Marion County 2024 student test scores show improvement, but room for growth

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Marion County Public Schools students showed slight improvement in testing scores this year in comparison to the previous year across most grade levels and subject areas, but the results still fall short of statewide averages.

The scores from the 2023-24 school year are the second full year in which a new testing format has been implemented statewide. The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) tracks student progress and learning with three tests across all subjects throughout the year rather than the previous format of issuing one cumulative exam at the end of the school year.

The tests are administered to students from pre-kindergarten through 10^th grade in English language arts and mathematics. The tests align with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST) statewide curriculum standards from the Common Core program in 2019.

Science and social studies are evaluated through the Statewide Science Assessment and several end-of-course (EOC) exams for biology, U.S. history and civics. The Statewide Science Assessment, which has been in place since 2012, is administered in grades five and eight, with a biology 1 EOC exam administered in eighth grade. Most social studies EOC exams are taken at the high school level.

The examinations are scored from Level 1 being the lowest and Level 5 being the highest. Level 1 scores are inadequate and Level 2 scores are below satisfactory, both meaning the student will likely need substantial support in the coming grade. Level 3 scores are on grade level, meaning that the student may need some support in the coming grade. Level 4 is proficient, and Level 5 is mastery, meaning that the student is either likely or highly likely to excel in the coming grade.

English Language Arts/Reading

In comparison to the 2023 assessment, Marion County students from third grade to 10^th grade improved by 4% in English language arts and reading. This increase is on par with the improvement seen on average across the state in the same subject.

“Overall, performance at Level 3 or above in Grades 3-10 ELA/Reading increased by 4 percentage points (49% to 53%) from 2023 to 2024,” according to FDOE.

Marion County students scored lower than the state average, however, scoring at 45% of students achieving a Level 3 or above in comparison to the statewide score of 53%.

Mathematics

For mathematics, students were examined from third grade to eighth grade and in high school.

Marion County students showed an increase in scores in 2024, with 46% of students achieving a Level 3 or above in comparison to 44% of students doing so in 2023. Marion County students overall showed a 2% increase in mathematics scores in comparison to the year prior.

While improved, these scores still fell below the average of the rest of the state. The statewide percentage of students achieving a Level 3 or above in mathematics was 55% in 2024. This was a 4% improvement from the previous year’s 51% of students.

Marion County did see a large increase in students scoring highly in mathematics, however, with more students reaching Level 4 than the previous year.

“The percent of students scoring proficient increased from 10% to 47% during this school year,” according to Marion County school officials.

For high school algebra, one EOC exam was administered rather than three exams through the year. In Marion County, 3,668 students took the exam. The percentage of Marion County students passing the algebra exam decreased by 2% in 2024 in comparison to the previous year. Only 43% of students achieved a Level 3 or above in comparison to 45% of students in 2023.

Across the state, 2024 brought a 3% improvement with 53% of students achieving a Level 3 or above in comparison to 50% of students in 2023.

In geometry, Marion County students improved their test scores from the previous year. The high school EOC exam was taken by 2,975 students in 2024.

Marion County students improved their geometry test scores by 4% from 2023 to 2024, with 45% of students achieving a Level 3 or above this year, compared to 41% last year.

Statewide, 52% of students on average achieved a Level 3 or higher on the geometry EOC. This was an improvement of 6%, in comparison to 46% in 2023.

Science

On the Statewide Science Assessment, 44% of Marion County fifth grade students achieved a Level 3 or above. This was a 1% improvement from 2023, when 43% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

On average across the state, 53% of fifth graders achieved a Level 3 or above. The state average increased by 2% from the previous year, when 51% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

For eighth grade students in Marion County, for both the Statewide Science Assessment and the biology 1 EOC, 38% of students achieved a Level 3 or above. This was a 1% improvement from the previous year, when 37% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

On average across the state, 49% of eighth graders achieved a Level 3 or above. The state average increased by 2% from 2023, when 47% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

For just the biology 1 EOC, 60% of eighth grade students achieved a Level 3 or above. This was a 2% improvement from the previous year, when 58% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

Marion County administered 3,139 exams to eighth grade students for the biology 1 EOC.

Social Studies

For the civics EOC, 56% of Marion County students scored a Level 3 or above. This was a decrease from the previous year, when 58% of students scored a Level 3 or above.

In Marion County, 3,456 students took the civics EOC exam.

On average across the state, 67% of students achieved a Level 3 or above. The state average increased by 1% from 2023, when 66% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

For the U.S. history EOC, 66% of Marion County students scored a Level 3 or above. This was a 1% increase from the previous year, when 65% of students scored a Level 3 or above.

In Marion County, 2,833 students took the U.S. history EOC exam.

On average across the state, 67% of students achieved a Level 3 or above. The state average increased by 5% from the previous year, when 62% of students achieved a Level 3 or above.

To see how Marion County’s scores compare to other school districts in Florida, see:

English Language Arts & Mathematics

Science & Social Studies