Brevard Public Schools Students Earn High Marks On State Assessments, District Sees Increase Across the Board

BPS is looking at the possibility of 26 elementary schools earning an A

Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell: Our scores increased in every grade level. Our teachers and students worked very hard in the classrooms this year and these results reflect that. Our entire community should be proud of these results.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – At the Brevard Public Schools Board Work Session held Tuesday, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Tara Harris delivered an update regarding the preliminary Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) data for Brevard students.

According to a Brevard Public Schools spokesperson, the district saw an increase across the board regarding English and Language Arts scores for FAST metrics; with all grades performing higher than state averages in ELA.

Notably, Grade 6 students averaged 67% proficiency compared to the state average of 54%. Additionally, a substantial increase for Grade 10 ELA was observed with a growth of 6% in comparison to last year’s, 2022-2023 BEST data.

“The increases in English and Language Arts are remarkable,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell.

“Our scores increased in every grade level. Our teachers and students worked very hard in the classrooms this year and these results reflect that. Our entire community should be proud of these results.”

Brevard Public Schools officials said Math metrics saw solid increases for grades third through sixth and Geometry. However, the preliminary data did note areas for improvement regarding Algebra scores. Curriculum and Instruction plan to address these by incorporating more algebraic instruction into grades seventh and eighth.

“District staff continue to analyze data and instructional practices to support increased student learning in math,” said Harris.

“Additionally, supplemental instructional resources were purchased through grant funding to support hands-on learning opportunities for students in Algebra courses and intervention materials for elementary students.”

Brevard Public Schools officials said these figures are still preliminary and no official data has been received from the State, but the early indicators are positive.

“Harris highlighted, throughout her presentation, noticeable trends in learning gains and increased proficiency rates, attributing these successes to the unwavering dedication of teachers and staff,” said a Brevard Public Schools spokesperson.

The Florida Department of Education will convene on July 24 for the state board meeting to establish the metrics for determining school grades for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The timeline for grade release remains uncertain.

However, with the current FLDOE proposed options, Brevard Public Schools is looking at favorable return on school grades for the 2023-2024 academic year. Depending on grading metrics used by the FLDOE, BPS officials say various schools across the district will see their school grades improve.

FLDOE has released three options for decision making during their July 24 state board meeting.

Option 1 returns to the 2021-22 scale for the 2023-24 school year using the same grading scale for all school types. Option 2 uses the 2022-23 informational baseline scales for the 2023—24 school year with varying scales based on elementary, middle, high, and combined schools.

When running a simulation on school grade data, C&I referenced the two common metrics for school grade calculations by the state: Option 1 and Option 2.

With Option 1, BPS is looking at the possibility of 26 elementary schools earning an A, four middle schools, and seven high schools. While Option 2 simulates 26 elementary schools earning an A, three middle schools and six high schools.

CLICK HERE to view the PowerPoint of the 2024 Preliminary FAST Results & Projected School Grade Information utilized during the work session presentation.

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