Duval Schools' state test results show improvements in math, maintained scores in English

This year's Florida State Assessment and End of Course exam scores were released and reveal a mix of gains, losses and maintained scores this school year compared to last.

The scores provide an initial glimpse at how students between third and eighth grade are doing in math and English. Tests like the FSA have previously been scrutinized as an unfair indicator for progress.

This school year marked the final year they will be administered before schools in Florida move to a different progress monitoring system. Other progress indicators the school district relies on to judge progress — including district and school grades — are expected later this summer.

DATA: See Duval Schools' full FSA results

Last year: New state testing scores give better look at 'COVID slide' in Duval Schools

More: Jacksonville education groups team up to improve literacy among local youth

Overall, FSA scores show that the Duval County school district increased two percentage points in the number of students with math scores of Level 3 or higher from 48 to 50 percent and maintained in English Language Arts, with 45 percent of students scoring a Level 3 or higher.

Statewide, math scores increased by four percentage points to 55 percent and maintained at 52 percent in English Language Arts.

The annual measure a student's proficiency in the state's academic standards with scores ranging from levels one through five. Level 3 is considered “satisfactory,” Level 4, “proficient” and Level 5, “mastery.”

State tests were not administered in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. State tests are not offered virtually and were not waived in 2021 or 2022 like they were in 2020. For that reason, if a student or their parent or guardian didn't want them reporting to campus in-person to take the exam, their only alternative was to not take the test at all. Turnout rates could skew the results and make comparisons trickier.

Notably, Duval students' geometry scores jumped significantly by 10 percentage points to 51 percent — more than the state average, which increased by three percentage points.

In Jacksonville, concerns still loom around student literacy, which across all grade levels remains below 50 percent of students having a satisfactory level of English Language Arts comprehension. The state average is barely above the halfway mark with 52 percent of students scoring a Level 3 or higher.

For third-grade students alone — which are used by the state as an indicator for literacy, Duval County scores dropped one percentage point from 48 percent to 47 percent. The state average also dropped one percentage point.

In Jacksonville the school district has announced partnerships with groups including Read USA and the Jacksonville Public Education Fund to help combat students' literacy issues.

See the district's full results here

Emily Bloch is a youth culture and education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter or email her. Sign up for her newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Duval Schools' FSA score results show mix of gains and losses