Manatee Students Test Better Than The State On Reading Exam

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Though the number of School District of Manatee County students who achieved a Level 3 score or higher on the annual third-grade Florida Standards Assessments English Language Arts exam dropped 2 percentage points this school year, the district still performed better than the state as a whole during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the district, 49 percent of those who took the state test achieved a Level 3 or higher in the 2020-21 school year compared to 51 percent in the 2018-2019 school year, which was the last time the test was taken. State assessments were canceled in the spring of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was also a statewide drop of 4 percentage points for Level 3 or high scores. Throughout the state, 54 percent of third graders achieved a Level 3 or higher in the 2020-2021 school year compared to 58 percent in 2018-2019.

“I can’t say enough about the commitment of our students, teachers, paraprofessionals and all district employees who worked tirelessly to keep educating our children in the face of unimaginable challenges,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said. “I have also been amazed by the resiliency and resolve of our students, parents and community partners because their support and assistance made it possible for us to provide a full year of school to our students.”

Saunders added that steps have been put in place to provide additional assistance to students who need extra help to make up for lost ground due to COVID, including extending summer school into July this year, when it normally ends in June.

Some district schools saw big increases in third grade reading scores compared to 2019. Anna Maria Elementary and Freedom Elementary both saw an increase in students who scored a Level 3 or higher of 17 percentage points, while Tara Elementary saw an increase of 16 percentage points and Williams Elementary saw an increase of 12 percentage points.