by Sarah Rockwell
Alachua County School Board member
In a recent press release, Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) announced significant improvements in student performance on state assessments and in school grades. However, school grades offer just a glimpse of a very complex and nuanced picture. A closer examination of the data suggests deeper systemic issues that urgently need to be addressed.
Celebrating success amidst broader challenges
There have been some notable achievements within the district. For instance, Lincoln Middle School received an A grade, a milestone not achieved by any middle school in the district for nearly a decade. We should also celebrate the achievements of several of our elementary schools, including Idylwild and Terwilliger which maintained C grades, and Lake Forest and Shell which rose from D to C. Newberry and Metcalfe made even more significant gains, rising from C to A and F to C respectively, but the principals who led those schools during these significant improvements were both moved this summer.
Unfortunately, these admirable successes are part of a more complex and sobering reality. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Department of Education has changed the criteria for school grades annually and introduced the new FAST test, making comparisons across years incredibly difficult. The state has simultaneously increased resources and supports for private and charter schools, culminating in the passage of universal vouchers in 2023 and further complicating the educational landscape.
The importance of school grades
School grades significantly influence local government decisions, including real estate prices, millage rates, and resource allocation. Therefore, accurate representations and interpretations of these grades are crucial for the community. The achievement gap, particularly between white and black students, has been a hot-button issue in Alachua County since Tina Certain defeated April Griffin in the 2016 school board race. Over the past eight years, this issue has dominated school board races and led to changes in district leadership. Unfortunately, the data indicate that the achievement gap has worsened, underscoring the need for more effective interventions.
Even more concerning is the fact that Alachua County, once consistently above the state averages, has now fallen below them in several key areas. This decline reflects broader challenges in the public education system, exacerbated by the political landscape in Tallahassee.
Misleading claims and the harsh reality
The district’s claim that our lowest quartile made “spectacular learning gains” is misleading. In reality, for learning gains among the lowest 25 percent of students, Alachua County ranks 55th out of 67 districts in Florida for English Language Arts (ELA) and 53rd out of 67 for Math. These rankings highlight the broader struggles faced by many students. Improvements in school grades aren’t always made by improving outcomes for all students. The focus should be on supporting all students in need, not just those whose improvement will most move the needle on school grades. In reality, resources are often focused on those students who are close to proficiency and can be easily raised up to that level.
The grades themselves can also hide significant problems. While it is accurate that our district maintained its B, this grade obscures the fact that our district is performing below state averages in many key areas.
Comparative performance data
A deeper dive into the data reveals that ACPS is performing below state averages in several key areas, shown below. The first set of numbers represents grade levels.
3-5 ELA: 53% for Alachua vs. 54% for Florida
6-8 ELA: 51% for Alachua vs. 52% for Florida
9-10 ELA: 53% for Alachua vs. 53% for Florida
3-5 Math: 53% for Alachua vs. 58% for Florida
6-8 Math: 55% for Alachua vs. 59% for Florida
9-12 Algebra 1: 31% for Alachua vs. 33% for Florida
9-12 Geometry: 46% for Alachua vs. 47% for Florida
Even more concerning is the district’s underperformance in learning gains compared to state averages in most categories:
3-5 ELA: 3% for Alachua vs. 3% for Florida
6-8 ELA: 3% for Alachua vs. 4% for Florida
9-10 ELA: 2% for Alachua vs. 5% for Florida
3-5 Math: 1% for Alachua vs. 2% for Florida
6-8 Math: 4% for Alachua vs. 4% for Florida
9-12 Algebra 1: 3% for Alachua vs. 4% for Florida
9-12 Geometry: -8% for Alachua vs. 6% for Florida (a 14% gap!)
The Persistent Achievement Gap
The achievement gap has become a frequent topic in political discourse. While the concern over the achievement gap is justified, the school district needs to better explain the underlying factors contributing to this disparity. Despite the creation of an Equity Director position, the district has struggled to address the root causes of this issue.
The achievement gap between white and black students remains alarmingly wide, with little progress over the years. In elementary schools, this gap has increased to 39 percent in ELA and remains static at 40 percent in Math. Eight out of 21 elementary schools have less than half of their students proficient in ELA, highlighting the urgent need for targeted supports and interventions.
Moving Forward: A Call for Transparency, Accountability
As a community, we must demand transparency and accountability from our district leaders. It is crucial to have honest communication about what is and isn’t working. We must demand that evidence-based interventions like UFLI be implemented with passion and fidelity. We must demand robust data-driven decision-making. We must demand that data and the nuanced picture it paints be shared in user-friendly ways with the entire community.
We must also commit to putting our limited resources where they will most impact student outcomes. That means investing in highly qualified teachers and education support professionals (ESPs). Instead, our teachers and ESPs continue to fight for better compensation while a recent significant raise and retirement boost were given to the superintendent. We cannot continue to fund new initiatives without investing in full implementation of existing initiatives by highly effective teachers and experienced ESPs.
The path forward requires a strategic effort to address the systemic issues within our district, prioritize student success, and ensure that all children in Alachua County have the opportunity to thrive academically and in life.