Florida test results show improvement for Manatee County students

Manatee District students are improving their performance on state assessments in mathematics, English language arts, science, and more, according to Florida Standards Assessment results released Friday by the Florida Department of Education.

Manatee County students performing at level 3 or above increased a percentage point in all mathematics, grades 3-8, this school year.

According to the Florida Department of Education, Manatee County students:

• Moved up 8 percentage points in algebra 2 – scoring 11 percentage points higher than students statewide.
• Improved 3 percentage points in biology 1, civics, and U.S. history.
• Increased by 2 percentage points for students younger than high school age in algebra 1 (93 percent scoring level 3 or higher).
• Manatee County students, grades 5-12, increased geometry results by 1 percentage point from 2015, and are performing at a higher level than students statewide.
• Fifth-graders improved in science by 1 percentage point.

“We’re pleased about the type of growth that we’re seeing in our students, and we thank our teachers and students for all of their hard work,” said Cynthia Saunders, deputy superintendent of instructional services. “We still have a lot of work to do and, as we continue to get familiar with the Florida Standards Assessment, we expect our students to continue to improve their scores.”

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart released a statement on the improving grades: “Today’s results show that our focus on improved student learning is working, and I commend our state’s students, educators, parents and school administrators for their hard work throughout the 2015-16 school year. Even with a higher bar, Florida students continued the overall trend of increased performance year over year. We are committed to ongoing collaboration with district superintendents and school leaders to maintain this momentum so that all students are prepared to succeed in the next steps of their academic journey.”

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Florida test results show improvement for Manatee County students."