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Staff at both schools will collect 10- to 15-percent pay hikes based on this year's scores, money that goes away next year. The raises, paid for by county commissioners eager to see kids succeed at low-performing schools, illustrate the rewards and penalties that can hang on test scores.

In 2006, a principal split Garinger into five academies with specialized themes. The New Technology school emerged strong, but the rest of the campus struggled.

She was convinced the dismal pass rate could change but believed many needed stronger skills to pass exams. “We really had to put the brakes on things,” she said. That meant letting strong students go straight into the EOC classes. But weaker ones took a semester or more of preparatory classes designed to boost their reading, math or science skills.