Only 37% of Florida high school students who took the state’s new civic literacy exam passed during the 2021-2022 school year, but education officials expect civic literacy among students to improve as more school reforms are implemented.
The Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) was administered to Florida high school students who were enrolled in a government class during the most recent school year. The test, which aims to promote an understanding of the nation’s democratic principles, key U.S. Supreme Court cases and landmark congressional laws, was developed after legislation passed last year to improve civics education.
Passage rates varied greatly around the state, ranging from a high of 98% at a lab school operated by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton to 3% in the Jefferson County School District. More than 157,000 students took the test.
“The Civic Literacy Exam is a brand-new exam that was implemented this year as a part of Florida law and the new civics initiatives that Gov. (Ron) DeSantis has spearheaded,” Cassie Palelis, press secretary for the Florida Department of Education, told the Florida Record in an email. “This class was the first cohort of students to take the Civics Literacy Exam, and it is only required for students taking a government class, but others can also take it.”
Those who pass the computer-based literacy test do not have to take a postsecondary civics assessment outlined in last year’s reforms, Palelis said.
The best way to currently track civics learning in Florida is through the Civics End of Course (EOC) Assessment, which students take after completing a civics course, she said. The EOC test has been administered in the state for years.
“The results of this year’s EOC showed 69% of students passing – an increase of 5 percentage points compared to 2021,” Palelis said. “Additionally, African-American students, Hispanic students and students from economically disadvantaged families increased performance by 8, 6 and 7 percentage points, respectively.”
Additional reforms, including revised civics and government standards, will be fully implemented in Florida by the 2023-2034 school year.