Summary:
The city of Fort Meade, Florida is home to two schools: Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School and Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School. While the high school demonstrates strong academic performance, the elementary school faces more significant challenges, highlighting the need for a more holistic approach to school improvement within the Polk district.
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School stands out with a relatively high graduation rate of 94.4% and impressive performance in End-of-Course (EOC) exams, exceeding district and state averages in Algebra 1, Biology 1, and US History. Additionally, the school's 8th-grade math proficiency of 62% is significantly higher than the district (42%) and state (54%) averages. In contrast, Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School lags behind the district and state averages in several FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) assessments, suggesting room for improvement in the early grades.
Both schools face challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates, with 42% at the high school and 34% at the elementary school. Additionally, while the high school has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, the elementary school has a lower 1-star rating, despite being in the same Polk district. This disparity highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to school improvement within the district, focusing on addressing chronic absenteeism and improving overall academic outcomes, particularly in the early grades.
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