Recently, the Florida Department of Education released its report on the academic performance of all public schools within the state of Florida for the 2021-2022 school year. In its findings, the report highlights statewide improvements in school grades that far exceeded the department’s expectations.

Governor Ron DeSantis applauded the efforts of all public school districts across the state, especially those who exited the School Improvement Support list by the end of the school year. A sticking point in Governor DeSantis’ education agenda, he expects to see another positive result involving more schools exiting the SIS by the end of the 2022/2023 school year.

With these latest academic results, WalletHub ranks Florida 14th in the country, based on overall education quality as well as the safety of its public schools. And U.S. News & World Report ranks the Sunshine State 3rd based on their Measuring How Well States Are Educating Their Students model. This format ranks Florida #1 in higher education thanks to its top-10 rankings for 2 & 4-year graduation rates and low graduation debt due to the state boasting the lowest tuition/fees for public colleges and universities in the nation.

Florida Commissioner of Education, Manny Diaz Jr. released a statement congratulating school faculty on their achievements.

“From Spring 2021 to Spring 2022, it’s clear that our teachers and school leaders used every resource at their disposal to lift Florida’s students well beyond expectations,” said Commissioner Diaz. “We know that these results are thanks to policies that kept schools open and kept kids in the classroom, which has been widely recognized as critical to student achievement. Today we can celebrate these incredible results, while continuing to support the schools that are struggling. With Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida will continue to support our great teachers and implement world class instructional and educational supports to uplift Florida’s education family.”

Key Highlights:

• 53 schools exited the School Improvement Support list in 2022.
• 100% of schools graded F in 2019 improved their grades in 2022, including one that earned a B and six that earned a C.
• 84% of schools graded D and F in 2019 improved their grades in 2022.
• Overall, elementary schools had the largest increase in the percentage of schools increasing their grade with 20% (351) of elementary schools improving one or more letter grades.
• 469 schools increased their grade in 2022, while 825 schools maintained an A grade and 348 schools maintained a B grade compared to 2019.
• The number of schools receiving an F was significantly lower than expected.
• Assuming grades had been issued to all schools in 2019-2020, Florida saw a significant reduction in F schools (from 244 projected schools to 30 schools).
• The number of “D” or “F” schools has declined 65% since 2015 and the number of “F” schools has declined 85% (30 schools) since 2015 (205 schools).

Low-performing schools across Florida, whose students are most vulnerable to not meeting the necessary academic criteria, have made huge gains in their performance as well. According to the Florida Bureau of School Improvement, 70% of schools within the state's School Improvement Support list exited academic probation and have been deemed in good standing ahead of the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.

“Less than a year ago, the data showed that nearly 1,500 elementary schools would require additional literacy support and over 800 schools would likely be placed on the School Improvement Support list,” said State Board of Education Member Monesia T. Brown. “Today, with these results reflecting 168 schools placed on the School Improvement Support list, we are extremely pleased to see our schools rise to the challenge and exceed conventional wisdom.”