| The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) has | | | | all students in foreign language fluency. Magnet |
| recognized Florida's Orange County Schools for | | | | programs in immersion and dual language are offered |
| significant improvement in raising student test scores | | | | starting at the elementary school level in French, |
| in math and reading. The CGCS is the only national | | | | English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Immigration issues |
| organization dedicated to the advancement of large, | | | | and education are a hot topic nationwide. Yet Orange |
| urban public schools. It comprises 66 separate | | | | County Schools remain among a minority of public |
| districts. Orange County Schools were one of only 9 | | | | schools to offer immersion programs at the |
| big school districts to surpass state averages in math, | | | | elementary level. |
| and one of ten to do so in reading. | | | | Statewide test results also show significant |
| Orange County Schools view this as evidence of | | | | improvement in Orange County Schools. Results of |
| progress in closing the wide achievement gap | | | | the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) |
| experienced by minorities around the country. With | | | | for writing show improvement in every grade level to |
| 177,000 students in about 170 schools, Orange | | | | which it was administered. Fourth grade scores |
| County Schools operate the 11th largest public school | | | | improved by 6%, 8th grade scores by 5%, and 10th |
| in the nation. Part of the challenge for Orange County | | | | grade scores by 4%. These results put Orange |
| Schools is to address the issues of diversity that | | | | County Schools above 5 of its 6 neighboring counties. |
| often result with minority students lagging behind. | | | | Only Broward County Schools outpaced Orange |
| Students attending Orange County Schools come | | | | County Schools by 1%. The Orange County School |
| from 179 different countries and speak 137 different | | | | that showed the greatest improvement was Ivey |
| languages and dialects. | | | | Lane Elementary, which showed a 33% rise in test |
| One way Orange County Schools are trying to | | | | results. |
| address issues of language diversity is by encouraging | | | | |