FSA scores are out: Here's how Collier and Lee schools performed on state tests

Nikki Ross, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read
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Scores on the statewide and end-of-course exams were released to the public Thursday, showing improvements in Collier County Schools but dips in Lee County Schools.

Collier County Schools outperformed the state in all categories — and in many cases improved upon last year's scores — while Lee County Schools fell below the state average in all but one category.

The results, tabulated and released by the Florida Department of Education, offer a snapshot into the percentage of students who passed exams in English, math, science and social studies.

Scores for the Florida Standards Assessments and subject-area tests are on a five-point scale, with a score of 3 deemed as proficient in a subject. School grades, the A-to-F rating system of schools and districts, will be released later this summer.

One of the portable classrooms at Gateway High School. The campus is be housed in portables between Lehigh Senior High School and Varsity Lakes Middle School while construction finishes up on the campus in Gateway. The students will socially distance.
One of the portable classrooms at Gateway High School. The campus is be housed in portables between Lehigh Senior High School and Varsity Lakes Middle School while construction finishes up on the campus in Gateway. The students will socially distance.

Last year: Scores are in: a look at how Collier, Lee schools performed on state tests

See how your school performed: FSA Testing Scorecard: Florida Schools

In Lee County, scores fell

The Lee County School District performed below the state average in all but one testing category, fifth grade science, where the district performed on-par with the state with 48% of students receiving a passing score. 

“We knew potentially that when we received these scores, we could see results of learning loss,” Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said Thursday in a press release. “However, we have to acknowledge the effort of our students, teachers, principals and community over the last two years. We recognize the positive gains in proficiency in certain areas, and we will review and intensify our work towards similar outcomes in all grades and subjects.”

For English, Lee County Schools scores fell for all grades except fourth and ninth grade, which both saw increases.

The district fared better in math, where they improved in all grades accept seventh, which fell 3 percentage points to 43% passing, and geometry, which decreased 4 points to 41% passing.

“I am proud of the work that continues to be done by our students and staff and am encouraged by the areas in which we saw improvement,” Bernier said. “This represents a new baseline for our school district from which we will set a path forward.”

In science, biology scores fell 7 points to 47%, the biggest decrease for the district.

U.S. history declined 3 points to 56% of students passing, while civics stayed the same at 63%.

Parents can access their child's FSA scores in the FOCUS Parent Portal later this week, according to the district.

Collier County makes improvements

The Collier County School District performed above the state average for all 21 testing categories.

Fewer students passed end-of-course exams for fifth grade science in addition to third, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade English, but the drop from the 2020-21 school year was between 1 and 2 percentage points in each grade.

Improvements were seen across all other English exams; math, including algebra 1 and geometry; science, including biology; and social studies, including civics and U.S. history.

The most notable increase was for fourth grade math test scores, improving 11 points, which meant 73% of students passed.

Schools of note this year include Lake Trafford Elementary School and Village Oaks Elementary, which both posted strong increases in English Language Arts, math, and science from 2021 to 2022, according to Superintendent Kamela Patton.

"We are proud of the achievements of individual students, schools and the collective District performance," Patton said Thursday in a press release. "We have exceeded the state in all 21 tested areas for the second year in a row, and continue to see students make progress towards being College, Career, and Life Ready. Ultimately, our successes can be attributed to the hard work and perseverance of our students, teachers, parents, administrators, district staff, and strong community support."

Nikki Ross covers education for the Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News. She can be reached at NRoss@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida FSA tests: Here's how Collier, Lee County schools performed