{"id":9888,"date":"2012-07-09T10:22:42","date_gmt":"2012-07-09T14:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/?p=9888"},"modified":"2012-07-09T10:22:49","modified_gmt":"2012-07-09T14:22:49","slug":"governor-scott-says-florida-students-might-face-too-much-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2012\/07\/09\/governor-scott-says-florida-students-might-face-too-much-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Scott Says Florida Students Might Face Too Much Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Joe Raedle \/ Getty Images News<\/p>

Gov. Rick Scott says Florida students may be taking too many tests. But Scott says assessments are important to measuring school quality.<\/p><\/div>\n

Gov. Rick Scott says Florida students might be tested too much, and is talking to teachers and education officials about what changes should be made to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.<\/p>\n

Scott’s made the comments Friday at a newspaper editor meeting, the Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n

Testing is important to measure quality, Scott said, but the state must find balance. From the story<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cParents and taxpayers expect measurement. We\u2019ve got to measure, we\u2019ve to find out who the best schools are,\u201d Scott said. \u201cWe have to have a good measurement system but we have to make sure we don\u2019t have too much of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said among the FCAT, federal testing and end-of-course exams, students might be tested too much. He said he is talking to officials and teachers about what changes should be made.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, I think it\u2019s going to change a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Scott’s comments are the first sign that any state leader is reconsidering the FCAT following a public relations crisis for the test this spring.<\/p>\n

State leaders raised standards on the FCAT writing exam<\/a>, which caused scores to plunge. Last year 81 percent of Florida fourth graders scored a ‘4’ or better (out of 6) on the writing test. This year just 27 percent of fourth graders earned a ‘4’ or better<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Parents, educators and school board members were outraged.<\/p>\n

In response, the state Board of Education lowered the score needed to pass the exam this year.<\/p>\n

Since then school board have been in open revolt against the test, with more than a dozen Florida districts<\/a> and the Florida School Boards Association approving a resolution<\/a> asking for less emphasis on the FCAT and other “high-stakes” testing.<\/p>\n

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