High Achievers

Sarasota County

The Florida Department of Education has classified the Sarasota County Schools as an “A” school district, with 89 percent of its public schools rated as “A” or “B.” Expansion Management magazine, which rates large school districts across the United States, has recognized the district for its quality in workforce preparation. Superintendent Gary Norris received the magazine’s Gold Medal, awarded to only 16 percent of districts evaluated.

Sarasota County students consistently outperform their peers in the state and nation on formal assessments, including college placement tests. The 2007 national SAT scores were higher than state averages in all three categories: critical reading, writing and math. On the standardized Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), students in grades three to 10 ranked among the state’s top 10 districts. The graduation rate improved 3.6 percent between 2006 and 2007 to 83.5 percent, 11.1 percent above the state graduation rate.

Sarasota County schools are in the fourth year of implementing Next Generation Learning, the district’s program for school reform, organizational excellence and student success. Technology is a major component, and the district has installed interactive whiteboards called ActivBoards in all of its approximately 3,000 classrooms. The system enables teachers to present any material available on a computer screen to an entire class, including instruction prepared by master teachers around the world. Student voting devices interact with the system to help verify learning.

The district offers a wide variety of alternative schools, magnet programs and charter schools. Pine View School, which serves the needs of intellectually gifted students in grades two through 12, was named the sixth-best high school in America by U.S. News & World Report in December 2007. Also last year, Gocio Elementary School was designated by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as one of five National Schools of Distinction in Arts Education.

Career and technical education is another vital component, with 51 career and technical education labs and career-themed communities at high schools.

The Suncoast Polytechnical High School is scheduled to open this year on the Sarasota County Technical Institute campus. The 67,000-square-foot facility will accommodate 600 students, who will be able to attend core classes such as English or math and specialized career and technical classes on the same campus. A second career technical school for South County students is scheduled to open in Venice in 2009.

Charter, private and faith-based schools such as St. Stephens Episcopal School and the Out-of-Door Academy provide a varied educational climate. Special-needs students have three well-regarded options in the public school system: As noted above, Pine View School for the Gifted achieved a Gold Medal as one of the Top 100 high schools nationally. Oak Park School and Oak Park South provide special education for students with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.

Major local institutions of higher education have gained national stature. Last year, U.S. News & World Report recognized New College of Florida as among the top five public liberal arts colleges in the nation, and The Princeton Review named it one of the nation’s best values among public colleges and universities.

University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at Manatee Community College Venice.

Manatee Community College meets the needs of local students and adult learners at two 100-acre campuses, MCC Bradenton and MCC Venice, at the Center for Innovation and Technology at MCC Lakewood Ranch, and through distance learning classes.

The private, four-year Ringling College of Art and Design provides degrees in bachelor of fine arts and bachelor of arts to more than 1,200 art students from 43 states and 31 countries.

Florida State University College of Medicine, Sarasota Regional campus serves third- and fourth-year medical students, who receive their clinical training in doctors’ offices, area hospitals and ambulatory care centers with more than 250 area physicians serving as clinical faculty.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), one of the largest and most progressive medical colleges in the United States, opened its new school of pharmacy on the Florida campus in August 2007. LECOM offers unique and innovative curriculums in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and medical education.

Adults have access to career programs and continuing education at the public Sarasota County Technical Institute plus the business-based Keiser College, Eckerd Program for Experienced Learners (affiliated with St. Petersburg’s Eckerd College) and Ringling College of Art and Design’s continuing education division.

Manatee County

The mission of the Manatee County School District is to inspire students with a passion for learning and empower them to pursue their dreams confidently and creatively. The district’s comprehensive strategic plan, EdVantage, is the cornerstone of its far-reaching efforts that serve more than 42,000 students and 7,000 employees. The district continues to provide a range of innovative technologies and first-class facilities. In the past year, the Manatee County School District became the first school district in the nation to incorporate hybrid school buses into its bus fleet through the Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus Project. The new hybrid school buses provide 70 percent better fuel economy and a 90 percent reduction in diesel engine emissions.

In addition, at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, the district opened two new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new location for an alternative high school. The district completely rebuilt two aging elementary schools and substantially renovated four additional elementary schools.

The district has committed to building a new "green" elementary school in central Bradenton that will include a wide array of environmentally friendly features; it is expected to open in 2009.

Charlotte County

In the past year the Charlotte County public school district rebuilt and opened two schools: Baker Headstart Center and Neil Armstrong Elementary. Peace River Elementary, East Elementary and Punta Gorda Middle School are all slated for opening sometime in the current school year. Charlotte High School is two years away from completion. All the new schools incorporate advanced technology to better serve students and prepare them for the future.

Charlotte students continued to make academic gains in all areas. The school district was ranked among the state’s Top 10, with 17 of 20 schools earning a letter grade of “A” from the state. Charlotte County school district educates more than 18,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students and offers adult education, literacy training and citizenship and ESOL classes. Recently a new medical training component was added to the Charlotte County Technical Center in order to meet the demands of the medical profession in the community. Student success is the vision, with reading a major priority.