For example, as of 1999, FCAT results assign school grades. Moreover, the use of the results of tests has changed. As of 2011, testing has progressed to include:įAIR testing (K-2) one to one with teacherįAIR testing (3-12) computer based testing.įCAT Reading & Math retakes through grade 12Īn enormous increase simply in the sheer quantity of testing has occurred in the State of Florida within the last decade and a half. In 1998 (after its initial field testing), the first FCAT was field tested in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 in reading and math and the first Florida Writes exam was tested in grades 4, 8, and 10. Beginning in 1995, the original Sunshine State Standards were developed as part of achieving the Florida Commission on Education Reform and Accountability’s goal for creating a procedure for assessing student learning to raise educational expectations for students and help them compete in the global market. This paper will equip stakeholders with the information necessary to fuel grassroots efforts for change to educational policy on high stakes testing.Ī brief overview of the progression of high stakes testing in the State of Florida highlights the mounting misuse of the testing. This paper aims to provide a source of information for parents, educators, and community members on some of the unintended outcomes of the state accountability system. This white paper is not designed to be an exhaustive analysis of every issue surrounding this topic, but rather, it is an attempt to deepen the understanding of the impact of Florida’s intense focus on testing and accountability.
#Fcat validity and reliability questions full#
In order to better understand the full scope of the impact of the current high stakes testing in the State of Florida, this paper addresses the following questions:ġ.What is the history of high stakes testing in the State of Florida and who is driving the legislation?Ģ.What is the intended use of the testing?ģ.What is the correlation in data between student success and testing?Ĥ.What are the costs on resources incurred at the district, school, and individual classroom levels?ĥ.What is the actual composition of Florida’s high stakes tests? This remains a difficult subject to tackle as many recognize the necessity and value of accountability in ensuring basic literacy and numeracy in students, but question the current method of choice.
In recent years, the impact of high stakes testing and accountability in the State of Florida has come into question for policy makers, educators, parents, and students alike. It points out in great detail the negative effects on students and teachers of Florida’s testing program, and shows convincingly that the testing program is being used in ways that it was never intended. The white paper that follows is long but worth your time. While the specifics are about Florida, the general conclusions about the negative impact of state standardized programs are relevant across the country - not only because other states have their own version but because some looked to Florida as a model as they developed their own school accountability systems. The white paper, called “The Ramifications of Standardized Testing on our Public Schools,” was just released by the Central Florida School Board Coalition, a group of top officials from 10 school districts. Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused and has “severely impacted student learning,” according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to students.
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