Florida released its annual A-to-F school grades Wednesday, with more public schools earning top marks and Central Florida’s school districts maintaining their As and Bs.
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This year, 76% of all Florida schools earned an A or B, up from 71% last year. Though the number of schools graded fell slightly to 3,428, the percentage earning top marks jumped sharply, from 44% receiving As last year to 51% this year.
The number of public schools statewide graded D fell from 61 to 24 and the number of Fs dropped from 9 to 7. There were no D or F schools this year in Lake, Orange or Seminole counties. Osceola County had two Ds and two F-rated campuses.
Florida’s school grades are largely based on student performance on statewide standardized tests in math, reading, science and social studies. Schools can earn points for the percentage of students who achieve a passing score and the percentage who improve from the year prior.
The state announced last week that for the first time ever more than 60% of those tested scored at or above grade level on the key math and reading exams, so those higher marks led to better grades for public schools across the state.
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Though the A-to-F grades have long drawn criticism because they rely on high-stakes standardized tests, parents and real estate companies have used them for more than 25 years as a quick way to gauge and compare school quality.
“I want to thank our teachers and parents for the important work they do each day to help students achieve their full potential. These results are worth celebrating, but they also challenge us to continue raising the bar,” said Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas in a statement.
The state also uses student test scores to grade school districts. As they did last year, the Lake Orange and Seminole school districts earned As and Osceola earned a B.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.