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Sustainability and Education

Orange County has built an outstanding education environment for our children, college students, and adults of all ages. Access to high quality education and lifelong learning provides people with opportunities to develop their social, intellectual, economic, cultural and physical potential.

Sustainability and education image

Progress on our goals & strategies

Goal 26: Children Enter School Ready To Learn

Number Strategy Time Frame Strategy Progress Information for 2019 Progress
1. Establish a Children's Services Council (CSC) to administer programs funded by a special assessment Long Additional budget funding was provided for children's services.

2. Develop a parent engagement strategy Medium Head Start continues to offer monthly parent meetings and opportunities to engage families. Enrichment activities are also offered to help parents extend their child's learning at home. OCPS offers 5 parent academies each year with a variety of 45-minutes sessions offered to parents. Special mini-sessions are offered by the Early Childhood team for parents of children - birth to ages 4/5. On-going effort.

3. Promote Healthy Families Orange, Nurse-Family Partnerships, and voluntary pre-kindergarten programs Medium Healthy eating is part of the curriculum for Head Start students. On-going effort.

Table legend: Short time frame: 0 to 2 years, Medium time frame: 2 to 5 years, Long time frame: 5 years or more.

Goal 27: Learners Value The Environment

Goal 28: Schools Embrace Stem/Steam

Goal 29: Students Graduate Prepared For Life

Goal 30: Quality Learning Opportunities Are Available For All Ages

Goal 31: Schools Are Community Centers

Goal 32: Schools Operate Sustainably

Our Target Measurements

Education Indicators Baseline Last Reported Current Assessment Target 2020
Kindergarten Readiness Rates 2010 - 2011
67% ready
2016-2017
91% ready
Based on FLKRS data
2017 - 2018
FLKRS data not yet available
No Progress 100% ready
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program assessment rates
(OCPS VPK programs only)
2015 - 2016
Print Knowledge: 93% meet/exceed
Phonological Awareness: 88% meet/exceed
Oral Language / Vocabulary: 88% meet/exceed
Mathematics 89% meet/exceed
2016 - 2017
Print Knowledge: 92% meet/exceed
Phonological Awareness: 90% meet/exceed
Oral Language / Vocabulary: 89% meet/exceed
Mathematics 90% meet/exceed
2017 - 2018
Print Knowledge: 91% meet/exceed
Phonological Awareness: 88% meet/exceed
Oral Language / Vocabulary: 86% meet/exceed
Mathematics 89% meet/exceed
Needs
Improvement
100% meet or exceed
Nature-related field trips for grades K-6 2015 - 2016
370
2016 - 2017
441
2017 - 2018
325
Needs
Improvement
Increase
Target needed
Diversity in enrollment in a broad array of arts education 2015 - 2016
White: 40,229
Hispanic: 53,263
Black: 35,033
2016 - 2017
White: 39,549
Hispanic: 56,430
Black: 35,360
2017 - 2018
New data not yet available
No Progress Increase
Target needed
Enrollment in secondary fine arts courses 2010
52%
2016 - 2017
45.5%
2017 - 2018
New data not yet available
No Progress 60% by 2018
Achievement gap in English/Language Arts proficiency for targeted subgroups
(Black, White, Hispanic, Exceptional Student Education (ESE), English Language Learners (ELL), Free & Reduced Lunch (FRL))
2014 - 2015
Black to White: -33%
Hispanic to White: -22%
ESE to Non -ESE: -36%
ELL to Non -ELL: -38%
FRL to Non -FRE: -24%
2016 - 2017
Black to White: -34%
Hispanic to White: -24%
ESE to Non-ESE: -43%
ELL to Non-ELL: -36%
FRL to Non-FRL: -29%
2017 - 2018
Black to White: -33%
Hispanic to White: -22%
ESE to Non -ESE: -40%
ELL to Non -ELL: -40%
FRL to Non -FRE: -27%
No Progress Decrease 10%
Achievement gap in Mathematics proficiency for targeted subgroups
(Black, White, Hispanic, Exceptional Student Education (ESE), English Language Learners (ELL), Free & Reduced Lunch (FRL))
