Third-graders in Sarasota County continue to trend downward in reading scores

Stefania Lugli, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
Alta Vista Elementary second-grade student Jada Armstrong reads her copy of "Mango, Abel and Me" in February.
Alta Vista Elementary second-grade student Jada Armstrong reads her copy of "Mango, Abel and Me" in February.

The Sarasota County School District announced Friday that third-graders dropped 3% in reading scores for the 2021-22 school year compared to the year prior, marking a continued decrease in performance.

In a news release, the district said that although proficiency rates dropped, a "comparison between the FSA test scores for 2021 and 2022 indicates that Sarasota County third grade average of student scores only decreased by one point."

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A report from the state's department of education shows that Sarasota County reading scores meeting "satisfactory" levels dipped by 4% from 2019 to 2021, marking a downward trend for the school district.

Results from the Florida Department of Education show that in 2019, 70% of Sarasota County third-graders met satisfactory reading levels. That number dropped to 66% in 2021 – and dropped again to 63% in the spring of 2022.

However, Sarasota County Schools still outperform the state average – 53% – at the highest levels of proficiency (levels 3-5).

More than 3,200 students took the Florida Standards Assessment exam in April –including those with disabilities, English Language Learners, and retained third-graders.

Brennan Asplen, Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools, said the county is proud of its third-graders for demonstrating resilience during their pandemic school years.

"This school year – our first fully in-person instructional & learning time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – had a heightened focus on recovery and acceleration," she said.

Asplen added that this year's assessments help identify opportunities for improvement moving forward.

Additional results in reading and math assessments for grades 3 through 10 will be announced in mid-July.

Stefania Lugli covers a little of everything for the Herald-Tribune while pursuing watchdog/investigative stories. You can contact her at slugli@heraldtribune.com or dm her on Twitter at @steflugli.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida reading test: Sarasota third-graders show dip in performance