Only fifty-eight percent of Orange County Public Schools third-graders scored at grade level or higher on the 2013 FCAT reading and mathematics, according to data released on Friday. While unimpressive, the reading score was still one percentage point better than the state average of 57 percent and two points better than the district’s score when 56 percent of third-graders scored at grade level or higher.
Math scores at the district and the state were identical at 58 percent.
Particular schools which showed marked improvement included, Lake Como Elementary where third-grade students increased their Level 3 or above performance by 32 percentage points over the 2012 results. Fern Creek went up 18 percentage points in third-grade reading and Hungerford Elementary increased by 17 percentage points. Wheatley Elementary, which was graded “F” by the state last year, saw third-grade reading results jump 16 percentage points.
Top-performing schools in reading included:
· Thornebrooke Elementary – 87 percent at or above Level 3
· Stone Lakes Elementary – 85 percent at or above Level 3
· Windermere Elementary – 85 percent at or above at Level 3
FCAT writing scores are not easily comparably with 2012, but the results were mixed, the district said.
Fourth-grade OCPS students rose to the challenge and increased their writing scores at level 3.5 or higher by 11 percentage points. Students in grade 8 went up two percentage points. Tenth-grade students writing scores at level 3.5 or above declined by six percentage points.
“We are very pleased with our fourth-grade results in writing. There are positive and impressive gains in reading, writing, and mathematics at several schools thanks to the hard work of our teachers and staff, but, we need additional focus on tenth-grade writing. Plans are underway to accelerate our program,” said Superintendent Barbara Jenkins.
we Must Change this Damaging TREND NOW, or Face Yet another Generation of JAIL Customers, who enrich Everyone except themselves and the Families, Who Will Continue to be VICTIMIZED by a FAILING, Expensive Top-Heavy SYSTEM That Continuously Fails our Young Students. We Cannot Continue to have ; Nearly Half of OCPS Third-Graders Can’t Read !