The Statewide Picture

The 2023/24 release showed broad improvement across Florida, per the Department of Education’s data: 1,300 schools statewide earned the top designation — a 6% increase over the prior cycle — while 98 fewer schools landed in the bottom two tiers. Nearly two-thirds of all Florida schools (64%) earned one of the top two designations, up from 57% the year before, and 1,761 schools either improved their grade or held the top mark. Among the state’s 602 charter schools, 69% earned a top-two designation. Gains showed up at every level: the share of top-rated schools rose 4% among elementary schools, 7% among middle schools, and 10% among high schools.

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. said in a written statement that the results reflect the state’s sustained push to raise educational standards, crediting the approach taken under Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration.

How Palm Beach County Got Back to the Top

Palm Beach County Superintendent Mike Burke, speaking with WPTV Education Reporter Stephanie Susskind after the release, described the result as deeply gratifying — the payoff of significant time and effort from people across the district doing what he called their life’s work. He noted that the prior cycle served as a baseline year under new standards and testing, and that the district used what it learned to focus the following school year on ensuring students mastered the required content.

Burke credited the district’s emphasis on phonics and the science of reading, expanded teacher training and materials, rigorous coursework, accelerated math programs, and a strong graduation rate. He called the state’s top designation a “gold seal of approval” for the county’s public schools.

District highlights from the release:

• 59 schools improved by one or more letter designations
• 131 schools earned one of the top two designations — the district’s best showing in five years
• The Glades Region reached unprecedented levels of student achievement
• Plumosa School of the Arts and K.E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School each climbed two designations

Marjorie Soffer, a parent and teacher at the new West Boynton Middle School — which earned the top designation in its first year — said the recognition speaks to how much perseverance the work of teaching demands.

Around the Region

Elsewhere in the area, per the same release: the School District of Indian River County also earned the state’s top district designation, with Superintendent Dr. David Moore crediting high-quality teaching across the district’s classrooms and his team’s commitment to students. St. Lucie Public Schools and the Martin County School District each held the second-tier designation, and the Okeechobee County School District received a mid-tier designation. To the south, Miami-Dade County Public Schools held the top mark while Broward County Public Schools improved to it.

Martin County Superintendent Michael Maine noted his district missed the top designation by a single point — a disappointment he framed as next year’s goal. The district celebrated Port Salerno Elementary School, which has climbed two designations over consecutive cycles; Principal Lauren Gifford called the result a testament to her staff’s commitment.

The full report — statewide, county-by-county, and school-by-school — is published by the Florida Department of Education.