The 2016-2017 school year is coming to an end and as the tests and field trips are wrapping up, articles are published with school rankings and learning experiences from the past year.
For over 30 years, U.S. News has helped parents and students by providing educational rankings for high schools and colleges. They do this on a state and nation-wide basis, and rankings are determined based on data collected from state-required tests and the college readiness of students. Click HERE to learn more on how U.S. News calculates the rankings.
Not all schools in the nation were included in the Best High School rankings due to small size, missing data or privatized schools (which don’t require students to take the statewide accountability tests), however, U.S. News gathered data from 28,496 public high schools in the US, including 894 Florida high schools.
So how did Freeport Senior High School place?
97th in the state and 1,150th in the nation! And with a 91% graduation rate, there is much to be proud of.
While U.S. News does not provide information on elementary and middle schools, there are other comparisons being done by other organizations. According to greatschools.org, Freeport’s elementary and middle school have received a rating of 7 out of 10 based on test scores compared with other schools from across the state. Great Schools also allows people to leave a personal review of the school and once again, Freeport did not disappoint! Check out what parents have to say about Freeport Elementary School HERE!
In addition to ranking well based on standardized testing, Freeport schools have amazing hands on learning opportunities with their close proximity to Choctawhatchee Bay and the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center.
This last school year, elementary school students participated in Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance’s program Grasses in Classes, an educational program with lessons in restoring the local environment by planting shoreline grasses along the Choctawhatchee Bay to help slow erosion. The lessons comply with Florida’s science standards and CBA provides the school with everything they need to grow the grasses. The program ends with a field trip to a selected restoration site along Choctawhatchee Bay’s shore, where students plant the smooth cordgrass they grew.
Another educational experience Freeport students have the opportunity to be a part of is the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. Every year, the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center educates over 6,000 fourth and seventh grade students on environmental science. The Biophilia Center’s Mission is to “educate students and visitors on the importance of biodiversity, to promote sustainability, and to encourage conservation, preservation, and restoration of ecosystems.” through interpretive exhibits and hands on activities out on the trail system. Just like Grasses in Classes, the Center’s curriculum complies with Florida’s education standards, allowing the Biophilia Center to be an extension of the classroom and a wonderful resource and opportunity for Freeport students.