TAVARES – The Florida Department of Education last week released baseline data for the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, F.A.S.T., the state’s new assessment that monitors student progress toward mastery of grade-level and course standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics, along with the previous statewide Social Studies and Science assessments that measure progress in those subjects and courses in alignment with the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.
The district saw the greatest achievement gains in mathematics, where all grade levels met or exceeded the state average for proficiency except Grade 4, where the state average was missed by 2 percentile points, and Grade 7, which was one point lower than the state.
Algebra 1 scores also improved in 2023. Of the students in Grade 8 who took the FSA Algebra 1 End-of-Course (EOC) Exam, 87 percent scored “Proficient.” Geometry scores exceeded the state average and Lake County ranked 4th in the state in the percentage of Grade 8 students scoring Proficient on the FSA Geometry EOC.
In Reading, all grade levels showed steady progress, improving their scores from the first assessment to the third assessment. Students in Grade 3 met the state average in the percent of students scoring proficient while other grade levels fell just below the state average.
Lake County exceeded the state average in Civics and in Grade 5 science, ranking in the upper half of the state.
Individual student test scores are accessible through Skyward Family Access.
“With new standards, new curriculum and a new state assessment, our systems are now better aligned allowing for greater focus on essential standards and early interventions that will lead to steady and sustainable growth in student achievement,” Superintendent Diane Kornegay said. “Our new district-wide phonics and phonemic awareness program along with a more intensive focus on writing at all grade levels, will also help to ensure our youngest learners develop stronger foundational skills leading to higher levels of learning as they progress from grade to grade.”
In addition to state assessment data, the district maintained its graduation rate above 90 percent for the third year in a row. The district has continued its focus and commitment to workforce development by offering new and innovative career programs and acceleration options to include Lake County’s first International Baccalaureate Program that will start this August at Tavares High School. The Advanced International Certificate of Education, AICE, that offers another advanced diploma track has been expanded to include four high schools and their feeder middle schools. Additionally, last year, the district saw a 129 percent increase in the number of students taking and passing industry certifications leading to employment in high wage and high demand jobs in the future.
“As we prepare for a new school year, we celebrate where we have been and look forward to where we are headed,” Kornegay said. “We have work to do but with the talent and the dedication of our teachers, staff and administration, I have no doubt that we are well on our way to becoming a high performing school district and ensuring that every student graduates ready to go to work, college and/or the military.”
