Officials: FCAT scores need improvement

Scores are good, but they could definitely be better, school officials say about recently released FCAT results.

      For the most part, scores have flat-lined or fallen slightly statewide and in area school districts.

      “I think that we’re going to have to go back and concentrate on the essay portion,” said Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Tibbetts.

For complete test results click here .

      There was particular concern in area school districts regarding fourth-grade performance.

      “We really didn’t reach our goal at fourth grade,” said Santa Rosa assistant superintendent Tim Wyrosdick.

      Statewide, the portion of eighth-graders who scored at or above the minimum level on the essay portion increased from 86 percent to 88 percent.

      Fourth-graders dropped from 78 to 77 percent and 10th graders from 79 to 78 percent.

      The statewide average essay scores for eighth graders was 4.2, up from 4.1 last year. The average for fourth graders was 3.8, down from 3.9. For 10th graders it was 3.9, unchanged from last year.

      Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa and Walton County fourth graders scored an average of 3.8.

      The numbers of students deemed proficient, scoring 3.5 or above, fell in all three districts.

      In Okaloosa, the numbers fell from 80 to 72 percent. In Santa Rosa, the numbers fell from 81 to 77 percent and from 77 to 73 percent in Walton County.

      There has been some question by local officials if the prompt given to fourth-graders was too confusing.

Students are asked to write one or more essays that tell a story, persuade or explain something. Favorite classroom jobs or games played with friends or relatives were the subjects for fourth-graders this year.

      Local high schools remained above the state average on their essay scores. Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County sophomores scored 4.1, while in Walton, they scored 4.0.

      Middle school students held steady for the most part, with slight or no changes.

      Okaloosa students averaged 4.2. Santa Rosa and Walton counties averaged 4.3.

      This year, the multiple choice was supposed to be a graduation requirement for sophomores.

      However, because of budgetary constraints and problems from combining the essay and multiple choice into one score, the State Board of Education decided to delay using the scores.

      The multiple choice portions do not count for school grades and will no longer be given on the test, said Walton High School Education coordinator David Jeselnik.

      There is a bill passed by the Legislature, but still awaiting action by Gov. Charlie Crist, that would reinstate the multiple choice element in 2012.

      Now it’s time to address some concerns at the local level, say school district officials.

      District officials said they are gathering data from individual schools and coming up with strategies.

      “We did fine in a lot places, but it wasn’t to our expectations right now,” Wyrosdick said. “I think it’s an average performance and we want to be above average in every capacity.”

      Jeselnik said the district is happy with the overall scores.

      But “there’s always room for improvement,” he said.