Christy Hovanetz, Ph.D., is a Senior Policy Fellow for ExcelinEd focusing on school accountability and math policies.
Last week, the release of the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed mixed results nationally, with strong improvements in states—like Florida—that are embracing and faithfully implementing student-centered policies.
This week’s #AskExcelinEd brings you an in-depth analysis on Florida’s performance—including awesome news on subgroup performance. Thanks to Dr. Christy Hovanetz, ExcelinEd’s Senior Policy Fellow, and Jim Hull, ExcelinEd’s Policy Impact Director, for diving into the data!
The morning the 2017 NAEP scores were released, Associate Commissioner of Assessment at the National Center for Education Statistics Peggy Carr notably recognized, “Something very good is happening in Florida.”
Since the late 1990s, Florida has diligently focused on early literacy, rigorous standards for all students, transparent A-F school accountability and empowering parents with public and private education options. And it’s showing. On the 2017 NAEP, Florida made more progress than any other state in the nation in 2017.
In 2002, Florida implemented a comprehensive K-3 Reading policy to identify struggling readers, provide reading interventions for those readers, engage parents and end social promotion. Over the past 15 years, this policy has contributed to Florida’s fourth-grade readers outperforming the national average by more than half a grade level.
From 2003-2017, the average math score for fourth-grade students in Florida increased 12 points, from 234 to 246. That’s over a grade level! In that same time, the percentage of Florida fourth-grade students performing at or above the NAEP proficient level increased from 31 percent to 48 percent.
In just two years, the percentage of eighth-grade students performing at or above the NAEP proficient level increased from 30 in 2015 percent to 35 percent in 2017.
From 2003-2017, the average math score for eighth-grade students in Florida increased 8 points, from 271 to 279. That’s nearly a grade level! In that same time, the percentage of Florida eighth-grade students performing at or above the NAEP proficient level increased from 23 percent to 29 percent.
Possibly the best part of Florida’s 2017 NAEP story is that all student subgroups significantly outperformed their national peers in fourth-grade Math and Reading.
From Maine to Hawaii, states should pay close attention to Florida. Because Florida—with its diverse student population of 2.8 million K-12 students—is closing equity gaps by prioritizing high standards for all students and schools while empowering families with educational choice. And if Florida can do it, any state can.
