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District, School Grades Released by Florida Department of Education

By Martin County School District December 14, 2023

On December 11, 2023, the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) announced school and district grades for the 2022-2023 school year. Among various other data points, these grades reflect the first statewide administration of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) progress monitoring assessments, which provide teachers, students and families with actionable data at the beginning, middle and end of the school year to help guide and inform student achievement.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the FLDOE used a statistical equivalence to assign school grades. Under the previous school and district grading model, earning 62% or higher of the total points possible earned the school/district a grade of “A”. The statistical equivalence model assigned school and district grades to be equivalent to the grades issued for the 2021-2022 school year. This means that the grades for the 2022-2023 school year were assigned proportionally to match the grades assigned in 2021-2022. Across the state, the number of A, B, C, D, and F schools were assigned to match the grade distribution in the 2021-2022 school year. The Martin County School District improved from 59% total points possible to 66% total points possible. Under the previous model, this would have earned the district a grade of “A”.

Superintendent Michael Maine and Director of Assessment & Accountability Dan Moore provided detailed information on the release of school and district grades on December 11, 2023. MCSD retained its "B" in the state accountability system and would have earned an "A" under the previous iteration of the state's accountability model.

"The transition to the new assessment system provided an enhanced opportunity for our educators and administrators to conduct real-time data analysis and develop new ways to provide tailored support and educational experiences to our students," Superintendent Michael Maine said. "We found great value in FAST and our ability to carefully monitor students' growth and make adjustments throughout the school year. Our school grades reflect the fruit of this labor, as we've achieved remarkable progress in just a year's time. Our achievements will continue to fuel our commitment to achieving the top spot in Florida's accountability system."

Data released by the Florida Department of Education today indicated the following:

  • MCSD maintained its "B" ranking in the state accountability system, earning enough points to have been considered an "A" district under the previous iteration of the accountability model.

  • MCSD tied for 9th place out of Florida's 67 school districts in the accountability rankings, an increase of a remarkable 18 spots over the 2021-2022 school year.

  • Half of all MCSD-operated schools improved at least one letter grade, with Crystal Lake Elementary School and Felix A. Williams Elementary School each improving two letter grades (C to A).

  • Each MCSD-operated school earned a grade of "C" or above. Eighty percent (80%) of schools achieved an increase in their percentage of total available points earned.

  • Pinewood Elementary School and Port Salerno Elementary School improved letter grades from "D" to "C", which means neither school is required to continue operating under FLDOE's Bureau of School Improvement (BSI) oversight. Hobe Sound Elementary School increased from a "C" to a "B."

  • MCSD is home to two of the top-performing elementary schools and one of the top-performing middle schools in the state: Palm City Elementary School (tied for #19), Citrus Grove Elementary School (tied for #20) and Hidden Oaks Middle School (tied for #16).

  • MCSD tied the Palm Beach County School District in the state rankings and outperformed both St. Lucie Public Schools and Okeechobee Public Schools.

The Martin County School District earned the following rankings as compared to its Treasure Coast neighbors* and the Palm Beach County School District:

  • Math Achievement (56% proficiency) - Tied Indian River County Schools, Outperformed St. Lucie County, Palm Beach County and Okeechobee County School Districts.

  • Science Achievement (59% proficiency) - Outperformed St. Lucie County, Palm Beach County and Okeechobee County School Districts.

  • Social Studies Achievement (73% proficiency) - Outperformed Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Palm Beach County and Okeechobee County School Districts.

*Treasure Coast school districts include Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.

Families will receive additional communication from their child's school with enhanced information about 2022-2023 accountability results.

About Martin County School District (MCSD)

Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, the Martin County School District (MCSD) offers an array of opportunities for students based on their unique interests, needs and passions. MCSD maintains robust academic standards, renowned arts and athletics programs, and numerous career and technical education opportunities. Students benefit from the District's many partnerships with business and community organizations, as well as character development, environmental stewardship and civic leadership programs. The mission of MCSD is to educate all students for success.