School Officials Blame Dip in Grades on State's Changes to F-CAT
The report card for schools across Florida this year is not as good as last year.
But school officials aren't blaming the students.
Alachua County was one of many districts state-wide that saw a slight drop in grades.
Two schools -- Lake Forest Elementary School and Metcalfe Elementary School -- received F' grades compared to none last year.
Fewer elementary and middle schools earned A' and B' grades this year.
But school officials blame the changes the state made to the F-CAT test and the formula used to grade schools.
For example, the scores of students with disabilities and scores of students whose primary language is not English, carried more weight this year than past years.
"What we're dealing with is a moving target every single year," Alachua County Public Schools spokeswoman Jackie Johnson said. "And that makes it challenging."
Florida has raised expectations for school grades five times in the past ten years according to a release from the Florida Department of Education.
According to the release, after an initial drop, years of improved grades follow.
For a complete listing of grades for all schools in Alachua County, visit the Alachua County Public School's website. You can view grades for all Florida schools by visiting the state's Department of Education website.
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