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Schools
State admits FCAT scoring error from last year
By Ron Matus
Published May 23, 2007
State education officials said Wednesday they botched one of last year's FCAT tests, potentially affecting everything from school grades and student retention to whether Florida schools passed federal standards under the No Child Left Behind Act.
As a remedy, they promised that from now on, an independent panel of experts would audit every FCAT each year to make sure there are no future glitches.
"This is going to be a new practice from this point forward, " Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg said in a press conference this morning. "We feel like this is one more step in terms of best practices."
Wednesday's announcement overshadowed the release of FCAT scores in reading, math and science and promised to put the FCAT - already unpopular with parents and teachers - even more under the microscope.
Under former Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida began using the FCAT to determine school grades, whether third-graders should be held back and whether high school seniors could graduate. FCAT scores are also used by federal officials to determine whether Florida schools should face sanctions for failing to meet standards under No Child Left Behind, which requires that all students be proficient in math and reading by the 2013-14 school year.
The test in question was last year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for third-graders in reading. Last year's results showed 75 percent of third-graders had passed, a record increase of 8 percentage points. But red flags went up three weeks ago, when the release of this year's third-grade results showed only 69 percent had passed - a record drop.
A subsequent Department of Education review determined last year's test was not "equated" properly - meaning, in layman's terms, that it was made too easy. The equating process is overseen jointly by department officials and Harcourt Assessment, the testing company contracted by the state to administer the FCAT.
Department officials said last year's third-grade test will be re-scored in the next few weeks with the help of an independent group of experts, including district superintendents and testing directors. They said they did not know how big an adjustment will be made.
They also said they reviewed every other test used this year and last and were confident the other scores were accurate.
Ron Matus can be reached at 727 893-8873 or matus@sptimes.com.
[Last modified May 23, 2007, 12:25:54]
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by Anne
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12/19/07 02:46 PM
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It is our government schools we ought to do away with....look at how we stack up against other countries!! We're falling behind every year, and it's not the FCAT that's causing that to happen! Our schools are lousy!
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by anna
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06/30/07 04:41 PM
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the fcat stinks. a kids can be honor roll but fail it and they get left back! what can we do to get rid of it altogeher????
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by Jenifer
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05/29/07 04:56 PM
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They better start investigating all grade levels. I don't trust as far as I can throw them. To retain a passing student who is meeting Sunshine State Standards based on a test score is the biggest flaw there is in this testing progress.
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by Ann
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05/24/07 07:20 AM
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Too easy? How about the studendts were adequately prepared? How about the teachers did their jobs? Unless wrong answers were marked as correct, this news is insulting to the students and teachers involved! Get rid of this test program!
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by Eva
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05/23/07 08:18 PM
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Drop the FCAT. As a retired teacher, I know the best thing is to let the teacher teach. Let the politicians do their job, whatever that is. And quit listening to college profs who never were in public school teaching, yet profess to know all about it
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by Asia
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05/23/07 05:47 PM
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I feel that FCAT is not necessary at all. In fact all it does is interfere with the childs education. For example, the teachers are so busy teaching about the FCAT but neglecting what really matters and skipping lessons from the book. Who suffers?
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by Janice
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05/23/07 05:26 PM
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Very sad that families cannot see the full test that their children take. Isn't this against our rights. Many students are tiring of this test as we can see in the percentages. More drop outs in our communities. Get rid of this test, it is a joke!
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by Sarah
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05/23/07 03:38 PM
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Harcourt Assessment? Anyone else notice that their kids' textbooks all come from Harcourt? Something stinks here...
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by Sarah
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05/23/07 02:17 PM
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As a parent and a teacher, I LIKE having the FCAT. The student expectations from when my first child went through school to my youngest have increased dramatically since the FCAT was established. As a teacher, I know expectations have risen!
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by Bob
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05/23/07 01:50 PM
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The FCAT needs to be tossed on to the same scrap heap as JEB'S! other bright moves such as his privitization w/o accountability contracts, school vouchers, eliminating vechicle inspections etc etc.
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by ted
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05/23/07 01:07 PM
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so, for exactly how many $$$$ did we learn tht the test has NO MEANING??!!
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