SEBRING — Highlands County's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores constantly trailed the state scores released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education. Except for a few high points at individual schools at the elementary and middle school levels, the percentages of students performing on or above grade level on the math, reading and science FCAT were lower than the state-wide percentages. Statewide, 38 percent of the 10th-graders scored on or above grade level on FCAT reading, compared to only 30 percent in Highlands County and only 25 percent at Avon Park High School. On the 10th-grade math FCAT statewide 69 percent scored on or above grade level compared to only 62 percent in Highlands County and 49 percent at Avon Park High School. ...more

June 10, 2008

SEBRING — More Highlands County third-graders scored at or above grade level in math and reading compared to the state average, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results released Wednesday. However, about 146 third-graders, or 15 percent of the students, will have to pass another test after a summer reading camp to be promoted to fourth grade. They scored in Level 1 or the lowest level of the assessment scale. Eighty-percent of the county's third-graders scored in Level 3 or above in math. Statewide, and last year in Highlands County, 76 percent had achieved that level. In FCAT reading, that number was 74 percent compared to last year's 70 percent and this year's state percentage of 72 percent. ...more

May 21, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County fourth-graders, on average, scored better than last year's fourth-graders, and better than the state average, on the essay portion of the Writing Plus Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). ...more

May 9, 2008