St. Lucie County - Monday December 11, 2023: The Florida Department of Education released school and district grades today and the St. Lucie Public Schools district earned a B for overall performance and was ranked 29th in the state, out of 67 counties, with no failing schools.
Six St. Lucie Public Schools maintained their A rating, and approximately the same number of schools increased their letter grade as those who decreased their grade.
Despite the newly implemented more rigorous graduation requirements, School officials expect the graduation rate will increase once again for the 2023 graduating class. The School District is anticipating an overall increase in the graduation rate when the lagging indicator is released in the coming weeks. St. Lucie Public Schools' graduation rate is routinely ranked in the top five across the state.
Schools with notable improvements include Manatee K8 which moved from a B to an A. Parkway Elementary, Bayshore Elementary, and Creative Arts Academy all moved from a C to a B. Savanna Ridge Elementary moved from a D to a C.
For the full report, click here.
The results are a marked improvement over the last time the state released District grades. St. Lucie Public Schools still had a B grade, but the District was ranked 44th in state.
The grades earned this year are based on a proficiency-only model deviating from past years when reading and math learning gains and learning gains of the lowest 25% were also included in the school and district grade models. The transition included new ELA and Math Standards as well as other changes such as computer-based test administration at all grade levels.
The new assessment has three progress monitoring periods throughout the year as opposed to one at the end of the year. This change is for one year only and is attributed to the transition to a new state assessment which does not allow for learning gain comparisons.
"With all the changes, SLPS saw their standing compared to other counties significantly improved compared to the last time the state changed assessments," said Superintendent Dr. Jon R. Prince. "I am proud of the work of our teachers, administrators, staff, and students as they adjusted to the new assessments that were administered last year."
St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) serves students with a graduation rate of 91% at the six traditional high schools. As a high-ranking B-rated District, there are no failing schools, and SLPS ranks near the top of the state with College and Career Acceleration.
The District also has the distinction of being recognized as one of St. Lucie County’s Best Places to Work since 2017.
To learn more visit http://www.stlucieschools.org.