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FCAT scores show modest gains
Columbia City Elementary leads district with 4.3 score.
By TROY ROBERTS
troberts@lakecityreporter.com
Students at every Columbia County elementary school are writing at or above the state level, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores released Wednesday.
Students at the middle and high school levels also posted positive gains this year, but still lag behind the state average.
Columbia City Elementary School posted the highest average in the district with a 4.3, followed by three schools with a 4.1 average — Five Points Elementary, Fort White Elementary and Melrose Park Elementary schools.
The district also had 20 students throughout the district score a perfect 6 on the state-administered exam.
“I was very excited and very thrilled to see the results of our Florida writing scores today,” said Grady “Sam” Markham, school superintendent. “It certainly shows that we have good plans in place in each of our schools — especially the elementary schools — to keep moving these children forward each year and making them more proficient writers.
“I give my teachers all the praise for these results,” he said.
Students in the fourth, eighth and 10th grades took the writing portion of the FCAT in February. The assessment asks students to write an essay in response to an assigned topic and answer 44 multiple choice questions. The multiple choice component will not be included in the 2009 assessment because of budget constraints.
The highest a student can score on the test is a 6.
Kitty McElhaney, school district director of curriculum assessment, said the district has put a much larger focus on writing in recent years.
“There has been a concerted effort in the classroom with writing strategies for
students,” she said.
McElhaney said the results also go toward grading the school, most notably the school grade and if the school has made annual yearly progress.
Elementary schools
As a district, the elementary schools in Columbia County scored higher than the state average. The district average of the eight county elementary schools was a 4.1, slightly higher than the state average of 3.8. The district average this school year also was higher than last year’s, when the district scored a 3.8 at the elementary school level.
Many of the local elementary schools saw an increase this year. Columbia City saw the largest, from a 3.7 in 2007 to a 4.3 this year. Five Points moved from a 4 in 2007 to a 4.1 in 2008. Fort White Elementary moved from a 3.8 to a 4.1 this year, and Melrose saw an increase from 3.7 last year to a 4.1 this year. Summers and Westside both saw increases as well — Summers scored a 4 this year compared to a 3.8 in 2007, and Westside scored a 3.8 this year compared to a 3.7 in 2007.
Niblack Elementary School posted the same score as last year — a 4 — and Eastside Elementary School saw a slight drop, from a 4.1 in 2007 to a 4 this year.
Middle schools
While the district average is below the state average for 2008 at the middle school level, each middle school in the county posted positive gains for the year. The district posted a 3.9 average compared to a 4.2 average for the state.
Fort White Middle School saw an increase from a 3.6 in 2007 to a 3.9 this year. Lake City Middle School saw a slight gain, from a 3.8 in 2007 to a 3.9 this year, and Richardson Middle School scored a 3.9 this year compared to a 3.7 last year.
The Challenge Learning Center also was ranked this year and received a 3.4.
High schools
Like area middle schools, the district is slightly below the state average but still posted positive gains for the 2008 school year. The district average was a 3.7, compared to a 3.9 for the state.
Columbia High School posted a 3.7 for the year, up from a 3.6 in 2007, and Fort White High School improved to a 3.6 this year from a 3.5 in 2007.
Improvements over time
Since 2004, the school district at the elementary and middle school level has seen vast improvements. Each school at that level has posted large gains and the district as a whole has also seen significant improvement. In 2004, the district at the elementary school level averaged a 3.3 — compared to a 3.7 for the state — and has increased to a 4.1 this year when compared to a 3.8 for the state.
The middle school also has seen a large jump. The district averaged a 3.3 in
2004 — the state average was 3.8 — and this year posted a 3.9 compared to a 4.2 at the state level.
Students at the middle and high school levels also posted positive gains this year, but still lag behind the state average.
Columbia City Elementary School posted the highest average in the district with a 4.3, followed by three schools with a 4.1 average — Five Points Elementary, Fort White Elementary and Melrose Park Elementary schools.
The district also had 20 students throughout the district score a perfect 6 on the state-administered exam.
“I was very excited and very thrilled to see the results of our Florida writing scores today,” said Grady “Sam” Markham, school superintendent. “It certainly shows that we have good plans in place in each of our schools — especially the elementary schools — to keep moving these children forward each year and making them more proficient writers.
“I give my teachers all the praise for these results,” he said.
Students in the fourth, eighth and 10th grades took the writing portion of the FCAT in February. The assessment asks students to write an essay in response to an assigned topic and answer 44 multiple choice questions. The multiple choice component will not be included in the 2009 assessment because of budget constraints.
The highest a student can score on the test is a 6.
Kitty McElhaney, school district director of curriculum assessment, said the district has put a much larger focus on writing in recent years.
“There has been a concerted effort in the classroom with writing strategies for
students,” she said.
McElhaney said the results also go toward grading the school, most notably the school grade and if the school has made annual yearly progress.
Elementary schools
As a district, the elementary schools in Columbia County scored higher than the state average. The district average of the eight county elementary schools was a 4.1, slightly higher than the state average of 3.8. The district average this school year also was higher than last year’s, when the district scored a 3.8 at the elementary school level.
Many of the local elementary schools saw an increase this year. Columbia City saw the largest, from a 3.7 in 2007 to a 4.3 this year. Five Points moved from a 4 in 2007 to a 4.1 in 2008. Fort White Elementary moved from a 3.8 to a 4.1 this year, and Melrose saw an increase from 3.7 last year to a 4.1 this year. Summers and Westside both saw increases as well — Summers scored a 4 this year compared to a 3.8 in 2007, and Westside scored a 3.8 this year compared to a 3.7 in 2007.
Niblack Elementary School posted the same score as last year — a 4 — and Eastside Elementary School saw a slight drop, from a 4.1 in 2007 to a 4 this year.
Middle schools
While the district average is below the state average for 2008 at the middle school level, each middle school in the county posted positive gains for the year. The district posted a 3.9 average compared to a 4.2 average for the state.
Fort White Middle School saw an increase from a 3.6 in 2007 to a 3.9 this year. Lake City Middle School saw a slight gain, from a 3.8 in 2007 to a 3.9 this year, and Richardson Middle School scored a 3.9 this year compared to a 3.7 last year.
The Challenge Learning Center also was ranked this year and received a 3.4.
High schools
Like area middle schools, the district is slightly below the state average but still posted positive gains for the 2008 school year. The district average was a 3.7, compared to a 3.9 for the state.
Columbia High School posted a 3.7 for the year, up from a 3.6 in 2007, and Fort White High School improved to a 3.6 this year from a 3.5 in 2007.
Improvements over time
Since 2004, the school district at the elementary and middle school level has seen vast improvements. Each school at that level has posted large gains and the district as a whole has also seen significant improvement. In 2004, the district at the elementary school level averaged a 3.3 — compared to a 3.7 for the state — and has increased to a 4.1 this year when compared to a 3.8 for the state.
The middle school also has seen a large jump. The district averaged a 3.3 in
2004 — the state average was 3.8 — and this year posted a 3.9 compared to a 4.2 at the state level.
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Good Job wrote on May 12, 2008 10:03 AM: