Florida School Goes From F To A With Eyeglasses

An Orange County elementary school has gone from an F-rating to an A in one year after it was discovered that dozens of students needed eyeglasses.

Mollie Rae Elementary School in Orlando received its A rating on Thursday, and principal Kathryn Shuler credited the jump to vision -- literally and figuratively.

"We tested 100 percent of our (530) students with the help of University of Central Florida. We found that some of the students weren't improving because they just couldn't see," principal Kathryn Shuler tells 'Local 6' News.

Shuler brought in pre-med students from the University of Central Florida when teachers realized the students were not improving with their weekly progress reports and found that nearly 50 students needed glasses, and 80 percent of those students had to take the Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Nine-year-old Nadine Norvelus earned the highest score in the elementary school on the writing section of the FCAT.

"My hands did get tired, but I just kept on writing, and then, I think a lady from the state said I could probably write a book," Nadine said.

Meanwhile, Florida's public schools have reached an all-time high this year with 62 percent earning an A in the state's grading system.

But state officials said Thursday that the schools continue to fall short when it comes to the federal government's No Child Left Behind program.

Only 23 percent of 3,354 Florida schools made adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind -- 1 percentage point less than last year.

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