JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three Northeast Florida school districts improved a letter grade from last year in the latest scores released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education.
Nassau County went from a B to an A in the 2016-17 school year, and Baker and Columbia counties improved from Cs to Bs.
The other Northeast Florida counties, including Duval (B), St. Johns (A), Clay (B), Flagler (B), Bradford (C), Union (B) and Alachua (B) remained steady in the latest school grades, although Clay County noted that they moved to within one point of receiving an A.
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Two local elementary schools earned an "F" this year after receiving passing grades the year before. Ramona Boulevard Elementary in Duval County went from a "C" to an "F," and William Moseley Elementary in Putnam County went from a "D" to an "F."
The Marine Science Education Center in Duval County and the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy charter school in Clay County each earned their second consecutive "F."
All other Northeast Florida schools received passing grades, including three that were the focus of concern over possible closure related to an education bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott that will shift students and funds from struggling schools to charter schools.
One of those three schools, Ribault Middle School, improved its grade from a "D" to a "C." The other two -- Northwestern Middle and Matthew Gilbert Middle -- remained at a "D."
School officials said they are hopeful that the Department of Education will allow the district to keep the two schools still on the challenged list to remain open.
"We are very confident that, with the tremendous growth that we've seen with those schools, that the state will continue to let us continue our current turnaround plan for both of those schools," said Mason Davis, Duval County's chief academic officer.
Several schools given "F" grades last year improved their scores.
Somerset Academy Elementary (Eagle Campus) in Duval County improved from an “F” to a “C,” Palm Harbor Academy in Flagler County improved from an “F” to a “D,” and Putnam Edge High School in Putnam County improved from an “F” to a “D.” All three are charter schools.
Robert Jenkins Junior Middle School in Putnam County also improved from an "F" to a "D."
In Alachua County, Lake Forest Elementary School improved from an “F” to a “C,” and Genesis Preparatory charter school improved from an “F” to an “A.”
The Florida Department of Education calculates school grades annually based on up to 11 components, including student achievement and learning gains on statewide, standardized assessments and high school graduation rate.
Across the state:
- The percentage of schools earning an “A” or “B” increased to 57 percent (1,834 schools), up from 46 percent (1,531 schools) in 2015-16.
- Elementary schools saw the largest percentage point increase in “A” schools, with 30 percent (542 schools) of elementary schools earning an “A” in 2016-17, up from 21 percent (386 schools) in 2015-16.
- A total of 1,589 schools maintained an “A” grade (660 schools) or increased their grade (929 schools) in 2016-17.
- The number of “F” schools decreased by more than half (61 percent), dropping from 111 schools in 2015-16 to 43 schools in 2016-17.
“I am incredibly proud of our state’s students, parents, teachers and leaders for their hard work, which led to these exceptional outcomes,” Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart said in a news release. “Today’s announcement is further evidence that Florida’s accountability system is integral to ensuring all students have access to the high-quality education they deserve. It is particularly important in identifying low-performing schools that need additional assistance to help their students reach their full potential. I am proud that more than two-thirds of the schools that were being monitored through the school improvement program improved to a C or better.”
According to the state:
- 79 percent of schools that earned an “F” in 2015-16 improved by at least one letter grade in 2016-17.
- 71 percent of schools that earned a “D” or “F” in 2015-16 improved by at least one letter grade in 2016-17.
- 71 percent of the low-performing schools for which turnaround plans were presented before the State Board of Education in July 2016 improved to a C or greater.
In addition to school grades, the department also calculates district grades annually based on the same criteria. Eight school districts improved their district grade from a “B” in 2015-16 to an “A” in 2016-17, and 10 school districts improved their district grade from a “C” in 2015-16 to a “B” in 2016-17. Forty-eight of Florida’s 67 school districts are now graded “A” or “B,” up from 38 in 2015-16. Additionally, 50 of Florida’s school districts have no “F” graded schools in 2016-17.
“When I was growing up, I had access to a great public education which helped me achieve my goals and build a great career,” Gov. Rick Scott said. “Every student in Florida deserves the same opportunity. Floridians should be proud of the continuous improvement of our K-12 schools. I am thankful for the dedicated teachers, students and parents who work every day to advance education in our schools.”
For more information about school grades, visit http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/.