Sarasota County, FL, May 27, 2022 – This school year, a total of 3,252 third-grade students in Sarasota County participated in the April 2022 Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). The results reported are based on all students tested and include students with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELL), as well as retained third grade students. For the 2021-22 school year, proficiency rates in Sarasota County are three percentage points lower than 2021 English Language Arts (Reading). However, a comparison between the FSA test scores for 2021 and 2022 indicates that Sarasota County third grade average of student scores only decreased by one point. Sarasota County Schools continues to outperform the state average at the highest levels of proficiency as seen below.

Table 1.  Percent of District and State Grade 3 Students Scoring in Achievement

Levels of Proficiency 1, 2, and 3-5, for 2021 and 2022

* Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Dr. Brennan Asplen, Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools, said: “We are extremely proud of our third-grade students who demonstrated incredible resilience throughout the entire pandemic for all they have achieved and learned this year. We are appreciative of the community’s resolute, heartfelt support of all our students’ efforts during these continually trying times. Working as one, our families, teachers, staff members, and various leadership teams have rallied behind our students all throughout the school year to ensure that they continued to grow and thrive. This school year – our first fully in-person instructional & learning time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – had a heightened focus on recovery and acceleration. The performance outcomes on this year’s state assessments will provide valuable insight to our academic & curriculum teams as they strategically utilize the data to identify performance areas of strength and opportunities for improvement moving forward.”

According to the Florida Department of Education, Florida’s K-12 assessment system measures students’ achievement of Florida’s education standards, which are developed and implemented to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for success in college, career, and life. Test results are also used by the State in their school grade calculation. Individual students and their families can track the child’s progress over time using FSA.

Additional assessment outcomes in Reading and Math for grades 3 – 10 will be announced in mid-July.

About Sarasota County Schools

 Sarasota County Schools is committed to providing unrivaled academic, emotional, and civic growth to every student, every day. As one of the leading employers on the Suncoast, Sarasota County Schools boasts 55 schools that expertly cater to the diverse needs of all our students. We are one of two Florida school districts to consistently earn an A-grade every year since 2004 and have been awarded the Mid-Sized School District of the Year by the University of Cambridge. Our passionate educators empower students to take charge of their academic and personal success, a practice we believe fosters lifelong growth and achievement. Working as one, we actively maintain the district’s tradition of excellence and ensure that tradition extends to all students. Our commitment to our students extends beyond graduation to make sure they not only graduate on time, but do so college and career ready. Want to take your student’s education to the next level? Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or visit www.SarasotaCountySchools.net.

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