Tallahassee, Fla.—July 1—Florida A&M University (FAMU) is proud to announce its school district, FAMU Developmental
Research School (FAMU DRS) has earned a “B” grade from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) for the 2025-26 school year. The
grade was released this week as part of FLDOE’s statewide School Grades report and
represents the first time in recent history the district as excelled to this status.

School grades are calculated using measures of student achievement, learning gains,
graduation rate, and acceleration success across English Language Arts, mathematics,
science, and social studies. FAMU DRS’s “B” places it among roughly a quarter of Florida
schools earning this grade for this academic year, and reflects the sustained effort
of the students, faculty, and families throughout the 2025–26 school year.

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our students, the dedication
of our teachers and staff, and the strong partnership we share with FAMU DRS families,”
said Micheal Johnson, superintendent for FAMU DRS. “We are proud of this progress and remain committed to continuous improvement across
every grade level.”

Celebratory Graphic for FAMU DRS Moving from C to B

“Receiving a ‘B’ grade from the Florida Department of Education is a significant milestone
for FAMU DRS,” said Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs for FAMU. “As a laboratory school,
FAMU DRS carries the added responsibility of modeling excellence in teaching and learning
for educators across our state and beyond. This progress reflects the strength of
our partnership between the University and the district and reaffirms our shared commitment
to preparing every student for success.”

FAMU DRS, a K–12 laboratory school, serves as a center for teaching innovation, research,
and demonstration in mathematics, science, technology, and foreign languages. School
leadership expressed gratitude to the entire FAMU DRS community for their continued
commitment to academic excellence and reaffirmed the district’s focus on building
toward an “A” in the years ahead.

For more information about FAMU DRS and its academic programs, visit www.famudrs.org.

Source: Florida Department of Education, 2025–26 School Grades Results Packet, released
July 2026.

Back to Stories