Opinion

Grade deflation

TBO.com
Published: July 18, 2012

Last week, the Florida Department of Education released the grades A through F many of the state's public schools earned over the 2010-11 school year. As expected, the overall results weren't pretty. This, in turn, re-ignited the debate over whether the grade system is fair and whether the standardized tests that play a major role in determining the grades are valid.

For the past school year, 1,124 elementary, middle or combination schools earned an A grade, compared to 1,481 during the 2009-10 school year, a 24 percent decrease. On the other end of the scale, the number of schools earning a D rose to 238 from 117, up 103 percent, and the total of F-graded schools went to 47 from 31, a 51 percent rise.

Keep in mind that because of changes to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test administered last school year meant to make it more rigorous, education officials were anticipating a big drop in school grades. In response, the State Board of Education decided to allow schools to decline by only one grade level.

Saying the formula used to decide schools grades is too complicated, the Florida Education Association teachers union rejects the grades as a means of judging how schools are performing.

Gov. Rick Scott, who has questioned whether there is too much student testing, nonetheless said tougher standards will lead to a rebound in school grades in the years ahead.

It's too bad there is so little agreement on how to measure that progress.