We’ve had the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for over 10 years. School districts have had plenty of time to figure out how to prepare third graders to take their first FCAT test. Unfortunately, we aren’t seeing any improvement in Escambia County in reading scores for third graders:
| READING | Students | Mean Score | % 3 or above |
| 2006 | 3278 | 310 | 72 |
| 2007 | 3136 | 307 | 68 |
| 2008 | 3245 | 311 | 71 |
| 2009 | 3155 | 313 | 72 |
| 2010 | 3325 | 311 | 71 |
Math is better. There was a breakthrough in Jim Paul’s last full year as superintendent and the math scores have leveled out since then:
| MATH | Students | Mean Score | % 3 or above |
| 2006 | 3277 | 316 | 68 |
| 2007 | 3133 | 320 | 69 |
| 2008 | 3238 | 328 | 76 |
| 2009 | 3152 | 333 | 77 |
| 2010 | 3327 | 330 | 75 |
I was curious to see if all the drilling that the Escambia County public schools do on FCAT actually improve the test scores as a class progresses through the system. The answer is no. Reading scores drop immediately and never regain that third grade level.
| Grade | Year | Students | Mean Score | % 3 or above |
| Third | 2006 | 3278 | 310 | 72 |
| Fourth | 2007 | 3130 | 310 | 64 |
| Fifth | 2008 | 3086 | 299 | 62 |
| Sixth | 2009 | 3021 | 306 | 62 |
| Seventh | 2010 | 2972 | 314 | 63 |
The drop in math is worse–with 16 percent fewer students making 3 or higher on the test by the time they reach seventh grade:
| Grade | Year | Students | Mean Score | % 3 or above |
| Third | 2006 | 3277 | 316 | 68 |
| Fourth | 2007 | 3131 | 311 | 63 |
| Fifth | 2008 | 3087 | 327 | 56 |
| Sixth | 2009 | 3016 | 302 | 48 |
| Seventh | 2010 | 2974 | 300 | 52 |
When compared Santa Rosa County, the drop in reading scores 3 or higher is steeper, but Santa Rosa County has a similar problem:
| Grade | Year | Escambia | Santa Rosa |
| Third | 2006 | 72 | 86 |
| Fourth | 2007 | 64 | 84 |
| Fifth | 2008 | 62 | 82 |
| Sixth | 2009 | 62 | 81 |
| Seventh | 2010 | 63 | 81 |
| Drop since Third | -9 | -5 |
The math drop is almost identical, but Santa Rosa County third graders started with a higher percent making 3 or higher:
| Grade | Year | Escambia | Santa Rosa |
| Third | 2006 | 68 | 86 |
| Fourth | 2007 | 63 | 79 |
| Fifth | 2008 | 56 | 72 |
| Sixth | 2009 | 48 | 68 |
| Seventh | 2010 | 52 | 72 |
| Drop since Third | -16 | -14 |