Feedback Loop: FCAT Not Blinding Them With Science

April 20, 2012 | 1:56 PM

By John O'Connor

Robert Krampf / TheHappyScientist.com

Happy Scientist Robet Krampf

Earlier this week we wrote about “Happy Scientist” blogger Robert Krampf, who criticized some of the questions, answers and background material on practice materials for the FCAT science test.

Krampf argued the test presented one multiple choice answer as correct, when a number of the answers were scientifically correct.

Krampf took his concerns to the Florida Department of Education, who told him the questions had been approved by a committee. An agency employee told Krampf that though one question had multiple answers that were scientifically correct, only one answer was included in the 5th grade curriculum.

StateImpact Florida readers showed no mercy towards the test. Here’s fcatastrophe:

My 6th grader is in an accelerated math class in a Broward public school. A few weeks ago she was doing her homework, a packet of practice questions for the math FCAT, and there was a question about the area of a circle. She knew the formula she was supposed to use – it’s pi times the radius squared – but none of the multiple choice answers had pi in them. Instead, a couple of them had the fraction 22/7, which were not numbers that corresponded to anything in the question. It took both of us quite a while to figure out that the fraction was there in place of pi. Is the testing company deliberately trying to trick the kids, or do they just not care, as long as they can take the money and run?

Bigdhlwd says he or she had also just noticed this problem:

I am sitting here with my mouth open, because two weeks ago I was reading that “soft petals” question on the DOE website and ranting to my friend about how the question was using terrible science to test 5th graders. She and I both volunteer in public schools doing hands on science and both of us have science degrees. These tests are bad ” gotcha” tools that do nothing to test real science knowledge, and will turn kids who are excited about science into frustrated, science-hating robots. The state claims to care about STEM subjects, but this is an example of how politicians, test companies, and others who are hundreds of miles from actual classrooms are grading our children. It makes me so sad for curious, potential young scientists.

Bikebird110 says protecting the test materials shield test makers from responsibility:

Here’s one for you: middle school end of year course exam (Algebra) on computer. Teacher/proctor is not permitted to read the question, only to assist with students and computer operating issues. Student works through problem on scratch paper, and finds that his/her answer doesn’t match with any choices given. Teacher looks at problem worked out on scratch paper, and determines that the child has correctly answered the problem, but the correct answer is not one listed. Teacher can do nothing about it since he/she is not permitted to read the test, only the test prompts. School therefore does nothing. Child has no defense, and since testing by computer is graded by computer, the testing company is not held accountable.

Thanks for reading. Keep sending us your comments and questions.

Reader reaction is an important part of building StateImpact Florida’s education coverage. Feedback Loop will be a regular feature highlighting your questions, criticisms and comments.

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Your Guide To Florida’s Ever-Changing FCAT

Comments

Nlent

FCAT is truly developmentally inappropriate. I am a teacher, and I have written FCAT question many years ago. I am shocked at the new demands on our children. I just finished my first week of testing and still have more next week. It will total 7 1/2 hours for 10-11 year olds. The behavior problems have increased dramatically since the testing began. As the week progresses, the kids wear out and do not do as well. I have asked many times what we are testing knowledge or endurance? Beng that reading is the first thing tested in most grades, the kids are tired by the time math rolls around and scores drop. 5th graders will follow this long week with 180 minutes more of testing for science. I am very worried about their stamina. Next year the 5th graders will have to take reading online. The 6th grade did it this year. It has been a nightmare. The font is small and cannot be increased because that would be an accommodation. Nightmare! 70 minutes in front of a computer screen looking at various fonts (some so fancy that they are hard to read), small font and instructions that are clear as mud. The state should be ashamed of what they are doing to our kids. It is totally wrong on too many levels.
- Clent
  
  It is true that teachers are not allowed to know what is on the test. It goes against everything taught to the kids. We prepare tests, test students and then review them with the kids answering questions and clearing up misconceptions…FCAT does not provide this. It also hides any mistakes or problems Pearson has made with the test and questioning. It masks the inappropriate information and things that do not match the standards. Teachers are threatened with loss of their certificates if they do challenge the information, look at the test or try and fight for the kids. I would urge everyone to fight to de-emphasized the importance of FCAT and make it a more equitable test for the students.
  - guest
    
    I don’t think the state really cares about the kids as much as they WANT the tax supported public schools to look like they are failing. That will give them the excuse they need to cut funding and, eventually, to privatize k-12 education with for-profit schools.
Concerned Mom

My daughter was doing an FCAT practice test at home for reading, where you read the story and then answer several questions. She is a gifted student and has a 4.0 GPA. She called me over to take a look at one of the questions, which had no clear answer. This makes me question who exactly is writing these questions and why they make them so nebulous. Are they just tring to trick the kids? The passage was about bees and how development was jeopardizing their ability to pollenate plants. Upon reading the question, I agreed with her selection that clearing a large piece of property of all plants and covering it in concrete would have the greatest impact. It turned out the answer she chose was wrong. Instead, it was something about the new landscaping would not require pollenation. What? Honestly, too many of the FCAT questions have turned into this silly, confusing process that makes kids (and even college educated adults) throw up their hands in frustration. Who is checking the test writers? That’s what I want to know! We need to find out who is on this “committee” that approves the questions and hold them accountable.
Bruce

And consider that, currently, some of the tests are used to grade schools and teachers, but have no impact on students. I used to teach science in a high school, and the school was graded partially by 11th grade science FCAT scores. But, the 11th grade science FCAT is 100% meaningless to students. Passing or failing the test has absolutely no affect on students. There were actually students who would not even bother to Christmas tree the test; they’d literally leave the entire test blank while they took a nap. And why shouldn’t they?

Now I teach in a middle school, and the same is true for 8th grade science FCAT. Next week, students will spend 160 minutes taking a test that is meaningless to them. Imagine asking 13-year olds to spend 160 minutes taking a science test that won’t mean anything them. Of course, the pass rate is very low.

Of course, things will change soon. In a couple years, students won’t be able to graduate high school unless they pass a biology End-of-Course exam. Let’s hope the test is better written than the FCAT, or students who know science well might not graduate because the state assumed they shouldn’t have known it that well. After all, if you read Robert Krampf’s emails with the state, the state defended some of their incorrect information by stating, “We cannot assume they would receive instruction beyond what the benchmark states,” and therefore, “[We] did not feel that 5th graders would be familiar” enough with more advanced science to identify the other correct answers.

Lesson to teachers: Don’t teach science. Teach the test. Only the test.

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