Florida's Failing School Grading System: It's Easier for Student' to get an 'A'

Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida's school grading system needs a reality check - HB 1483 takes a step in the right direction. Are Florida students really making the grade or is the report card incomplete? It is a lot easier for kids to score an 'A' in Florida.

Rep. Susan Valdes (R-Tampa) presented HB 1483 in her committee, a bill aimed at bringing much-needed honesty to Florida's school grading system. Right now, the way school grades are calculated gives parents a false sense of their student's academic success - if grades actually reflected performance, far fewer schools would be receiving high marks.

Under the current system, schools can earn an 'A' with as little as 62% in elementary school and 64% in middle and high school. A 'B' can be awarded with scores as low as 54%. As a result, 65% of Florida schools are labeled 'A' or 'B', while only 3% receive a 'D', and just 0.2% - a mere sight schools statewide - are rated 'F'.

These inflated grades do more harm than good, keeping parents in the dark about the true quality of their children's education.

HB 1483 proposes a phased approach to establishing a grading scale that aligns with what letter grades are supposed to mean:

• 2026-27: Schools must earn at least 70% for an 'A' and 60% for a 'B'
• 2027-28: The threshold increases to 80% for an 'A' and 70% for a 'B'
• 2028-29: The final standard requires 90% for an 'A', 80% for a 'B,' and so on

At its core, the message is simple: an 'A' should be an A. A school that barely scores above 60% should not be considered excellent.

So did Florida really turn into the Ivy League overnight? Are more state license plates going to start showing up at Harvard or Yale?

For context, Miami-Dade and Broward County public schools, two of the largest school districts in the country, earned 'A' ratings from the Florida Department of Education in 2024. It was the first 'A' rating for Broward schools since 2011.

In addition, no Broward school received a 'D' or 'F' rating, a first for the district since the state started giving out grades in 1999. Miami-Dade earned an 'A' rating for the fifth consecutive year.

In Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, the school district has maintained a 'B' rating for much of the past decade.

While HB 1483 does not yet have a Senate companion and faces an uphill battle in becoming law - especially given the Senate's anti-accountability and anti-choice school stance - this bill is an important step toward real accountability and transparency in our education system.

HB 1483 passed its first House committee stop 14-2. It now heads to the Student Access Subcommittee for consideration.

If fully passed, HB 1483 would take effect on July 1.