Some grade scores were not as high as in the past said school officials but, they also said to not compare one group of students with another. Overall, Lafayette District Schools scored 29th in the state in reading and 9th in the state in math from the 67 county school districts.

Superintendent Fred Ward said they have looked at each grade level and are putting several measures in place to address the student needs identified from the FCAT testing results.

Ward said an additional reading coach will be provided for Lafayette High School; Reading software programs designed to “catch students up” in reading skills will be purchased for elementary, middle and high school levels through the three Enhancing Education through Technology Competitive grants recently awarded to the District; Software which provides simulated FCAT tests will be given three times per year to diagnose standards which may need remediation in preparation for next year’s FCAT (also through the EETT grants); and Elementary teachers will receive training to improve instructional strategies in math.

“All these methods will be used to determine specific skills the students are weak in so valuable instruction time will be used to work on skills the student needs,” Ward said.

Lafayette Elementary School Principal Marion McCray said the scores for reading, math and writing in fourth grade were great. “These same students had scored well as third graders and we expect to see that trend continue with this group,” said McCray.

McCray said third grade scores were not as high as in the past and fifth grade scores were down in reading but up a little in math. “We have already begun planning for next year and looking for areas that need improvement. We will be ready when school begins to provide intervention to students that need extra assistance in reading, math and writing,” said McCray.

In high school, Principal Derek Hembree said this year’s scores is a testament to the teachers and students who have risen above great challenges.

“These scores are more than just numbers. Each year, when scores improve, it means students are learning and I could not be more proud of the achievements of our students, teachers and parents. This was a team effort building the literacy skills needed to achieve this success,” said Hembree.

Hembree said teachers in Lafayette County have worked extremely hard to prepare students to succeed in the classroom and in life. This summer high school teachers are attending the Florida Reading Initiative in hopes to help improve student reading proficiency in the future.

“We want to ensure that when a student leaves the classroom at the end of the year that he or she has achieved the necessary skills to succeed in the next stage of their education and in life,” said Hembree.

McCray said most people think that summer is not a busy time for school systems. “Actually, we are just as busy in the summer because we are planning and making decisions on how to help students be successful,” she said.

Log onto fldoe.org to view FCAT results.