Third grade reading scores drop statewide

A
decline in language arts scores among Gulf County third graders this past spring
was in keeping with what was seen statewide.

The
Florida Department of Education reported that 54 percent of third-grade
students this year scored a “satisfactory” or above on the state
English-language arts exam, a 4 percentage-point decrease from 2019 when the
exam was last administered.

In Gulf
County, the district-wide decline in proficiency over 2019 was 3 percentage points.

At Port
St. Joe Elementary, 58 percent of the third graders scored at above a level 3, which 4
percentage points better than the state average.

At
Wewahitchka, 40 percent of the third graders scored a 3 or better, considered to
be at grade level or above.

The state
department, however, touted Florida’s results as evidence of the importance of
keeping schools open through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news
release accompanying the results, the department wrote that despite the
decrease, “the data clearly shows that, on average, districts with higher rates
of in-person instruction weathered the ‘COVID slide’ better and saw lesser
declines between 2019 and 2021 than districts with higher rates of virtual
instruction.”

Under
an emergency order issued by the department in April, accountability measures
were waived for all state exams administered to students this year. The
department said Tuesday that the exam’s results instead will “help policymakers
understand the reading achievements and deficiencies of Florida’s Grade 3
students.”

Results
from other statewide assessments will be published no later than July 31,
according to the department.