ECSS overall report card increases to B
Published 1:35 pm Monday, December 18, 2023
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The Escambia County School System’s overall grade improved to a 84, according to officials.
The test scores were recently released and confirmed by state school officials, and revealed during a county school board meeting on Dec. 14.
The overall score of Escambia County Schools went from an overall grade of 77 to a 84 — a one-letter-grade increase in the State Accountability Report.
In what may be the most dramatic increase in years, Superintendent Michele McClung said the achievement was the result of hard work from the entire school system.
“This achievement is a result of the collaborative dedication of our educators, students, parents and community partners,” McClung said in a prepared statement. “We are proud of the progress we have made and this success inspires us to continue working towards providing the best possible education for our students.”
During Thursday’s meeting, McClung also expressed thanks to the Board for trusting the plan that led to the increase in scores.
“I thank the board for trusting our plan and the programs we put into place,” McClung said. “We have put $16 to $19-million dollars to work to mitigate learning losses and that has put us among the most improved schools in the state.”
According to the Alabama Department of Education, the overall score across the state was at 83. Three schools in Escambia County met or exceeded that grade including Flomaton Elementary (88 up from 85), Pollard-McCall Junior High School (84 up from 73) and W.S. Neal Elementary (83 up from 70).
Other Escambia County School scores include Escambia County High School 65, up from 62; Escambia County Middle School 70, up from 56; Flomaton High School 80, down from 83; Huxford Elementary 79, up from 77; Rachel Patterson Elementary 76, down from 78; W.S. Neal Middle School 81, up from 74; and W.S. Neal High School 81, up from 67.
The overall grade for all of Escambia County Schools is 84, up from 77.
“These are remarkable achievements in key indicators, resulting in an impressive one-letter-grade increase in the State Accountability Report, elevating the overall grade from a 77C to 84B,” McClung said. “This accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and hard work of students, educators, administrators, executive staff and the entire community.”
McClung said that 80 percent of the schools in the district showed significant numerical gains. Some 40 percent of the schools in the district gained more than 11 points with 20 percent jumping two letter grades. While all but two schools achieved gains, no school regressed in letter grades.
Among grades reported in the latest results, McClung said improvements were shown in areas including academic growth, academic achievement, chronic absenteeism, college and career readiness and graduation rates.