award-winning educators are preparing students for success in
higher education, in the workplace and in life.
Once again, Orange County Public Schools
has been named a winner of the “What
Parents Want” award by SchoolMatch, the
nation’s largest school consulting firm. For the
eleventh straight year, OCPS is among an elite
15% of districts nationwide that meet parentestablished criteria in such areas as studentteacher ratio and academic achievement.
In 2002, Orange County students made great academic strides. More
than two thousand of our seniors qualified for Bright Futures scholarships this year, which is 31% of our graduating class. On the rigorous
Advanced Placement (AP) Test, OCPS students outperformed students
statewide, earning college credits as a result. The percentage of local students passing the college-level test was seven percentage points higher
than the state rate. Twenty-three Orange County students were named
National Merit Semifinalists in 2002, while five were named National
Achievement Semifinalists and seven earned National Hispanic Scholar
Semifinalist status.
Orange County’s graduation rate soared this year, from 59.8% in 2001
to 68.3% in 2002. This places OCPS above the state average and second
among Florida’s largest districts. The district’s dropout rate dropped
substantially, from 4.9% in 2001 to 2.8% in 2002, which is also better
than the state rate of 3.2%. Better record-keeping and more programs
aimed at reducing absenteeism and boosting academic achievement
contributed to the increase.
Graduation Rates %
2000
OCPS FLORIDA
49.5
62.3
2001
59.8
2002
68.3
Dropout Rates %
OCPS
6.8
FLORIDA
4.6
63.8
4.9
3.8
67.9
2.8
3.2
On the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), student performance rose on both the Sunshine State
Standards portion and the Norm Referenced Test (NRT) portion, which measures student achievement throughout the nation. On the Sunshine State portion of the test, math scores rose in six out of eight grades and reading
scores rose in five out of eight grades. On the NRT portion of the test, both reading and math scores rose at all
grade levels.
Florida has been reporting the achievement levels of students in grades 4,5,8 and 10 since 1999. In Orange
County, the percentage of those students who have reached an achievement level of three or above on the reading and math portions of the test has increased, except for eighth grade where the percentage has remained the
same. Writing scores have also increased among all these students. The chart below shows the progress of OCPS
students since 1999.
District FCAT Scores Reading and Math
(Achievement Levels 3 - 5)
READING
MATH
Grade 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002
District FCAT Writing
Scores Average (Based on a scale of 1-6)
Grade
1999
WRITING
2000 2001
2002
4/5
42% 43% 46% 49% 33% 41% 40% 42%
4
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.2
8
41% 35% 40% 41% 43% 47% 52% 60%
8
3.3
3.6
3.5
3.7
10
32% 29% 33% 34% 49% 54% 60% 58%
10
3.5
3.9
3.7
3.8
The Florida Department of Education’s report
on school grades for 2002 showed Orange
County schools earned significantly higher
grades this year despite a new grading
formula based on tougher standards. Seventy
OCPS schools earned a grade of ‘A’ or ‘B’ this
year compared to 43 last year. The number of
schools earning a ‘C’ grade or below dropped
from 93 to 70. Altogether 56 OCPS schools,
or 41% of those graded, earned higher grades
this year, while only 22 schools, or 16%,
received lower grades.
The more stringent grading system did have
an impact here in Orange County. Ten regular
schools and one charter school were given an
‘F’ grade by the state. Following the release of
the grades, Superintendent Ronald Blocker
met with parents and staff at each of the
schools to gather input on boosting student
achievement. Several strategies have already
been put in place, including:
• Literacy Coaches
• Instructional Coaches
• Permanent Substitutes
• Additional paid training days for
teachers
• Specialized assistance teams of
curriculum experts
The district recognizes that other schools in
Orange County face significant challenges,
including high levels of poverty and mobility
among students. Those schools, called Urban Cohort schools, are also receiving assistance aimed at raising
student performance, such as:
• Additional training for staff, including effective strategies for working with students living in poverty
• Business and operations assistance for principals
• Literacy coaches
• Mentoring for new teachers
For all Urban Cohort schools, including those that received ‘F’ grades, the district has also made a commitment
to keep class sizes low.
Orange County Public Schools will continue to provide the assistance and resources necessary to ensure that all
students have the opportunity to achieve academic success.
