Schools in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties continued to rank among the best in Florida, according to annual school grades released Thursday.
    Despite four schools dropping a letter grade, Okaloosa took the top spot for the percentage of grade-A schools in the state, with Santa Rosa not far behind. Walton County schools also saw significant improvement, with all 14 schools ranked at grade B or higher.
    “Our efforts are paying off, (and) it’s evidenced in these scores” said Walton County Superintendent of Schools Carlene Anderson.
    The school grades were created in 1999 to help keep the public informed about the performance of schools. The grades are based on the results of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in reading, writing, math and science.
    Following the state trend, Choctawhatchee and Niceville high schools dropped a letter grade, but school officials say they already are making plans to help students improve.
    “Choctawhatchee and Niceville realize they have some work to do,” said Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Tibbetts. “We’re going to improve.”
    C h o c t a w h a t c h e e dropped from a grade of B to a C. But Principal Cindy Gates said the students who were performing below expected levels already had been identified Thursday, and a plan to improve not only their scores but their learning ability was in the works.
    “We’re not sticking our heads in the sand, we’re moving forward,” Gates said. “My real goal is to make sure those students are successful in their moving forward.”
    In Santa Rosa County, three schools improved by a letter grade and three schools dropped a letter grade. And while Superintendent of Schools Tim Wyrosdick said he was excited to see students improve in areas the school district had focused on during the previous year, all the schools — regardless of their grades — had room for improvement.
    In the next year, he said, emphasis will continue to be placed on subjects such as math and science because students haven’t reached their full potential in those areas yet.
    “We’re very optimistic about the direction we’re traveling with our curriculum,” Wyrosdick said. “(But) we’re not going to be satisfied until we’re all A (schools). Any other goal is really selling ourselves short.”
    Similar trends were identified statewide. Sixtytwo percent of schools received an “A” on the annual report card, and only 1 percent of schools failed.
    Even as the scores were released, several government officials criticized the grading system, saying its scope was too limited.
    “Public school accountability and progress should be based on the whole body of work that schools, teachers and students accomplish throughout the year rather than on a oneday snapshot,” said Rep. Franklin Sands, Democratic leader of the Florida House of Representatives.