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Treats help students aim to ace the FCAT
By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer INVERNESS -- Using a unique measurement system, Monday's first day of FCAT testing went well. Just one overly stressed student in the district threw up on his test booklet, making it a good testing day, said Jan Morphew, the director of research and accountability. Across the county, thousands of third- through 10th-graders took the first installments of this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, commonly known as the FCAT, without suffering any adverse physical reactions. Testing, including makeup tests, continues through next Monday. The FCAT is used to determine school grades and the distribution of school recognition money. For individual students, it shows how well they are progressing and whether they are ready for promotion to the next grade. For high school sophomores, the test takes on added importance because it must be passed before a student can earn a diploma. The writing portion of the test was administered last month, leaving the reading and math portions for this week. At the fourth, fifth, eighth and 10th grades, the test includes both multiple-choice questions and the more difficult "performance items," which involve longer answers. At the high school level, FCAT week creates a whole series of scheduling challenges. Juniors and seniors not taking the test are often displaced from their regular rooms and classes. Where possible, Crystal River and Lecanto high schools are still trying to offer classes to those students -- or study halls, where classes won't work. At Citrus High School, principal Michael Mullen tried something different Monday. Instead of scheduling the traditional three-hour study hall, he offered outside activities for some students. Juniors were allowed to meet with guidance counselors, while seniors had activities such as distributing graduation information, caps and gowns. Computer or study time was available for those students who wanted to use it. Today, juniors will take a field trip to Central Florida Community College, and seniors will be treated to a special lunch. "We were very pleased with the way it went. The kids were very cooperative," Mullen said. "It went exceptionally well today," said Crystal River High School principal Stephen Myers. "The kids came to school with the right attitude toward the test." At Lecanto High School, principal Kelly Tyler said that although this was his first FCAT week as a principal, he believed that things went as well as can be expected. He said there was no good solution to the scheduling problem for students who were not testing, but his school tried to conduct normal classes as much as possible. He acknowledged that he probably contributed somewhat to the scheduling issues by arranging for breakfast sandwiches to be delivered to the students who would be taking the test. All three high schools made breakfast available. At Crystal River, doughnuts and milk were offered. At Citrus, there were eggs and toast, but Mullen said few students took advantage of the free breakfast. Instead, some went through the cafeteria line to get their standard breakfast fare: a bag of chips. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow," Mullen said. Food service director Shirley Greene said free breakfasts were available to any school where the principal requested them. She had not yet gathered exact figures, but she estimated that hundreds of youngsters took advantage of the breakfast cakes, muffins and cheese toast made early Monday morning. The free service is made possible by extensive use of commodity foods, she said. Every student at Inverness Middle School was fed, and principal Cindy Staten was feeling good about the outcome by the time testing was wrapping up for the day. Her staff had talked to students earlier about how they needed to be in school this week to take the tests. Besides, she said, those who don't come have to make it up anyway. Absenteeism was low at the school Monday. At Homosassa Elementary School, students taking the test got special treat bags to kick off their day. Inside they found a variety of goodies such as stickers "to stick to the task at hand," as well as Hershey hugs, Smarties and Starburst candies for comfort, smarts and bursts of energy. The treats, which were saved for lunchtime, were a big hit with the youngsters, said Homosassa assistant principal Regina Allegretta. She said the calmness of the students impressed her. Allegretta visited classes last week and talked to the students about the test in a way that wouldn't put too much pressure on them. "I told them they had been preparing for this. If they didn't know something, to move on, that no one is perfect," she said. "And they seemed really okay with it." Allegretta also noted that there was some stress among teachers but everyone realized that they had done what they could. It was now up to the students. "Hopefully this one snapshot will reflect all the work that we've done," she said. Morphew said that the students and the staff have worked hard this year and she was also looking forward to seeing the proof of that in this year's FCAT results. "This is an opportunity, this is a chance for the children to show what they know," she said. And as for the issue of students throwing up on their tests, there is a mandated procedure in place to deal with such test booklets, which still must be accounted for, Tyler noted. It involves Zip-Loc bags. -- Times Staff Writer Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or 564-3621.
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