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Midyear update: St. Lucie reports midyear FAST gains, attendance uptick and expanded acceleration access
Summary
Chief of Schools Dr. Craig Sommer told the board that midyear (PM2) FAST progress monitoring shows districtwide gains in reading and math compared with the prior year, attendance improvements equal roughly 350 more students per day, and a large increase in students accessing acceleration opportunities over the last decade.
St. Lucie Public Schools presented midyear academic and attendance data Jan. 28 showing gains in the district’s progress-monitoring (PM2) FAST assessments and continued expansion of accelerated-course access across the district.
Key takeaways: Chief of Schools Dr. Craig Sommer said districtwide reading proficiency (levels 3–5) showed a net increase at the midyear PM2 compared with the same point last year (+5 percentage points overall across assessed grades), and math proficiency was up modestly (+2 points overall). Attendance rose about 1 percentage point districtwide for the semester — an increase Dr. Sommer quantified as roughly 350 more students attending per day compared with the prior year, equating to about 22,100 additional hours of instruction in the semester to date.
Acceleration access: The district reported a long-term increase in students enrolled in accelerated courses (AMP, algebra/geometry in middle school, AP/ACE/IB/dual enrollment in high school). Dr. Sommer said acceleration enrollment rose from about 2,635 students in 2014–15 to 8,833 currently, a 235% increase over that period. Officials said the district has closed gaps in access: participation rates in accelerated coursework for Black, Hispanic and white subgroups have all increased substantially, and the district now shows similar representation across racial groups in acceleration access.
Grade‑level patterns and interpretation: Dr. Sommer highlighted particularly strong midyear gains in middle grades on math (6th grade +9 points, 7th grade +9 points) and multiple elementary schools with double‑digit percentage increases in proficiency at a given assessed grade. He noted the FAST progress-monitoring tests cover a year’s standards and that PM2 results are an early indicator of the year-end summative outcomes.
Monitoring and supports: The district emphasized its monitoring cadence: weekly collaborative learning team sessions for principals, monthly aligned professional development, and twice‑yearly performance meetings in which executive directors and central staff walk classrooms and produce action plans. Dr. Sommer credited targeted teacher support, master-schedule analysis and data-driven deployment of district resources for the gains reported.
Caveats and next steps: Midyear results are progress-monitoring snapshots; final year-end FAST (PM3/summative) results will determine federal and state accountability outcomes. District leaders said they will continue targeted efforts in early grades and with at‑risk groups; the board asked for future workshops on prekindergarten readiness and community preschool partnerships.
Board reaction: Board members praised the gains and asked for further detail on kindergarten readiness and local VPK provider supports; district staff said they would schedule follow‑up briefings on early‑childhood readiness initiatives and VPK partnerships.
