JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The results are in and thousands of students across the First Coast did not receive a passing grade.
The Florida Department of Education released results of the F.A.S.T. tests, which stand for Florida Assessments of Student Thinking and are assessments of public school students in various topics like English, Science and Math.
This is the second year that Florida has utilized this system, which tests students in topics throughout the school year to gauge their progress in the classroom. All of the districts on the First Coast saw progress throughout the year, but some performed far better than others.
Front and center on the website for the St. Johns County School District is a picture proudly proclaiming that their students ranked No. 1 in F.A.S.T. testing in key areas like English, Math and Science.
"I'm extremely proud," said St. Johns County Schools Superintendent Tim Forson, who added that high scores in his district are a testament to the hard work by students, teachers and parents, "when you talk about academic performance, it really does come back to the four walls of a classroom and the support teachers give them, the instruction teachers give them and them being in an environment and community where parents value education and support the schools as well."
Forson said that while St. Johns County is not alone in this practice, the continued education of teachers also helps raise overall student test scores.
"The important part for all of us in the system is adult learning at the same time as there's student learning because we don't have it all right," said Forson, "we have to grow and learn each and every year."
The F.A.S.T. tests measure whether students are at grade level. For example, 53% of students across the state of Florida in 3rd through 10th grade are at grade level in English and Language Arts. 72% are at grade level in that topic in St. Johns County, but only 46% are at grade level in Duval County. However, that number grew from 28% earlier in the school year.
From progress monitoring period 1 to progress monitoring period 3 the Florida state English Language Arts average for 3rd through 10th graders rose from 33% to 53%, in Clay County it rose from 34% to 60%, in Duval County it rose from 28% to 46%, in Nassau County it rose from 42% to 66% and in St. Johns County it rose from 52% to 72%.
From progress monitoring period 1 to progress monitoring period 3 the Florida state Math average for 3rd through 8th graders rose from 14% to 56%, in Clay County it rose from 15% to 64%, in Duval County it rose from 11% to 48%, in Nassau County it rose from 22% to 77% and in St. Johns County it rose from 29% to 77%.
From the end of the 2023 school year to the end of the 2024 school year the Florida state Science average for eighth graders rose from 47% to 49%, in Clay County it dropped from 60% to 59%, in Duval County it rose from 45% to 47%, in Nassau County it rose from 67% to 73% and in St. Johns County it rose from 73% to 74%.
A full breakdown of all F.A.S.T. testing can be found on the Florida Department of Education website.
"Yes we did make growth," said A.J. Fisher, "is it the growth we want to make? No."
Fisher is a teacher at Arlington Heights Elementary and has taught in Duval Public Schools for 25 years. While he wants all kids to perform at grade level, he sees hope in the improvement of students.
"Seeing a child grow as a teacher is your goal and that's what makes it worth while for us and when that lightbulb kicks in and you can see they've got this concept and let's build upon it," said Fisher, "it doesn't get much better than that."
Improving test scores across Duval County was a focus of new Duval Superintendent Christopher Bernier during a recent school board meeting.
"There is no secret sauce, it's going to be about hard work and dedication," said Bernier during the July 2 school board meeting, "we have the right people leading our school buildings to do the work."
Fisher agrees with the new superintendent.
"We have some schools that you look at internally in our district that made tremendous gains," said Fisher, "and I think it's really reaching out to those schools and seeing what they're doing, finding the barriers that are preventing lower achieving schools."