How Does the State Grade Schools?

Background

The Florida Department of Education has a formula for grading schools. Every year the state gives each public K-12 school an A through F letter grade.

For kindergarten through middle school, school letter grades are based on a schools FCAT scores.

But for high schools, there is a new formula. Only 50 percent of a high schools grade comes from FCAT results.

Here’s the breakdown of the high school grading formula.

There are a total of 1600 points a high school can earn.

800 points: come from a schools FCAT scores
300 points: come from graduation rates
200 points: come from college readiness, which is measured by SAT results
175 points: come from student participation in college-level classes, like Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Dual Enrollment where students can earn actual college credit as well as high school credit. As well as Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) courses.
125 points: come from performance in college-level courses, meaning whether students earn college-credit for the college-level courses they enroll in.

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August 7, 2014

Crist Wants To Pause Penalties During Switch To Common Core-Based Standards

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said he would pause any penalties for students, teachers and schools while the state transitions to new Common Core-based math and language arts standards and a new online test. Florida school leaders have asked for a three-year pause while teachers get comfortable with the new standards and students adjust to […]

March 11, 2014

Follow-Up: State Rejects Miami Jackson High School’s Grade Appeal

Miami Jackson Senior High School has lost its appeal to become an A-rated school after disputing test scores , the Miami Herald reports. The Florida Department of Education said the scores from students learning English would not have changed the school’s grade: The state’s ruling was expected, even though Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said […]

March 4, 2014

Senate Committee Approves School Grading Changes

A Senate panel has approved changes to the state school grading formula which echo those proposed by Florida schools chief Pam Stewart, the Times/Herald Tallahassee bureau reports. The bill looks similar to recommendations made last month by state Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. It eliminates the bonus points schools can earn, as well as the so-called triggers […]

January 19, 2014

Why Miami Jackson Senior High School Wants Its A

Florida’s A through F system for school grades has been fraught with controversy. Supporters say it’s a way of holding schools and districts accountable. Critics worry that the formula to calculate the grades doesn’t reflect how well schools really prepare children. Now, in Miami-Dade County, one school has been told it probably won’t get the […]

December 18, 2013

2012-2013 Florida High School Grades

The Florida Department of Education released 2013 high school grades, part of the state’s school accountability system. The data includes each component of the school’s score and demographic data.

August 14, 2013

What A School Grade Means To Parents

Florida’s system of giving schools grades from A-to-F has been in the spotlight this summer. First, state officials made last-minute changes to the A-to-F formula, preventing more than 150 schools from dropping to F grades. Then, Florida’s education commissioner Tony Bennett resigned over reports that he manipulated school grades in Indiana when he was in charge of […]

December 21, 2012

2011-2012 Florida High School Grades

The Florida Department of Education released 2012 high school grades, part of the state’s school accountability system. The data includes each component of the school’s score and demographic data.

May 10, 2012

Florida Schools Get One Year To Transition Into Tougher Grading Standards

With a tougher grading formula looming for Florida’s schools, state Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is recommending a plan that would keep any public school from falling more than one letter grade this year. In a list of recommendations, Robinson asks the Florida Board of Education to “authorize a maximum one school letter grade drop for […]

April 18, 2012

Rural Students Vs. Urban Students: Who Performs Better in College-Level Classes?

In Florida’s rural counties, high school leaders say they can’t offer as many college-level courses as large urban high schools. But rural students are more likely to earn college credit for the college courses they do take, than urban students. Low participation counts against the grade high schools get by the state, which is tied to […]

April 16, 2012

Grading Florida Schools: Opportunities Lag for Rural Students

Florida high schools are being judged by the number of students enrolled in college-level classes. It’s tied to bonus money from the state. But in Florida’s rural counties, small schools say they can’t compete with the opportunities at large urban schools. Ashley Carr, a senior at Sneads High School in rural Jackson, Fla., is worried […]