Wakulla County, FL - School grades for the 2009-2010 school year were finally released by the Florida Department of Education last week. The combined total of all the Wakulla County schools gave the district an “A” grade according to the FLDOE standards.

In fact, every school graded in Wakulla County earned an “A”, making it the first time in the school district’s history that all the schools earned an “A”.

“I am very proud of all our students and teachers who work so hard every day. This is one measure that shows how they perform, but it is the accountability piece that the public recognizes and evaluates us on,” states Superintendent David Miller.

Wakulla County Schools ranked 8th overall in the state’s 67 districts for point totals. This is the highest ranking ever for the school district.

Earning “Administrator of the Year” awards, which go to the administrators at the school with the highest point totals are Shadeville Elementary’s Principal Susan Brazier and Assistant Principal DeeAnn Hughes; and Wakulla Middle School’s Principal Mike Barwick and Assistant Principal Tolar Griffin. The two schools tied with the exact same number of points.

The longest running consecutive “A” grades were continued by Medart Elementary School at nine years in a row and Wakulla Middle School at eight years in a row.

School grades take into consideration eight separate areas, including Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Reading, Math, Science and Writing scores. Points are given not only for how well students perform on and above grade level, but also on how much growth they have shown in a year.

All the high schools in Florida now have only half of their point totals this year because they are on a new grading scale that includes Graduation Rate; Advanced Placement course participation and passing AP test scores; Industry Certification in areas such as the WHS Medical Academy, Carpentry, and Culinary Arts; and several more standards. They will not receive their grade until late fall.

Observes Superintendent Miller,” I am confident that Wakulla High School did well, taking into account the high number of FCAT points they have already earned for 2009-2010, plus the incredible number of students we have taking Advanced Placement courses. We offer more Advanced Placement courses for possible college credit than any other rural district around. In addition, the WHS Graduation Rate is consistently above the state average. Our students can get a stellar education at Wakulla High School that makes them competitive in college with students from any large urban area.”

Wakulla County School District continues a tradition of excellence with its fifth overall consecutive “A” rating.