Big Bend School Districts Improve Student Performance on FCAT Reading Mathematics and Science
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Big Bend School Districts Improve Student Performance on FCAT Reading, Mathematics and Science
Tallahassee, Fla., June 6, 2014 - Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart today recognized school districts in Florida's Big Bend for improved student performance on state assessments in reading, mathematics and science."I applaud teachers and school leaders for their focus on increasing student academic performance," said Commissioner Stewart. "As we transition to new standards and assessments next year, I am confident students will continue to succeed."
- FAMU Developmental Research School improved from 2013 on six of the seven assessment areas announced today. Fifth grade science leaped 26 percentage points and students in grades 3-5 jumped 19 percentage points in both reading and math.
- Franklin County made improvements from 2013 on four of the seven assessment areas. Grades 9-10 went up 15 percentage points in reading, while grades 3-5 increased by five percentage points in reading and six percentage points in math.
- Florida State University Schools (including the Tallahassee and Pembroke Pines campuses) also improved from 2013 on six of the seven assessment areas announced today. In science, eighth grade students increased by 21 percentage points and fifth graders went up by seven percentage points, while ninth and tenth grade reading went up by eight percentage points.
- Leon County is one of only five counties in Florida to improve from 2013 on all seven assessment areas announced today. In science, fifth graders jumped seven percentage points and eighth grade improved by five percentage points, while grades 3-5 increased three percentage points in reading.
- Liberty County improved from 2013 on five of the seven assessment areas. Students in fifth grade jumped 16 percentage points in science, third through fifth graders went up 12 percentage points in math and grades 9-10 increased by eight percentage points in reading.
- Madison County students increased their performance from 2013 in five of seven assessment areas. Eighth graders improved 19 percentage points in science, while grades 6-8 improved eight percentage points in math and six percentage points in reading.
- Taylor County also improved from 2013 on five of the seven assessment areas. Eighth grade science increased by seven percentage points, grades 3-5 went up five percentage points in math and two percentage points in reading.
Overall, statewide student achievement improved in most of the assessment areas released today. Compared to last year, students improved in reading by one percentage point in grades 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In math, students improved by two percentage points in grade 4 and one percentage point in grades 5, 6 and 7. For science, students across the state improved two percentage points in grade 8 and one percentage point in grade 5.
Next year, a new assessment based on the Florida Standards will replace the FCAT 2.0. The Florida Standards for mathematics and English language arts stress a broader approach for student learning, including an increased emphasis on analytical thinking. With the new and more rigorous standards, a new assessment was needed to measure student progress.
Florida's recent academic gains have received national attention. The Sunshine State jumped from 11th to 6th in the nation for educational quality in 2013. Florida has the highest graduation rate in the nation for Hispanic students. In the past decade, the number of Florida graduates participating in AP courses has more than doubled, and the number of low-income graduates taking AP courses has increased tenfold. And Florida's graduation rate is 75.6% for 2012-13 - an increase of 1.1 percentage points over the prior year and up five percentage points since 2010-11.
The 2014 FCAT 2.0 Reading, Mathematics and Science results are available at 2014 Statewide Assessment Scores.