Outstanding
Teachers and Staff
High-quality teachers, administrators and support
staff are essential to the success of any school system.
Orange County is fortunate to have many outstanding
professionals working in our schools.
In 2002, Betty Castor, former president of the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS) recognized OCPS for having the secondhighest number of nationally-certified teachers in
Florida. Two hundred and forty-three Orange County
teachers have earned their certification by successfully
completing a rigorous, yearlong application process.
Florida has the second-highest number of nationallycertified teachers in the nation.
Among the many other OCPS professionals honored
for their talents and contributions:
• University High School physics teacher Jane
Bray Nelson, one of five teachers in the United
States inducted into the National Teachers Hall
of Fame;
• Lake Silver Elementary School guidance
counselor Barbara Barry, named the National
Elementary School Counselor of the Year by
the American School Counselor Association;
• Colonial High School Principal Van
Mitchell, named Florida High School
Principal of the Year for 2001-2002 by the
National Association of Secondary
School Principals and one of three
finalists for National Principal of the Year;
• Jones High School language arts teacher
Mary Louise Wells, chosen as one of five
finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year;
• Silver Star Center teacher Rosalind
“Margie” Mickelson and Dr. Phillips
High School teacher Deborah
Wasylik, among just twenty
teachers nationwide to receive
Time Warner Cable’s national
“Crystal Apple Award” for
innovative classroom instruction;
• University High School
principal Anna Diaz, winner
of the Principal Recognition Award from the
NBPTS for her support of teachers seeking
national certification; and
• Transportation lead bus operator Ed
Lipsey and bus operator Ann England,
who placed second in the National Special
Needs Team Safety Road-eo. In the School
Bus Driver International Safety Competition,
Lipsey placed third.
Innovation
Orange County Public Schools continues to develop
innovative ways to ensure the success of all students.
Among the most significant developments during
2002 was the district’s successful application to
become only the third charter district in the state of
Florida. Approved by Governor Jeb Bush and the
Florida Board of Education, the charter designation
frees OCPS from several state laws, rules and regulations that were considered obstacles to success. In
return, the district has committed to achieving
ambitious performance goals in such areas as test
scores, graduation and dropout rates, closing the
achievement gap and other key education indicators.
In tight budget times, districts must often look for
alternative sources of funding for innovative programs. OCPS aggressively seeks out grants to support
such programs. As a result, the district has been
awarded $93 million in new grant funding since July
of 2002. Examples include:
• A five-year, $1.6 million federal grant to help
professionals in other fields, current teacher’s
aides and recent college graduates become
certified teachers;
• A three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education to enhance the
teaching of American history in middle schools
and some elementary schools;
• A Reading Coaches Model grant worth
$972,000 to fund literacy coaches in seventeen
high-needs schools;
• A three-year, $500,000 grant to provide highquality training for music teachers;
• Three grants from the U.S. Department of
Education totaling $450,00 to plan for smaller
learning environments within each of nine
OCPS high schools;
• A Project World Languages federal grant of
$148,621 to establish pilot foreign language
programs at Oakshire and Lawton Chiles
elementary schools. If successful, the
program could be duplicated in other schools.
The Budget
The district’s 2002-03 operating budget is $972 million, and appropriately, the biggest portion by far goes
directly to the classroom. Sixty-one percent of the
operating budget is spent on student instruction,
including teachers’ salaries, classroom supplies, books
and equipment. When other services provided to students are included, such as transportation and school
administration, the figure increases to 82%. Another
14% of the district’s operating budget is used to maintain and operate school facilities. Only about 4% is
spent on central services and general administration.
Orange County Public Schools has the lowest administrative costs per student of any school district in
Florida.
The district has an ongoing commitment to target
funding to the classroom, and that commitment is
reflected in this year’s budget.
For example, the district was able to offer significant
salary increases to all employees. As a result, Orange
County teachers are now the highest-paid in Central
Florida. The district also continues to bear the entire
cost of health insurance for individual employees—
one of only nine districts in Florida that does so.
As outlined earlier, OCPS is offering more pay to
teachers in certain high-needs schools who participate
in additional training. Extra resources, including
instructional coaches, learning materials and permanent substitutes, are being provided to an even larger
group of schools.
The district is also providing prekindergarten programs
at thirty Orange County schools after the state
eliminated prekindergarten funding to school districts.
