Florida Students Hit Historic Highs As Over 60% Clear Grade-Level Benchmarks
State education officials announced Friday that Florida students have reached a significant academic milestone, with more than 60% now performing on or above grade level in both English language arts and mathematics. The newly released end-of-year progress monitoring results mark the highest percentage of students meeting these benchmarks since the state overhauled its testing system.
The data shows a multi-year upward trend since Florida became the first state in the nation to eliminate traditional, high-stakes end-of-year testing in 2023. In its place, the state implemented a coordinated progress monitoring system.
Unlike the previous model, which only measured learning at the very end of the school year, the current system tracks student performance at multiple points during the year, allowing teachers and parents to identify learning gaps and adjust instruction in real time.
Since the system’s introduction three years ago, English language arts (ELA) passing scores for students in grades 3 through 10 jumped by 12 percentage points, rising from 49% in 2023 to 61% in 2026. Math scores for grades 3 through 8 saw a similar nine-percentage-point increase, moving from 53% to 62%. According to state metrics, this growth means an additional 150,000 students are meeting reading expectations and nearly 115,000 more students are hitting math benchmarks compared to 2023.
Governor Ron DeSantis credited the state’s structural changes for the shift in performance. “Florida did not become the Education State by accident. We got here by setting high expectations, empowering parents, supporting teachers, and refusing to settle for the status quo,” DeSantis said. “For the first time ever, more than 60 percent of Florida students are now performing on or above grade level in both English language arts and mathematics. This success demonstrates that our education reforms, like progress monitoring, are delivering real results for our students.”
The academic gains were visible across various subjects and specialized student categories. In Algebra 1, 61% of students performed at or above grade level, which is an 11-point increase from 2023. Geometry passing rates reached 55%. Meanwhile, scores in science and social studies reached their highest levels since those specific tests were first administered. Fifth-grade science scores rose to 60%, eighth-grade science hit 57%, and Biology 1 reached a 74% passing rate. In social studies, 76% of students cleared grade-level expectations in Civics, while 73% did so in U.S. History.
The data also revealed progress among historically underperforming student groups. Compared to 2025, reading scores for African American, Hispanic, economically disadvantaged students, and English language learners improved by five percentage points. Students with disabilities registered a three-point increase in English and a two-point increase in mathematics.
Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas emphasized the collective effort behind the numbers, pointing to a long-term strategy.
“I am very proud of the progress monitoring results this year. These tremendous gains are a testament to the hard work of Florida’s students, the unwavering support of parents, and the high-quality instruction delivered by teachers across the state,” Kamoutsas said. “Galatians 6:7 reminds us that, ‘…for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.’ This year’s accomplishments are evidence of the seeds we have sown through a commitment to student achievement. As we celebrate these record-breaking results, we must build on this momentum to achieve even greater success for Florida’s students in the years ahead.”