Sarasota School District sees jump in reading achievement, new data shows

Sarasota County Schools saw achievement gains across the board as the state released its 2023-24 standardized testing results Monday.

Notably, the district saw a seven percentage-point jump in third-grade reading scores to 68% compared to the previous school year, according to state data. The increase comes as Sarasota Schools had stagnant reading scores over the last several school years — trending down since COVID-19. Sarasota County now stands tied for 2nd among all Florida school districts in third-grade reading achievement, an increase from 4th last year.

"I am incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by our students, teachers, staff, administrators, and families throughout this school year," Connor said in a statement Tuesday. "Their tenacity and collaborative efforts have significantly improved our state assessment results in every area. This achievement is a testament to our community's investment in public education and the collective dedication to our shared vision for academic excellence in Sarasota County."

Manatee County also saw an increase in third-grade reading achievement, with a four percentage-point increase to 51%.

The 2023-24 school year marked the first year in Florida where districts could compare scores from the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) exams year over year. Last school year, districts compared FAST scores to the previous year's now-defunct Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) scores.

The two top elementary schools in Sarasota for third-grade reading achievement this year were Pine View School and Southside Elementary School, with 98% and 94% of students reading at or above grade level. The statewide average for third-grade reading was 55% for the 2023-24 school year — up five percentage points from the previous year.

In June, School Board Chairwoman Karen Rose touted the then-unreleased scores, praising first-year superintendent Terry Connor for his work as the district's leader.

"The results in raw data make me want to dance on the dais, but I will control myself," board chair Karen Rose said about reading scores at a June 18 school board meeting.

Reading scores have been a point of contention in Sarasota County, being a campaign point for several school board candidates for the August primary election. Stagnation in reading scores also played a role in the removal of Sarasota's previous superintendent Brennan Asplen, among several factors .

Even larger than third-grade reading scores, Sarasota Schools saw an eight percentage point increase in Geometry EOC scores — rising from 13th in the state to 6th. The district also saw a two percentage point increase in both Civics and U.S. History EOC achievement, and a three percentage point increase in Biology EOC achievement compared to last year.

The district maintained its scores in Algebra 1 EOC and Grade 5 Science achievement, and raised one percentage point in Grade 8 Science scores.

Reading proficiency Percentage of students reading at or above grade-level

Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota School District sees jump in reading achievement, new data shows