Now equipped with two years of results from the state’s FAST testing model, which monitors student learning gains throughout the school year, Leon County Schools is now able to analyze and track student academic data from exam results.
Results were presented during a school board review meeting Monday, March 9. District leaders expressed excitement about the results.
“It’s a great opportunity for our principals and teachers to dig into the data and identify exactly where students need extra support,” Superintendent Rocky Hanna said during the meeting. “This helps us make sure every child gets the help they need to keep moving forward.”
Students take three exams throughout the school year: one at the beginning of the year (PM 1), another midway through the year (PM 2), and a final at the end of the year (PM 3).
The progress monitoring model is designed for students to show improvement on the mid-year and final exams, while the first one is to establish a baseline. If students are not showing an improved score on the second and third tests, it could signal they are not meeting benchmark standards.
Results from this year’s PM2 exam gives the district a broader snapshot of how academic gains and shortfalls measure out mid-year.
“We’ve actually seen small increases of 1% or 2% in several areas,” LCS Academic Services Director David Solz said. “Part of that is students and teachers becoming more comfortable with the format and understanding how to prepare for these assessments.”
The district’s statistics were on par with the state’s results, only differing by at least 1 or 2 percentage points.
Here’s what the data shows:
It is important to remember the student data is only a midyear checkpoint and they aren’t expected to answer every question correctly on the first and second exams since not all the benchmark standards have been taught yet.
The final exam, PM 3, is expected to be administered in May.
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at abrown@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon Schools FAST test data shows student gains
Reporting by Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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