2 Duval County high schools win grade appeal

Englewood and First Coast high schools get higher grades

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The successful appeal of state grades by two high school gives First Coast High School the first "A" in its history, a "B" for Englewood High School and the most "A" high schools in Duval County Public Schools history.

The Florida Department of Education granted the appeal for the 2012-2013 grades the two schools.

"I am pleased with the outcome of these appeals," said Duval County school Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. "The appeal change reflects the hard work and dedication of students and staff. It also reinforces the great strides our district is making in the quality of education we provide our students."

With the appeals, the district now has 10 high schools that earned an "A: grade, up from seven the previous year; six earned a "B," and five earned a "C," compared to eight the previous year. For the second consecutive year, Duval County has no "F" high schools.

Duval County leads the largest seven school districts in the state in the percentage point increase of "A: high schools, and now matches the state average in the percentage of its "A" high schools, thanks to the approval of the First Coast appeal.

Since 1999, the Florida Department of Education has assigned letter grades to individual schools based mostly on student performances on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).