TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson says ranking the state's school districts is designed to start a conversation, not stigmatize those at the bottom of the list.
Critics say that's exactly what the rankings will do. They were released Monday.
Some school officials also say it's unfair to rank the districts solely based on scores from the state's standardized exam, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
St. Johns County, which includes St. Augustine, ranked No. 1.
Impoverished Madison County, where more than 70 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, ranked last among the 67 districts.
Robinson says he and Gov. Rick Scott jointly decided the FCAT-based rankings should be compiled in the interests of transparency and to broaden discussion about education in Florida.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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