TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Citizens Alliance, an education watchdog group, is urging Governor Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers to implement sweeping reforms to Florida’s public school grading system during this legislative session. Their demand follows an alarming review of data released by the Florida Department of Education.
If the Florida DOE scored their schools the same way they graded students with the traditional grading scale used throughout the U.S., where scores below 60 percent are considered failing, 52 percent of Florida’s public schools would receive a failing grade.
Perhaps even more alarming, in 2024, only 18 percent of Florida schools achieved a score of 70 or higher out of 100 possible points, meaning fewer than one in five schools would earn a “C” grade or better under conventional grading standards.
While Florida’s public schools use this grading scale to assess their students, the Department of Education grades schools on a curve, adjusting letter grades to fit a more desirable outcome, which Florida Citizens Alliance representatives say shields the true scope of the problem facing the state’s education system.
“Florida schools are actually in a major crisis academically, despite PR efforts by the Florida Department of Education to persuade taxpayers into believing the state has the very best schools in the nation,” said Keith Flaugh, co-founder of Florida Citizens Alliance. “With 82 percent of schools effectively earning a ‘D’ grade or lower, and the state ranking near the bottom of the recent Nations Report Card (NAEP) and 43rd in SAT scores nationwide, it’s abundantly clear that urgent action is needed.”
In addition to abolishing the curved grading scale, representatives from FLCA are also calling on lawmakers to raise graduation standards, which they say have been lowered to a point where students are being awarded diplomas despite lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills.
“Just this week, we have seen media reports about a young woman who is suing a school system in another state because she was given a diploma, but says she is unable to read or write,” said Flaugh. “It wouldn’t be surprising to see similar cases emerge in Florida, as this highlights a systemic failure to uphold basic education standards mandated by our Florida State Constitution.”
About Florida Citizens Alliance:
Founded in 2013, Florida Citizens Alliance champions K-12 education reform in Florida. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, FLCA’s mission is to improve Florida’s K-12 education by uniting and empowering teachers, students, and parents. The three pillars of our mission are engaging local communities through our KIDS FIRST program, providing alternative education resources through our Microschool Initiative, and promoting legislative action.
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