FAST test results are in: Here's how Brevard students scored compared to last year

Finch Walker, Florida Today
·3 min read

New data from the Florida Department of Education shows Brevard students scored at or above the state average on mandatory English and mathematics tests, with each grading group improving from last year.

The 2023-2024 period was the second year that Florida students used the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, exams rather than the grade-level Florida Standards Assessments. The FAST testing system requires tests be administered to students three times a year, with the first round occurring near the start of the school year, the second round taking place mid-year and the third happening at the end of the year. The goal of the tests is to monitor students' progress throughout the year.

Test scores released by the state Department of Education on Monday showed Brevard students scored at or above the overall scores for the state on mathematics and reading. They also showed improvement from the previous year.

Kids waved hello on their first day back at school on August 10, 2023.
Kids waved hello on their first day back at school on August 10, 2023.

English language arts scores

Grades for English Language Arts are split into four groups: grades 3-10, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-10. Florida Department of Education calculated their scores based on students' performance on their third quarter FAST test and end-of-course testing. Here's how they scored:

  • 58% of students in grades 3-10 scored at or above grade level, while 55% scored at or above grade level in 2023

  • 58% of students in grades 3-5 scored at or above grade level as compared to the 56% that scored at or above grade level the previous year

  • 60% of students in grades 6-8 scored at or above grade level, while 57% scored at or above grade level the prior year

  • 57% of students in grades 9 and 10 scored at or above grade level, a difference of 4% compared to the previous year, when 53% scored at or above grade level

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Mathematics

Grades for mathematics are separated into three groups: grades 3-8, 3-5 and 6-8. Students' scores were calculated based on their performance on their third quarter FAST test and end-of-course testing. Here's how they scored:

  • 56% of students in grades 3-8 scored at or above grade level, as compared to the 53% who tested at or above grade level in 2023

  • 58% of students in grades 3-5 scored at or above grade level, while 56% scored at or above grade level the previous year

  • 63% of students in grades 6-8 scored at or above grade level, while 60% scored at or above grade level in 2023

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How does Brevard compare to the state?

Brevard's numbers were equal to or above the state's overall scores. Here's how the scores compare:

  • 53% of 3-10 students throughout Florida scored at or above grade level in ELA, with 54% of kids in grades 3-5 scoring at or above grade level, 52% of kids in grades 6-8 scoring at or above grade level and 53% of kids in grades 9-10 scoring at or above grade level

  • Overall, 55% of Florida students in grades 3-8 scored at or above grade level in mathematics. 58% of students in grades 3-5 scored at or above grade level, while 59% of students in grades 6-8 scored at or above grade level

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard students' 2024 FAST scores improve from last year