2014 - 2015
Black to White: -33%
Hispanic to White: -22%
ESE to Non -ESE: -30%
ELL to Non -ELL: -28%
FRL to Non -FRE: -22%
2016 - 2017
Black to White: -33%
Hispanic to White: -22%
ESE to Non -ESE: -37%
ELL to Non -ELL: -21%
FRL to Non -FRE: -27%
2017 - 2018
Black to White: -32%
Hispanic to White: -20%
ESE to Non -ESE: -37%
ELL to Non -ELL: -28%
FRL to Non -FRE: -26%
No Progress Decrease 10%
Participation in College & Career Acceleration experiences
(AP, IB, AICE, DE, or CTE coursework)
2013 - 2014
88.6%
2015 - 2016
89.9%
2016 - 2017
89.6%
No Progress Increase 10% (OCPS target)
Percentage of students entering the workforce in skilled jobs 2010
Placement rate: 82%
2016
Placement rate: 85%
2017*
*data available in early 2019
Good Progress Increase
Target needed
Percentage of students to attain high school graduate level or higher 2010
Educational attainment: 86.7%
2016
Educational attainment: 98%
2017*
*data available in early 2019
Good Progress Increase
Target needed
Number of career-themed courses 2015 - 2016
429
2016 - 2017
749
2017 - 2018
849
Good Progress Increase
Target needed
Job Placement Rate for Career and Technical Education Centers 2012
82%
2016
85%
2017
*data available in early 2019
Good Progress Maintain or exceed 85%
Energy consumption for OCPS district (kWh/sq.ft.) 2011 - 2012
14.20
2016 - 2017*
13.50
2017 - 2018
13.41
Good Progress Decrease
Recycling rate for OCPS district 2012 - 2013
28%
2016 - 2017
56%
2017 - 2018
61%
Good Progress 75%
Water consumption for OCPS district (gal/sq.ft.) 2014 - 2015
23.38
2016 - 2017
25.18
2017 - 2018
23.28
Good Progress Decrease
Total idling hours for daily bus routes (hrs/day) 2012 - 2013
520.7
2016 - 2017
403.56
2017 - 2018
397.11
Good Progress Decrease
Annual consumption avoidance of diesel fuel (gal.) 2015 - 2016
98,678
2016 - 2017
143,846
2017 - 2018
155,121
Good Progress Increase
Alternative fuel use for OCPS district
2016 - 2017
All district school buses use B20 biofuel
2017 - 2018
All district school buses use B20 biofuel
Good Progress Increase
Sustainability education through Green Schools Recognition program involvement 2014 - 2015
9 schools
2015 - 2016
12 schools

2016 - 2017
9 schools
2017 - 2018
12 schools
No Progress Increase

Want to get involved?

Orange County has an outstanding education environment. Learning is something we never outgrow and lifelong learning is important for every individual to flourish. There are quality learning opportunities for all ages.

Volunteer at a Head Start Location Near You

A woman is reading a picture book to young children sitting on the floor of a classroom.

Make a difference in a child’s life. Orange County has an amazing Head Start program, and is always looking for citizens who can volunteer to help these children develop critical language and learning skills.

Get Educated About Your Community

Citizen Planner Academy logo

Orange County has great programs for adults who want to learn more about sustainable community development. The Citizen Planner Academy has a monthly course that teaches a variety of planning disciplines.

Join Your School PTA

National Parent Teacher Association(PTA) logo

Get involved in your local PTA. Studies show that parent involvement increases student success. Giving even a few hours a month of your talents and time to your school through PTA programs can make a difference for your child and your community. PTA is about opportunities for every child and you can be a part of that effort just by becoming a member.

Teach Sustainability in Your Home

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) logo

Your children will follow your lead. Effectively modeling how to live a more sustainable lifestyle begins with you! Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greener Living website and look for tips and information that you can use and share.

Our Home For Life logo, takes you back to Sustainability homepage