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Third-graders did a little better on FCAT reading this year, but about 10 percent of Florida's high school seniors are still struggling to pass the exam that will earn them a standard diploma, state officials said Monday.
About 22 percent of Florida's third-graders failed the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, which means they could be denied a promotion to 4th grade. That failure rate is dowm from 23 percent last year, but still represents 45,000 students.
Gov. Jeb Bush said he was pleased that scores are improving, even if only incrementally.
"This struggle for learning needs to be looked at on the long term," Bush said at a Miami news conference announcing the results.
He said retaining students "isn't about punishment," but about making sure they have the skills to learn and to get a job. He defended the FCAT, saying standards have helped students learn.
"This is not about politics," Bush said. "This is not about FCAT. If we don't measure, then we don't care."
Locally, all five Tampa Bay area school districts mirrored the state by improving one percent on FCAT's third grade reading test.
The high school seniors who have failed to pass the 10th grade FCAT exam will have one more chance to pass before graduation. If they fail, they won't get a diploma with their classmates.