A higher percentage of students in Duval and Clay counties are reading at grade level.
According to test scores on the English Language Arts portion of the Florida Standards Assessment test released last week by the Florida Department of Education, the number of Duval third graders reading at or above grade level jumped 4 percentage points to 50 percent.
“It’s exciting to see a 4-percentage point improvement,” said Duval School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “We’re not celebrating, we’re just acknowledging the improvement, knowing that we have much more to do, but I’m very proud of our teachers this year.”
Jacksonville Beach Elementary School tops the district with a 97 percent passing rate. Five other elementary schools have passing rates in the 80-percent range: J. Allen Axson, 85 percent; Fishweir, 82 percent; Hendricks Avenue, 80 percent; Bartram Springs, 84 percent; and Kernan Trail, 82 percent.
At the same time, Clay County School Superintendent Charlie Van Zant is applauding his district, where 64 percent of third graders got passing scores this year.
“We’ve improved by 2 percent from last year and we’re eighth among Florida’s counties in the level of third graders reading on level 3 or above, which is proficient,” he said.
Third grade reading proficiency rates in other Northeast Florida school districts: St. Johns, 77 percent; Nassau, 69 percent; Flagler, 63 percent; and Baker, 59 percent.
Statewide, 54 percent of third graders are reading at or above grade level.
