Sad State of Duval County Schools

[JagFan07]

I had to do some research on Duval County Schools and was amazed when I looked at the current grades of our High Schools.

2009 Duval County High School grades

N/A Atlantic Coast High School
B Anderson, Douglas School of the Arts
C Baldwin
A Darnell-Cookman
C Englewood
F First Coast
B Fletcher, Duncan
D Forrest, Nathan B.
F Jackson, Andrew
C Lee, Robert E.
A Mandarin
D Parker, Terry
D A Paxon School For Advanced Studies
C Peterson, Frank H. Academies of Technology
F Raines, William M.
F Randolph, A. Philip Academies of Technology
F Ribault, Jean
C Sandalwood
A Stanton College Preparatory School
D White, Edward H.
D Wolfson, Samuel W.

* Opens 2011

We had 20 active high schools in 2009. Of those, 10 have a grade of D or F. We spend  $8,414 per pupil.


http://www.duvalschools.org/reseval/FSAP.asp
http://www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/new%20residents/aboutdcps.asp

** Edit: Had wrong grade for Paxon High, quoted Paxon MS

[Miss Fixit]

One significant correction to the above post:  Paxon High School is an "A" school, listed as "Paxon Academy" on the grade report.  Douglas Anderson was the big surprise to me - they have been an "A" school for many years and were just ranked near the top of several national high school reviews.

[BridgeTroll]

The primary means of measuring these grades is the FCAT.  Many seem opposed to the FCAT as a tool for measuring a students and a schools progress.  Despite the claims of "teaching to the test" it appears that students, teachers, and schools are still not able to meet the basic standards tested by FCAT.

[JagFan07]

One significant correction to the above post:  Paxon High School is an "A" school, listed as "Paxon Academy" on the grade report.  Douglas Anderson was the big surprise to me - they have been an "A" school for many years and were just ranked near the top of several national high school reviews.

Thanks, I accidentally posted Paxon MS instead of HS

[JagFan07]

Anyone know where I could find per pupil spending broken down by individual school?

[Bativac]

I'm also surprised at Douglas Anderson's "B" grade. I was a student there in the mid 1990s and their academic standards were quite rigorous. I knew a couple guys who were asked to return to their "home schools" due to their slipping grades.

Stanton's high grade doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately the huge number of low grades doesn't surprise me either.

[buckethead]

How sad that so many schools are failing us and our children.

There are a few good schools here, but on average, the picture is disheartening. Few families can manage homeschooling. At a cost of nearly 9 large per year for each student, we could send every child to a top rated private school.

In better financial times, I sent two of my daughters to a Montessori school for $1500 a month. My Edward H White education affords me the ability to estimate the cost for each daughter to be $750 per month x 9 months.

$6500 per year, per child. This did not include transportation or meals.

[jandar]

I'm also surprised at Douglas Anderson's "B" grade. I was a student there in the mid 1990s and their academic standards were quite rigorous. I knew a couple guys who were asked to return to their "home schools" due to their slipping grades.

Stanton's high grade doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately the huge number of low grades doesn't surprise me either.

Big change from when I went there. it was easy to get out of class to go help other areas.
I was an A student anyway, but could get out of class to work on a project or two.

[duvaldude08]

I am not shocked by Andrew Jackson's. I went there from Darnell Cookman. When I went to jackson I graduated with a 2.5 without even trying as hard as I could. I never understood how people in my classes were actually failing. But from first hand experience, inner city schools are rough. THe students give the teachers pure d hell and they refuse to do any work. The change needs to take place at home, its not the school's fault.I think the parents are failing us, not the schools. I had a very good up bringing, thus it showed when I was a pupil in high school, when everyone else was rapping and beating on the desk, I was doing my work. These parents need to step up.

[fsujax]

I was acutally pleased to see Lee had a C, I know it's not great, but at least compared to many of the others it looks good. I think when I was there we were a B/C school.

[Cliffs_Daughter]

This must be in part due to lack of parental involvement.
I'm not saying this is just a problem in the high schools, because we know of a few elementary schools with low grades, but consider the neighborhood and demographic of these failing schools.

And I'm sure you can get a full budget list for each school.
Another interesting tidbit: they are raising the minimum percentile of free/reduced meals to qualify for Title I funding. I know of a few schools who are losing funding next year because of this.

[buckethead]

Something should be done, but what? Should more money be thrown at the problem?

Should disruptive, violent, or innatentive students be removed from the classroom? Permanently?

How can parents be forced to raise children in a way you or I would prefer? More state intervention?

Should the students who wish to participate be allowed to escape these substandard environments? How?

[BridgeTroll]

Just a suggestion...  rather than trying to make all students... A/B heading for college students... remove the underachievers from that environment and concentrate on a basic "lifeskills" type curriculum aimed at trade or tech schools or simply being able to function in society.  Possibly we fail because we are trying to make all students... college grads.

Parental guidance and personal ability and desire to learn are gifts some of us do not possess in our teens...