ORLANDO, FL (JULY 11, 2012) — With much anticipation by school officials and parents, the Florida Department of Education today announced that eight Imagine charter schools received ‘A’ grades and three others received ‘B’ grades based on student performance on the 2012 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) 2.0.
Imagine Schools South Florida Executive Vice President Rod Sasse remarked, “These academic grade designations reaffirm what parents already know about the quality of education their children are receiving on these campuses. With higher cut scores and a more challenging test, Imagine students and staff from across the state rose to the challenge to earn high marks on the state tests.”
Imagine Schools North Florida Executive Vice President Diane Beatty added, “Parents seek out Imagine schools not only for our academic performance but because of the personalized approach that we take to help each student reach his or her full potential. Imagine parents love that students learn character, leadership, and 21st century skills in addition to the Sunshine State Standards.”
While the FCAT only evaluated academic performance of students in third through eighth grades, parents judge school quality by more than a single test score. Every day, parents evaluate charter schools based on the school’s culture, staff, communications, environment, programs, and academic performance in all grades and subjects. Then, parents vote with their feet by enrolling their children in the school that best meets their needs. Over 8,100 students were educated in these eleven Imagine schools in the 2011-2012 school year. Another 3,800 students remain on waiting lists for the upcoming school year. Parents know quality.
Six Imagine schools maintained their ‘A’ state grades: Imagine Charter School at Weston (Broward County), Imagine Charter School at Broward Elementary (Broward County), Imagine School at South Vero (Indian River County), Imagine South Lake Charter (Lake County), Imagine School at Land O’Lakes (Pasco County), and Imagine School at North Port (Sarasota County). Even with a tougher grading system, two Imagine campuses received higher academic ratings this year. Imagine Schools at Town Center (Flagler County) improved from a ‘C’ to an ‘A.’ Imagine Schools at Palmer Ranch (Sarasota County), which has available seats in the upcoming school year, improved from a ‘B’ to an ‘A.’
B-rated Imagine schools include Imagine Broward Middle School (Broward County), Imagine Kissimmee Charter Academy (Osceola County), and Imagine Schools – Chancellor Campus (Palm Beach County).
Sasse concluded, “I am proud of the accomplishments of our students and teachers. Our visionary goal is for every student to achieve more than one year’s growth each academic year, and these FCAT results show sound progress toward that goal. In this coming year, we look forward to replicating the best practices on these campuses and to helping more students grow academically, reach proficiency, and achieve at even more advanced levels.”
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Imagine Schools is a national family of 70 public charter schools educating nearly 40,000 students in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Imagine Schools partners with parents and guardians to educate their children by providing high quality schools that prepare students for lives of leadership, accomplishment, and exemplary character.
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Lori Waters
571-432-8884
[email protected]