Volusia County Schools celebrates positive 2022-23 School and District grades.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The Florida Department of Education unveiled the eagerly awaited 2022-23 School Grades and District Grades, showcasing the academic achievements of Volusia County Schools. The district proudly maintained a commendable district grade of “B,” with an impressive 54% of schools earning either an “A” or “B” rating. Equally noteworthy is that, in a remarkable achievement, no schools within the district received a grade of “D” or “F.”

What adds to the significance of this milestone is that the 2022-23 academic year marks the inaugural implementation of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Progress Monitoring and Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) End-of-course assessment results for calculating school and district grades serve as a baseline for future growth and performance comparisons.

“Volusia County Schools has been committed to our students’ academic and personal growth. The 2022-23 school and district grades are evidence of the hard work students, school-based staff, district-based staff, and families have put in to ensure increased success year over year," said Volusia County School Superintendent Dr. Balgobin.

Notably, the total percentage of possible points earned for the district grade in Volusia County Schools surged by four percentage points, rising from 57% in 2021-22 to an impressive 61% in 2022-23. Under the previous calculation guidelines, the district stands merely one percentage point away from securing an “A” district grade.

The grades for traditional schools in Volusia County are as follows:

• A – 17 schools
• B – 20 schools
• C – 29 schools
• D – 0 schools
• F – 0 schools
• I* – 2 schools

*A school grade is marked as incomplete (I) by the state if scoring is withheld, which occurs if the participation rate in testing falls below 95 percent among eligible students.

Key achievements include:

• A total of 25 schools improved their grade by one or more letter rankings from the 2021-22 to the 2022-23 school year.
• The number of “A” schools more than doubled, surging from 7 schools in 2021-22 to an impressive 18 schools in 2022-23.
• The total number of schools earning an “A” or “B” grade increased from 31 to 37 schools.

Coronado Beach Elementary emerged as a standout, securing the highest score among all elementary schools in Central Florida and the third-highest statewide, with an impressive 93% of possible points. Additionally, Pride Elementary School showcased substantial improvement, moving up two letter grades from a “D” to a “B.”

An additional noteworthy achievement is the absence of elementary or middle schools experiencing a decline in letter grade from the 2021-22 to the 2022-23 school year, with none receiving a “D” or “F.”

A school's grade involves various components, such as achievement in reading, math, science, and social studies, as well as acceleration and graduation rates, following the guidelines provided by the Department of Education. Any school grade withheld by the state is designated as incomplete (I), a status that may arise if less than 95 percent of eligible students participated in testing. As Volusia County Schools reflects on this year's success, anticipation builds for continued achievements in the years to come.