Officials Readying Repairs To Fla. School Grading System

By Bess Keller

Florida education leaders are moving ahead with plans to grade schools for a second year, even though proposed fixes to the system that ranks schools by quality have failed to satisfy many critics.

Commissioner of Education Tom Gallagher proposed this month to revamp the grading system used this past summer. His recommendations include slight changes for next year, more the following year, and a significantly different system by 2001-02.

In general, the changes, which the state school board is scheduled to vote on next month, would make it a little easier for schools in poor communities to do well and would require more from schools trying for an...