The Florida education system tied with Vermont for 10th place in overall education quality, according to Education Week's Quality Counts 2009 report.
Florida's overall grade for 2009 was a 79.6, or a C-plus, which is an improvement over its score in 2008. Since 2007, the state jumped in ranking from No. 31 to No. 10.
The overall grade was derived from individual grades each state received in six separate fields. These fields included chance-for-success, K-12 achievement, finance, standards, transition and alignment and the teaching profession.
In each of these categories, the state earned a C-minus or better.
The state earned a 90.8 (A) in the standards, assessment and accountability category. The one sore spot is the 51.7 (F) Florida earned in spending, a sub-category of school finance.
The high marks were a welcomed opportunity for Tallahassee to laud the efficacy of its education system.
"We've been improving in all areas," said Tom Butler, press secretary for the Florida Department of Education. "Florida is making improvements and building a foundation from the earliest grades on up… and I think we are seeing the fruits of that process."
Local parents agreed with the study's ratings, and some even believed that their children's education was superior to the study's findings.
"My child, personally, I think is getting a better education [than the study indicates]," said Holly Nelson, whose daughter attends Fort Clarke Middle School. "I think that [the school] is doing a great job."
Some local school administrators criticized the lack of state funds and agree that Florida deserves an F in spending. The grade is only slightly lower than the national average of 67.
Florida also earned an F in Spending in last year's study, and local school administrators are concerned that a proposed 2 percent across-the-board cut on education spending will exacerbate the situation. The Florida House of Representatives is considering the proposal.
"[The state of Florida] is trying to run social services and education off a 6 percent sales tax. It's absurd," said Don Lewis, principal of Abraham Lincoln Middle School. "[Florida's rating] would be higher if the appropriate funding would come in like it should."
Florida's teachers and administrators have been forced to pick up the slack, Lewis said.
He credited Florida's high grade to the quality and resilience of Florida teachers and administrators.
"Considering the lack of funding, it's remarkable to me that you have educators who continue to do and serve so well," Lewis said. "[Our teachers] are so well prepared…I don't know how we retain them."
