Florida's Students Exceed Expectations on 2012 Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Assessment
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Florida's Students Exceed Expectations on 2012 Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Assessment
- Middle schoolers excel as new achievement levels take effect -Tallahassee - Florida students did better than expected across the board on the tough end-of-course algebra assessment, and almost nine out of ten middle schoolers who took the assessment passed and earned the algebra credit they will need to graduate from high school. As the state continues to raise academic standards, the Florida Department of Education released results today showing that Florida students appear to be up to the challenge in algebra.
"I am extremely proud of our students for their hard work and achievement on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course Assessment," said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. "I want to thank Florida's teachers for their diligence in preparing students for this challenging assessment. As our state has raised the bar, our students have shown steady improvement. Florida is a great example of what happens when we work together for our students. We can truly improve achievement across the board."
Results of the 2012 Algebra 1 End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment show that 59 percent of first-time test takers scored at Level 3 or above, exceeding estimates by four percentage points. Students in grades six through eight taking the test for the first time performed the highest with 87 percent of students scoring Level 3 or higher.
In December, the State Board of Education set achievement levels for the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment after reviewing data showing the impact of the new achievement levels on students and schools and hearing from Florida's educators, parents and the community. This is the second year that the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment has been administered in the spring and the first time results are being reported using the new achievement levels.
Beginning this year, students receive a scale score between 325 and 475 on the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment, indicating their success on the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. A score of 399 or higher signifies a passing score.
Achievement levels for the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment are below.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325-374 | 375-398 | 399-424 | 425-436 | 437-475 |
Students who entered Grade 9 this academic year must pass the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment in order to earn the algebra credit required to graduate. While results of the assessment make up 30 percent of the algebra grade for students in tenth grade, they are not required to pass the assessment in order to graduate. There is no requirement for students in grades 11 and 12 to pass the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment in order to graduate.
Students who need to retake the assessment have a number of options available. Students can take Algebra 1 again over the summer, during the school year or online. Students may take their next higher mathematics course along with an intensive mathematics course that offers remediation in specific areas. They may also take Algebra 1 remediation courses through "Credit Recovery" labs that allow students to seek credit recovery, grade forgiveness, and remediation to prepare to retake the Algebra 1 EOC Assessment. Credit recovery labs do not require a student to spend a set amount of time learning a subject, so students only need to stay in the course as long as they need to complete the work.
For more information about the 2012 Algebra 1 EOC Assessment results, visit http://fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/results/2012.stml#PM.
Answers to questions about this assessment and others along with resources for parents are available on a special Department of Education website: http://www.floridapathtosuccess.org.