Florida School ratings decline under new standards.. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 26, 2013 – “Where would my children go to school?” is a common question asked by parents considering a new home and neighborhood. If a parent insists upon an A-rated school district, their options will get tighter this year. Schools have not changed, but stricter testing standards have whittled Florida’s 1,242 pre-high-school “A” schools down to 760 in preliminary figures released today – a drop of 39 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, the number of elementary and middle schools at the bottom of the list with an “F” rating increased. In 2012, 40 schools were at the lower end; in 2013, the preliminary list has 107, for an increase of 167 percent. Based on preliminary grades, statewide, the number of “A” schools dropped from 48 percent to 29 percent, while the number of “F” schools increased from 2 percent to 4 percent. To add one more kink into the school-grading change: No school can go up or down more than one letter grade per year, thanks to a law passed by the Florida Legislature. And to add another kink: This year’s rankings are a middle-ground leading to Common Core standards being introduced for the 2014-15 school year. Parents can get more information about the new school grading system by visiting the Florida Department of Education website. © 2013 Florida Realtors®
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 01:07:31 +0000