Florida officials on Tuesday touted record numbers of high schools earning "A" and "B" grades last year, meaning more money for top-rated campuses under the state's reward systems.
But the celebration was muted by less-rosy results from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, which showed Florida seniors lagging in math and reading.
According to the state Department of Education report, 71 percent of Florida high schools received either "A" or "B" grades in the 2009-2010 year. Of Floridas 470 graded public high schools (including combination schools serving high school grade levels) earning "A" through "F" grades this year:
- 140 earned an "A" (30 percent), an increase of 46 schools compared to last year.
- 192 earned a "B" (41 percent), an increase of 81 schools compared to last year.
- 69 earned a "C" (15 percent), a decrease of 54 schools compared to last year.
- 58 earned a "D" (12 percent), a decrease of 62 schools compared to last year.
- 11 earned an "F" (2 percent), a decrease of 12 schools compared to last year.
State Education Commissioner Eric Smith said the results were based on new grading formulas approved as a part of Senate Bill 1908 during the 2008 legislative session. The new calculation halves the weight of FCAT scores while factoring in graduation rates, advanced-placement participation and other components.
Smith hailed an increase in AP passage rates, as well as higher graduation rates (though the recently announced 79 percent graduation figure has been disputed by independent researchers).
"Issues still exist on a very fundamental level," Smith acknowledged. "There are unacceptable scores, particularly in reading. Too many of our high schools have only one out of four students reading at a proficient level. We still have a great deal of work to do."
The 2009 NAEP math scores, also released Tuesday, showed that Florida's high-school seniors continue to lag their national peers academically.
Of 11 surveyed states, Florida was only one of three that didn't hit the national average in 12th-grade math. The other two were Arkansas and West Virginia.
The math results mirror lower-than-average reading scores by Florida high-school seniors. NAEP said the percentage of Florida 12th-graders reading at or above NAEP's proficient level was just 32 percent.
Even more dismally for Florida, America's NAEP scores continue to rank near the bottom of the world's industrialized countries.
"We are keenly aware we have too high a remediation rate in college math," Smith said. "This calls for a ratcheting up of standards."
Among the reforms under way is a requirement for high school students to take algebra, and the implementation of a college-prep math test that will be administered in high school, he said.
Meanwhile, more top-graded high schools will be remunerated under the state's recognition program. Schools that received an A or improved at least one performance grade from the previous year will get an additional $75 per student in their per-pupil allocation.
--
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 801-5341.
