Editor's Note This story has been updated to reflect the grades of 53 schools evaluated within the Escambia County Public Schools district .
Escambia County Public Schools maintained a district-wide grade of "B" for the 2023-2024 school year.
This was the second-year students were tested using a new set of state standards and state assessments called FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking.) This test was written specifically for Florida students , based on the roll-out of the Florida Department of Education’s new B.E.S.T. standards (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking).
Last year’s 2022-2023 school grades served as an “informational baseline” to guide school districts leading into this school year.
Escambia School have earned seven "B" grades and six "C" grades since 2010. School districts were permitted to "opt-in" to being graded in 2021, and Escambia was one of the many Florida school districts that chose not to receive a grade.
A break-down of each school’s results can be found at the bottom of this article.
Escambia County Public Schools state grades for 2023-2024
Escambia County Public Schools maintained a "B" grade for the 2023-2024 school year for the fifth year in a row.
In total, 53 Escambia County schools received grades from the state, including Warrington Preparatory Academy which now operates under the umbrella of Charter Schools USA. Fourteen were awarded an A, 13 received a B and 25 received a C. Warrington Preparatory Academy was the only school on the list to receive a D. The charter has three more years to earn a C.
ECPS made significant strides in eliminating D and F schools. Last year, they had nine.
ECPS PIO Cody Strother wrote that this progress was made even in spite of rising state standards.
“Ninety percent of ECPS schools upheld or exceeded past years’ performances,” wrote Strother. “Along with the new higher scale scores adopted last year for reaching proficiency on each exam, the state has raised the percentage cut score for each grade of the school grading system for districts and for some schools. Elementary schools retained the scale used since 2015 while all other levels saw the score ranges increased by two to three points. To maintain the overall ‘B’, Escambia was required to score at least three points higher than in 2022. “
Some schools had repeat success, including Cordova Park Elementary and Brown Barge Middle School, which have earned an A every since 2002, Strother wrote.
Montclair Elementary, Warrington Elementary, Lincoln Park Elementary and Global Learning Academy each raised their school grades from Fs to Cs, and Bellview Elementary, Holm Elementary, and McArthur Elementary each jumped from a grade of C last year to As this year.
Bellview Elementary was among those to make a major jump, improving from a D in 2022 to an A in 2024.
Related: Waiting on Florida school grades? They may not release for months. Here's why
“We are so proud of our schools for all their hard work,” said ECPS Superintendent Keith Leonard. “These school grades are a testament to the commitment of our administrators, teachers, and students. While we are very proud, we intend to keep our eyes forward and continue to improve. We owe a special debt of gratitude to all of our students, employees, community members, and our fully supportive and engaged school board. It takes all of us, united, to achieve our goals."
Escambia County Public Schools’ middle school acceleration rate was the fourth highest in the state of Florida, according to Strother. The middle school acceleration rate measures proficiency on high school level courses taken by middle school students, such as algebra and biology, as well as high school level industry certifications earned by middle school students, Strother wrote.
2023-2024 Escambia County Public Schools grades
Escambia County Public Schools that received an “A” grade
- Hellen Caro Elementary School
- Jim Allen Elementary School
- Bellview Elementary School
- N. B. Cook Elementary School
- Cordova Park Elementary School
- Pine Meadow Elementary School
- Reinhardt Holm Elementary School
- Brown Barge Middle School
- L. D. McArthur Elementary School
- West Florida High School/Technical
- Molino Park Elementary
- Pensacola State Charter Academy
- Pensacola Beach Elementary School, Inc.
- Kingsfield Elementary School
Escambia County Public Schools that received an “B” grade
- Bratt Elementary School
- Ransom Middle School
- Ferry Pass Elementary School
- Ferry Pass Middle School
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School
- Scenic Heights Elementary School
- A.K. Suter Elementary School
- J. M. Tate Senior High School
- Beulah Elementary School
- R. C. Lipscomb Elementary School
- Blue Angels Elementary School
- Beulah Academy Of Science
- Escambia Virtual Academy
Escambia County Public Schools that received an “C” grade
- Bellview Middle School
- Brentwood Elementary School
- Ensley Elementary School
- Escambia High School
- Montclair Elementary School
- Myrtle Grove Elementary School
- Navy Point Elementary School
- Oakcrest Elementary School
- Pensacola High School
- O. J. Semmes Elementary School
- Sherwood Elementary School
- Ernest Ward Middle School
- Warrington Elementary School
- C. A. Weis Elementary School
- West Pensacola Elementary School
- J. H. Workman Middle School
- Lincoln Park Elementary School
- Pine Forest High School
- Longleaf Elementary School
- Washington Senior High School
- Jim C. Bailey Middle School
- Northview High School
- Global Learning Academy
- Beulah Middle School
- Byrneville Elementary School, Inc.
Escambia County Public Schools that received an “D” grade
- Warrington Preparatory Academy
Escambia County Public Schools that received an “F” grade
None
More information on school accountability can be found at https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/index.stml
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia County school grades are in. See how your school scored.
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