Alachua County Public School students continue to make gains on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, commonly known as the FCAT.

According to results released by the Florida Department of Education, the percentage of local students in grades 4 through 10 scoring a three or above on the FCAT reading, math and science tests rose in 11 of 17 categories, held steady in three categories and decreased slightly in three categories. Under state guidelines, a score of three or above indicates proficiency on the test. The proficiency level for local students was also at or above the state level in 11 of the 17 categories.

Gains were particularly strong among the upper grades.The eighth-grade passing percentage in reading, math and science rose a combined 15 percentile points, while the ninth-grade increase for reading and math was 11 points combined. In tenth grade, the overall increase was 7 percentile points. Only students in 5^th, 8^th and 11^th grade take the FCAT science test.

“I’m pleased that our students continue to make gains on what is a very difficult test,” said Superintendent Dan Boyd. “The standards for the FCAT are particularly high for students in middle and high schools, so the gains made by our 8^th, 9^th and 10^th-grade students are a good sign.”

There was some particularly good news for schools that received F grades from the state of Florida last year based on their students performance on the FCAT. Professional Academies Magnet (PAM) at Loften High School recorded a dramatic 71 point gain in 8^th-grade reading and math, a 42 point gain in 9^th grade and a 31 point gain in 10^th grade. The percentage of fourth-graders at Metcalfe Elementary School scoring at or above a 3 in reading and math rose a whopping 55 percentile points, while the fifth-grade increase was 36 points. Hawthorne High School also saw gains, with a 14 point increase in 9^th grade and an 11 point increase in 10^th grade.

“We had total school focus on all of the important standards in all areas, math, science, reading and writing, and we worked every day in all classes on those skills,” said Professional Academies Magnet principal Chet Sanders. “Our staff and students were very committed, and I think the gains are a good indication of their hard work.”

Sanders also cited the district’s progress monitoring program, which provides detailed and up-to-date data on student progress, for ensuring that the school stayed on track.”

“Our schools did have a lot of valuable data available to them so they could pinpoint their students’ strengths and weaknesses,” said Deputy Superintendent Sandy Hollinger. “We also provided lots of training and other resources to help them adjust their instruction to meet the unique needs of their students.”

The results released today are for the FCAT SSS (Sunshine State Standards), a test unique to Florida that is used by the state to determine whether students will graduate, be promoted to the next grade or take additional math or reading classes. All students also take the FCAT NRT (Norm Referenced Test), which compares the performance of Florida students to their  peers nationwide. FCAT NRT results released in May show Alachua County students continue to outperform their peers statewide and nationwide in both reading and math.

The FCAT SSS is also used by the state to grade schools, although school grades will not be released by the Florida Department of Education until mid-July.

The state has announced the parents will be able to access their child’s FCAT scores online on Thursday at www.fcatparentnetwork.com. They will need a logon name and password to access the scores, which is provided by their child’s school.