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FCAT suit settled on workers' credentials

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 12, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - The state will disclose background data but not identifying information of temporary workers hired to grade Florida's standardized test for public school students, according to a lawsuit settlement announced Thursday.

The Florida Department of Education has until May 26 to turn over the records after removing names, addresses and telephone and Social Security numbers of those who grade the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, according to the settlement with Senate Democratic Leader Les Miller of Tampa and Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell of Tamarac.

Miller and Campbell had questioned the $10-an-hour workers' qualifications to grade the test because it plays such a significant role in Florida's education system. It affects whether students get promoted or graduate and assesses their performance and that of their schools and teachers.

"We'll be getting the credentials, the degrees and if their degrees are in education or if they taught school or whatever the case may be," Miller said. "Someone with any other degree we feel may not be competent to do this."

The temporary FCAT workers were hired by CTB/McGraw Hill LLC, a state contractor, to grade written answers and essays. Neither the Education Department nor CTB admit violating the state's open records laws by earlier refusing to disclose the information, according to the settlement.

Education Commissioner John Winn said the state agrees with the contractor's claim that the graders' names should be kept secret. Other testing companies could easily hire from the pool of trained workers who already grade the test, he said.

Department staffers train and test the graders before they go to work and then monitor their performance. If they detect problems, the graders are retrained or let go, Winn said.

[Last modified May 12, 2006, 00:55:11]