Most Florida School Districts Drop A Letter Grade On 2012 State Report Card

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16 of 30 districts lost their 'A' grade this year.

More than half of Florida schools districts dropped a letter grade this year, according to state Department of Education data released today.

In total, 39 of Florida’s 67 school districts earned a lower grade than last year.

The drop was expected after state education officials raised standards for state tests this year.

And no district raised their grade, unlike with school grades released earlier this week.

More than half of the state’s top-rated districts lost their ‘A’ rating this year. An ‘A’ grade is often a bragging right for school officials and a selling point for real estate agents and home buyers.

Among the state’s large, urban districts Orange and Miami-Dade school districts maintained their 2011 grade.

At the other end of the spectrum, six additional districts joined those earning the lowest awarded grade of ‘D.’

The state’s online academy, the Florida Virtual School, was graded for the first time and earned a ‘C.’