FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Charter Schools USA-Managed Schools Earn an "A" as a District
82 percent of all CSUSA Florida schools earn an A or B
Florida Department of Education released the 2018-19 school grades as a culmination of 2019 statewide standardized assessments in math, ELA, science and social studies. For the second year in a row, 100 percent of schools managed by Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) in the state of Florida earned an A, B, or C. 82 percent of CSUSA schools earned an A or B which is a significant improvement from last year's 66 percent. Additionally, more than half of CSUSA-managed schools maintained an A grade or improved by at least one letter grade. When graded as a district, CSUSA Florida's 61 schools and 54,000+ students are "A-rated."
"We challenged our entire staff at every level to commit to higher expectations for themselves and our students and they rose to meet that challenge," said Jon Hage, president and CEO of Charter Schools USA. "Throughout our transformation process, CSUSA has made an investment in people with a commitment to excellence and we are beginning to see the results of everyone's efforts."
As a network, CSUSA met or exceeded the State of Florida in ELA learning gains, ELA learning gains for the lowest quartile, and math gains for the lowest quartile. Additionally, CSUSA exceeded the state in ELA and social studies proficiency, ELA learning gains, math learning gains, social studies and middle school acceleration. CSUSA schools improved in all but one school grade component (science proficiency) based on 2019 performance data, as well as exceeded the state's growth on many components. The largest improvements from 2018 to 2019 were in middle and high school acceleration where CSUSA Florida schools netted a 17-point improvement from the previous year. The average school in the network improved their final points earned by 2.5 points, this can mean upwards of a 22+ point overall increase depending on the grade-levels served.
"We are so incredibly proud of our students, teachers and principals," said Chief of Schools David Christiansen. "Our schools are undergoing a system-wide transformation that focuses on culture, systems and instruction. Improvement in each of these areas was mission-critical for our entire team and every school. CSUSA Florida schools outperformed the state in the majority of the academic areas which is evidence that we provide a high-quality education for all students."
The Florida School Performance Grade combines individual student scores from:
- ELA - grades 3-10, with writing included for grades 4-10
- Math - grades 3-8, End of Course Assessments (EOC) in algebra I and geometry
- Science - grades 5 and 8, EOC in biology I
- Social Studies – EOCs in civics and US history
The individual student performance data are then combined to measure the school's progress over the last year. The state calculates the percentage of students meeting these performance standards. Schools also accumulate points for student learning gains and learning gains among the lowest quartile of students in Math and ELA. Middle schools receive credit for accelerated coursework and industry certification to recognize their students' preparation for high school. High schools receive points for graduation rates and the percentage of graduates earning college credit or industry certification. Letter grades based on the Florida State Board of Education's grading scale are assigned once a school's points are totaled and the percentage of possible points earned is determined.
"Our leadership team took a tiered approach to our schools," added Eddie Ruiz, state director of Florida schools. "We provided varying levels of support and contributed the right resources to the right places to make sure every school and every student received what they needed to succeed."
Charter Schools USA, founded by Jonathan Hage in 1997, is the first education management company to earn corporation system-wide accreditation through AdvancED and is one of the nation's leading charter school management companies. CSUSA currently manages 83 schools in six states serving more than 70,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. CSUSA innovative educational advantages include advanced technology, meaningful parental involvement, consistent and fairly-enforced discipline policies, highly-qualified and motivated staff, strong community focus, integrated character education and high academic growth and performance.
For more information, visit http://www.CharterSchoolsUSA.com.
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SOURCE Charter Schools USA
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