Florida’s Panhandle - Florida Schools Improved Their School Grade during the 2015-2016 School Year

July 8, 2016

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Florida Schools Improved Their School Grade during the 2015-2016 School Year
~ Number of “F” schools cut in half since last year ~

Tallahassee, Fla., July 8, 2016 – Today, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) released the 2015-2016 district and school grades, and the number of schools earning an “F” dropped by approximately 50 percent from 204 in 2014-2015 to 103 in 2015-2016. Additionally, 58 percent of schools that earned a “D” or “F” in 2014-2015 improved by at least one letter grade in 2015-2016. Overall, a total of 1,137 schools maintained an “A” grade or increased their grade in 2015-2016.

"Even as we have continued to raise the bar for student performance and implemented more rigorous standards by which schools are graded, Florida’s educators and students have continued to excel," said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. "It is clear that our focus on Florida’s most struggling students is paying off, especially in our ‘D’ and ‘F’ schools, 58 percent of which increased their grade in 2016. The great benefit of our state’s accountability system is that it constantly shines a light on areas that need improvement. I applaud the schools which improved, and I encourage all schools to pursue excellence persistently."

Highlights from Florida’s Panhandle include:

Escambia

• Six schools are graded “A” in 2016 and 10 schools graded “B”.
• In 2016, one school improved its grade from an “F” to a “C”.

Okaloosa

• There are 19 schools graded “A” in 2016 and 13 schools graded “B”.
• In 2016, 89% of schools are graded “A” or “B”.
• There are no schools graded “D” or “F” in the district.

Santa Rosa

• Eleven schools are graded “A” in 2016 and nine schools graded “B”.
• In 2016, 74% of schools are graded “A” or “B”.
• There are no schools graded “D” or “F” in the district.

On January 6, 2016, the State Board of Education adopted revisions to the school grades rule (6A-1.09981, F.A.C.), which establishes the grading formula, to reflect major changes made to Florida Statute during the 2014 Legislative Session. Together, these changes simplified the school and district grading process and ensure that schools receive credit when students make meaningful gains toward grade level performance and beyond. The simplified grading formula focuses on annual student results important for students in elementary, middle and high schools, and removes provisions such as the safety net, which are now prohibited by law.

For more information about school grades, visit http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/.

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