Local

Grades are in & central Florida schools fared well

ORLANDO, Fla. — The grades for Florida's high schools are in and according to the state Department of Education, there are 231 A-rated schools in Florida, up from 148 in 2011.

But Channel 9's Racquel Asa found even though local schools scored highly this year, they may not hang onto those rankings for long.

Out of 75 high schools in central Florida, 35 received an A rating. About a third of those had improved, going from a B to an A.

In Orange County, one of its C-rated schools received a B for the first time ever.

"Evans High School has never had a B, so we are elated," said Dr. Barbara Jenkins of the Orange County School District.

This year, the state placed a greater emphasis on graduation rates, college readiness and the FCAT, which worked in Orange County's favor.

"I think it's a realistic model for our high schools," said Jenkins. "You can't grade an entire high school on a couple of FCAT scores that are not even at every grade level."

Seminole and Osceola County schools maintained nearly all their current grades with As and Bs.

But WFTV found that next year the state will yet again change the grading formula, putting an emphasis on end of course exams for subjects like biology and geometry, which some students are having a hard time passing.