Sarasota reports modest statewide gains; district doubles down on literacy, MTSS and staff training

Superintendent Conner said Sarasota County Schools earned 836 points under Florida’s district grading components, a nine-point increase from the previous year and a 53-point gain across two years. “We had earned a total of 836 points on the components that are used to comprise of a school district’s grade in the state of Florida,” Superintendent Conner said during the board workshop.

The district framed those gains as evidence that recent strategy changes are starting to take hold but emphasized remaining gaps. The presentation—led by Deputy Superintendent Rachel O’Day and a cross‑departmental academic services team—outlined Pillar 1 of the district’s strategic plan, “Every student achieves,” and tied specific strategic actions to areas of need such as early literacy, ELL performance and lower‑quartile gains.

Why it matters: district leaders said the district must keep focusing resources where progress lags—particularly in early grades, among English-language learners (ELL) and in specific middle‑grade science and math measures—so gains are sustained and equitable. The board heard that literacy remains the organizing priority because literacy growth supports gains across subjects.

Key facts and planned actions: district staff presented year‑over‑year metrics for ELA, math, science, social studies and graduation cohorts. Highlights included: 70–71 percent third‑grade ELA proficiency (down one point from 71), overall math proficiency in the low 70s (a two‑point increase year over year and six points over two years), and a 93 percent graduation cohort rate in last year’s data (a four‑point increase over two years). Rachel O’Day said the district has reallocated staffing and funding toward literacy leaders and interventionists, and cited summer and ongoing professional learning supported by philanthropic grants.

O’Day described three major investments under the “Literacy for All” umbrella: (1) an allocation formula that targets more positions to Title I and higher‑need schools; (2) a literacy cadre of interventionists, coaches and administrators with monthly professional learning; and (3) supports for credentialing and endorsements for district literacy staff. She noted a $1,200,000 grant from the Brancic Foundation for summer institutes and professional learning and a separate Strauss literacy grant of $2,200,000 over three years that funds early‑grade pathways.

The district also highlighted high‑school interventions such as Read 180 and a tiered instructional plan (CTIP) that district leaders say reduced implementation dip as the programs scaled into secondary schools. Deb Therrien, high‑school reading specialist, described Read 180’s monthly professional learning and vendor collaboration used to support struggling readers.

Special education and MTSS: leaders said they revised ESE (exceptional student education) roles and job descriptions after a programmatic review to clarify responsibilities (instructional facilitators, resource teachers, district program facilitators) and reduce overlap. The district reported an MTSS design team and a three‑year implementation plan; Year 1 is complete and a pilot is planned for Year 3.

Technology and AI pilots: staff described district pilots of AI tools for administrative efficiency (Microsoft Copilot) and classroom supports (Amira/Emera for reading fluency and dyslexia screening). O’Day said the district will vet AI tools through a cross‑functional “stack” committee and pursue grant funding for classroom pilots. “These types of tasks are becoming more and more efficient through the use of artificial intelligence,” Superintendent Conner said when describing Copilot pilot uses for paperwork and communications.

Next steps and context: the district will continue to refine allocations, expand coaching and credentialing, proceed with the MTSS rollout and monitor program outcomes against progress‑monitoring assessments conducted three times per year. Staff emphasized that many indicators are lagging (for example, some middle‑grade science measures) but said the combination of targeted staffing, revised schedules and professional learning should produce continued gains.

Ending: board members praised the scope of work and urged careful monitoring of assessment load and of AI’s role in instruction and compliance. District officials said they will return with further implementation benchmarks and results from pilots and the next cohort data when available.