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BOE Lowers FCAT Writing Test Passing Score
May 16, 2012
To avoid a steep drop in student scores the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday lowered the passing grade on a statewide writing test in an effort to insulate schools from a decline that would affect school funding.
Meeting in an emergency session, the board agreed to lower the passing grade from 4.0 to 3.0 on the FCAT writing assessment for the current school year after statewide numbers showed the passing rate fell through the floor, dropping in fourth grade from 81 percent to 27 percent.
Eighth and 10th graders experienced similar drops in writing grades.
The emergency rule will be in effect for 90 days. The board will address permanent rules within that time
But even with the lower standards, more students this year will not receive a satisfactory score, a drop in success that state education officials say is prompted by tougher testing criteria and the fact that each test was scored by two people.
The Department of Education took some responsibility for the drop, saying it did not adequately prepare schools and teachers for more rigorous standards that were put in place this year, which included an increased focus on grammar and punctuation.
Instead the new standard appears to have been rushed, which led to the dramatic increase in unsatisfactory scores.
“This conversation should have come up earlier,” DOE Secretary Gerard Robinson acknowledged. “We’ll do better going forward.”
School specific writing scores will not be out until at least the end of the week, leaving many districts in limbo as they wait to see if their schools will garner the necessary scores to keep the overall school grade from dropping, which has financial implications for already cash-strapped districts.
Passing scores on the FCAT writing assessment for fourth graders plummeted from 81 percent to 27 percent. Passing scores in eighth grade fell from 82 percent to 33 percent.
Tenth graders taking the test saw a similar drop in success. While 80 percent passed the test last year, only 38 percent scored a 4 or above on a 6-point scale this time around.
At the 3.0 threshold, 81 percent of fourth graders, 77 percent of eighth graders and 84 percent of 10th graders passed the test.
Some board members reluctantly supported the lower standards, but made it clear they would not continue to do so. School scores are expected to be out by the end of the week.
“The change from 4.0 to 3.0 looks like we are lowering standards,” said John Padget. “I’m only voting on this so we can hold (schools) harmless for this year only:”
Other board members, however, said the lower scores are not a reflection of student aptitude, but a change in scoring that has raised the bar.
“This is absolutely not a retreat,” said vice chairman Roberto Martinez. “It is maintaining the equivalence with last year, we’re just using a much more rigorous application of the scoring rubric.”
The test score drop became the vehicle for parents, teachers and local administrators to vent on the FCAT writing test and testing in general. The board took numerous calls from parents who said the high stakes tests are stressing out their kids.
Teachers said they were not given an adequate heads up on what the new criteria would mean.
“We literally didn’t receive much information at all,” said Holly Wallace, a writing teacher. “We were a little out of touch as far as what exactly the expectations were.”
Leon County Superintendent Jackie Pons, worried that contrary to the board’s assertion that school districts would not be penalized by the new standards, many school districts would still see their school grades fall based on the results of the writing assessment.
Despite the lower standard, some districts will still be adversely affected. School grades are partially determined by FCAT scores. Schools that perform poorly must divert resources to fixing the problem, which takes funds away from other areas.
The low scores brought concern from the top as well. Gov. Rick Scott, in a sharply worded statement Monday, said the lower scores were of great concern.
“The significant contrast in this year’s writing scores is an obvious indication that the Department of Education needs to review the issue and recommend an action plan so that our schools, parents, teachers and students have a clear understanding of the results,” Scott said.
Critics of FCAT testing also used the opportunity to take their shots.
“Florida’s overemphasis on testing is insane,” said former state Sen. Dan Gelber. “We have become a school system whose entire purpose seems to be to prepare kids for minimal competence tests.”
The Board plans to get updates at it June meeting.
Comments
28 Responses to “BOE Lowers FCAT Writing Test Passing Score”
REGARDING:
“No free thinkers A idiot for president.”
Or do you just THINK he’s an idiot because someone else told you to think that??
David pondering paradox
Its called Dumbing down Americans.
Been going on for years. Example and result.
No free thinkers A idiot for president.
Ahhh….. we are talking about the Florida Writes. The Florida Writes NEVER held anyone back. The Florida Writes NEVER failed anyone. This is not THE FCAT. This is the Florida Writes…….
