The scores are in and Florida students performed better this year compared to the previous year on a yearly statewide assessment.
The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking or FAST, helps educators gauge student learning in VPK through high school on a variety of different subjects and is administered three times a year.
This school year, 53% of students in grades 3 to 10 scored at or above grade level in English Language Arts, a 4% increase from the previous year.
And 55% of students in grades 3 to 8 scored at or above grade level in math, a 4% percent increase from last year.
Student scores on the grade 5 and 8 science assessment and social studies portions of the test also improved year-over-year.
FAST was administered for the first time during the 2022-2023 school year, when it replaced the former Florida Standards Assessments under a new education law.
Governor Ron DeSantis and other supporters said FAST cuts down on yearly testing and eliminates a big end-of-the-year test.
The Florida Education Association, aren’t happy with that change. They said FAST actually increases testing throughout the year, and requires even Pre-K students to take the test.
But, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz says that the more frequent testing known as progress or benchmark monitoring is working, as evidenced by this year’s results.
“The substantial gains achieved by Florida’s students on all statewide assessments demonstrate that progress monitoring is working,” Diaz said.
Here’s a list of tests students improved on year-over-year and how they did:
- Grades 3-10 ELA: Statewide, 53% of students scored on or above grade level in 2024, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2023.
- Mathematics (PM3 and EOCs): Statewide, 55% of students scored on or above grade level in 2024, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2023.
Takeaways from Statewide Science Assessments
- Grade 5 Science: 53% scored on or above grade level in 2024, a 2 percentage point increase from 2023.
- Grade 8 Science (including Grade 8 students who took Biology 1): 49% scored on or above grade level in 2024, a 2 percentage point increase from 2023.
- Biology 1: 66% scored at or above Level 3 in 2024, a 3 percentage point increase from 2023.
Takeaways from Statewide Algebra 1 and Geometry Assessments
- Algebra 1: 53% of students scored at or above Level 3 in 2024, a 3 percentage point increase from 2023.
- Geometry: 52% of students scored at or above Level 3 in 2024, a 6 percentage point increase from 2023.
Takeaways from Statewide Social Studies Assessments
- Civics: 67% of students scored at or above Level 3 in 2024, a 1 percentage point increase from 2023.
- U.S. History: 67% of students scored at or above Level 3 in 2024, a 5 percentage point increase from 2023.
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