FCAT's, Anyone heard of these?

Mare

New Member
Florida Comprehensive Assement Test (for 3rd,4th,&5th graders)

Well, my son is in 4th...last year he had to take this test down here in FL...he did not do well, keep in mind he is an ESE student, he gets XTRA help for reading/writing....last year he failed the test and I sent him to summer school for xtra help for it, BUT, they could not fail him a grade because in NJ he had 2 years ESE under his belt and was held back in kindergraden...(went to pre-first).
Anyway, today starts FCAT testing for him. He was SO STRESSING this, "HE" made sure he ate a good dinner last night, went to bed early, asked to sleep in my room so his brother would not keep him up!, and ate breakfast this morning, which he rarely does. Poor guy is so worried about today!

I sat at the table with him, and told him, No need to worry, you are doing great this year! Your Smart! I'm VERY proud of you. You won't be grounded or in trouble if you don't do as good as YOU wanted too. (he has to write a 3 pg essay???? which is what he is stressing BIG TIME over) Told him, if you don't finish in the 45 minutes they give, NO PROBLEM...No Big Deal....You will do just fine. No belly aches, no headaches (cuz he complained this morning), just do THE BEST YOU CAN....Again, I Love You! And I'm VERY proud of how far you came. After school, you can go play with some friends,blah blah blah...Trying to take his mind of the stressing bit. Even did get a smirky smile out of him....Worried Mom for her kid, what to do, what to do...See, now he's got me stressing for him, I just don't want him to worry.

I get so mad at the school system sometimes, making these kids stress like this!!!!!!!!
 

Inkara1

Well-Known Member
I had to take the CAT (California Achievement Test) every year until I was a sophomore. That year, the state switched over to the SAT-9 tests, which I did my sophomore and junior years. Seniors weren't required to take the tests. I always scored at a very high level on those tests.
 

ClaireBear

Banned
We have the same here... SAT (statutory attainment tests) taken in Years 2, 6 and 10. Meaning the children are 7, 11 amd 14... but the year before that they have to take mock exams too.

Its designed as a measure of teacher performance and to fill out the dreaded league tables... an indicator for government and parent of a schools performance in comparision with the national average and with other schools in the same/similar socio-economic area.

It does stress the children.. but on the whole most schools and parents handle the situation very well...applying no pressure to the younger children.

Its sounds as though you handled the situation really well... another good way to reassure some children is if you tell them how "grown up" they are... coming into school and sitting a paper. I've even told the year 6 kids that its a measure for me... to see if I've taught you well enough... not a measure of their ability. One boy decided that if that was the case they'd just write a letter and tell the exam paople how good a teacher i was to save them from sitting the test!!!
 

Inkara1

Well-Known Member
There are certain things the state wants all children to learn in certain grade levels. Like it or not, there's no way to know if the kids are learning it other than to have a standardized test.
 

Leslie

Communistrator
Staff member
If you have an IEP for him, based on reading and writing difficulties, he should be able to get out of that, or at least the effects of the results. Or, you could require that someone scribe for him. Scribing makes all the difference for my boys. Or, that he be able to type it if he can type.

If there's paperwork on the reasons for him being in special ed, start arguing.
 

Gonz

molṑn labé
Staff member
Mare said:
I get so mad at the school system sometimes, making these kids stress like this!!!!!!!!


There needs to be a baseline & standardized tests are the only way. I took CATs all my school life. Here, they have the ISTEP...

Kids stress over tests, adults stress over deadlines. It's the American way.
 

Leslie

Communistrator
Staff member
BUT!

he is an ESE student, he gets XTRA help for reading/writing. He may very well be exempted or prorated if she goes for it. My son receives scribing assistance for our equivalent. Writing is his problem, not subject knowledge.

If Mare's boy has the same type of problems, he shouldn't be penalized and failed because of an inconvenient for the school communication issue.
 

chcr

Too cute for words
Gonz said:
There needs to be a baseline & standardized tests are the only way. I took CATs all my school life. Here, they have the ISTEP...

Kids stress over tests, adults stress over deadlines. It's the American way.

Y'know, I never really stressed over tests. I guess because I always did well on them, I just expected to. :shrug: I think Gonz is right though, most kids do stress over tests. I stress over deadlines myself (especially the unrealistic ones). Think of it as preparation for the real world.
 

Sharky

New Member
The FCAT is Jeb Bush's baby, part of his "A+" program to improve Florida's school system.

Published in St. Petersburg Times
05/19/2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/05/19/Opinion/FCAT_is_the_best_tool.shtml

To the editor

Your May 9 editorial, Political Demotion, correctly noted student performance in Florida is rising. However, it misstated facts related to the issue of social promotion in our school system.

The FCAT is a standardized achievement test. As such, it cannot "decide" to retain students. It is, however, the best tool we have to measure basic skill proficiency and identify students who may need help.

Educators in local schools interpret the data to determine which students are not prepared to succeed in the next grade level. The primary difference this year is, in order to promote a child who did poorly on the FCAT, educators must demonstrate (through another method) the student has mastered the skills in question.