My son had to pass it! Which he did the first time he took it. How is this fair to all of those children who have failed it, and were kept back? Lowering the standards only helps those bullies to stay in school instead of quiting, and going on to prison. I think all parents should have to work with, AND/OR have someone tutor their child to pass this test.
The test should evaluate spelling and grammar. You will be amazed at the number of students graduating who cannot verbally string two sentences together properly — do not even bother to ask them to write it.
Why do so many people want to a job application home to complete it? Most cannot read it nor understand it. They need help filling it out.
DOE dumbed-down a whole year of education with one vote.
The Florida Writes is a 45 minute timed rough draft. Spelling and grammar mistakes should NOT be heavily penalized. It is a rough draft! This year the powers to be decided to grade spelling and grammar HEAVILY.
REGARDING:
“(your vice you’re, etc”
your versus you’re
You know I don’t usually mention such things, but it DOES point out that we are all part of the problem and possible solution if we can just get our acts together.
(holding of breath not indicated)
David in an imperfect world,
caused in part by my presence
REGARDING:
“what happened to dick & jane? “
Didn’t you hear? Spot bit Dick and Jane went into Witness Protection.
Actually, I’m prior to Spot, Dick and Jane. Well, the books existed but Byrneville didn’t have them. We had to get by with books which used phonics, prefixes and suffixes and which incorporated history, geography and such things into stories about families going out west and settling towns, getting glass windows, building mills. Good writing can teach more than one thing at a time. Dick would’ve been crushed quickly.
For that matter, the things we typed in Mrs. Pettis’ typing class also had all kinds of information regarding manners and expected behavior. I think they now call it an integrated educational approach.
“I agree with Roberto, this is not a retreat, it is laying down.”
Lying down. If we want to complain about others not writing well, we should set good examples.
I lie down.
I lay other things down.
I lay eggs if I am a werechicken.
I deal with the school system every day but all my problems are behind me.
David on 17-04
The part that throws me is that they’re grading harsher on grammer, spelling, and punctuation. Shouldn’t the students know this? I understand grading with different expectations for different grade levels but it’s either right or wrong. As far as stressing kids out for the FCAT as a parent if you don’t stress out about it the kids won’t. My kids both felt the test was easy and aside from a little extra studying we treated it as any other test.
DAVID
I agree on teaching on a subject but they are teaching for the test only at third grade. Then any thing else needed they are having to get it later or making the lower grades harder. I seen a math word problem for a second grader that even I could not pronounce the names of them not U.S names how do solve the problem if you cant under stand the name what happened to dick & jane? Do you have school age kids and if not how long ago did you deal with the system? I have seen kids so upset about the test they were sick and even crying. I dont think any one of the creators of the test can pass it .What about the educators haveing to take it and pass before it is given to students ?
My concern is would they have lowered the score if it didn’t affect them from getting this money? This isn’t about the children, this is about the money they would have lost.
Rather than continuing to hold folks accountable, the “system” reduces the standards to prevent the loss of funding. Has anyone considered the “endgame”? The time when these students will be the educators, the workforce, and the leaders of tomorrow. In my relatively short lifetime, I have witnessed the results of the continued reduction in holding folks accountable. Basic grammar skills are declining, the incorrect use of simple words (your vice you’re, etc) . The inability to make change without the use of a computerized register, the inability to do simple math without a calculator. I think our educators are doing a tremendous job; however, given the multitude of governmental restrictions and the threat of lost funding, I believe education has become the preparation for the test rather than instructing the basic skills needed for lifelong success. Thank goodness for my “little country school” teachers that provided me an excellent educational foundation.
If you do not want to learn, just wait awhile the idiots will lower it. If you cannot pass a test let the teacher take it for you. The starting of a Nanny state has come. Look at the Atlanta school system when they were caught giving the answers to students. We have kids in school that work hard and make good grades. But under the new system if a student makes six A’s and another whom does not work makes F’s then the A student needs to give the F student some of his or her A’s. The unions fight to keep teachers in there whom cannot teach and you cannot get rid of them, because they pay union dues to the fat boys at head quarters so they can take there Island vacations.
I agree with Roberto, this is not a retreat, it is laying down.
David I agree on the eminet fall of civilization. I just wish it would get here allready so we can start cleaning this mess up. A clean sweep for the ages.
