Okaloosa County Places In Top 10 In State FAST Testing

The Florida Department of Education unveiled the 2023-24 results for the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) and End of Course Exams on Monday, July 1, 2024. The comprehensive results reveal that Okaloosa Schools continue to rank among the top ten districts in the state, securing the 10th position out of 67 districts.

In a detailed breakdown of the scores, Okaloosa students demonstrated exceptional performance in several key areas. The district’s 5th, 7th, and 8th-grade Reading scores, 7th and 8th-grade Mathematics scores, and 8th-grade Science scores ranked within the top six statewide.

Furthermore, Okaloosa’s middle school students excelled notably, achieving 3rd place in Math, 4th in Science, and 6th in ELA across Florida.

Superintendent Marcus Chambers commended the dedication and hard work of the students, teachers, staff, and administrators. “Our students and schools have overcome obstacles, met challenges head-on, and persevered to achieve academic success, and for that, I am extremely proud. Consistently ranking as one of the top school districts in the state is a source of pride for our schools and our community. With that said, there is work to be done and plans are already in place to address areas where room for improvement exists at the school and district levels,” Chambers stated.

Despite Okaloosa County’s top 10 state ranking, there were some areas in which several local schools’ pass rates fell below the state average. Such areas include third-grade ELA and Mathematics, fourth-grade ELA and Mathematics, fifth-grade Mathematics, and 9th and 10th grade ELA.

The assessment results are used to determine school grades, which are expected to be released in August. For further details on the assessment outcomes, please visit the Florida Department of Education’s official website at https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/results/2024.stml.