JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools is celebrating a major achievement -maintaining an “A” grade for the second year in a row.
It comes after the district earned that coveted “A” grade for the first time in district history last year.
District grades released by the state this week show Duval Schools improved their overall score from last year, jumping 12 points in the state’s grading system.
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DCPS Board Member Melody Bolduc (District 7) explained that improvement was necessary to ensure the district maintained its “A” ranking.
“The big deal is that goal post moves. So, it’s not enough to do the same that you did last year,” said Bolduc.
She said on the school board side, leaders have emphasized funding for curriculum, instruction and improving programs in recent years.
But she argued it’s a team effort, from leadership to classroom teachers and school staff.
“I am very proud of our Superintendent, our cabinet staff, who works so, so hard with our teachers. And our teachers are just boots on the ground, the most awesome people,” said Bolduc.
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Duval was among 34 districts to achieve an “A” grade.
That’s more than half of the districts in the state.
But Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar argued the state grading system isn’t exactly the gold standard, as national education rankings often show Florida underperforming in some key areas.
“When we look at the SAT’s, the ACT’s, the National Assessment of Education Progress, which is known as the nation’s report card, we see Florida slipping and not going in the right direction,” said Spar.
Even according to the state grades, DCPS still has one key problem area, with 3rd Grade Language Arts Achievement ranking as one of its lowest-performing metrics.
It’s often considered one of the most important metrics in determining future student success.
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Bolduc argued the district is keenly aware of that point and is actively working to make improvements.
“So, you have to evaluate, reevaluate. There has to be progress monitoring and that’s something that our Governor has really pushed down from the top and it is effective. We’re seeing how effective that it is,” said Bolduc.
In our nine-county area, only one district saw its grade go down in the latest report.
Bradford dropped from a B to a C district.
Meanwhile, St. Johns kept its spot as the highest-ranked school district in the state and Nassau moved up to the number two slot.
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