After a year of turmoil, Broward schools got some good news this week in the area that matters most — student achievement.
Results from the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, show that Broward students showed impressive growth during the school year, and the district even surpassed neighboring Palm Beach County in overall results.
“We are on cloud nine, because our students, teachers, principals and leadership teams throughout the district far and wide exceeded expectations, and we have reason to celebrate,” Interim Superintendent Earlean Smiley said a news conference Thursday.
The results from the final tests in May show Miami-Dade and Broward leading among the six largest districts in the state.
- In the language arts portion of the test for students in grades kindergarten to 10, Miami-Dade led with 53% of students proficient, followed by Broward (52%), Palm Beach (50%), Orange (49%), Hillsborough (48%) and Duval (44%). The statewide average was 50%.
- For math in grades kindergarten to eight, Miami-Dade led with a 59% proficiency rate, followed by Broward (57%), Palm Beach and Orange (both 55%), Hillsborough (54%) and Duval (50%). The statewide average was 56%.
The results came at the end of a tumultuous year in Broward marked by the release of a scathing grand jury report, the removal of four School Board members and the forced separation on two occasions of a former superintendent. The chaos continued Thursday morning when a meeting to approve the contract for incoming Superintendent Peter Licata was abruptly canceled because only three of nine board members attended.
“The team kept the focus on student achievement and the results are here,” Smiley sad. “We still have some work to do. We still have some challenges, but the foundation is firm and strong.”
This was the first year of the FAST, which measures students’ progress three times a year, rather than the once-a-year tests of years past such as the Florida Standards Assessment and before that the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
The new approach to testing worked, Broward school officials said.
“I think having that data throughout the year allowed us to really focus on which benchmarks and standards the students needed the most help on so we were able to use that information … to help really make sure we were focusing on where our students needed the most assistance,” said Emily Gonzalez, principal of Seminole Ridge Middle in Plantation.
Miami-Dade officials were also heralding their test results.
“One must consider the impact of the pandemic, the influx of foreign-born students entering our school district and the adoption of new educational standards and a new state assessment program. Formidable!” Jose Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade, tweeted Friday.
The results were more mixed for Palm Beach County, which for years has been one of the top-performing large school districts. This year, it was in the middle of the pack.
Mike Burke, superintendent for Palm Beach County schools, said the new test was an adjustment for students, teachers and staff.
“As a District, we celebrate the gains achieved and are digging deep into the student performance data to identify opportunities and strategies for improvement,” Burke said in a statement. “We remain committed to serving and supporting every student in the upcoming school year. I’m confident the experience gained from this first year of implementation will help foster greater success in the 2023-24 school year.”
Broward’s lead over Palm Beach County is especially notable since Broward, long a B-rated district, has strived to mirror the success of its A-rated district to the north. It was even a factor in why the School Board recently hired Licata, a regional superintendent in Palm Beach County.
“Being in Palm Beach County, you know anything but an A is a failure. That’s just the way it is,” Licata told a community panel that interviewed him June 14.
The state will issue grades this year although they will come out later than normal this year, in November, and won’t be a factor in accountability measures since it’s the first year of the test. Smiley chose not to overpromise based on this year’s results.
“It is almost unprecedented the first time out to hit the ball that far,” she said. “We didn’t get a home run. But you need to stay tuned for next year. With Dr. Licata on board and this team, look out, A. Here we come.”