ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The scores are in for end-of-the-year state testing.
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Math and ELA FAST test results show year-over-year improvement across the state and growth in just the last school year.
Still, several Central Florida school districts are falling below the state average in meeting a major benchmark.
Channel 9 examined the FAST-testing data for 2024 for Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, and Brevard counties.
A new law signed in 2022 changed standards for state tests, so this is only the second year Florida students have sat for a full year of FAST testing.
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Students take the FAST exams three times a year to monitor yearly progress.
Scores are divided into achievement levels, so students can achieve a level 1 through 5.
A level 3 is considered “on grade level,” though the state says students who earn a 3 “may need additional support for the next grade/course.”
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Across Florida, only 53 percent of students in grades 3-10 earned a level 3 or above on their FAST ELA exams this school year.
You can see how Central Florida School districts compare to the state in the graph below.
Meanwhile, across Florida, only 55 percent of grades 3-8 students earned a level 3 or above on Math exams (PM3 and EOCs) this school year.
You can see how Central Florida School districts compare to the state in the graph below.
Boone High School Student Brady Graham sat for 3 ELA FAST Exams last year. He told Channel 9 he felt tests were redundant, varied greatly based on external factors, and doesn’t believe they accurately captured his performance.
“It’s so variable each time I take that test. I know one of the times I felt really sick, and it was seen in that score, that I declined that day,” said Graham.
Plus, Graham told Channel 9 that he believes sitting for the tests is taking away from classroom learning.
“It’s sacrificing time from learning about different ways that we can write and read and analyze test in a non-test taking environment,” said Graham.
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Brady’s mother, Melissa Graham, was an Orange County educator for about a decade. She told Channel 9 that while testing itself can be valuable, she believes teachers know best when it comes to boosting student performance.
“Test scores are important for us as one piece of the puzzle,” said Melissa Graham. “Yes, we have data that comes from a state assessment, but there’s just so much to a student. And certainly, they’re more than a number.”
Meanwhile, education advocates also said looking at data from relatively new FAST tests and drawing solid conclusions is hard.
Damaris Allen with Families for Strong Public Schools agreed the data doesn’t paint the entire picture.
“When the system of testing keeps changing, it’s really difficult to understand improvements year over year,” said Allen.
You can find more of the results on the Florida Department of Education Website.
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