Of the 2,713 DeSoto County students who took part in the 2022-23 school year FAST, 28.9% met the testing standard while 4.3% exceeded expectations, according to the Florida Department of Education.
DeSoto County’s proficiency level in the 2022-23 school year was 33.2%, 16.7% lower than the state’s average of 49.9%.
During the 2022-23 school year, St. Johns County students fared the best on the ELA portion of the FSA, with 70.5% of them succeeding. Meanwhile Jefferson County students did worst on ELA, with 28.1% of the students passing the test.
There were 4,579 students enrolled in DeSoto County schools in the 2022-23 school year.
According to WalletHub’s analysis, Florida is ranked 9th out of 50 states in terms of its public school quality and safety.
After the pandemic, Florida registered a decline in students’ performance, especially in mathematics-related areas.
Florida’s choice to stick with in-person classes during the pandemic may have shielded students from significant learning setbacks. A recent Harvard study highlighted that districts heavily reliant on remote learning saw the most significant declines in student achievement amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“Interestingly, gaps in math achievement by race and school poverty did not widen in school districts in states such as Texas and Florida and elsewhere that remained largely in-person,” said Thomas Kane, professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
| School Year | Students who met standards (%) | Students who exceeded standards (%) | Total Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 28.9% | 4.3% | 4,579 |
