Big gains for struggling schools; Nine, including three in Charlotte, go from C's to A's in ratings based on FCAT scores.(B SECTION)

Byline: JAMES ROLAND jay.roland@heraldtribune.com

Schools that have struggled on standardized tests in the past led a surge of improved grades this year in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.

Nine schools, including three in Charlotte, shed their mediocre C's and jumped to A's under a state program that rates schools based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.

The improvement was most stark in southern Sarasota County, where every school received an A.

"I think it says we're heading in the right direction," North Port Toledo Blade Principal Thomas Coulson said. "We've worked very hard. Teachers are starting to buy into some of the …