REGARDING:
“did YOU create the FCAT???”
nope, just looking at all the excuses folks keep throwing out and who all gets blamed for failure to get all perfect scores throughout the land.
David for perfect tests,
perfect teachers,
perfect students
To David, Nice percentage quotes…..did YOU create the FCAT???
REGARDING:
“OF COURSE the scores are low. FCAT occurs during flu season, so most of the kids aren’t feeling up to par.”
If 15.6 per 100,000 develops flu, this should have no real effect on FCAT scores. Actually, if as many as ten percent had the flu, that could only affect the ten percent.
David for healthy children
I have 3 children that are part of the statics of this testing. I am very proud of all 3 of them. I know they did their absolute very best on this test. They attend public school and by no means do I feel they are being “dumbed down”. I work very hard with them at night and have always believed that my involvement in their education relays to them the importance of their education. If it’s not important at home, it’s not important at school to the child.
Oh, for Heaven’s sake! OFCOURSE the scores are low. FCAT occurs during flu season, so most of the kids arent feeling up to par. My kids had to attend make up sessions. You cannot put this kind of stress on a preteen and expect perfect results!!! They are already trying to decide who they are, who they want to be, where they fit in…it is a tough age, FCAT needs to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This FCAT is lame i wish they did away with it all this is the only thing keeping me from getting my diploma in 10 days :/
Are they using this exam to keep our children stressed and depressed? What is the psychology behind this? When I attended school we read and read and read. Know why? Because we learned what a sentence looked and sounded like. We counted out our lunch money every day to the cafeteria cashier. No, it didn’t take the entire lunch hour. We learned how to count! All day long we were learning.
I would give anything to spend one day in a classroom without the teacher. I know the children would be hopeful and smiling when they found they could read, write and do math. It isn’t our teachers, it is the lousy materials being used. I would bring my own and teach little tricks to remembering each building block for every subject.
I believe they do not want intelligent American children. They want them dumbed down so they will be happy working at a mediocre job and doing only what they are trained to do. Being able to think and reason and be a confident person is becoming taboo. Which Corporation is printing the teaching materials and materials for this FCAT exam? How do we stop this attack on the self-esteem of these children? Let’s ask the right questions and demand the answers!
Why worry about it? All we have to do is continue to lower the scores to meet any requirements that it takes to get the money, Once you start down this road, its easy to make up any excuse to keep doing it.The real world DOES NOT work this way. But it is a good recipe for disaster. Do not guess we will have to worry about jobs ,since none of the future generations will be smart enough to work.
REGARDING:
“Students are taught a test; not a subject.”
I don’t think it’s that bad, but if you are going to be tested on botany, you don’t need to be taught statics or statistics; if you’re going to be tested on geometry, you don’t need to be taught chemistry or cooking. Or more correctly, if the subject is botany, the test should be on botany, if geometry, the test should be on geometry.
A good test will determine how well the test taker knows a particular subject. This may not be a good test. It may not test on what the students were supposed to learn. It may test too harshly.
I was told of one test in which the question was: What do you think about “whatever it was”? A question like that, whatever you actually think IS the correct answer but only one thought was considered correct. That would be a poorly worded and graded question.
At this point one always wonders if the test writers could’ve passed their own test as well as the legislators who pushed for this specific test. After all, what politician gets elected by being clear and concise?
Still, “their argh sum pour righters awt they’re.”
David considering geese and ganders,
apples and oranges,
eminent downfall of civilization
It is shameful that our education system has come to this. Because of “testing,” teaching has taken a backseat. Students are taught a test; not a subject. Thus, the results will surface in the long-term by having individuals who can barely read and write — do even think about math.
If we do not do something to return to “REAL” teaching and learning, our children will find themselves behind the 8-ball not only in the world but right here at home.
Shame on us for putting up with and accepting minimal standards as success.
I think it needs to be done away with the teachers teach to test only . Second & third grade with algebra problems . But look into who owns the printing company for all the test and the teaching material you shouldnt be shocked.
Gee, our students can’t pass their tests so we just lower the passing score? Has it occurred to anyone that maybe they might need to stop texting and start studying? Other countries put a high regard on education. We are starting to take it for granted. Maybe we shouldn’t, considering the spelling/wording I see written these days. We NEED good education for the children to keep up with the rest of the world!
sounds arbitrary, doesn’t it?
Pretty soon we will be graduating 3rd graders.