A Surge in School Performance
Florida's latest school grades, announced on July 7, 2025, reveal a striking leap forward. A robust 71 percent of graded schools, totaling 2,461 campuses, earned an A or B, up from 64 percent the previous year. Forty-four percent of schools secured an A, and the number of schools with a D or F dropped from 117 to just 71. Charter schools performed strongly, with 77 percent hitting A or B marks. These numbers, released by the Executive Office of the Governor, signal a shift in Florida's education landscape, prompting a closer look at the factors involved.
What's fueling this rise? The state points to its innovative progress monitoring system, known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), which replaced high-stakes, end-of-year exams in 2022. Administered three times annually, FAST aims to give teachers and parents real-time insights into student performance. Expanded school choice options, like charters and vouchers, are credited with spurring competition and flexibility. However, questions linger about whether these gains reflect true learning or adjustments in how success is measured.
Tracking Progress, Step by Step
The FAST system represents a bold pivot in how Florida evaluates students. FAST's computer-adaptive tests track growth throughout the year, a change from the single, high-pressure Florida Standards Assessment it replaced. This allows educators to intervene early if a student struggles, tailoring lessons to individual needs. Data from 2024-25 shows promise: elementary, middle, and high schools all posted higher A grades, with high schools jumping 10 percentage points. The state's detailed accountability model, blending proficiency, learning gains, graduation rates, and advanced coursework, offers a fuller picture of school quality.
Research backs the potential of progress monitoring. Studies from the Urban Institute highlight Florida's early literacy policies, including progress tracking, as key to boosting fourth-grade reading scores over two decades. Still, experts caution that three testing windows consume instructional time, and rural districts often grapple with the tech demands of computer-adaptive tests. Although FAST's frequent feedback is praised, its moderate correlation with national NAEP scores, where Florida's 2024 eighth-grade reading dipped slightly, indicates it may not address all educational challenges.
The School Choice Factor
Charter schools, a cornerstone of Florida's education reforms, continue to post strong results. With 77 percent earning A or B grades, and 68 percent either improving or maintaining an A, charters show significant success. Supporters argue that their flexibility, free from some district regulations, fosters innovation and better outcomes. Expanded voucher programs, like the Family Empowerment Scholarship, also give families more options, with over $1 billion allocated in 2024-25 to help students attend private schools.
The push for choice faces scrutiny. Critics point out that diverting funds to charters and vouchers strains traditional public schools, which still educate most students. Florida ranks in the bottom third for per-pupil funding when adjusted for cost of living, and teacher vacancies topped 4,000 entering 2025. Some argue the state's grading scale, tweaked in 2024 to lower cut scores for certain metrics, may inflate grades, masking deeper issues like achievement gaps for English learners or students with disabilities.
Balancing Gains With Equity
Florida's school grading system, launched in 1999 under Governor Jeb Bush, has long been a national model for accountability. Its transparency, with public dashboards detailing performance, aids parents and researchers alike. However, the 2024 grading-scale changes have sparked debate. Economists note that Florida's gains coincide with population growth and charter expansion, making it hard to pinpoint what's driving success. Education professors stress that teacher retention and equitable funding are critical for lasting progress, especially as the state faces staffing shortages.
Social impacts also weigh heavily. School choice has empowered families, but data shows some charter and voucher schools serve fewer low-income or minority students, raising concerns about segregation. Additionally, higher grades can boost local property values, benefiting communities but potentially widening inequality. The Florida Supreme Court upheld vouchers in 2023, but ongoing lawsuits challenge oversight of private schools receiving public funds, highlighting tensions between choice and accountability.
Finding Common Ground
Amid debates, areas for collaboration exist. Experts suggest an independent audit of the grading scale to ensure credibility, addressing concerns about grade inflation. Boosting teacher salaries tied to student gains, regardless of school type, could attract bipartisan backing and stabilize the workforce. Shared funding formulas that give traditional schools access to maintenance dollars, similar to charters, might ease resource disputes. Transparent public dashboards displaying both raw FAST scores and adjusted grades could satisfy calls for accountability while honoring choice.
Florida's 2025 school grades reflect real progress, but the path ahead requires careful navigation. Sustaining gains means addressing funding inequities, supporting teachers, and ensuring all students benefit from reforms. The state's focus on real-time data and parental choice has reshaped education, but its success hinges on delivering results that stand up to scrutiny and serve every child.
As Florida charts its course, the nation watches. The state's blend of accountability, innovation, and choice offers lessons, but also reminders that education thrives on balance. By prioritizing evidence, equity, and collaboration, Florida can build on its gains and set a standard for what's possible in schools.