Low-income students in Florida continue to outpace their peers in most other states, with particularly strong, relative outcomes in some of Florida’s biggest urban districts, according to national test results released this morning.
The overall results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress were not flattering for Florida or the nation. Often called “the nation’s report card,” the NAEP math and reading tests are given every other year to representative samples of fourth- and eighth-graders in all 50 states.
The 2015 results showed national averages falling in three of four tested areas and stalling in one. In Florida, they stalled in three and fell sharply in one: eighth-grade math.
But on the bright side, low-income students in Florida, which has among the highest rates of low-income students in the nation, now rank in the Top 10 in three of the four tested areas, including No. 1 in fourth-grade reading.
Next to their peers in 18 other urban districts, low-income students from the Duval, Hillsborough and Miami-Dade districts in Florida also shined. The latter were particularly impressive, finishing No. 1 in three of four categories and showing statistically significant gains in fourth-grade math and eighth-grade reading.
The latest NAEP results come as high-stakes testing and other regulatory accountability policies continue to draw fire around the country, and as many states begin phasing in academic standards spurred by Common Core. Florida fully implemented new standards in the 2014-15 school year.
The Sunshine State’s NAEP scores rose rapidly between 1998 and 2007, but have been mostly flat in three of four testing cycles since. This year, its eighth-grade math scores tumbled, with 64 percent of eighth-graders scoring at basic or above, down from 70 percent in 2013.
At the same time, the overall numbers tend to mask the performance of Florida’s low-income students, who are now a solid majority of the state’s K-12 enrollment. According to the most recent federal figures, 57.6 percent of Florida students are eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch, putting the state at No. 44 nationally (from least to most).
In the late 1990s, Florida’s low-income students were in NAEP’s bottom tier when compared to low-income students elsewhere. But now they’re tied for No. 1 in fourth-grade reading, tied for No. 5 in fourth-grade math, and tied for No. 9 in eighth-grade reading.
After this year’s big drop, though, they’re also tied for No. 34 in eighth-grade math, falling from No. 21 two years ago.
On a related note, another report this week put Florida’s academic progress in a positive light.
After adjusting for demographics, Florida students ranked No. 4 in the nation on the NAEP math and reading tests in 2013, behind only Massachusetts, New Jersey and Texas, according to Matthew M. Chingos, a researcher at the Urban Institute. Florida emerged ahead of a number of states with arguably better academic reputations, including North Carolina (No. 7), Minnesota (No. 14), Vermont (No. 15) and Connecticut (No. 23).
Other coverage: State Impact Florida. New York Times. Washington Post. USA Today. Education Week. Hechinger Report. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Times Union. Jay P. Greene’s Blog (and JPGB again). Bridge to Tomorrow. Cato At Liberty.
