District third-grade FCAT Reading and Math scores in Orange County were virtually unchanged in 2011 compared to 2010. Only by fractions did the scores of Level 3 or better third graders round up one point in math and round down one point in reading.
Orange County results closely mirror the state’s scores which were locked in to not go up or down. As Education Commissioner Dr. Eric Smith said today, “… the statewide average of student performance is essentially the same in 2011, as it was in 2010. This is expected since the method used to link the score scale of the older FCAT assessments to the new FCAT 2.0 assessments results in the same percentage of students statewide scoring at each achievement level in 2011, as they did in 2010.” The new FCAT 2.0 tests are based on Florida’s updated more rigorous curriculum standards.
| Third Grade
FCAT 2.0 |
2011 READING
Level 3 and Above |
2011 MATH
Level 3 and Above |
2010 READING
Level 3 and Above |
2010 MATH
Level 3 and Above |
| Orange County | 70 | 76 | 71 | 75 |
| Florida | 72 | 78 | 72 | 78 |
Individual schools, of course, saw more distinguishable changes. The ups and downs of elementary school third-grade scores broke out with 54 schools showing higher percentages of Level 3 or better students than last year in reading, 63 schools showing lower percentages and five unchanged. In math, 64 schools were up and 53 down; five remained the same.
The most impressive gains were achieved at Camelot Elementary, Ivey Lane Elementary, Pershing Elementary, Riverdale Elementary, Rosemont Elementary and William Maxey Elementary. They all improved by 10 percentage points or more in both reading and math. The new FCAT 2.0 tests are based on Florida’s updated more rigorous curriculum standards.
| School | READING
Level 3 and Above |
Increase | MATH
Level 3 and Above |
Increase |
| Camelot | 84 | +18 | 81 | +13 |
| Ivey Lane | 60 | +13 | 85 | +26 |
| Pershing | 81 | +13 | 84 | +12 |
| Riverdale | 80 | +16 | 89 | +17 |
| Rosemont | 55 | +11 | 70 | +11 |
| William Maxey | 69 | +13 | 84 | +11 |
Of special note is that Ivey Lane Elementary and Sand Lake Elementary had no students score at Level 1 in math, the lowest category of scoring. Spring Lake Elementary was the only OCPS school with no students at Level 1 in reading.
The Orange County schools with the highest percentage of third graders scoring at Level 3 or above in reading were Avalon and Lake Whitney elementary schools at 93 percent. Avalon Elementary posted the top score in math at 99 percent.
