One of the biggest indicators of a child’s success throughout their lives is their ability to read on grade level by the end of third grade. Each year, the Florida Department of Education requires schools to complete the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading-Florida Standards (FAIR-FS). FAIR-FS gives a quantifiable number to the percentage of students in Florida who are reading on grade level or above. The chart below is a compilation of the data for Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties and the state averages over the last five years.