Marion County’s school grades are in, see how each scored in 2023-24

File photo: Shown in a slow exposure, students leave West Port High School in Ocala, Fla. after the last bell on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

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Posted August 6, 2024 | By Caroline Brauchler
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Individual school grades are out. How did Marion County’s schools score this year, compared to the year before?

Marion County Public Schools earned an overall grade of a C for the 2023-24 school year, a decline from the previous year when the school district earned a B.

The district credited its slightly lower grade to the “more rigorous” grading scale that was adopted fully this year.

Last year, the state changed its grading system to the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, which assesses students three times throughout the year. Given that the 2022-23 school year was the first year when this system was introduced, the grades served as an informational baseline. No schools or districts were penalized in 2022-23 for receiving failing grades.

“In 2023-24, a school’s grade may include up to 12 components. There are five achievement components and four learning gains components, as well as components for middle school acceleration, graduation rate and college and career acceleration. Each component is worth up to 100 points in the overall calculation,” according to the Florida Department of Education.

The achievement components are based on students’ performance in standardized testing, including comprehensive assessments and end-of-year examinations. The learning gains components measure students’ gains in English language arts and mathematics, according to FDOE.

Of the 51 schools in MCPS, six earned an A, 10 earned a B, 32 earned a C, two earned a D, and one earned an F.

“When it comes to individual school grades, 45 out of 50 schools maintained or improved their school grade over the 2022-2023 school year, which is an increase from 39 after the 2022-2023 school year,” according to the district.

The A-rated schools this year are Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary School, Eighth Street Elementary School, Ina A. Colen Academy, Ward-Highlands Elementary School, Madison Street Academy, and Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School. Hammett Bowen’s score was an improvement from the previous year, when the school earned a B. All five other A-rated schools maintained their A grade from the year before.

McIntosh Area School was the only school to earn an F grade. This was a decreased score from the previous year, when the school earned a D. In 2022, the school instituted an academic improvement plan in an attempt to improve the school’s consistently low scoring from the state.

“Only one traditional public school earned a “D” grade (Oakcrest Elementary), which is an improvement from three “D” schools in 2022-2023 and two “D” schools in 2021-2022. The other “D” graded school (Ocali Charter High School) and the only “F” graded school (McIntosh Area School) are charter schools,” according to the district.

Individual school grades

Howard Middle School: B

Anthony Elementary School: C

Belleview Elementary School: C

Belleview-Santos Elementary School: C

Reddick-Collier Elementary School: C

Dunnellon Middle School: C

East Marion Elementary School: C

Eighth Street Elementary School: A

Fessenden Elementary School: C

Fort King Middle School: C

Ward-Highlands Elementary School: A

Lake Weir Middle School: C

Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts: A

Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary School: A

North Marion High School: C

Oakcrest Elementary School: D

Forest High School: B

Osceola Middle School: B

Sparr Elementary School: B

South Ocala Elementary School: C

Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School: C

Wyomina Park Elementary School: C

Vanguard High School: C

North Marion Middle School: C

Lake Weir High School: C

Dunnellon High School: C

Fort McCoy School: C

Ocala Springs Elementary School: C

Shady Hill Elementary School: C

Emerald Shores Elementary School: C

Sunrise Elementary School: C

Harbour View Elementary School: C

Maplewood Elementary School: B

Romeo Elementary School: C

Belleview Middle School: B

Dunnellon Elementary School: C

College Park Elementary School: C

Belleview High School: C

Greenway Elementary School: B

Saddlewood Elementary School: B

Liberty Middle School: C

West Port High School: B

Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School: A

Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks: C

Marion Oaks Elementary School: C

Legacy Elementary School: C

Ina A. Colen Academy: A

Marion Charter School: B

McIntosh Area School: F

Ocali Charter Middle School: C

Ocali Charter High School: D

 

To see Marion County schools’ grades for the 2022-23 school year, read here.