We understand behind every test score is an individual child with unique circumstances and requirements. Some will achieve with a little extra attention and others gain ground through different teaching methods. Some will benefit from extra time in their current grade. Florida educators have known for years that the end of social promotion was near. In preparation, we have provided annual funds to support their remedial efforts. Most schools have used these funds wisely; others will now have to.

The tragic legacy of social promotion in Florida is clear. More than 13,000 high school seniors failed six attempts to pass a test measuring 10th grade competency. The options outlined by Education Commissioner Jim Horne indicate our open-ended support of those who wish to overcome this obstacle and strive for better opportunities.

Rising test scores in Florida mean more than lines going the right direction on a graph, validating our education reforms. They mean more children in Florida are learning.

— Jeb Bush, Florida Governor

I would probably give the Governor an A for effort, and for raising the bar for standards of education in our state.
 

Winky

Well-Known Member
Don't worry about those tests Mare
they will only decide you kid's future for the rest
of his life heh heh heh j/k?
 

Mare

New Member
Leslie said:
BUT!

he is an ESE student, he gets XTRA help for reading/writing. He may very well be exempted or prorated if she goes for it. My son receives scribing assistance for our equivalent. Writing is his problem, not subject knowledge.

If Mare's boy has the same type of problems, he shouldn't be penalized and failed because of an inconvenient for the school communication issue.


Right, he is an ESE-IEP student...The schools here in Charlotte county, for 4th graders, remains them to stay in the homeroom for reading/writing, THEY SAY the teachers are liscensed ESE, so they don't have an interuption of leaving the class. He is supposed to have xtra time to take a test, and if need be, someone is allowed to read to him...Michael on the other hand sometimes gets embarrased and won't ask the teacher to help him read it. Its not that he can't read, its when he tries to put whats in his head on paper that things don't come out the way he wants it too.

BUT, all will be glad to know that when he came home he was very pleased to know that instead of 45 minutes to write an essay, he had an 1hr 1/2, that went for all the children in the class....He said its wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. I'm very proud of him! :D today is last day of testing....We'll see how he does... :D

Your right also Gonz, everyone stresses over tests....
 

Mare

New Member
The FCAT is a standardized achievement test. As such, it cannot "decide" to retain students. It is, however, the best tool we have to measure basic skill proficiency and identify students who may need help.

This is NOT true......Last year in Myakka River Elementary School....They held quite a few students back for failing the FCAT....They couldn't hold Michael back though because of being an ESE student.....If they did not pass 3rd grade FCAT they failed... So they Lied!
ALOT of parents were VERY pissed about it!!!!!!!
 

Inkara1

Well-Known Member
Chances are the state didn't intend for the test to be used as a condition for advancing a grade level, but the school district itself decided to use it. So it wasn't the state that lied, rather an individual school district used the test for an unintended purpose.
 

Mare

New Member
Inkara1 said:
Chances are the state didn't intend for the test to be used as a condition for advancing a grade level, but the school district itself decided to use it. So it wasn't the state that lied, rather an individual school district used the test for an unintended purpose.


You know, you could be right :confused: .....AND i'm gonna check into this....If so, I'm gonna do what Les said and use my "bitchin Powers" :evilcool:


Doesn't someone in OTC do homeschooling for their children?
 

ClaireBear

Banned
TBH... I wish Blighty would adopt a "keeping back" policy... here kids with special needs (Academic, Behavioural/Emotional) are "provided" for and in essence "keep back" the whole damn class!!!!

Inclusion... my arse!... Bring back Plato's Gold, Silver and Bronze system!!!
 

AllEars'

New Member
Here they do TCAPS. There is a great deal of pressure put on the children to do well on these test, as a lot of the schools funding comes from how the children preform on these test. They have taken the last 2 weeks of school to go over everything that will be covered on the TCAPS and testing starts next week. My daughter has made several comments to me about the comments made by some of the teachers about this test, I told her to do her best and not worry what the teachers say. She does very well on her school work so they would have a hard time convincing me she needs to be held back.
 

Mare

New Member
AllEars' said:
She does very well on her school work so they would have a hard time convincing me she needs to be held back.


Well, goodluck!!!! This was the problem with all the parents last year, their kids were straight "A" students, but yet they failed them for the year for not passing the FCAT!
Funny though, how some of the students that were in MYRS school, are NOW in my sons school and in 4th grade with him.
 

AllEars'

New Member
That would not have sat well with me. I have this problem where a lot of times my ass overloads my mouth and would say that would have been the case if that happened to my child.

I am glad your son felt as though he did well on his testing and survived it pretty much unmarked.

One of the teachers here insists that the kids all eat banana's the morning of the tests. Not sure if that helps but the child says it did help calm her nerves, go figure.
 

Gonz

molṑn labé
Staff member
Mare said:
Doesn't someone in OTC do homeschooling for their children?

Yes.

They couldn't hold Michael back though because of being an ESE student

Too bad. A child clearly in need of help gets to go along & get socially promoted while still young enough to get help by being retained. Being held back a year has helped many children who weren't ready to make teh jump. I'm not trying to pick on YOUR son Mare, just the process in general.
 
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