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FCAT reading skills up in district
Third-graders performed above others around state.
By TROY ROBERTS
troberts@lakecityreporter.com
Third-graders in the Columbia County School District are performing at a higher level than their state counterparts in reading and math, according to Florida Comprehensive Test results released Wednesday.
In the district, 78 percent of third-graders tested are reading at or above grade level. On the math portion of the exam,
83 percent are at or above the grade level. This means those students at least scored a 3 on the reading and/or math portions of the test. The test is graded on a scale of
1 to 5 — 5 is the highest possible score — and state law mandates that those students who do not at least score a 2 on the exam be retained, unless they score at least a 45 percent on the Norm Reference Test, which compares a student’s score to others nationwide.
The statewide average for reading is at 72 percent and 76 percent for math.
Numbers across the district jumped this year, as the average went from 73 percent
in 2007 to 78 percent in 2008 on the reading portion of the test, and from 77 percent to 83 percent on the math portion. In the past four years, students performing at or above the grade level has increased significantly — 9 percentage points in reading and 17 percent points in math.
“We are very pleased with these scores,” said Kitty McElhaney, Columbia School District director of curriculum assessment.
Local schools performed better on the math portion of the exam — every elementary school posted gains when compared to last year — while numbers for the reading
portion were mixed.
Math
Columbia City Elementary School posted the highest percentage of third-grade
students performing at or above grade level in the math portion of the test — 87 percent — and was followed by Melrose Park Elementary School at 86 percent; Eastside Elementary School, 84 percent; Five Points Elementary School, 84 percent; and Westside Elementary School, 84 percent. Summers Elementary School posted an 82 percent of third-grade students performing at or above the third-grade level on the math section, Fort White Elementary School scored an 82 percent, and Niblack Elementary School posted a 72 percent.
On the math part, Melrose posted the biggest gain from last year — the school posted a 15 percent increase of students performing at or above their grade level. Westside saw a 13 percent increase and Niblack saw a 10 percent increase.
Reading
Five of the eight public elementary schools posted gains in the reading area of the test, some seeing double-digit increases.
Columbia City had the highest number of third-graders reading at or above their grade level with 91 percent, an increase of 14 percent from 2007. Westside had the second highest number at 90 percent, a 15 percent increase from the previous year.
Melrose earned 81 percent this year, compared to 74 percent last year; Five Points increased to 80 percent this year compared to 73 percent in 2007, and Niblack increased to 54 percent this year from 51 percent last year.
Fort White slipped from 83 percent in 2007 to 79 percent this year, as did Summers — 70 percent this year compared to 74 percent in 2007.
Eastside dropped from 88 percent in 2007 to 72 percent this year, but McElhaney said those numbers aren’t as alarming as they appear at first glance because of Eastside’s large population of special education students who take the annual test. She noted that the school is performing at the state average.
In the district, 78 percent of third-graders tested are reading at or above grade level. On the math portion of the exam,
83 percent are at or above the grade level. This means those students at least scored a 3 on the reading and/or math portions of the test. The test is graded on a scale of
1 to 5 — 5 is the highest possible score — and state law mandates that those students who do not at least score a 2 on the exam be retained, unless they score at least a 45 percent on the Norm Reference Test, which compares a student’s score to others nationwide.
The statewide average for reading is at 72 percent and 76 percent for math.
Numbers across the district jumped this year, as the average went from 73 percent
in 2007 to 78 percent in 2008 on the reading portion of the test, and from 77 percent to 83 percent on the math portion. In the past four years, students performing at or above the grade level has increased significantly — 9 percentage points in reading and 17 percent points in math.
“We are very pleased with these scores,” said Kitty McElhaney, Columbia School District director of curriculum assessment.
Local schools performed better on the math portion of the exam — every elementary school posted gains when compared to last year — while numbers for the reading
portion were mixed.
Math
Columbia City Elementary School posted the highest percentage of third-grade
students performing at or above grade level in the math portion of the test — 87 percent — and was followed by Melrose Park Elementary School at 86 percent; Eastside Elementary School, 84 percent; Five Points Elementary School, 84 percent; and Westside Elementary School, 84 percent. Summers Elementary School posted an 82 percent of third-grade students performing at or above the third-grade level on the math section, Fort White Elementary School scored an 82 percent, and Niblack Elementary School posted a 72 percent.
On the math part, Melrose posted the biggest gain from last year — the school posted a 15 percent increase of students performing at or above their grade level. Westside saw a 13 percent increase and Niblack saw a 10 percent increase.
Reading
Five of the eight public elementary schools posted gains in the reading area of the test, some seeing double-digit increases.
Columbia City had the highest number of third-graders reading at or above their grade level with 91 percent, an increase of 14 percent from 2007. Westside had the second highest number at 90 percent, a 15 percent increase from the previous year.
Melrose earned 81 percent this year, compared to 74 percent last year; Five Points increased to 80 percent this year compared to 73 percent in 2007, and Niblack increased to 54 percent this year from 51 percent last year.
Fort White slipped from 83 percent in 2007 to 79 percent this year, as did Summers — 70 percent this year compared to 74 percent in 2007.
Eastside dropped from 88 percent in 2007 to 72 percent this year, but McElhaney said those numbers aren’t as alarming as they appear at first glance because of Eastside’s large population of special education students who take the annual test. She noted that the school is performing at the state average.
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