How are those programs being funded in such a
challenging financial climate? Several steps have been
taken to reduce costs within the district so that more
money can be funneled to the classroom. For example:
• Nearly $2 million was cut from the district’s
administrative costs through the elimination of
more than 20 managerial positions at the district
and learning community offices. School-based
positions were not affected;
• $1.5 million was saved by shutting down most
schools and offices during the winter and spring
breaks;
• Nearly $870,000 was saved by streamlining and
reorganizing the district’s facilities division.
Additional savings are expected as an overall
review of the facilities division continues;
• Tight restrictions on travel led to a 40%
decrease in the amount of general funds spent
on travel, from $617,000 in fiscal year 2000-01
to $376,000 in fiscal year 2001-02. Most
district travel is funded through grants, and the
biggest portion is for teachers and schools;
• The district is considering the sale of its headquarters, the Educational Leadership Center.
The financial feasibility of a sale is being
studied to determine if it would generate
enough money to relocate the district’s
operations and build a new elementary school.
Such steps help ensure that the district’s financial
emphasis is on students in the classroom.
Total
Operating
Revenue
Sources
STATE
LOCAL
51%
39%
*REBUDGETS
* “Rebudgets ” refer to funds that were not spent in the prior year,
but must be spent on the specific purpose for which they were originally intended.
6%
**PRIOR
YEAR
SURPLUS
FEDERAL
0%
4%
** “Prior Year Surplus ” includes funds that were not spent in the
prior year and are not limited as to how they are spent during the current year.
Financial Accountability
All citizens want to know if their tax dollars are being
spent wisely. There were several indicators of OCPS’ fiscal
responsibility in 2002. They include:
• A state report released in March of 2002 showing
that OCPS has the lowest administrative costs
per student of any district in the state. OCPS
spends $331.12 per student on administration,
nearly $100 less than the state average of
$428.24 per student;
• OCPS won a cash award of more than $13.5
million from the state’s SMART Schools
Clearinghouse in 2002. Through its School
Infrastructure Thrift (SIT) Award program, the
Clearinghouse rewards districts that build new
schools cost-effectively. In 2001, the district
won a $3 million SIT Award;
• Moody’s Investors Service, a leading global credit
rating, research and risk analysis firm, praised the
district for “conservative fiscal policies (that) have
contributed to well-managed finances;”
• The national Government Finance Officers
Association awarded OCPS the Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence in Financial
Reporting, its highest form of recognition for
governmental accounting and financial
reporting;
• The Association of School Business Officials
International awarded OCPS the Certificate of
Excellence in Financial Reporting, the
association’s highest recognition for financial
operations.
As a responsible steward of public funds, the district
continues to seek out new ways of saving taxpayer dollars. Advisory committees made up of experts in the
community have been reviewing several business
operations within the district, including food service,
transportation, security, and procurement. Their recommendations will help the district operate more efficiently and cost-effectively.
School Infrastructure Thrift (SIT)
Award Winners 2002
Schools
Awar d Amount
Avalon Elementary
$ 620,541
Blankner (K-8) School
$ 1,279,119
Camelot Elementary
$ 522,753
Thornebrooke Elementary
$ 610,885
Three Points Elementary
$ 946,610
Chain of Lakes Middle
$ 859,488
Odyssey Middle
$ 1,437,921
Olympia High
$ 3,575,037
Timber Creek High
$ 3,674,247
TOTAL $13,526,601
More information about the district’s 2002-2003
budget is available on the OCPS web site at
www.ocps.net/pdf/budget.pdf.
Facilities
Local voters made history in September by approving
the half-cent sales tax to fund school construction and
renovation. The referendum, which is expected to
raise $2.7 billion over 13 years, is the largest in the
nation’s history and the first sales tax referendum to
pass in Orange County in more than twenty years. The
vote by Orange County citizens will have a tremendous positive impact on students, schools and the
community for years to come.
The revenues from the sales tax will begin flowing to
the district in March of 2003 and will be used to build
at least 25 new schools and renovate at least 136 existing schools. The Citizen’s Construction Oversight and
Value Engineering Committee, also known as COVE,
will oversee all facilities projects. The committee,
which has been in existence for five years, is made up
of community volunteers with expertise in construction, finance and auditing. None of them do business
with the district, and the committee is independent of
the district. COVE will help ensure that all tax dollars
spent on construction and renovation projects are
spent wisely.
