The FCAT 2.0 results in math and reading are out for third-graders. Once again the state is trying to put a happy spin on the results from the tougher tests and the surprisingly low results. Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is comparing the scores to last year by recalculating them to the new achievement levels. Even then the scores show little improvement.
“The future success of third grade students depends on mastering essential reading skills,†said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “Today’s results help us determine how and where we should focus our resources so students who are struggling with reading get the extra help they need to succeed. Whether we’re preparing a child for college, career training or the workplace, they must have the fundamentals of reading to be successful.â€
Reading -Statewide
· 56 percent of third grade students are reading at or above Level 3.
· The percentage of third grade students reading at or above Level 3 in 2011 was 57 percent based on applying the higher achievement levels to last year’s results.
· The percentage of third grade students scoring Level 1 is 18 percent.
· The percentage of third grade students scoring at Level 1 in 2011 was also 18 percent based on applying the higher achievement levels to last year’s results.
Mathematics -Statewide
· 58 percent of third grade students scored at or above Level 3 in Mathematics.
· The percentage of third grade students achieving at or above Level 3 in 2011 was 56 percent applying the higher achievement levels to last year’s results.
· The percentage of third grade students scoring Level 1 is 18 percent.
· The percentage of third grade students scoring at Level 1 in 2011 was 19 percent applying the higher achievement levels to last year’s results.
Florida’s third grade assessments are especially important because in 2002 the state adopted a third grade progression policy requiring students to have the necessary reading skills in order to move to the next grade. Children who struggle with reading in third grade and get extra help before fourth grade are less likely to drop out of school and are more successful as they move through school according to recent studies. Florida’s approach has been so successful that other states, including Colorado, Iowa, Ohio and North Carolina, are considering legislation modeled after Florida.
Students in third grade must reach Achievement Level 2 or higher on FCAT 2.0 Reading to be promoted to fourth grade. Scoring at Achievement Level I on reading, however, does not mean automatic retention. There are other options for teachers and principals that allow promotion, such as considering a portfolio of a student’s work or using an approved alternative standardized assessment.
Since 2006, more than 90 percent of third grade students have been promoted each year. In 2011, for example, 16 percent of third grade students scored at Achievement Level 1 in reading, but only seven percent were actually retained.
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I will post Escambia County school scores after lunch.