The Orlando region is home to one of the largest and most diverse school systems in the country. Ranked 10th in terms of population in the U.S. with more than 200,000 students, Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) serves children that represent 200 countries and speak 167 different languages and dialects. This diversity requires unique solutions and innovative teaching tools. To meet the needs of its students, OCPS has created successful school programs that have earned national recognition and prepared students for the steps beyond primary education. As a recipient of the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education, OCPS demonstrated the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among low-income and minority students.
OCPS offers 30 different magnet programs, with four of those programs named national honorees by the Magnet Schools of America – Tildenville Elementary for dual language, Howard Middle for Visual and Performing Arts, University High School for Global Technologies and Boone High School for Criminal Justice, Finance and Law.
Additionally, OCPS runs Orange Technical College, a nonprofit technical institute with over 60 career certificate programs.
Recent results, national rankings, and recognition for OCPS include:
- U.S News and World Report featured five Orange County high schools in the top five percent of its “America’s Best High Schools” list,
- The Washington Post recognized 15 high schools in the top 10 percent and a Winter Park school in the top one percent of its “Challenge Index National Rakings” (a ranking on top schools for challenging and accelerated coursework), and
- In the last five years, OCPS earned a spot on the Advanced Placement Honor Roll three times, a list that only features four of the nation’s 12,000 districts.
As a result of the county’s commitment to digital learning, all high schools, as well as six middle schools and seven elementary schools, will implement the use of laptops instead of textbooks starting this year.