Passing grades but little improvement for Sarasota schools

Florida Board of Education preliminary reports released today revealed that all Sarasota County schools receive passing grades, but few schools showed improvement over last year following increased grading standards.

Brookside Middle School was the only school to increase its 2012 grade, earning an “A” for the sixth time in seven years after receiving a “B” last year.

Twenty other schools — 54% of the schools in the district — received “A” grades, all of which also received an “A” last year.

Several schools saw their grade fall from an “A” to a “B:” Atwater Elementary Brentwood Elementary School, Cranberry Elementary School, Garden Elementary School, Glenallen Elementary School, Gulf Gate Elementary School, Heron Creek Middle School, Imagine School at North Port, Lamarque Elementary School, McIntosh Middle School, Sky Academy, Toledo Blade Elementary School, Venice Middle School and Wilkinson Elementary School all fell one letter grade after receiving the highest mark possible last year.

But, the one letter grade was as far as they could fall: Due to the increased standards, the state ruled that no school could drop more than one letter grade in one year.

Brentwood Elementary, Cranberry Elementary, Garden Elementary, Glenallen Elementary and Heron Creek Middle fell no further than a “B” because of that ruling.

Gocio Elementary School and Suncoast School for Innovative Studies, which fell from a “B” to a “C”, were also prevented from falling further than they would have without that rule in place. Goico and Suncoast were two of only four schools to receive a “C”, along with Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Booker Middle School.

Statewide, only 29% of elementary and middle schools received an “A”, while 18% received a “D” or an “F”. The number of “A”s given out fell by 18% statewide.

Grades for Sarasota’s high schools have not yet been determined. The state will release them later in the year.

More information about 2013 preliminary school grades can be found at the Florida Department of Education’s website.