FCAT school grades were released yesterday, with an alarming reality: High school grades dropped.

In Leon county, every high school dropped at least one letter grade. Both high schools in Gadsden county failed.

But, throughout Florida, grades aren't on the rise. "According to the state Department of Education, high school reading, writing and science scores were down this year statewide and that played a role in the overall drop in high school grades."

FCAT school grades- which are done on the same scale as student tests on an A-F range- have always been one of the more controversial facets of FCAT testing. The math and reading comprehension tests, used to grade an individual student, are also used to grade the school and the district, as a way of tracking progress. The thought is simple: more students get A’s, more schools get A’s.

School officials often protest that the grading system is too simplistic, and can't possibly explain what's really going on in a school. A local principal in Tallahassee, Rosanne Wood, stated,"This simplistic approach of assigning one grade of A-F to a school trivializes and over-simplifies the complexities, challenges and accomplishments of very diverse schools."

But what the FCAT is showing is that high schools in Florida are in crisis. Too many children are already at a failing school. Florida and it's leaders have to do something to turn this around and prevent even more kids from having to attend a failing school in the future.