While school districts throughout Florida took a hit on this years third-grade reading assessment, Palm Beach County public schools held steady, surpassing the statewide average for the first time in nearly two decades.

The states English language arts assessment measures students ability to read and understand the text in front of them. The test scores third-graders on a scale from 1 to 5, with Level 3 being satisfactory.Students who hit that benchmark are said to be reading on grade level.

The average for students reading on grade level in Florida dropped by one percentage point, to 53%, while the Palm Beach County School District maintained its 54% rate the first time local schools surpassed the state average in 18 years, according to a news release from the district.

While the District is making gains, we believe that 100% of students have the potential to read on grade level and will continue to work toward reaching that goal, the releasestates.

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Of the large urban districts in Florida, only Broward increased the percentage of third-graders scoring Level 3 or above, from 53% to 54%, while Palm Beach County maintained its score and five districts slipped backward:

Florida haslong struggled to increase its third-grade reading scores, and despite the momentary celebration in local schools, this years results mean that 47% of students in Florida and 46% in Palm Beach County are likely or highly likely to need substantial support going forward, according to the states grading system.

In a memo dated May 25 and sent to the Palm Beach County School Board, district leaders said the results would inform their plans for the upcoming school year.

Schools will receive their results and use this information to meet individual student needs and for school improvement, the memo reads.District and regional staff will use the results to provide direction for improvement in curriculum and instruction.

This year also marked the last time students took the Florida Standards Assessments, including the FSA in English language arts, as Florida transitions to a new system touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Instead of holding lengthy assessments at the end of a school year, the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, will include three much shorter check-in assessments throughout the year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

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Giuseppe Sabella is an education reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at gsabella@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism andsubscribe today.

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How did Palm Beach County third-graders fare on Florida reading test? - Palm Beach Post