Here's what state test scores say about Manatee's schools

Students in the School District of Manatee County achieved higher scores on the Florida Standards Assessments in nearly every category compared to last year's scores. However, results lagged behind the state average in several areas of study, a consistent theme among many surrounding districts.

District comparisons provided by the state Department of Education list the percentage of students who achieved Level 3 — a satisfactory score — or higher. Manatee saw improvements in six of seven categories.

Though, in four of the seven categories, it remained behind the state average. Hillsborough and Polk counties were behind in all but one category, while Hardee and DeSoto counties fell below the state average in every category. Sarasota County was the only district to surpass all state averages.

Manatee saw its highest increase in the Civics End-of-Course Assessment for students in grades four through 12. The percentage of satisfactory scores jumped 12 percentage points, from 66 to 78 percent.

Cynthia Saunders, deputy superintendent of instructional services for the district, praised students, teachers and the community for working toward the higher scores.

"I am especially proud that we made advancements academically even in light of some serious challenges, such as Hurricane Irma and concerns about school security in the wake of the Parkland tragedy," she said in a news release.

FSA English Language Arts for grades three to 10

Manatee saw a slight increase, from 50 percent in 2017 to 51 percent in 2018.

This year's district average fell behind the state average by 3 percentage points.

Of the surrounding districts, Hardee saw the largest increase, from 41 to 46 percent. Two districts, Polk and Sarasota, remained the same.

FSA and EOC in mathematics for grades three to eight

Mathematics produced another increase of 1 percentage point, from from 56 to 57 percent. This year's state average is 60 percent.

Most surround district's enjoyed an increase of between 1 to 2 percentage points in this category, while DeSoto remained at 38 percent.

Statewide Science Assessment for fifth graders

The district average jumped 6 percentage points, from 43 to 49 percent.

This year's scores fell below the state average of 55 percent. DeSoto had the highest increase among surrounding districts, climbing from 20 to 32 percent.

Statewide Science Assessment and Biology 1 EOC for eighth graders

Manatee rose 2 percentage points, from 44 to 46 percent, falling short of the state's 52-percent average.

Hardee rose 9 percentage points, from 32 to 41 percent, the highest increase out of Manatee's surrounding districts. The second highest increase was in DeSoto, where the average rose from 20 to 28 percent.

Biology 1 EOC for grades six through 12

Achieving 71 percent in both 2017 and 2018, Manatee's average remained the same in this category.

Though the statewide average rose 2 percentage points, from 63 to 65 percent, Manatee remained ahead.

Civics EOC for grades four through 12

Manatee achieved its highest leap in the civics category. It jumped 12 percentage points, from 66 to 78 percent, rising above the state average of 71 percent.

Several districts saw their most drastic changes in the same category. Sarasota dropped 16 percentage points, from 96 to 80 percent, whereas Polk increased 21 percentage points, from 61 to 82 percent.

U.S. History EOC for grades four through 12

Jumping from 65 to 71 percent, Manatee achieved a higher average in this category than nearly all surrounding districts. It also surpassed the state average of 68 percent.

This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Here's what state test scores say about Manatee's schools."