Working with COVE, the district has already saved
millions of dollars in construction costs since 1997.
The multi-million dollar School Infrastructure Thrift
Awards outlined previously are proof of the success of
this partnership.
To ensure that all projects are conducted effectively, a
team of experts from the business community has also
been reviewing the operations of the district’s facilities
division. So far the team’s recommendations have
resulted in nearly $870,000 in savings through the
streamlining of the Design and Construction department. More savings are expected as the review process
continues.
One new school and one replacement school
opened in the 2002-2003 school year. Both Blankner
School in central Orlando and Thornebrooke
Elementary in Ocoee were completed on time and
under budget.
Existing Schools Projects
Currently many Orange County schools are undergoing improvements. There are two major types of
projects at existing schools—immediate and comprehensive. Immediate are those projects that
address crucial construction requirements and
provide students and staff with a safe and protected
environment. Such projects can include repair or
replacement of roofs, mechanical, heating/air
conditioning and electrical systems, life safety work
(fire alarms, emergency lighting, etc.), and other
projects. Comprehensive projects are intended to
renovate, remodel, retrofit for technology, add new
space and improve accessibility to the school for the
disabled.
Current projects are listed below.
Existing Schools Projects
School
Project Type
(in order of completion date)
Phase
% Complete*
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Design
Design
Design
Design
Design
Design
Construction
Design
Design
Construction
Design
Construction
Design
Design
Design
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Design
95
92
90
85
90
25
5
5
95
90
100
100
100
100
95
5
98
100
5
80
100
90
75
25
100
2
25
46
75
42
36
Target
Completion Date
(for construction)
Dillard Street Elem.
Immediate
Azalea Park Elem. (Project 1)
Immediate
Deerwood Elem.
Immediate
Zellwood Elem.
Immediate
Jackson Middle
Immediate
Fern Creek Elem.
Immediate
Apopka High
Immediate
Dr. Phillips Elem.
Immediate
Pine Hills Elem.
Immediate
Liberty Middle
Immediate
Killarney Elem.
Immediate
Lovell Elem.
Immediate
Ivey Lane Elem.
Immediate
Aloma Elem.
Immediate
Apopka Middle
Immediate
Grand Avenue Elem.
Immediate
Lake Sybelia Elem.
Immediate
Edgewater High
Immediate
Hillcrest Elem.
Immediate
Lee Middle
Immediate
Orlando Tech
Immediate
Colonial High
Comprehensive
Azalea Park Elem. (Project 2)
Immediate
Lake Gem Elem.
Immediate
Oak Hill Elem.
Immediate
Mid-Florida Tech
Immediate/Comp.
Robinswood Middle
Immediate
Boone High
Comprehensive
Lakeview Middle
Comprehensive
Jones High
Comprehensive
Winter Park High
Comprehensive
*Indicates level of completion of current phase.
December 2002
December 2002
December 2002
December 2002
January 2003
January 2003
January 2003
January 2003
January 2003
February 2003
February 2003
February 2003
February 2003
March 2003
March 2003
March 2003
March 2003
April 2003
April 2003
April 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
June 2003
June 2003
June 2003
August 2003
December 2003
July 2004
July 2004
June 2005
New Construction
Several projects involving the construction of new
schools or the replacement of existing schools are
underway in Orange County. A list of those projects
is shown below.
As a result of the approval of the sales tax, many other
new and existing school projects will be funded during
the next 13 years. A full list of all projects, including
those that have not yet started, is available on the OCPS
web site at http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/pdf/renovation.pdf.
New/Replacement School Projects
School
Project Type
(in order of completion date)
Phase
% Complete*
Target
Completion Date
(for construction)
Cypress Creek High Relief
Glenridge Middle
MetroWest/Orlo Vista Elem. Relief
Hiawassee Elem.
Dillard Street Elem.
Citrus Elem. Relief
Hunter’s Creek Elem. Relief
Orlo Vista Elem.
West Orange/Apopka High Relief
Catalina Elem.
Columbia/Bonneville Elem. Relief
Tildenville Elem. Relief
Discovery Middle Relief
Hunter’s Creek Middle Relief
*Indicates level of completion of current phase.
New
Replacement
New
Replacement
Replacement
New
New
Replacement
New
Replacement
New
New
New
New
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Design
Planning
Planning
Design
Design
Planning
Planning
Planning
Planning
Planning
66
38
8
15
100
100
100
15
30
5
5
5
5
5
July 2003
July 2003
July 2003
July 2003
November 2003
June 2004
June 2004
June 2004
June 2005
June 2005
June 2005
June 2005
December 2005
December 2005
Interaction
with State
and Local
Government
Rapid growth is one of the most significant challenges
facing Orange County Public Schools. Since 1990,
more than 57,000 new students have entered our
schools, a 59% increase. By 2015, enrollment is
expected to increase to 208,000 students.
Of course, the addition of so many new students puts
a strain on already overburdened facilities. While the
sales tax will do a lot to ease that strain, additional
help is also coming from Orange County Government
and local municipalities. Several years ago, Orange
County Government began taking a hard look at
school capacity when considering zoning changes that
would allow for new residential construction. Some
zoning changes were denied because nearby schools
were overcrowded. That policy continues, and today
OCPS works with all local municipalities to determine
the impact of new development on schools. The district has also entered into several agreements with
developers, who contribute additional money and/or
land to lessen the impact of their projects on nearby
schools.
Thanks to other cooperative agreements between
OCPS and local governments, new parks and other
recreational facilities have been built to be shared by
students and citizens in the community. The district
also works with local governments, law enforcement and social service agencies such as the
YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs to enhance
the well-being of our students through sidewalk
construction, school resource officers, beforeand after-school programs and many other
projects. Such cooperation benefits students, schools
and the entire community.
At the state level, voters recently approved two initiatives that will directly impact schools. One would
limit class sizes, another would make prekindergarten
programs available to all children. It will be up to the
Florida Legislature to determine how to fund these
initiatives. However, OCPS will work hard to ensure
that districts, like ours, that have taken significant
steps to keep class sizes low through sales tax
referenda and budget cuts will not be penalized in
order to subsidize those districts that have not taken
such steps.
Question?
Concern?
Orange County Public Schools provides citizens with
several ways to find information, get help or offer
comments and suggestions. One of the newest is the
Office of Public Assistance (OPA). Established in July
of 2002, OPA provides accurate information and
prompt assistance to the thousands of citizens who
contact the district each week through personal
visits, phone calls, letters and e-mail. OPA is the
direct result of a recommendation from a group of
citizens who spent several months gathering public
input on district accountability and accessibility. The
Office of Public Assistance can be reached by calling
407.317.FIND (3463) or through e-mail at
masciap@ocps.net.
The district’s award-winning web site is
also a good source of information on
test scores, enrollment requirements,
district news, curriculum and other
important issues. The web site
address is www.ocps.net.
Your School Board
The citizens of Orange County are represented by a school board consisting of seven members who are elected
from single-member districts and serve staggered four-year terms. The School Board sets the rules and policies
that govern the school district. School Board meetings are usually held twice a month at 5:30 p.m. on the
second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Educational Leadership Center, 445 West Amelia Street in
downtown Orlando. All meetings are open to the public, except those dealing with collective bargaining.
More detailed information regarding the school board members, their districts, meeting agendas, etc. are
available on the district’s web site at http://www.ocps.net/sb or through the School Board Services office at
407.317.3236.
District 1 Joie Cadle
Home Phone: 407.628.1589
E-mail: cadlej@ocps.net
District 2 Tim Shea
Home Phone: 407.247.7780
E-mail: sheat@ocps.net
District 3 Judge “Rick” Roach
Home Phone: 407.376.3939
E-mail: roachr@ocps.net
District 4 Karen Ardaman
Home Phone: 407.716.6862
E-mail: ardamak@ocps.net
District 5 Kathleen “KAT” Gordon
Home Phone: 407.298.2718
E-mail: gordonk@ocps.net
District 6 Susan Arkin
Home Phone: 407.629.0626
E-mail: arkins@ocps.net
District 7 Bert Carrier
Home Phone: 407.889.9876
(prefers fax, letter or phone calls)
MISSION STATEMENT:
Each student will acquire
the skills, attitudes and knowledge necessary
to reach full potential.
For more information, contact
ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Community Relations
445 W. Amelia St.
Orlando, Fl 32801
407.317.3237
johnsoj8@ocps.net
Web site: www.ocps.net