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