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Florida’s growing public school system is leading the nation in
prioritizing and raising student achievement. Through the Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), the state has implemented
high standards for all public schools, and the payoff is evident
here in Central Florida. Here are “the facts” about our region’s
four school districts.
Orange County Public Schools
- Serves a diverse population that includes urban (Orlando),
suburban and even rural communities; 162 languages or dialects are
spoken by students.
- By every measure, student achievement in this growing county
compares very well to other large, urban districts, and to the
surrounding suburban counties in Central Florida.
- Overall, in 2010, earned an "A" district grade from the state
Department of Education. District grades are based on FCAT results
of all students tested in the district.
- In 2010, a total of 135 schools (82%) were high-performers,
earning "A" or "B" grades, based on FCAT results in reading, math,
writing and science.
- The district’s graduation rate has moved from 49.5% in 2000 to
79% in 2010.
- The number of students sitting for college credit exams is up
more than 1,600 students from the previous year.
- Of the district’s high schools, 13 made Newsweek
magazine's 2010 "Top of the Class" list placing them among the top
five percent of schools in the country based on breadth of rigorous
academic programs.
- Total of 665 nationally certified teachers, the profession's
highest credential.
- Overall, in 2010, Orange County Public Schools earned an A+
grade from Fitch Ratings reflecting the sound financial management
and reserve levels.
Seminole County Public Schools
- Rated among the best in the state of Florida and among the top
100 school districts nationwide.
- Consistently recognized as an "A" Florida school district, with
98% of all schools awarded either an "A" or "B" rating in
2010.
- All four-year high schools are included in Newsweek's
"Top High School List", which ranks schools in the top 3% of the
nation based on AP/IB participation.
- In 2010, the graduation rate was 93%, ranking #4 in the
state.
- For the past 30 years, SAT scores have consistently exceeded
state and national averages.
- Almost 11,000 Advanced Placement (AP) exams were
administered.
- Over 47% of teachers have a doctorate, specialist or master's
degree, exceeding the national average.
- Spent more than $454 million on renovation of existing, and
construction of new, schools in the past ten years and more than
$42 million on technology for the schools and classrooms in the
past five years.
- Over 24,500 volunteers donated 484,000 hours to 61 schools
serving students from kindergarten through high school. This
represents over $9.4 million worth of services donated to our
schools by the community.
- Named an "Academically High-Performing School District" in the
2007-2008 school year, one of only ten school districts so named by
the Florida Department of Education.
- Recipient of the 2008 Seminole County Regional Chamber of
Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lake
County Public Schools
- Serves a student population totaling 41,010. Although it may be
the smallest in terms of student population in the four counties,
its success has been repeated time and again.
- The dropout rate decreased from 3.1% to 2.9% with a decrease of
1.6% over the past 3 years.
- Almost 86% received a grade of "A" or "B" based on the state's
A+ grading system.
- Of the 3,391 students who took the third grade FCAT, 85% met
the state-required performance standards for promotion.
- The number of Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken by students
increased by 64% with a 22% increase in scores from 3 to 5.
- Over 37% of the teachers have a doctorate, specialist or
master's degree.
- Notably, the graduation rate increased from 79% to 80%. This
increase along with increases over the past 3 years totals a nearly
8% increase.
- The District opened a new elementary school, Sorrento
Elementary School, as well as a new facility for Gray Middle School
which were both entirely funded by Classroom for Kids and COPS
money totaling a $13,395,153 cost savings.
- Lake County Schools received the Certificate of Achievement for
Excellence in Financial Reporting for 7 consecutive years from the
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) coupled with an "A"
rating from Standards and Poors.
Osceola County Public Schools
- Awarded the District Accreditation of Colleges and Schools
(SACS).
- Rated a “B” based on reading and math FCAT scores.
- Notably, graduation rates increased at all high schools with a
4.3% increase to 83.5%. The dropout rate at 1.4% is below the state
average.
- The Osceola County Schools for the Arts was named one of
America’s Top Public High Schools by Newsweek magazine for
the second year in a row.
- Named a “Super System for Quality Schools” by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools. This rating indicates
that all eligible elementary, middle and secondary schools earned
accreditation status.
- 26 schools designated as Five Star Schools earning the Florida
Department of Education's most prestigious award for community
involvement. This is the largest number of Osceola County Schools
ever to earn the award.
OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTIONS
Career Academies
A career academy is a small, personalized learning community within
the high school setting in which students learn both academic and
technical curricula within the context of an industry or career
area. The academy gives high school students an opportunity to
learn about and prepare for college careers and to interact in a
meaningful way with the local business community. Local school
boards work closely with the National Academy Foundation to ensure
that curriculums address the needs of our region's local tech
companies and that access to the program is available to qualified
students from throughout the district. Academies in Metro Orlando
include the following:
Academies of Information Technology
To address the
national need for increased emphasis on integrating technology into
K-12 curriculum, the National Academy Foundation has established a
rigorous network of Academy of Information Technology (AoIT)
programs in our nation's high schools. In Orange County, the AoITs
operate as schools-within-schools and are at the following high
schools: Apopka, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Timber Creek,
University and Winter Park. Seminole County runs its single AoIT,
Crooms
Academy of Information Technology, as a magnet school for the
entire district.
Academy of Health Careers at Seminole High School
The
Academy of Health Careers is a magnet program within Seminole High School, so students are able to
experience a traditional, comprehensive high school experience
while taking specialized courses linked to health care issues and
content that reinforces the students’ interest and learning.
At the Academy, students have access to an award-winning faculty
with health care experience and credentials. Through an affiliation
with more than 50 local business partners, the Academy is also able
to offer hands-on, “real-world” learning opportunities, both in the
on-site, state-of-the-art labs and in medical facilities throughout
Central Florida.
Students are offered Advanced Placement and dual enrollment
courses, as well as honor and regular level courses. Students also
have the opportunity to earn state certification and Florida Bright
Futures Scholarships through the Academy’s prescribed
curriculum.
Academies of
Construction Technology
The Academy of Construction
Technologies (ACT), a partnership between the Seminole County School Board and Central
Florida construction industry contractors and trade associations,
was instituted to develop a well-trained workforce in the
construction industry by integrating academics and a paid work-site
experience – offering students the opportunity to begin a rewarding
career while in high school.
Charter Schools
Charter Schools are
public schools of choice. They are largely free to innovate, and
often provide more effective programs and choice to diverse groups
of students.
Since 1996, the number of charter schools in Florida has grown
to over 400 in 2010. Charter school student enrollment has grown
well over 137,000 students.
Florida Public Virtual Schools
Orlando is also home to Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the only
statewide virtual school with Florida-certified teachers. Founded
in 1997 as the country's first, statewide public high school, FLVS
is an established leader in developing and providing virtual
Kindergarten-grade12 education solutions to students all over
Florida, the U.S. and around the world. Courses are designed for
flexibility and to serve the needs of all achievement levels,
ranging from Advanced Placement coursework to self-paced,
personalized instruction for students needing supplemental courses
or credit recovery.
A nationally recognized e-Learning model and recipient of
numerous awards, FLVS has been recognized by the Software and
Information Industry Association for programming in two areas: Best
Reading/English Instructional and Best Social Studies Instruction.
Both awards were for the school’s new game-based suite of courses
Conspiracy Code, which was developed in conjunction with another
local Orlando company, 360Ed. In addition, FLVS has received
the Gold Award for Learning Impact from the IMS Global Learning
Consortium, the 2010 Best Practices in Distance Learning
Programming Award from the United States Distance Learning
Association, and has been recognized for its partnership with
several leading Florida universities to provide pre-service
training and internship opportunities in online teaching.
Technology Magnet Programs
Throughout Metro Orlando, magnet programs have been established
within high schools to provide opportunities for students to engage
in intensive study in specific areas. These programs allow students
at an early age to explore careers and to develop skills in broad
disciplines including engineering, science, and technology, as well
as in specializations such as microelectronics engineering,
simulation applications, aviation and aerospace engineering and
global information and future technologies.
Acceptance is required to the magnet programs, which attract top
students from throughout the school districts. In fact, the
popularity of the magnet concept has led to development of
prototype programs as early as the elementary school level.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The Metro Orlando
region is home to 318 private schools with a total enrollment
of nearly 42,000 students. During the 2009-10 school year, 11.27
percent of K-12 students in the region attended a private
school.
- College preparatory curriculum at private high schools In the
region is notable for high graduation rates, challenging AP
coursework, a high number of National Merit semi-finalists and
graduates who matriculate to many of the most prestigious
universities in the nation.
- The Catholic Diocese of Orlando has a total of 15 schools in
the region. Over two-thirds of those school have earned the
U.S. Department of Education’s presgigious Blue Ribbon School
Award.
- Excellent private schools also serve students with special
needs, as well as those with special interests, such as art, acting
and technology.
For more information about private schools, visit www.floridaschoolchoice.org.
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