District moves up 49 points on state’s overall accountability system for school districts
The Sarasota County School District has maintained its A grade from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) for the 21st consecutive year, the District announced on July 24.
Moreover, the District improved 49 points on the state’s overall district accountability system, which has 12 components, given “the addition of the 3rd grade English Language Arts Achievement cell this year,” a news release pointed out.
Further, the release said, Sarasota County’s 3rd grade English Language Arts achievement ranked second among all 67 Florida school districts.
Additionally, a chart included in the news release showed that of the 53 district schools, 33 won the grade of A.
“The FLDOE’s annual school grading system provides a comprehensive assessment of student performance, growth, and overall school effectiveness,” the news release explained.
On July 24, the release added, the Florida State Board of Education approved a revised rule that raised the grading thresholds for the district grade and for middle, high, and combination schools. They are shown below:
The District was ranked fifth in the state this year, another chart showed. That was unchanged from its status the previous two school years. For the 2020-21 academic year, it was ranked sixth.
The schools that raised their grades this year were Brentwood Elementary, Brookside Middle, Emma Booker Elementary, Glenallen Elementary, Gocio Elementary, Heron Creek Middle, Island Village Montessori School, Skye Academy Venice, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies, Tuttle Elementary, and Woodland Middle School.
The following schools fell one or more grades: Englewood Elementary, from A to B; Imagine School at Palmer Ranch, from B to C; Sarasota Academy of the Arts, from B to C; and Dreamers Academy, from A to C.
Among other details in the news release, District staff pointed out that 95% of the district-managed schools in the 2023-24 school year won grades of A or B. That was up from 82% in the 2022-23 school year. The figure dropped from 90% in the 2020-21 school year to 77% in the 2021-22 school year, a chart showed. Those figures excluded the virtual school, the release noted.
For the District charter schools, another chart showed, six of them — 43% — won an A this year, while four — 29% — achieved a B grade, and another four were graded C. None received a D or an F, the chart said.
“Achieving an A grade as a district and improving school grades across the board is a true reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire school community,” said Superintendent Terry Connor in the release.
Connor was just sworn in as superintendent in late July 2023.
“I am incredibly proud of our students, teachers, staff, and families for their pursuit of excellence,” he added in the release. “This achievement inspires us to continue striving for even greater success in the future.”
“Our district’s A grade exemplifies the exceptional dedication and talent of our educators, students, and staff,” said Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Rachael O’Dea in the release. “This achievement reflects our commitment to academic excellence and the innovative instructional practices we have implemented. I am incredibly proud of the strides we have made and look forward to building upon our progress,” she added.
For more information about the school grades and to view detailed reports, visit the FLDOE’s website: https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.