Florida’s growing public school system is leading the nation in prioritizing and raising student achievement. Through the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), the state has implemented high standards for all public school, and the pay off is evident here in Central Florida. Here are “the facts” about our region’s four school districts.

The Facts About Orange County Public Schools

• Orange County Public Schools, our region’s largest district, serves a large and diverse urban community; 137 languages/dialects are spoken by OCPS students. By every measure, student achievement in this fast-growing county compares very well not only to other large, urban districts, but to the surrounding suburban communities in Central Florida.
• Overall, in 2006 the Orange County Public School District rated a “B”, based on reading and math FCAT scores. Actually, this should be a “B+”, as OCPS was just points away from an “A” rating for the district.
• Also in 2006, a total of 115 Orange County Schools (73%) earned “A” or “B” status, based on reading and math FCAT scores.
• The graduation rate for OCPS students is 72%. This is above the state average and reflects a substantial increase from the graduation rate of 49% of just a few years back.
• The number of Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken by OCPS students has increased 84% in the past two years alone.
• Orange County is home to 11 of Newsweek magazine's “America’s Best High Schools”.
• OCPS has a total of 623 national certified teachers, the profession’s highest credential; this is one of the highest numbers of nationally certified teachers in the state.
• Orange County is home to one of 12 Florida schools who have achieved NCLB Blue Ribbon School honors (Windy Ridge Elementary & Middle School).
• OCPS has been recognized by the Council of Great City Schools for continued student improvement in math and reading – one of only nine big city school districts in the nation to exceed state averages for 8th grade proficiency on state reading tests, and one of ten urban school districts to better the average on state math tests.
• In 2007, Orange County students, by grade level, scored at their highest level of performance in history on 16 of the 22 different FCAT tests.
  

The Facts About Seminole County Public Schools

• Seminole County Public Schools are rated among the best in the state of Florida and among the top 100 school districts nationwide.
• The Seminole County Public School district is consistently recognized as an “A” Florida school district, with 94%of all schools awarded either an “A” or “B” rating.
• All eight of Seminole County’s four-year high schools are included in Newsweek’s “Top High School List”, which ranks schools in the top 5 percent of the nation based on AP/IB participation.
• In 2006, the SCPS graduation rate was 83.4%, far exceeding the state’s 71% graduation rate.
• For the past 30 years, SAT scores in Seminole have consistently exceeded state and national averages.
• More than 80% of SCPS high school graduates go on to higher education.
• Over 45% of Seminole County teachers have a doctorate, specialist or master’s degree, exceeding the national average.
• SCPS has spent more than $450 million on renovation and construction of new schools in the past ten years and more than $39 million on technology for the schools and classrooms in the past five years.
• Seminole Community College is the 11th fastest growing community college in the nation.
  

The Facts About Osceola County Public Schools

• Osceola County Public Schools has been awarded the District Accreditation of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
• Overall, the Osceola County Public School District rates a “B”, based on reading and math FCAT scores.
• 2007 FCAT scores reflect large year-to-year increases in reading over the past five years.
• Notably, 100% of Osceola County’s elementary schools improved their FCAT-SSS Reading Mean Scale Scores for third grade students when compared to the prior year, while 100% of Osceola County middle and high schools achieved scores of 3.5 or higher on FCAT Writing+.
• Two of Osceola County’s schools were recognized on Newsweek magazine’s annual list of Top 1,200 schools.
• Osceola is considered a “Super System for Quality Schools,” by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This rating indicates that all eligible elementary, middle and secondary schools earned accreditation status.
• Last year, nine Osceola schools were recognized by the Florida Department of Education as either a “Top High-Performing School” or a “Top School For Making Progress”.
• In an effort to recruit and retain the highest quality teachers, the Osceola County School Board provided the highest teacher salary package in Central Florida for the 2006-2007 school year.
• Osceola County ranks best-in-state in terms of administrative expenditures per student.
  

The Facts About Lake County Public Schools

• Lake County Schools (LCS), serves a student population totaling 39,271. Although it may be the smallest in terms of student population in the four counties, its success has been repeated time and again.
• The county is planning a Science Health Magnet High School, in partnership with Lake Sumter Community College, South Lake Hospital and the National Training Center, that would help students earn a diploma and medical related associate degree while in high school.
• 77.5% of Lake County Schools received a grade of "A" or "B" based on the state's A+ grading system.
• Overall, the Lake County Schools rate a "B", based on reading and math FCAT scores.
  Eight schools improved their overall school grade by at least one letter grade.
• The number of Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken by LCS students has increased 70% in the past two years alone.
• Over 38% of the LCS teachers have a doctorate, specialist or master's degree.
• Notably, the graduation rate for LCS is at 75%, above the state's average.
• In the Lake County School District, there are two new elementary schools ready to open for the 2007-2008 school year – Saw Grass Bay Elementary and Grassy Lake Elementary.
• A new middle school is currently under construction and is expected to open for the 2008-2009 school year.
• The Lake County School District is also anticipating the construction of a new high school for the following school year.

Technology Magnet Programs

Throughout Metro Orlando, magnet programs have been established within high schools to provide an opportunity for students to engage in intensive study in specific areas. These programs allow students at an early age to explore careers and to develop skills in broad disciplines including engineering, science, and technology, as well as in specializations such as microelectronics engineering, simulation applications, aviation and aerospace engineering and global information and future technologies.

Acceptance is required to the magnet programs, which attract top students from throughout the school districts. In fact, the popularity of the magnet concept has led to development of prototype programs as early as the elementary school level.

Academies of Information Technology

To address the national need for increased emphasis on integrating technology into K-12 curriculum, the National Academy Foundation has established a rigorous network of Academy of Information Technology (AoIT) programs in our nation's high schools. In Orange County, the AoITs operate as schools-within-schools and are at the following high schools: Apopka, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Timber Creek, University and Winter Park. Seminole County runs its single AoIT, Crooms Academy of Information Technology, as a magnet school for the entire district.

Local school boards work closely with the National Academy Foundation to ensure that curriculums address the needs of our region's local tech companies, and that access to the program is available to qualified students from throughout the district.

	Orange County Public Schools
	Seminole County Public Schools
	Lake County Schools
	Osceola County Schools