Brevard reports improved access and performance across AP, IB, CTE and dual enrollment; several schools exit ESSA identification

Superintendent Dr. Rendell told the Brevard School Board that the district has reduced the number of schools identified under the Every Student Succeeds Act and recorded gains in student access to advanced and career programs. "The schools, in front of us at this time, they all exited ESSA status," Dr. Rendell said, reporting that multiple campuses improved subgroup performance enough to leave ESSA identification.

Why it matters: Exiting ESSA identification signals that schools met federal and state accountability measures for subgroup performance; increases in access to AP, IB, dual enrollment and industry certifications shape students' college and career pathways.

Program access and performance: Dr. Rendell said the district "maintained at 70%" on an acceleration metric comparing Brevard to the state for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years and that access to advanced coursework has grown. He reported an overall AP pass rate of 75 percent and an IB pass rate at about 79 percent. The district also showed increased participation and pass rates in Cambridge examinations and industry certifications tied to CTE programs.

Dual enrollment and digital tools: The superintendent said dual enrollment participation rose across fall, spring and summer terms, with more students taking and passing college-level courses. He also noted a rise in middle-school use of a district digital-tools program for sixth-grade STEM students, but cautioned that upcoming state or legislative changes will shift grade-level offerings in 2025-26, moving some digital-tools opportunities into high school and fourth grade. "This data is hot off the press," he said, summarizing recent results.

Graduation and lagging data: Dr. Rendell described graduation figures as "lag data" that will be finalized later in the semester; he said the district had a slight bump compared with the state and expected further improvement once final data are available.

Board commentary: Board member Thomas praised district leadership and classroom staff, saying, "this didn't happen by accident" and commending Dr. Rendell's team and teachers for the results. Other members echoed appreciation for teachers and principals and noted the trends as evidence of both wider access to rigorous coursework and steady performance.

Taper: The board held a deeper data workshop earlier in the day and invited the public to review the full presentation for more details; several trustees and the superintendent urged the community to watch the workshop recording for the complete data dive.