Florida Sets National Standard With Improved School Grades

Florida's schools are setting a national standard. On July 7, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that 71% of graded schools, totaling 2,461 campuses, earned an A or B for the 2024-25 academic year. This marks a significant jump from 64% the previous year. Even more striking, 44% of schools secured an A, and the number of D or F schools plummeted from 117 to 71. These gains signal a system firing on all cylinders, but what's driving this progress?

The answer lies in a bold commitment to empowering parents and prioritizing measurable outcomes. Policies emphasizing school choice, real-time academic tracking, and a focus on core skills have reshaped Florida's education landscape. While the state's latest report card sparks celebration, it also invites a closer look at the reforms fueling this ascent and their implications for families and taxpayers.

At the heart of Florida's gains is an unapologetic expansion of school choice. Charter schools, now serving a growing share of students, posted a remarkable 77% A or B grades, with 68% either improving or holding an A. The Family Empowerment Scholarship, broadened in 2022, allows families to select schools that best fit their children's needs, whether public, charter, or private. This flexibility fosters competition, pushing schools to innovate and perform.

Data backs this up: 1,908 schools, or 56%, either raised their grade or maintained an A in 2025. High schools saw a 10-point surge in A grades, reflecting stronger graduation rates and college-ready coursework. By giving parents options, Florida ensures schools are driven to deliver results, knowing families can choose alternatives if performance lags.

Gone are the days of high-stakes, end-of-year exams. Florida's shift to the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), rolled out in 2022, delivers progress monitoring three times a year. This computer-adaptive test provides teachers and parents with immediate data to address learning gaps before they widen. The result? Nearly 200,000 more students now attend A or B schools compared to last year.

This approach aligns with a practical reality: catching problems early saves time and resources. Elementary schools saw a 4-point rise in A grades, while middle schools jumped 9 points. FAST's granular feedback lets educators tailor instruction, ensuring no student slips through the cracks. This system emphasizes prompt action, ensuring effective intervention.

Florida's success didn't happen overnight. Since 1999, the state's A-F grading system, pioneered under Governor Jeb Bush, has tied funding and accountability to performance. Reforms since 2019, including the B.E.S.T. standards and restrictions on divisive curricula, have refocused classrooms on reading, math, and civics. These policies resonate with parents who want schools to stick to essentials.

Research supports this back-to-basics approach. Studies from the Urban Institute show Florida's early literacy policies, like third-grade retention, lifted reading scores over two decades. Bonus funding for civics and reading programs has also paid dividends, with 100% of 2024's F schools climbing to higher grades in 2025. This track record proves that clear standards and incentives work.

Not everyone is cheering. Some education advocates argue that the 2024 grading-scale tweak, which adjusted cut scores, inflated results. Others point to over $1 billion in scholarship funding, claiming it drains resources from traditional public schools. Teacher shortages, with 4,000 vacancies reported in 2025, also raise concerns about sustaining momentum.

These critiques, however, overlook the broader context. Florida's per-pupil spending, while not the nation's highest, supports a system where outcomes are improving. Charter and voucher schools often operate with leaner budgets, demonstrating that quality can be achieved efficiently. Addressing teacher shortages requires competitive pay and incentives, which Florida's 2025-26 budget aims to tackle with $1.5 billion for salaries.

Florida's results offer a roadmap for other states. By prioritizing parental choice, real-time data, and a curriculum grounded in fundamentals, the state has turned schools into engines of opportunity. The fact that no school district earned a D or F in 2025 underscores a system that lifts all boats, from urban hubs to rural communities.

However, vigilance is needed. Federal mandates or union pushback could threaten these gains. Expanding education-savings accounts to all families and tying teacher evaluations to FAST data could further strengthen accountability. Florida's model shows that when schools compete and parents have a voice, students win.

As the nation grapples with uneven academic recovery, Florida's approach stands out. It's a reminder that bold reforms, rooted in practical values, can deliver results that matter. For families, educators, and policymakers, the lesson is clear: keep the focus on what works, and the grades will follow.