JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A neuropsychologist and a Jacksonville mother voiced their thoughts about newly released Florida Department of Education test scores for the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST).
For English and math, the state overall saw a 4% increase in scores at a Level 3 or above.
While Duval County improved by several points in both subjects, it still fell below the state average -- going from 43% to 46% in English and 48% to 50% in math.
Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Bernier addressed the test scores at his first board meeting.
“While the state is making progress, and we are making progress, the state is making more progress than we are and other districts are making greater progress than the progress we are showing,” Bernier said.
St. Johns and Nassau counties had the top scores in the state of Florida in English and math.
St. Johns County Superintendant Tim Forson credited the district’s success to a collaborative effort among students, families and teachers.
“When we achieve, we achieve together,” Forson said. “We achieve only through inclusion of everyone who’s a part of this community and a part of this school district.”
St. Johns County earned 76% in math, a 3% increase from last year, and 72% in English, which is up 2% from 2023.
Laura Strada, a parent of two children in the Duval County school district, shared what she does to help her students succeed on standardized testing.
“I think constant communication as much as I can. And if there’s free tutoring, because I can’t afford to pay for it, I take advantage of it. I’m lucky enough to be in a position that if it is offered, I can take them, but a lot of people aren’t,” Strada said.
Dr. Tim Conway, a neuropsychologist who lives in Duval County and works in St. Johns County, said it’s challenging to compare the districts because of factors like socioeconomic status and the percentage of students with learning disabilities.
“You have a large number of students who are struggling in Duval. You got 120,000 students in Duval versus 50,000 or so in St. Johns. You’ve got only like about 13% have learning difficulties in St. Johns, and I believe it’s much higher in Duval, and so those alone are going to cause the test scores to be skewed and also make it a larger challenge to make more progress,” Conway said.
Strada expressed her hope for improved scores next year and a more unified district.
“The schools kind of seem to be against each other. You know, if you have a school that’s doing really well, they kind of tend to…’Oh, we don’t want students from this area coming here,’” Strada said. “I think a lot of different things can affect it. School morale, frankly, one of them. If you’re thinking your school is going to close next year, and you’ve gone there from kindergarten, and now you’re in the fourth grade that can frankly give some children anxiety.”
For parents wanting to help their child improve, Conway suggested Step Up for Students, an organization that administers vouchers for the state. Public school parents can use the organization’s programs for tutoring students in VPK and K-5. There’s also no requirement of schooling listed for their unique abilities scholarship which helps parents pay for specialists. Click here to read more about Step Up for Students’ programs.
“If your child has any diagnosed difficulties like dyslexia or dyscalculia, you can qualify for $10,000 in funds annually to help you purchase additional services. And when parents have that kind of access, they can buy more effective services. Many of these services are actually available online, and so they can be brought to the child at home after school,” Conway said.
Bernier hoped DCPS could work with staff members in other districts that have improved by six points to try and replicate what they’re doing.
“Finding out if there’s a secret sauce. What it is, my guess to the board and to the community is there will be no secret sauce. It’s going to be about hard work and dedication,” Bernier said.