Opting Out Of FCAT Can Have Consequences

Monday we told you about activists who are educating parents about what their options are when it comes to FCAT exams.

While state law doesn’t allow parents to withhold their children from the exam, the law does outline alternatives to required tests.

But opting out might still come with some consequences. A parent forwarded us a letter sent home from school about an upcoming field trip:

Courtesy of an anonymous source

A letter sent home warning parents their student may not be able to attend a field trip if they miss the FCAT.

The message may not say “Take the FCAT or else!” but that’s how this parent interpreted the note.

It’s one reason parents will push lawmakers to allow opting out of the new Common Core-tied exam which begins in 2015. Advocates are also pushing to make it easier for students with disabilities to be exempted from the test if there is a compelling medical reason.

Courtesy of an anonymous source

A parent sent us a photo of this third grade assignment asking students what they were expecting in third grade. The parent said they had never spoken to the child about the FCAT.

Parents are also worried that adult concerns about the exams — school grades, teacher evaluations and paychecks — have seeped into student awareness.

Another parent sent us this photo from the beginning of the school year. The assignment asked students to answer questions about what they were expecting in third grade.

When asked what they really wanted to learn about, the third grader answered “FCAT.”

And when asked what the student was nervous about, they answered “failing FCAT.”

The parent said they had never spoken to their child about the exam before seeing this assignment.