The 2011 FCAT scores for Orange County are in and overall the district dropped from an “A” grade, which it has held for the past three years, to “B”.
The district missed getting an “A” grade by five points.
Of the 176 schools in Orange County, 120 received A’s and B’s. Six schools in Orange County received a “D” rating and there are three new “F” schools in 2011.
In Orange County, three schools–Aloma Elementary, Eagle’s Nest Elementary and Lockhart Elementary–increased their grades from C’s to A’s. But no school has seen a more dramatic turnaround than Rosemont Elementary on Point Lookout Road, which went from grade “D” to “A” for the very first time.
Orange County Superintendent Ronald Blocker, who celebrated Rosemont Elementary School’s meteoric rise on Thursday, said that he has 120 reasons to be happy about the A and B school grades. Blocker added that he would not be satisfied until all school in Orange County are high performing.
Rosemont Elementary principal, Patty Harrelson explained that the turned around in performance was due to a number of factors, including the addition of an extra half-day of tutoring, new teachers and rewards as incentives for strong performance.
OCPS officials said they would be reviewing what lessons might be learned from high performing schools and those that have made remarkable progress.
