FCAT scores are the single largest factor in the state s grading formula for public schools. A record 1.4 million students statewide took the test this year. Students in grades four, five, eight and 10 have taken the test since 1998. The state began testing students in grades three, six and nine this year. In order to get the test results back to schools on time, the state opted not to include scores for the extended response questions this year.
Students handwritten answers to extended response questions take longer to grade.
The scores do include students speak English as a second language and those in special education classes, Vogel said. St. Lucie County 10th-graders led the pack this year with an average score of 322 points in reading and 336 points in math. The state average was 304 in reading and 323 in math. Tenth-graders also bested their peers in the state with an average 3.9 in writing compared to the state average of 3.8 points. County fifth-grade math scores were also higher than the state average this year, up four points from 312 last year to 316 this year.