District also remains fifth highest ranked in Florida
For the 20th consecutive year, the Sarasota County School District has earned an A grade, with 24 of the 39 traditional public schools achieving the highest rating from the Florida Department of Education for the 2022-2023 school year, the district announced this week.
Further, a Sarasota County Schools’ news release points out, the district maintained its position as the fifth highest ranked in the state. Its point total was 504.
The top district was Lafayette, with 545. The other three ahead of Sarasota County were St. Johns, with 528 points; Walton, with 524; and Nassau, with 518.
Six traditional public elementary schools in the Sarasota district moved up one level in the grading, the news release notes. Five of those improved from a B to an A, The Sarasota News Leader learned: Alta Vista, Atwater, Cranberry, Englewood and Fruitville, as shown on a Florida Department of Education chart.
Wilkinson rose from a C to a B, the chart notes.
Two traditional public elementary schools climbed two grading levels, the district news release added. Both Gulf Gate and Lamarque moved from C to A, the state chart says.
Referencing the improvements, the release added, “This significant achievement reflects Sarasota County Schools’ commitment to academic excellence and the dedication of our students, families, teachers, staff members, and community partners.”
The News Leader also observed in the state chart that Glenallen Elementary fell from a B to a C.
Other than those cited above, the only other elementary schools in the district that did not receive an A grade were the Suncoast School for Innovative Studies(D), Brentwood (B), Tuttle (C), Gocio (C) and Emma E. Booker (C), the state chart says.
The Florida Department of Education offers this explanation about the grading scale for the elementary schools: “The four achievement components are English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. These components include student performance on statewide standardized assessments, including the comprehensive assessments and end-of-course (EOC) assessments. The component measures the percentage of full-year enrolled students who achieved a passing score.”
Further, the department points out, “Each component is worth up to 100 points in the overall calculation.”
The Department of Education also provides this information about the grades: A equals 62% of points or greater; B, 50% to 61% of points; C, 33% to 49%; D, 22% to 32% of points; and F, 21% of points or less.
The department does explain, as well, that “[l]earning gains will not be calculated in 2022-23.” That is because only one year of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) assessment results are available. Learning gains once more will be a facet of the school grade calculations in the 2023-24 school year, the department notes.
Nonetheless, the Tampa Bay Times pointed out in a Dec. 12 article, schools that show improvement in the latest results “will have the opportunity to qualify for bonus money based on strong performance.”
In that article, the Times also reported that “Department of Education spokesperson Cailey Myers said the use of ‘progress monitoring’ tests throughout the year should help schools work with students to determine where they have strengths and weaknesses. She
said that will give them time to prepare for tests in the spring that assess each student’s knowledge based on a full year of classes.
“Schools are in the middle of the second progress monitoring cycle, with the final round of tests starting May 1,” the Times added.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our students, families, teachers, staff members, and community partners for their crucial contributions to this success,” said Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor in the district release. “It is through their collective effort and unwavering support that we have achieved and maintained such high standards,” he added. “Our teachers — the driving force behind our students’ success — deserve special recognition. They have demonstrated exceptional dedication, resilience, and expertise in their work,” he pointed out.
For more information, including all school and district grades statewide for 2022-23, visit http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org.