Schools boards representing more than one out of every four Florida students have approved a resolution asking state education leaders put less emphasis on standardized tests. And the Florida School Boards Association could take up a similar resolution at a Tampa meeting tomorrow, giving the national effort another boost. A dozen Florida districts have approved […]
The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is a “perfectly reasonable” way to gauge students in reading, writing and math, Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab writes. But the system breaks down because of ‘FCAT frenzy’ and the anxiety school districts create with extra drills, pep rallies and other events which ratchet up the pressure on students. Nearly […]
School districts across the state are adopting a national resolution opposing the emphasis on standardized tests. In Florida, that test is called the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The exam has been particularly criticized this year after state officials raised standards and minimum scores — and the percentage of students passing some tests plunged as a […]
Hernando County’s school board could take up a resolution Tuesday evening asking Gov. Rick Scott and state leaders put less emphasis on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Palm Beach and Broward county school boards have already approved a similar resolution. Alachua, Flagler and Pinellas boards are weighing the measure. The resolution is based on one […]
Some educators have always been skeptical of standardized testing. But in Florida, educators got another reason to question the accuracy of our test after the Florida Board of Education lowered the passing score of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test writing exam so more students would pass it. A former employee with Pearson, the company that […]
This week we told you about former Gov. Jeb Bush’s national education role, and how many of the policies he’s taking to other states got their start in Florida thanks to a well-maintained political network. We also told you that Bush’s ideas are seeing some resistance from Floridians. Readers took to the debate. Standardized tests […]
Editor’s Note: This is a first-person story from WUSF reporter Yoselis Ramos, who is studying to become a teacher. She recently hopped a bus with other teachers to attend a Jacksonville town hall meeting. Along the way she spoke with her fellow travelers about what its like to lead a classroom. You can watch “American […]
The Florida Board of Education is holding an emergency meeting this morning to debate whether to lower the passing score on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. (Watch here, starting at 10:30) Results show the state passing rate plunged this year, following changes to FCAT writing last year. So what changed?
Florida’s Board of Education has called an emergency meeting tomorrow to talk about state writing test standards. According to materials the board has posted online, the state Department of Education is recommending lowering the required score needed to pass the test to 3.5 from 4 (out of six). That might be because the percentage of […]
New York education officials are throwing out a question on a state standardized test — the fourth time in a month the state has had to do so, according to the New York Times‘ Schoolbook blog. This time it’s a math question above above the heads of fifth graders that’s causing the problem. To solve […]
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