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SCPS remains A-rated as state raises school-grading thresholds for 2025–26
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cody and assessment coordinator Sarah Boroski told the July 22 school board Seminole County Public Schools remains an A-rated district for 2024–25, highlighted gains across grade bands and student groups, and explained upcoming changes to Florida''s accountability thresholds that will raise the bar for 2025'026.
Seminole County Public Schools remained an A-rated district for the 2024–25 school year, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cody told the Seminole County School Board at its July 22 meeting, while staff outlined state rule changes that will make it harder for districts and high schools to earn top grades in 2025'026.
The presentation summarized the district's performance across elementary, middle and high schools, highlighted gains for students with disabilities and English learners, and described how statewide changes to the Florida Department of Education accountability formula will raise the point thresholds for A and B grades next year.
Dr. Cody opened the update by celebrating the district's status: "Once again, let's celebrate that SCPS is an a rated academically high performing district as designated by the Florida Department of Education. Awesome work, everybody." Assessment coordinator Sarah Boroski walked the board through school- and district-level results, how the FAST progress-monitoring assessments are used during the year, and the specific statutory trigger that raised grading thresholds for 2025'026.
Key facts staff presented include: SCPS earned 68% of the possible points on the district scale in 2024'025; 86% of SCPS schools received an A or B in 2024'025; and SCPS maintained top regional rankings in multiple ELA and STEM measures. Boroski told the board that because more than 82% of Florida high schools earned an A or B in 2024'025, the state's grading scale must shift upward for 2025'026, increasing the A threshold for high schools from 64% to 65% and adjusting B bands accordingly. "As a point of context, SCPS earned 68% in 2425 and will now be measured against this updated, more rigorous scale in 2526," Boroski said.
Board members and staff emphasized accelerated math coursework affects grade-level rankings: Boroski explained many high-performing fifth and eighth graders are placed in accelerated courses and take higher-level tests, which removes them from their grade-level cohort for accountability calculations. She said grade 5 data reflect a large share of students in the RAMP elementary acceleration course and that 99% of those fifth graders who took the sixth-grade test passed at a 3 or higher. Middle school Algebra I and geometry pass rates were reported at about 85% and 97%, respectively.
Staff also highlighted district strengths in Advanced Placement testing and subgroup gains. The presentation said 7,522 students took 16,874 AP exams in 2024 with a 73% pass rate; AP participation and pass rates increased versus the prior year. SCPS leaders noted notable gains for students with disabilities and English learners: elementary achievement for students with disabilities increased in every accountability cell reported, and Boroski credited targeted supports for those improvements.
On assessments and family access, Boroski reviewed the FAST progress-monitoring structure: PM1 (fall), PM2 (winter), and PM3 (spring), explaining that PM1 and PM2 provide instructional snapshots while PM3 serves as the summative measure used for school accountability. She reminded families that PM results appear on the state family portal within 24 to 48 hours of a student completing a test and showed how to access detailed reports via Skyward and the district links.
Board members praised staff work and asked for continued focus as the district prepares to be measured against the stricter 2025'026 thresholds. Member Dellinger thanked teachers and administrators and said the conference and data reinforced the district's focus on improving outcomes "for every student, every day, in every classroom." Member Sanchez and others singled out gains for students with disabilities and English learners.
Staff identified next steps including continued analysis of subject-specific declines noted in biology and planning targeted course-level interventions for 2025'026. Boroski and Dr. Cody requested the board's continued support for communicating assessment context to the public so acceleration decisions are not misread as declines in instruction.
The district provided detailed school-level lists of A-grade schools and highlighted individual successes, including Hamilton Elementary School of Engineering receiving its first A grade since the accountability system began.
Two takeaways staff emphasized: the district remained A-rated for 2024'025, and statutory adjustments to grading thresholds will require focused attention next year because the state's recalibration raises the percent of points needed for top grades.
Board and staff comments closed the presentation with praise for teachers, administrators and community partners and an acknowledgement that the higher thresholds will require continued, deliberate improvement work.
