PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The grades are in for school districts across South Florida, and the School District of Palm Beach County once again earned top marks.
For the third year in a row, the district received an "A" rating from the state, continuing a streak district leaders say reflects strong student performance across all grade levels.
WATCH BELOW: Palm Beach County schools hit record graduation rate in latest 'A' rating
School districts and schools receive letter grades from the Florida Department of Education based on several factors, including student performance on state tests, graduation rates and student performance on advanced coursework.
This year, 143 district-operated schools — or 84% — were rated “A” or “B,” up from 120 schools the previous year.
The district’s success is also reflected in its record-setting 93.5% graduation rate.
District leaders said 86% of seniors participated in college-level coursework, taking at least one Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), or Dual Enrollment course.
In addition, 144 recent graduates earned an associate degree alongside their high school diploma.
"Earning an 'A' rating from the Florida Department of Education once again reflects our ongoing commitment to sparking academic success and helping every student ignite their future. I am especially proud of the remarkable progress made by many schools to boost their school grades this year, as well as the schools that stayed the course to maintain their high grades. This collective success is the direct result of the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, support staff, families, and community partners. With our voters' continued investment in our public schools, we can sustain this momentum and remain the best choice for education in Palm Beach County," Superintendent Mike Burke said in a statement.
One of the biggest success stories came from Delray Beach, where S.D. Spady Elementary School made a dramatic leap from a "C" rating last year to an "A" this year.
"It's all about Spady, Spady Cardinals," said community member Chris Ceasar. "For them to be an 'A' school from a 'C' school, that's a huge jump. ... It's a big thing for the community because education is first in Delray Beach. To hear that it’s an 'A' school really makes me happy. It will draw more talent to the school. When people find out it’s an 'A' school, more of the students that are being bused to other elite schools can come home and just be in the community."
Ceasar has a personal connection to the school.
He attended Spady as a child and now has family members enrolled there.
"I went there, and I would even allow my daughter to go there when she comes of age," Ceasar said. "I couldn't be more excited to know that my family members are in a school that's taking care of their future."
Leading the turnaround effort is Principal Rona Tata, who has spent the last 15 years as principal after serving five years as assistant principal.
When asked how excited she was to tell students they would be attending an A-rated school next year, Tata said: “Hopefully they've already seen it,” as the school sent out emails, and posted about the accomplishment on social media.
"Lots to celebrate. There is a lot of work that went on behind the scenes, and not that we didn't do that as a C — the work is always there. There's always grit on this campus,” Tata said.
She told WPTV the school had an A rating two years ago and narrowly missed a B rating last year by just a few points.
Three years ago, she said staff began taking a closer look at the foundation of student learning by modifying the school’s early childhood curriculum program, which starts at age 3 and combines with kindergarten.
Many of those students are now in third grade and performing at higher levels, according to Tata which contributed to the renewed A rating.
She said the school also fine-tuned its entire academic approach — focusing not only on testing grades, but also on challenging students and staff to raise expectations across campus.
"Our theme last year was, 'Be the reason you succeed,' and they believed," Tata said. "They brought everything to the table and did everything that they were supposed to do, and we're beyond proud."
Spady Elementary was one of four district schools to improve from a "C" rating to an "A" this year.
The others include:
- Dwight D. Eisenhower K-8
- Glade View Elementary
- West Gate Elementary
"Man, continue the great work — to the principal, to the teachers and to the students — we're proud of you," Ceasar said.
Click here to see ratings for all of the district-run schools in Palm Beach County.
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