Would taking away the mandatory FCAT impact the education of Florida’s students in a positive way? The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test has been a staple in our state for 16 years, and started out as a learning measurement and accountability tool for all schools statewide. Looking back it is evident that it has now changed dramatically and is hindering our students. The standardized test, which takes around two weeks, is administered to public school students third through eleventh grade in the spring of each year. It gives each student a score based on how well you test on topics like reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Third graders have to pass the FCAT to be promoted, while high school students must pass the reading and math
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The test has an enormous influence on our states schools and puts pressure on not only students, but their teachers. The enormous burdon this test has influences what subjects teachers go over and their lesson plans. Its not uncommon to see some schools strictly teaching the test so they can guarantee school funding in the following years. The simple standardized test now weights so heavily in schools currently that teachers are teaching it throughout the year and cutting into there class time. FCAT standardized testing is a good tool to measure learning in schools but its weight on schools is taking away several learning opportunities. The state needs to limit the importance of the FCAT because of the high stakes exams fail to measure critical thinking skills, are not a good predictor of academic success and stress out students and teachers …show more content…
More than 20 school boards gave passed resolutions asking the state to reconsider its overemphasis on standardized test . Measuring students progress is a good concept, but its gotten lost along the way (Romano). Some schools have tried alternate test but have not came up with a clear solution. The alternative would be to provide regular testing, online, all year so hat grading would be instantaneous and the program would help design lesson plans for struggling students(“Better than the FCAT?). the solution comes with flaws like grading standards and if it should affect the school as a whole, which is why it is being looked into. No matter what, the testing standards need to be changed and florida is slowly speaking up against this
The test has an enormous influence on our states schools and puts pressure on not only students, but their teachers. The enormous burdon this test has influences what subjects teachers go over and their lesson plans. Its not uncommon to see some schools strictly teaching the test so they can guarantee school funding in the following years. The simple standardized test now weights so heavily in schools currently that teachers are teaching it throughout the year and cutting into there class time. FCAT standardized testing is a good tool to measure learning in schools but its weight on schools is taking away several learning opportunities. The state needs to limit the importance of the FCAT because of the high stakes exams fail to measure critical thinking skills, are not a good predictor of academic success and stress out students and teachers …show more content…
More than 20 school boards gave passed resolutions asking the state to reconsider its overemphasis on standardized test . Measuring students progress is a good concept, but its gotten lost along the way (Romano). Some schools have tried alternate test but have not came up with a clear solution. The alternative would be to provide regular testing, online, all year so hat grading would be instantaneous and the program would help design lesson plans for struggling students(“Better than the FCAT?). the solution comes with flaws like grading standards and if it should affect the school as a whole, which is why it is being looked into. No matter what, the testing standards need to be changed and florida is slowly speaking up against this