Fewer Than Half of Florida Students Passed Key Math Exam; Only 1 in 5 Proficient
According to data from the Florida Department of Education, the pass rate for the Algebra 1 exam in 2022 was 49%, an increase from the previous year’s rate of 47%. The exam was taken by a total of 258,691 students.
However, these results indicate that many students faced difficulties in passing this important math exam, which is typically required to obtain a standard high school diploma. In previous years, the pass rate for the exam was as high as 61%, but it declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, there is no data available for the year 2020.
The state data reveals that Florida students usually take the Algebra 1 exam either in middle school or high school. This course is also seen as a stepping stone to higher-level math.
It is important to note that the exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and students must achieve a minimum score of 3 to pass. A score of 3 indicates a level of "Satisfactory—may need additional support for the next grade/course." Only 22% of students were able to reach the higher scores of 4 and 5 in 2022, which are considered proficient.
Algebra 1 courses cover various topics such as operations with polynomials and radicals, understanding functions, and solving quadratic equations using the quadratic formula, among other skills.
In 2022, St. Johns district in Northeast Florida had the highest passing rate at 68%. Following closely were Walton County with 68%, and Nassau and Sarasota with 65% passing rates. These passing rates consider scores of 3, 4, and 5 collectively. However, many students may require additional assistance, especially if they did not achieve a proficiency level of 4 or 5.
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